September 23, 2014
House Passes Critical Legislation
Last week, the House of Representatives tackled a number of important issues facing our country. Among those, Congress passed legislation that grants the President authorization to combat the growing threat of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also know as ISIS. I supported the amendment to address the growing threat of ISIL, because I believe the security of Americans and our allies is at risk if we allow this band of terrorists to continue to grow. You can view my statement on ISIL by clicking the image below.
I supported the following legislation, which passed the House last week:
H.R. 24 – the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an audit of the Federal Reserve System within 12 months of enactment of the legislation. This legislation also repeals current-law prohibitions that prevent the GAO from auditing the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and international transactions.
H.R. 4 – the Jobs for America Act, removes regulations that keep the economy from growing and creating more jobs by ensuring Congress votes on all major regulations before they can be enacted. This legislation focuses on creating jobs and increasing wages throughout the country. In efforts to do so, the bill offers incentives for job creation such as regulatory relief, pro-growth tax policy, and repealing Obamacare's 30-hour definition of full-time employment.
H.R. 2 – the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act, will create jobs through an increase in domestic energy production and a bigger push for American energy independence. H.R. 2 moves the Keystone pipeline project forward and prohibits the EPA from introducing regulations that cost more than $1 billion. Expanding our energy infrastructure will reduce energy prices for Americans across the country.
To see how I voted on legislation brought before the House last week, see ‘Votes from Last Week’ in the right column.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
I enjoyed visiting with members of the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and celebrating the
National Youth of the Year in Washington, D.C last week.
As a member of the BGCA Champions team, I understand the importance of this organization and the positive impact it has on the youth in our Kansas communities. Congratulations to all the
Youth of the Year Finalists, including the Greater Kansas City Youth of the Year, Marquon Goldsby, and thank you to all the volunteers who make a difference in the lives of these young people.
Medicare Open Enrollment Events
The first event will be held on Wednesday, October 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Wyandotte County Aging and Disability Resource Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The subsequent event will be on Thursday, November 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Sylvester Powell Community Center in Mission, Kansas. The events are free and open to everyone.
Medicare beneficiaries who wish to make changes or enroll for the first time need to bring their Medicare card, any current prescriptions (including dosage and frequency), and a list of preferred pharmacies.
For additional information, please contact my
District Office in Overland Park at (913) 621-0832 or
here for more information on Medicare Enrollment.
Each year there are new health plan and prescription drug coverage choices to consider and it is our goal to make this decision process as easy as we can for you. For more information on the upcoming Medicare Open Enrollment event, visit my website.
Rule Changes For Liver Transplants
I recently sent a letter to the Health Resources and Services Administration, which can be found on my
website, with more than 50 of my House colleagues voicing concerns with a proposal to change the process for distributing donor livers. The proposal comes from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Liver and Intestine Committee, which held a conference in Chicago last week to discuss proposed changes to rules for organ transplants.
With donor levels at 82 percent in the midwest region and only 55 percent in the New York region, the solution to getting more livers to more patients isn't rearranging the deck chairs but working to increase the amount of donations in other regions. In particular, this change would negatively affect the Center for Transplantation at the University of Kansas Hospital, which performed 114 liver transplants, a 48 percent increase over the previous year.
Currently, there are more than 12,000 patients listed for liver transplants, with an average of 6,000 liver transplants being performed annually.
We must acknowledge the critical shortage of donor livers in the United States and the large geographic disparity in the rates of organ donation.
I believe it is the responsibility of the Administration, Congress, and UNOS to work to replicate programs like the one we have in Kansas, to grow the organ donation network, and thoroughly evaluate recent allocation changes that are currently in place before implementing new, more drastic rule changes. In doing so, together we can increase the potential to save lives rather than pit one region or the country against another.
To read more about the negative impact this rule change could have on Kansas and the Midwest, click on the image below or
here.
Guardian of Small Business Award
I’m honored to be named a
Guardian of Small Business by the
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Standing up for small businesses is one of my top priorities. The success of local innovators and mom and pop shops are essential to getting our economy back on track and putting more Americans back to work, as they account for nearly 2 out of every 3 jobs in our country. Washington must continue to cut the red tape that hinders these job creators from thriving.
To see some of the key small business legislation I've supported during my time in Congress, click here.
Combating Cancer
Combating cancer and securing federal NIH funding is one of my top priorities. Last week in my Washington, D.C. office, I had the pleasure of meeting with two key groups in the fight against cancer from the 3rd Disitrct. I enjoyed meeting with residents of the 3rd District Gay Garrett and Jim Miksch from the
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network - ACS CAN. We discussed the importance of
federal NIH funding for cancer research which translates into treatments and therapies that improve and save lives. Thank you to the Cancer Action Network for your advocacy in our fight against cancer.
Protecting Veterans’ Earned Benefits
It’s always a pleasure to listen to our veterans. Last week, Bob Teetsel a member of the
Kansas VFW National Committee, stopped by my Washington, D.C. office to give me an update from their Legislative Committee Conference. I enjoyed our conversation and will continue to
support the brave men and women who served our country and
protect their hard earned benefits.
Congressman Yoder and Bob Teetsel discuss legislation that protects veterans’ benefits.
Benghazi Investigation Continues
The House Select Committee on Benghazi, a committee created by H. Res. 567 which I cosponsored, held its first open hearing last week. Serious questions remain unanswered about the senseless attacks that left four Americans dead two years ago. As this investigation continues, it is my hope the truth comes to light and the nature of the attacks are revealed so we can improve our security at all U.S. embassies and consulates.
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