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Congress in Your Inbox - Celebrating Labor Day

Dear Friend,

I'm writing to wish you and your family a happy, if belated, Labor Day.  I hope you enjoyed the day off from work and the unofficial end of summer.

It is worth remembering that, even as we relaxed on our day off, our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan remained hard at work, risking life and limb halfway around the globe. It is due to their sacrifices that we could enjoy a quiet afternoon in peace and security, and I'd ask that we keep our soldiers in our thoughts and prayers.

I've heard it said that most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough not to quit. I don't think that's true – not here in Kansas, anyway. Here in Kansas, we take pride in our jobs. We find meaning and dignity in a hard day's work. We don't just work hard enough to keep our jobs; we work as hard we need to to get the job done.

I'm glad America has set aside one day to honor our efforts, but the appreciation of work shouldn't be a blip on the calendar. It should be a national value that runs through every season. And you don't need me to tell you that this value is under attack in America today.  Kansans are hurting from the skyrocketing cost of education, health care, gas, and housing, and that is a direct result of a political climate that values wealth over work.

Here's the good news. America created that climate, and America can change it, and America is changing it. In just the last eight months, so much has changed.

This Congress and I have pledged to protect the middle-class tax cuts passed earlier this decade. The 10% tax bracket, the child tax credit, the marriage penalty relief – rest assured, your savings aren't going anywhere. We'll protect you and your family.

I voted to pass the first minimum wage increase in a decade. Already, our lowest-paid workers are earning a few dollars more for a hard day's work.

And that's not all. I authored and Congress passed a bill to protect good American jobs, the Safe American Roads Act. My bill says that trucks from Mexico – driven by low-paid workers with no real safety standards – these trucks cannot replace American drivers. By passing my bill, Congress acted for the safety of our roads and our jobs and our unions and working Kansans.

You may know how that story is unfolding. The White House has decided to launch their Mexican trucking program anyway, ignoring Congress – ignoring America's will. On Friday the courts ruled to let the program go forward for now. What a slap in the face to working people, and on Labor Day weekend no less.

But I'm not giving up. I'm going to stay on the attack, fighting to protect our jobs and our highways, and I'll keep fighting for middle class tax relief and decent wages. These are first steps toward restoring America's pride in our workforce.

And we have so much to be proud of. Our workers are the best and brightest, the envy of the rest of the world. With skilled hands and thoughtful minds, we have built the greatest society in the history of mankind. And we aren't stopping now. After our day off yesterday, we have returned to work, and we're building ever higher, ever better, ever closer to the American dream. Together we'll build a greater world for our families and our children.

With warm regards,

Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress

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