I'm proud to announce on Thursday, August 14th, we will hold our 4th annual 3rd District Job Fair. The purpose of these job fairs is to help facilitate face-to-face meetings between those looking for employment and employers/business owners. Throughout the last few years, thousands of hardworking Kansans have attended our job fairs in search of a good job. These job fairs have been a tremendous success, and have helped job seekers make important contacts with employers, leading to hundreds of jobs being filled. Once again, the fair will include a special morning hour exclusive to veterans only.

 

I greeted several job seekers at a previous job fair at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe.

 

The job fair is free to attend, and I encourage everyone looking for work to attend and to tell your friends and family as well.

 

Click here for more information.

The House Committee on Appropriations has been hard at work to pass the needed appropriations bills in a bipartisan way to hold the line on government spending and eliminate waste. After passing the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill last week, the House has now passed 7 of the 12 required appropriations bills - and we will continue this hard work until we're finished. Sadly, the Senate has yet to pass a single appropriations bill this year.

 

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their efforts in completing this important work on behalf of the American people. Click here, or on the image above, to watch my full remarks from the House floor.

 

The Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill (H.R. 5016) provides the needed funding for the various government agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Executive Office of the President, and more.

 

This year's legislation provides a total of $21.3 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal year 2015, representing a cut of $566 million (2.6 percent) below the fiscal year 2014 funding number, and $2.26 billion (9.6 percent) below the Administration’s request. The legislation prioritizes programs critical to enforcing laws, maintaining an effective judiciary system, and helping small businesses, while targeting lower-priority or poor-performing programs – such as the Internal Revenue Service – for reductions. And, the year's FSGG appropriations bill actually eliminates funding for nine programs totaling $37.9 million and reduces funding for more than a dozen agencies.

We continue to watch with great concern the violence taking place in the Middle East. Israel continues to face terrorist threats and horrible acts of violence from terrorist groups like Hamas. I recently signed a Congressional letter and cosigned a House resolution stating our support for the unequivocal right of Israel to defend itself. The House unanimously passed the resolution.

 

We have also seen a terrible and unthinkable tragedy last week as a civilian passenger plane was shot down in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of nearly 300 innocent people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives.

 

Now, there are grave concerns that the pro-Russia separatist group controlling the crash site will make it difficult for the international community to fully investigate the incident. This type of violence is unacceptable, and the United States should place even stricter sanctions on Russia for their apparent involvement.

It was a pleasure to meet with several members of the Kansas Corn Growers Association leadership team in my Washington, DC office last week. They were in town to participate in the Corn Congress, and we had a very informational discussion as we spoke about many issues important to our Kansas farmers; including implementation of the Farm Bill, crop insurance, renewable fuels, and biotechnology.

 

As Vice Chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and as a Kansan who grew up on a family farm, I value the input from these important Kansas agriculture leaders.

 

Thank you to Kansas Corn Growers Association President Bob Timmons, and the rest of the group, for spending time to visit with me while in Washington.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with several members of the Sunflower Foundation's 2014 Sunflower Advocacy Fellowship class in Washington, DC. The Sunflower Foundation focuses on improving the health of all Kansans. We had an informative discussion about health care legislation in Congress and I enjoyed receiving an update on their advocacy efforts at the state level as well.

 

Thank you to Jerry Jones, Executive Director of the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County (left), and the entire 2014 Sunflower Advocacy Fellowship class for taking the time to meet with me, and for your efforts to improve the health of all Kansans.

Last week, the House passed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 367–55. I voted "Yes" on this bill. H.R. 5021 extends the Highway Trust Fund through May 31, 2015, transferring $7.8 billion from the General Fund of the Treasury Department to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund, $2 billion to the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund, and $1 billion in gas-tax-funded monies in the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to the Highway Trust Fund.

 

The extension of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act means the federal government will continue funding its share of the costs for transportation projects across the country, helping to keep road crews, construction workers, engineers and contractors employed on these important transportation projects. The bill now goes to the Senate for passage, and on to the president's desk.

It was a pleasure to address the American Dental Association’s New Dentist Conference in Kansas City last week. We discussed a whole variety of issues, from the rising costs of health care, to student loan debt, the economy and the job market, and immigration as well.

 

I appreciated hearing from these professionals and am thankful for their advice and feedback. Thank you to the American Dental Association for inviting me to speak.

Last week, after the House concluded debate and votes for the evening, I participated in a tennis match competition for charity. This year was the third annual Washington Kastles Charity Classic Set, and it brought together members of Congress, national media figures, as well as professional athletes to help raise money for four different charities.

 

This year, my doubles teammate was Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from the 3rd District of Ohio.

 

Members of Team Stars gathered for player introductions; including Martina Hingis on my right and Rep. Beatty on my left.