The Beacon Received $50,000 Donation from Walmart Foundation

On Monday, I attended an event in Fort Scott to support The Beacon’s efforts to fight hunger in Bourbon County. The Beacon, a local food pantry, received a $50,000 contribution from the Walmart Foundationto assist with providing fresh fruits and vegetables to families and individuals in need.

In this weak economy, people are worried about the price of groceries and putting food on the table. There are 46.7 million Americans dependent on food stamps today, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at some point during the year, 1 in 6 Americans will not know where their next meal is coming from.  

I am pleased to see a business leader of Walmart’s caliber and the generous, community leaders at The Beacon working together to help support those who are struggling right now. These types of programs and partnerships are a blessing and I hope to see them replicated in other communities as well.

Fort Scott and Harley-Davidson  Job-Training Program

On Thursday, I visited Fort Scott Community College’s Harley Davidson Technician Training Center in Frontenac , right outside of Pittsburg. The unique partnership between Fort Scott Community College and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company provides students an opportunity to experience valuable hands on training that will prepare them for success in a new career at one of the many Harley-Davidson dealerships across the country.

I agree with the FSCC president Tatro, this training center is one of a kind. With so many folks either unemployed or underemployed, this is an excellent way for someone of any age to learn new skills or even switch careers. If you are interested in the program, please visit theirwebsite.

U.S.-Panama Trade Agreement Creating Jobs

On Wednesday, the U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force. The trade agreement with Panama is the last one to go into force since the South Korea, Colombia and Panama trade agreements were signed into law in October 2011.

The implementation of the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement is especially good news for Kansas farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and other job creators. One in 15 jobs in Kansas depends on trade, and Kansas export sales totaled $9.93 billion in 2010. Opening new markets will increase economic growth and revenue across Kansas and the United States as a whole.   

I am proud to be a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which helped pass trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama after they languished in a gridlocked Congress for six years.

While millions of Americans are still struggling during these tough economic times, Congress must take every opportunity to help create jobs and increase paychecks here at home. I hope the Ways and Means Committee will be able to garner similar support for the next key issue for America’s job creators: a fundamental and comprehensive overhaul of the tax code.

For more information about the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement visit the Ways and Means Committee website.

October Jobs Report Presents False Sense of Relief

Over the past four years, Americans have gotten used to receiving bad news when it comes to the economy. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported the unemployment rate went up from 7.8% in September to 7.9% in October. The economy added 171,000 jobs last month, and although any positive job growth is better than none, the slight uptick in today’s jobs numbers is a stark reminder of just how far we still have to go.

The United States is facing an anemic job market. The unemployment rate topped 8 percent from February 2009 to August 2012, which was the longest period of time since 1948. And today, the “real” unemployment rate stands at 14.6 percent with more than 20 million Americans struggling to find full-time work. After four years, folks dropping out of the labor force have outnumbered new employees by almost 7 to 1.

This sluggish recovery poses a threat to the long-term health of the U.S. economy. The House Republicans' plan for job creators is an alternative to the Administration’s failed policies. We passed more than 30 bipartisan jobs bills that are awaiting action in the Senate. Conditions are not improving quickly enough; it is time to pursue a different economic path.