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McCaskill Helps Shape Bipartisan Immigration Proposal »
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced she is throwing her support behind a bipartisan immigration amendment she helped shape, along with Republican Senators Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and other members of the Senate’s “Common Sense Coalition” working group—to beef up border security, protect DREAMers, and target drug traffickers. “Like any solid, honest compromise, this deal won’t give everyone all of what they want,” McCaskill said. “But it achieves many of the goals we all share—ensuring our borders are strong and secure, protecting young people who were brought to this country as kids through no fault of their own, and giving DHS the tools they need to reduce drug trafficking—and it’s time to see enough elected leaders muscle up and get this bipartisan deal through Congress.” McCaskill was recently one of only a few Senate Democrats to vote against the government shutdown, and has been deeply engaged with a bipartisan group of Senators to pursue long-term immigration solutions. Of McCaskill’s participation in these negotiations, Senator Collins recently said she played an instrumental role in negotiations and was “very constructive…she was helpful in talking about the harm that the shutdown would do to our military in particular and she kept reminding people of that fact to urge them to come to a compromise.” The Senators’ bipartisan legislation would provide legal status to 1.8 million DREAMers and authorize $25 billion for additional border security measures over the next ten years, including money to hire additional officers at the nation’s ports where the majority of illegal drugs enter the United States. McCaskill recently introduced a bill to strengthen border security and target drug trafficking by requiring U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire additional officers at ports of entry in order to fill a current staffing shortage of more than 3,600. The amendment offered today includes funding McCaskill has been seeking to address the shortage of port officers. McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform that would strengthen border security, and address millions of immigrants illegally in the United States. McCaskill has called for more border security funds at ports of entry in order to strengthen efforts to intercept illegal opioids and other drugs entering the country. Last year, McCaskill’s bill to reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security’s program that targets transnational criminal organizations on the border and at U.S. ports in order to combat drug and weapons trafficking and other crimes was approved by the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
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Missouri Members of USA Rice Talk Trade Protections with McCaskill »
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill met this week with Missouri rice producers to discuss the importance of opening foreign export markets and her efforts to ensure Missouri producers have a voice in the renegotiation of the country’s trade deals, including North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “As our rice farmers and producers continue to expand production, we’ve got to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed in Missouri and around the world,” McCaskill said. “As we’ve seen, when Missouri rice competes in the global market, we win—and I’m working hard to make sure our trade deals continue to help our agriculture producers come out on top.” This summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that rice producers and processers in Southeast Missouri and across the state will finally be able to export their product to China, following a sustained effort from McCaskill. McCaskill had urged the Department of Agriculture to finalize negotiations with China—which have gone on for more than ten years—to open up the Chinese market to U.S. producers. China is the largest rice-producing country in the world, but as the largest rice consumer, it has become increasingly reliant on imports to meet demand. As negotiations continue behind closed doors around NAFTA, McCaskill is fighting to provide Missouri farmers, ranchers, and producers a voice in the renegotiation of the nation’s largest trade agreement. Her plan would force the U.S. Trade Representative to create an online public comment portal that is easily accessible and readily available to the public, to ensure that Missourians can provide their input on the trade renegotiations. McCaskill, a longtime advocate for farmers and ranchers in Missouri, recently met with President Trump’s trade chief to discuss the importance of protecting Missouri’s agriculture economy. Last year, McCaskill joined her Republican colleagues in seeking protections for Missouri agriculture producers in NAFTA renegotiations, and urged the Trump Administration to conduct a robust economic analysis to evaluate how any changes to NAFTA would affect Missouri’s crop and livestock sectors.
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Missouri & American Medical Association Chiefs Discuss Rising Healthcare Costs with McCaskill »
Senator discusses work combating high cost of care, opioid epidemic, with head of American Medical Association, Missouri State Medical Association
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Missouri Auto Workers Discuss Jobs and Trade Policies with McCaskill »
Senator meets with Missouri auto workers, discusses importance of protecting Missouri workers in trade renegotiations
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Combating Opioid Epidemic is Topic of Missouri Narcotic Officers Meeting with McCaskill »
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today met with Missouri narcotics officers today to discuss efforts to combat the opioid epidemic in Missouri. “As a prosecutor who launched one of the country’s first drug courts, I know firsthand the difficult, lifesaving work our narcotics officers do on the front lines combating the opioid epidemic,” said McCaskill, a former Jackson County Prosecutor. “This epidemic is affecting families and communities in every corner of our state, and the all-hands-on-deck approach our brave officers across Missouri deploy every day is one I’m really proud to support.” McCaskill launched the most comprehensive Congressional investigation into the opioid crisis to date earlier this year, requesting documents from opioid manufacturers in March, and adding additional manufacturers in July as well as expanding her investigation to include distributors’ role in fueling the epidemic. In September, McCaskill announced the first round of findings, detailing systemic manipulation of the prior authorization process by Insys Therapeutics. McCaskill recently introduced a bill repealing the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 after media reports indicated that it had dramatically restricted the ability of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to crack down on opioid distributors suspected of wrongdoing. When McCaskill served as Jackson County Prosecutor, she was instrumental in the creation of one of the nation's first drug courts, which showed success in providing treatment for addicts facing non-violent drug offenses.
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Missouri Public School Leaders Meet with McCaskill »
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill met with school board representatives from across Missouri to discuss the state’s public school system, including the impact of proposed budget cuts on Missouri’s public schools and the challenges facing rural school districts. Attending today’s meeting in McCaskill’s Washington D.C. office were Larry Felton of Mehlville, Rhonda Gilstrap of Blue Springs, Jen Mees of Columbia, Mike Pratte of Hermann, and Missouri School Board Association Executive Director Melissa Randol. “As a product of our public schools, I know just how crucial a strong public education system is for the next generation of Missouri’s students,” said McCaskill, a graduate of Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo. “The work these accomplished, devoted school leaders are doing is having a tremendous impact on preparing our children for jobs of the future.” McCaskill, a longtime advocate for Missouri public schools, joined a bipartisan effort to restore Secure Rural Schools funding for communities surrounding Mark Twain National Forest—to provide resources to support local schools, transportation, and public safety services. Citing the danger posed to Missouri’s small towns and rural communities, where public school resources are critical, McCaskill joined bipartisan opposition in voting against Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. DeVos is a lifelong advocate for the for-profit school industry, and has spent her career working to privatize public education.
