Time to Get the Job Done

On Tuesday, I was honored to be reelected to represent Kansas' Second Congressional District in the 113th Congress. Today, many people are struggling, and many more are frustrated by the gridlock in Washington. Folks want their elected officials to get back to work and make the hard decisions that will put this country and the economy back on the right path. We still face a mountain of work to do, and it starts with addressing the fast-approaching fiscal cliff. I have no illusions that this job will be easy, and I am ready to go to Washington and lead.

We must work together to solve our problems rather than postpone them. The number one concern I am hearing from Kansans is still jobs and the economy, and the number one threat to these right now is the fiscal cliff. On Wednesday, Speaker John Boehner said the House of Representatives is ready and willing to work with President Obama on a solution to these impending tax hikes and spending cuts. I support Speaker Boehner in his statement. We are ready to be led as Americans and not as Republicans or Democrats.

The only way to tackle the fiscal cliff and balance the budget is to get the economy moving again. Raising taxes doesn’t do this, but comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform does. Tax reform will raise revenue, reduce the $1 trillion in spending through the tax code, make the code more fair, efficient, and easier to comply with, and encourage job creation.

Tax reform is a solution both parties can agree upon. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I am ready to lead on this issue. Congress did it in the 1980s with a Republican president and a Democrat-controlled House. There is no reason why we cannot achieve comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform in 2013 with the tables turned.

Visiting Local Post Offices

Growing up in Holton, I understand the central role post offices play in our communities. Protecting rural access to mail delivery is important to me and I have sent a letter to the Postmaster General asking him to support rural communities and small post offices.

The U.S. Postal Service is in dire need of reform, and I have supported several bills to help reduce the USPS’s financial burden. In 2009, I co-sponsored the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act that would have reduced the agency’s requirement to pay into the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, but the bill failed to get appropriate support from Democrat leadership to be considered on the House floor. In June 2011, I co-sponsored another bill, H.R. 1351, the American United States Postal Service Pension Obligation Recalculation and Restoration Act of 2011 that ends the prefunding requirement for retirement funding, and reforms the contribution formula for postal pension benefits allowing the postal service more flexibility to pay for its operating costs.

We need postal reform now, and I will continue to encourage Congress to act. In the meantime, my staff and I are traveling to post office locations around the second district to collect feedback and listen to concerns. In the past two weeks, we have visited 12 post offices in Axtell, Lecompton, Linwood, Powhattan, Thayer, Buffalo, Morrill, LaHarpe, Neosho Falls, Ozawkie, Gas, and Nortonville. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my staff in Topeka.

Discussing Federal Budget Crisis and Medicare in Soldier, Kan.

On Monday, I visited with more than 30 second district residents at the community building in Soldier. The pie was delicious, and it was great to see faces of all ages, especially my friends and family, interested in discussing the challenges that face our country.

The main topics of discussion were the federal budget crisis and Medicare. Medicare is one of the biggest drivers of our federal budget problem and it is bankrupt in 12 years. With more than 435,000 Kansans dependent on this program, we must do something to preserve and protect Medicare for future generations. I talked about the legislation I voted for in the House of Representatives, which is the only plan that exists to solve this problem. This bipartisan plan, authored by Democrat Senator Ron Wyden and Republican Congressman Paul Ryan, would have zero impact on current retirees or those near retirement age—55 years and older. It would be a guaranteed benefit that preserves traditional Medicare as an option.

I am deeply committed to making good on our commitments to the current generation of seniors and reforming Medicare to ensure it exists for generations to come. We cannot get the budget back to balance without saving Medicare, and this should be one of Congress’s top priorities.

Open Office Hours in Topeka Next Tuesday, Nov. 13

On Tuesday, November 13, I will host "Open Office Hours" in Topeka at 9:00 a.m. Open office hours are 5-10 minute private meetings, where folks have the opportunity to speak with me directly about the issues and concerns that matter most to them. Meetings are open to any second district resident on a first come, first serve, basis. Congressional staff will be on hand before and after to handle any additional casework requests. To make a reservation please contact Melissa in my Topeka office at 785-234-5966.

“Open Office Hours” are a part of my Congress to Kansas tour. To learn more about the tour, and my work in both in Washington and the 2nd district, visit my website.