Issue Position: Effective Leadership

Issue Position

Before I stepped foot on a plane to get sworn in to Congress, I made a commitment to you - the folks of Kansas -- to make constituent services my top priority. So many politicians in Washington think they can simply read news reports about what's going on back in their district and then call that good. That's not good enough.

Each week, after the last vote is cast in Washington, I get on the first flight to Kansas. I firmly believe that the only way I can represent you is by talking to you, listening to you, and meeting with you face to face, town by town, and county by county. That's why I have already hosted over 20 telephone town hall meetings during the few days I'm in Washington each week. And when I'm back in Kansas, which is almost every weekend, I host real town halls and visit small businesses, our great military installations, schools, farms, and coffee shops. This allows me to stay in touch, hear what your concerns are, and then relay that message when I head back to Washington on Monday.

Working for Kansans

Securing NBAF: After Manhattan was selected as the site of the new National Agro- Bio- Defense Facility (NBAF), I made a commitment to see this project moved forward. I have met with local officials in Manhattan and worked with my colleagues in both the House and Senate to secure necessary funding for the NBAF. That's why I voted for the Homeland Security Appropriations, which included $32 million for the facility. The NBAF will be a tremendous asset to Manhattan, bringing jobs and economic development, as well as making Kansas a leader in bio and animal disease research. While there is still work to be done, the project is moving forward and K-State and Manhattan officials are hoping to break ground in the summer of 2010.

Helping Treece Residents: The folks in Treece, Kansas are living under harmful conditions due to the leftover remnants of the mining industry. I have been working hard with Senator Brownback and Roberts and the rest of the delegation to see that the folks of Treece have assistance in relocating to safer conditions. I have visited Treece and led a delegation from the Environmental Protection Agency to see the conditions on the ground. On October 30, 2009, both Houses of Congress approved funding for the buyout of Treece and was signed into law shortly after. I was glad to be a part of this solution and that the people of Treece will now get the assistance they need. Whether large or small, every community in Kansas is valuable and you can be sure I will continue to fight for each and every one.

Fighting for Local Hospitals: When I heard that hospitals in Wamego and Onaga were in danger of losing their critical access status, which brings in vital dollars, we worked to ensure that did not happen. Both of these hospitals provide vital services to folks in Kansas. I sent a letter to both HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Charlene Frizzera to encourage them to make an exception for the Onaga and Wamego hospitals. In the end, they were granted that exception and were able to continue their good work for the people of Kansas.

Keeping Guantanamo Terrorist Detainees Out: On my second day in office, I introduced H.R. 148, which would prohibit funds from being used to transfer terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. I have met with officials from Leavenworth and other members of Congress, including Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, to gain support in opposing these terrorist detainees in Leavenworth. Earlier this year, I took a trip to Guantanamo Bay to see the facility first-hand and am more confident than ever that those detainees should not be in Kansas.

While I am opposed to these terrorist detainees coming to the United States at all, we were pleased to see the Obama Administration did not choose Fort Leavenworth for their relocation. Fort Leavenworth houses the best and brighest our military has to offer and I will continue to fight to support that tradition of excellence.

Presenting Alternatives: Democrats have a monopoly on power in Washington, but instead of sitting on the sidelines, I have worked to present alternatives to the big government, big spending ideas that are taking our nation in the wrong direction.

Health Care: I am a member of a Health Care Working Group that seeks to reform health care without a government takeover. Our plan includes giving tax credits to allow people to buy their own insurance, ending denial of care based on pre-existing conditions, tort reform, letting businesses band together to offer affordable insurance, and weeding out waste, fraud, and abuse in the system.

Energy: Instead of a national energy tax and narrow energy proposal that was proposed by Democrats, I support an "all of the above" approach to energy. This includes focusing not solely on renewable energy such as wind or solar, or focusing solely on non-renewable sources like clean coal and oil. We need to use all of these methods in order to free ourselves from hostile, foreign nations that provide us so much of our energy.

Creating Jobs: I supported an economic stimulus package that according to Obama's own advisors would have created twice the jobs at half the price. That plan focused on targeted tax relief and relied on businesses, instead of the government to create jobs. Government has never been efficient at creating jobs and we are seeing that as unemployment continues to rise month after month.

Spending: Recently, our nation's deficit hit $1.42 trillion. That is three times larger than the previous record deficit. Instead of a budget that nearly triples the public debt in 10 years, I supported a freeze on spending at current levels. The fact Washington keeps spending like there's no tomorrow while Kansans have to drastically cut back and make tough choices is unacceptable.

Saving Local Post Office: Upon hearing news that a local post office in Randolph, Kansas was in danger of closing, I wrote a letter to the United States Postal Service urging them to continue providing service to the folks of Randolph and surrounding areas. Local post offices are so crucial to rural Kansans and I was pleased to see that facility kept open for business.

Transparency & Accountability: I have introduced two different pieces of legislation that aim to keep Washington more open and accountable. I introduced H.R. 3350, the Debt Accountability Act, to require Congress to vote each time to acknowledge when a bill will increase the debt. This would give members a chance to definitively stand on the side of fiscal restraint of fiscal neglect. I also introduced House Resolution 835 to require congressional committees to post changes of bills 24 hours after the changes had been made. Changes to legislation need to be made open and available to the public. I am also an avid supporter of H.R. 1207, which would require the Federal Reserve to be audited. I spoke in favor of this bill and am hopeful we can get a vote in it soon.

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