{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"MO\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/weekly-capitol-report/draining-the-international-swamp", "Draining the International Swamp", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Talk tough to your allies and ignore your enemies. That has become the foreign policy doctrine which will define our current President. President Obama\u2019s decision to abstain from voting on an anti-Israel United Nations (UN) resolution this week is a clear betrayal of our strong alliance and our enduring commitment to support Israel. The nation of Israel serves as one of our most outspoken allies to combat radical Islamic terrorism and is our strongest voice in the Middle East. Nonetheless, President Obama and Secretary Kerry not only ignored our ally in a time of need \u2013 they even went one step further during a speech by Secretary Kerry in which they all but blamed Israel for the decades long conflict with Palestine.\nIn his closing days in office, President Obama is revealing his global convictions that will come to define his presidency \u2013 a belief that a weaker America, one that doesn\u2019t stand with its allies and one that doesn\u2019t follow through on lines drawn in the sand with our enemies, somehow increases the safety and security of American families. As the threat of terror grows and is carried out around the world and here in the United States, this is the exact wrong message to send. While these actions may have taken place thousands of miles away, the safety and threat of terror impacting those of us in southeast and south central Missouri, or any part of our country for that matter, is a major concern.\nThe result of this decision for Israel could potentially be devastating, but sadly this isn't the first time President Obama has turned his back on our allies. The legacy that President Obama will leave behind is a long list of foreign policy failures that have left the world and the United States less safe than it was 8 years ago. President Obama\u2019s habit of alienating America\u2019s allies while catering to our enemies has resulted in increased instability in the Middle East - like the genocide of over 400,000 people in Syria and a strengthening of ISIS, chaos in Libya that led to American casualties in Benghazi, and the disastrous Iran nuclear deal that has only strengthened the leading world sponsor of terrorism.\u00a0Meanwhile the President seems more concerned with making excuses and sanctioning Russia for Hillary Clinton\u2019s failed Presidential run than standing up to those who actually want to do physical harm to American soldiers and families.\nIf anything, the actions of the last week have further confirmed my belief that the time has come to end the use of American taxpayer dollars to fund the ineffective and scandal plagued United Nations. America should not be governed by an outside entity like the UN that treats our freedom like property and does not have our country's best interests at heart. In fact, US taxpayers fund nearly 22% of the UN\u2019s annual budget while at the same time they prioritize attempts to reduce our sovereignty and security instead of promoting peace and the principles of democracy. Simply put, the United States need not participate in an organization which diminishes our country\u2019s place and standing in the world.\nIn response this week President-elect Trump vowed to stop allowing Israel to \u2018be treated with such total disdain and disrespect\u2019 - a promising sign that we will restore our long-standing alliance with Israel. Of course, the response from the Obama Administration, was to chastise the President-elect for not abiding by \u2018protocol\u2019 and to refrain from \u2018meddling\u2019 in decisions until after the inauguration. That response could not have been more indicative of a tone deaf administration that not only fails to acknowledge their own mistakes, but shows a dangerous arrogance in their commitment to inflict liberal ideology that stands at odds with the American people. It also demonstrates how out-of-touch and unaware the Obama administration is for what is coming the next four years \u2013 a dismantling of its disastrous policies, real change to a broken system, and draining a swamp that now extends to an international level.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398829", "Blaine's Bulletin: Looking Ahead to 2017", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "2017 not only means the start of a new year but it also means the start of a new Congress. On January 3, the 115th Congress officially kicks off. I am ready to get to work with my colleagues and the Trump Administration to start passing an agenda that Americans want to see implemented and the next few months are going to be extremely busy doing just that. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      2017 not only means the start of a new year but it also means the start of a new Congress. On January 3, the 115th Congress officially kicks off. I am ready to get to work with my colleagues and the Trump Administration to start passing an agenda that Americans want to see implemented and the next few months are going to be extremely busy doing just that. \r\nHouse Republicans are already at work to repeal and replace Obamacare, which will help Americans across the country. Eight out of every 10 Americans want to change the law or repeal it altogether and the situation is only going to get more dire the longer that Obamacare is in place. The time to act is now.\r\nIn January, we will begin the transition to a patient-centered health system that puts American patients and doctors \u00a0back in control of their health-care choices. What does this mean? It means giving patients tools, like Health Savings Accounts, and breaking down barriers that are in place that prevent Americans from picking the plans that are best for them and their families. We must also empower small businesses so they are able to provide their employees with health coverage that doesn\u2019t bankrupt the company or limit job opportunities. These are just a few items of a long list and I am looking forward to starting the process of making health-care accessible for each and every American.\r\nAnother priority of the 115th Congress is to tackle our broken tax code and reform it once and for all. Our main goals are to have an IRS that is focused on customer service and works for its taxpayers, and we need a tax code that is simple, fair, and pro-growth for the American people. House Republicans have laid out a plan that would allow most Americans to be able to do their taxes on a form that is the same size as a postcard. To do this, all of the current brackets would be consolidated down to just three. To promote economic growth and job creation, we would cut taxes on small businesses, savings, and investments, and reform our corporate tax system so that American companies can be more competitive with the rest of the world..\r\nAnother issue that is on the forefront of our agenda is securing our nation\u2019s borders. I\u2019ve been a vocal proponent of securing our borders and an active member of the House Border Security Caucus. After all, securing our borders is part of our constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to fulfill this obligation.\r\nThis list just scratches the surface of the priorities of the new Congress. The three issues I have discussed this week are big-ticket items and reform is necessary in each of these key areas. While we are hard at work on these priorities, we will also be passing smaller, targeted bills to help Americans and reduce the regulatory burden.\r\nThe new year provides Congress with a great opportunity to build on policies to make our country a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Please know that I believe this is a cooperative effort between me and the 3rd District. I am your liaison to your government. My offices in Washington, D.C. and throughout the district are poised to listen to your concerns, suggestions, and are available to answer your questions. I will continue to keep you updated with what is happening in Washington through meetings in the district, social media, local television and radio appearances, and telephone townhalls. By working together we can achieve our common goal of making 2017 a year of progress, growth, and prosperity.\r\nOn behalf of myself, my family, and my staff, I wish you all a very Happy New Year!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=66C100A5-D0A0-4691-BB29-7AFAC2776211", "Joplin Globe: Roy Blunt visits Joplin Boys and Girls Club", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Emily Younker \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, dropped by the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Missouri on Wednesday to tour the building and meet with some of the children who are spending their Christmas break there.\r\nBlunt said he and his wife, Abby,\u00a0every year\u00a0make a point to visit organizations in the state that do good work and could benefit from some attention.\r\n\"It's a good time to realize that just because the holidays are over, the need to give isn't over, and the need to be helpful either as a volunteer or a contributor is still there,\" he said.\r\nWith his wife and sixth-grade son, Charlie, in tow, Blunt\u00a0first stopped by a classroom of 5- and 6-year-olds, where he read \"House Mouse, Senate Mouse.\" The children's book tells the tale of a group of young mice who write to their legislative leaders to ask them to designate a national cheese.\r\nHe also toured the craft room, the computer lab and the gymnasiums before talking briefly with a group of older students. They were full of questions for him: How many presidents has he met? What was his favorite subject in school? Why did he become a senator? And does he get free food?\r\nBlunt said he enjoyed his half-hour visit to the Joplin club.\r\n\"I like kids; it's always interesting to see what the kids are doing and what they're interested in,\" he said. \"A couple of areas I've been involved in as a former teacher would be looking at ways to get parents more involved in what's happening in their kids' lives, (and) the kinds of things we could do to be sure we're looking at mental health as well as physical health as far as what kids need and what their families need.\"\r\nWhen asked whether he has plans to address those areas in Washington, Blunt pointed to the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which he helped introduce and pass into law in 2014. The act outlines a pilot program for eight states, including Missouri and Oklahoma, to be able to expand access to mental health services in community health clinics in 2017 and beyond.\r\nRhonda Gorham, executive director of the Joplin Boys and Girls Club, said she was happy that Blunt made the organization a stop on his goodwill tour.\r\n\"Any time we can get the media in here and share our story, I think that's great,\" she said, adding that the senator's availability to talk to and answer questions from the children there also provided them a good learning opportunity.\r\nThe organization hosts about 100 students during Christmas break at its Joplin location. At its peak, it serves nearly 400 students in kindergarten through 12th grade through its after-school programming at its Joplin and Webb City sites, with up to 200 additional children on a waiting list, Gorham said.\r\nFunding for the organization comes primarily from donors and grants. Gorham said she appreciated those who offered donations for Christmas, but she warned that January through March\u00a0\u2014 the months before the Boys and Girls Club's next big fundraiser begins\u00a0\u2014 can be financially stressful.\r\n\"We would love to see some monthly donors, and I know that's a huge ask,\" she said. \"And we could always use volunteers and mentors. I think people in the community have a lot to give.\"\r\nOther stops\r\nIn addition to the Joplin Boys and Girls Club, other stops on Sen. Roy Blunt's tour this week included the Boys and Girls Club in Columbia and the Ozarks Food Harvest in Springfield.  Click here to read more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=8045D2F7-06C3-4588-A195-978CCCF4B383", "Springfield News-Leader: Sen. Blunt and family visit Ozarks Food Harvest", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Jackie Rehwald \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSen. Roy Blunt and his family stopped by Ozarks Food Harvest on Wednesday to tour the facility and talk with volunteers and staff.\r\nOzarks Food Harvest president and CEO Bart Brown said Blunt often stops by this time of year to help raise awareness about the continued need for donations\u00a0after\u00a0the holidays.\r\n\"Thanksgiving and Christmas are just two days of the year. But people need to eat 365 days a year,\" Brown said. \"In January and February, the need steps up because utility bills go up, heat bills go up and seasonal jobs discontinue.\"\r\nAs Brown led the Blunt family around the warehouse, the Republican senator complimented Ozarks Food Harvest's four-star rating from Charity Navigator,\u00a0a nonprofit organization that bills itself as the nation's largest independent charity evaluator. Ozarks Food Harvest has received four stars\u00a0\u2014 the highest possible\u00a0\u2014 for the past four years in a row.\r\nBlunt's\u00a0son Charlie gave Brown a check for $150. According to his mom Abby, Charlie's donation to Ozarks Food Harvest came from his allowance. Abby said the 12-year-old wanted to give $75 and she matched that amount.\r\nClick here to read more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=1EAF999F-5E8C-4BF3-842A-875B82CE3FB2", "Columbia Tribune: Blunt promises work on child nutrition, mental health during Boys & Girls Clubs visit", "2016-12-27", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rudi Keller \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\nPersonal income in Columbia and Boone County is higher than in the state as a whole. So is poverty.\r\n\r\n\r\nAt the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, leaders are acutely aware of that gap as they attempt to provide an affordable, safe place for after-school and summer day programs. The club serves about 700 children each year, but many more need and want to participate, Executive Director Valorie Livingston said during U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt\u2019s tour of the main service site on North Seventh Street.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cSince we have been here, we\u2019ve had a standing waiting list at every site of kids that need and want to attend a Boys & Girls Club,\u201d Livingston said.\r\n\r\n\r\nBlunt visited the club as part of his annual year-end visits to food banks and other organizations that provide support for lower-income families. The club served 47,000 meals in 2015, provides educational enhancement programs in music and technology and will begin construction in January on a 14,000-square-foot expansion that will double its current space.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe visits, Blunt said, are intended to highlight what \u201cthese kind of community service organizations provide and why do we need them in places where you see lots of affluence. But if you look very closely, you will see lots of people still struggling.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\nThe fundraising program to pay for the building concluded in October. Paying to keep it open and provide services means finding additional ongoing donations, said Joe Miller, past president and co-chair of the capital campaign. The current budget is about $1.5 million annually.\r\n\r\n\r\nIt costs about $2,500 per child to provide services. The club charges $20 per semester for membership, Miller said.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen we are serving 700 kids, it takes a lot of manpower and a lot of resources to keep the lights on, keep the heat on, so that is the challenge for us year over year is just raising those operational dollars,\u201d Miller said.\r\n\r\n\r\nStatistics that measure poverty in Columbia show 50 percent of Columbia Public Schools students eat a free or reduced-price lunch and 24.4 percent of city residents have incomes below the federal poverty threshold. Per capita income was $26,773 in 2015, according to the Census Bureau, $514 above the state per capita income, but the poverty rate statewide is 14.8 percent.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cIf you said 50 percent of kids in school are on the free and reduced-price lunch programs and that is one of the highest in the state, that would be a big surprise to a lot of people,\u201d Blunt said.\r\n\r\n\r\nBlunt told club staff and board members that he is focusing on two areas that can support their work. The first is expanding child food programs to summer months, he said. The club could be a distribution point for food, he said.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe second is mental health programs, he said, and the club can be a place for children to receive support for their problems or help understanding a parent\u2019s illness.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are trying to look for ways to expand that footprint so mental health is treated like all other health issues,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cWe are about 50 years behind, frankly, in the mental health field.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\nThe expanded club building will be ready by Labor Day, and the goal is to attract teenagers with a full-size gym, complete kitchen and music recording facilities.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cThe high school kids are all around us, but they don\u2019t come in,\u201d Livingston said.\r\nClick here to read more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/weekly-capitol-report/making-a-list-checking-it-twice", "Making a List, Checking it Twice", "2016-12-26", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As the New Year quickly approaches, many people are making a list of New Year\u2019s resolutions and goals for 2017. While those lists often include getting in better shape, eating healthier or spending more time with loved ones \u2013 the incoming Trump Administration is working on a different kind of list. Theirs is a list of priorities, changes, repeals and policies to help move our economy forward, enhance the security of Americans and truly once again make our country great.\nTopping the list of President-elect Trump\u2019s priorities heading into 2017 is a day one repeal of so many of the regulations which are holding back innovation, access to care and economic prosperity in this country. President Obama continually went around Congress and the will of the American people to implement his big government, liberal agenda with the stroke of a pen. Through executive orders, executive \u2018guidance memorandums\u2019, and administrative rules and regulations, President Obama consistently sided with left leaning groups and lobbyists in a direct assault on our economy and our Constitution. President Obama so often went around Congress that on over 20 different occasions the Supreme Court ruled with unanimous decisions that the actions of the President or his Administration were unconstitutional or illegal. However, what President Obama will soon learn is that when you enact an agenda without the approval of Congress or the American people via the Executive pen, your policies can just as easily be undone with the stroke of that very pen. As a result, President Trump on day one will have the power to undue much of the damage done over the last 8 years.\nNext on that list, Congress will work with President Trump to reform our healthcare system in order to lower costs for patients and put you back in control of your healthcare choices, not the federal government. This week I met with those on the front lines witnessing the failure of Obamacare in southeast and south central Missouri during my healthcare roundtables. From Farmington to Kennett, to Poplar Bluff, to West Plains, to Rolla and Cape Girardeau, there was unanimous agreement that our current healthcare system simply isn\u2019t working and an overhaul is needed to put the power of choice and competition on the side of the patient. I look forward to working with the new Trump Administration during the first 100 days to repeal Obamacare and begin the work to provide Americans with affordable and high-quality healthcare coverage options.\nFixing our country\u2019s broken tax code is also a major priority list item for myself and the incoming Trump Administration. We need a simpler, fairer and flatter tax system which lowers rates on the middle class, gets the IRS off the back and out of the lives of families and farmers, and makes our American companies competitive. We will use the tax code to incentivize companies to expand, locate and hire here in the U.S. while holding accountable those who chose to locate elsewhere. We can make our economy great again and it starts with developing a tax code which rewards those who choose to invest in ingenuity and the American\u00a0worker.\nAlso on the agenda list for 2017 is to restore a sense of security to American families. That starts with ending the talk of relocating terrorists housed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on domestic American soil and continues by standing tall against those who wish to do American soldiers and families harm. Those efforts are further fulfilled by seeing through President Trump\u2019s commitment to place enhanced security, personnel, and a wall on our southern border. I am dedicated to seeing these efforts through and will work with our incoming President to help authorize the resources and tools needed to help enhance the security and safety of American families.\u00a0\u200e\nAs a country, we have so much to look forward to in 2017. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will soon be home to a reformer who shares our vision that step one is getting Washington off the backs and out of the lives of American families and small business owners. Our White House will be home to someone dedicated to making our lives easier and who wants to remove the regulatory red tape, the tax code complexity and the \u201cWashington, DC knows best\u201d mentality that has marred the last 8 years in this country. Our next President wants to bet on the American worker, not enact policies which push workers overseas. The list of goals and plans the Trump White House and Congress are working together on is an impressive one \u2013 and I am truly excited about what it will mean for my friends and neighbors in south central and southeast Missouri. It is high time the needs of the Washington elite and bureaucrats take a back seat to those of American families and workers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398828", "Blaine's Bulletin: Looking Back on 2016", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This time of year it is normal to sit down and reflect on what 2016 has brought us. Through good times and bad times, we have many reasons to be thankful for what we were able to achieve or experience over the last 12 months. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      This time of year it is normal to sit down and reflect on what 2016 has brought us. Through good times and bad times, we have many reasons to be thankful for what we were able to achieve or experience over the last 12 months. \r\nMissourians started 2016 with a state of emergency due to heavy rain and flooding that occurred throughout much of the state. After several clear days and hard work from Missouri\u2019s road crews and emergency response teams, we were able to get back to our daily routines. I also want to thank all those who volunteered time, money, and effort to help their local communities recover from these storms.\r\nSoon thereafter, we found ourselves in the month of February. This past year, my office organized its inaugural \u201cValentines for Veterans\u201d program. I called upon everyone in the 3rd District to participate and with it being the first year of this program, I was unsure of what to expect. I could not have been more surprised and amazed by the graciousness of everyone in the 3rd District. The last tally among all three of my district offices was over 9,000 valentines that we were able to distribute to area veterans. The support was truly amazing and I cannot wait to see what year two of this program will bring.\r\nAs a member of Congress, I am very fortunate to meet with Missourians each and every week \u2013 whether it is in Washington, D.C., or in eastern and central Missouri. In these meetings, it is an honor getting to know everyone and hearing their stories. While all of the personal stories I hear are of great interest to me, I want to highlight one that really hit home. In April, I found out I was going to award a young man from Missouri with the National Down Syndrome Society \u201cSelf-Advocate of the Year\u201d award. I was looking forward to this opportunity and meeting this individual. When I met Elijah Mayfield from Jefferson City, I was incredibly impressed by this inspirational and extraordinary young man. He isn\u2019t afraid of anything, and his strength of character and his drive for excellence are traits that really make him stand out as a positive influence. Elijah is a leader that we will no doubt hear more about in the years to come.\r\nA more personal accomplishment of mine from the year was getting a bill that I wrote signed into law that makes the first major reforms to housing policies and programs in America in decades. Two years ago, I was named by my colleagues to be the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chairman. When I started diving into the policies and programs that fall under the subcommittee\u2019s jurisdiction, I found dozens of bipartisan, common-sense changes that could be made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For example, as a result of my bill passing, veterans are now ensured access to housing and homeless assistance programs. \u00a0This law also saves taxpayers $600 million over ten years.\r\nMost notably from 2016 was this year\u2019s historical presidential election. It was a tough campaign for both parties and at the end of the day Americans spoke loud and clear about the change in direction they want for our country. Our nation simply couldn\u2019t afford four more years of extreme regulations, a failing health-care system, and an economy that is stalled in place as a result.\r\n2016 brought a lot of great memories and I am looking forward to continuing to work as your liaison to our government. I am excited to get to work right away to help find solutions to our many problems that can move our country forward in 2017.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=A7A1C22D-235B-4790-8802-2C6180D7670C", "VIDEO: A Holiday Message from Senator Blunt", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today released the following video celebrating the holiday season:", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/videos?ContentRecord_id=A93AEACD-52CD-4DD7-BF8F-1D5FE3E4D9B0", "VIDEO: A Holiday Message from Senator Blunt", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today released the following video celebrating the holiday season:\u00a0\r\nFull Text: \r\n\u201cHi I\u2019m Senator Roy Blunt.\r\nAs we get ready to celebrate the holidays with our family, with our friends, and people we love, I encourage you to take a moment and thank those who protect us and thank their families as well.\r\nOur military heroes serve tirelessly and selflessly, often spending the holidays away from their loved ones.\r\nOthers in law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders are being challenged in greater ways every single day.\r\nWe owe these men and women, and their families, our greatest debt of gratitude for their dedication and their commitment to keeping our nation strong and safe.\r\nIt\u2019s because of their bravery and enormous sacrifices that we\u2019re able to enjoy the freedoms that make America great.\r\nFrom my family to yours, Happy Holidays.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/after-mccaskill-and-area-veterans-advocacy-salem-va-clinic-to-expand-service", "After McCaskill & Area Veterans Advocacy, Salem VA Clinic to Expand Service", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After McCaskill & Area Veterans Advocacy, Salem VA Clinic to Expand Service \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 23, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSALEM, Mo. \u2013 Following advocacy from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and more than one-thousand rural veterans in Missouri, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it will be expanding the hours of operation at the Salem Veterans Clinic to be open Monday through Friday. Formerly, the Clinic was open just two days each month, the only such facility in the state not regularly open five days a week.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased the VA listened to the needs of rural veterans and I look forward to continuing to work with them as they move forward with the expansion,\u201d said McCaskill, the daughter of a World War II veteran and senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cOur veterans deserve the highest quality of care regardless of where they live, and this expansion is a step towards achieving that goal.\u201d\r\nRepresentatives at the Poplar Bluff VA announced the Clinic hours will now be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for all business office and triage needs, with an onsite health care provider available on Thursdays and Fridays. As enrollment at the clinic increases to require additional provider hours, the medical center will evaluate expanding the days a provider will be on site.\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill called on the VA to address the concerns of citizens and veterans living near the Salem Veterans Clinic who want to see service expanded from three days per month to five days per week. McCaskill shared with the VA a petition, sponsored by the American Legion Post 99, that was signed by almost 6,000 constituents in Dent, Iron, Reynolds, Shannon and Texas counties, including more than 1,600 veterans.\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate for ensuring rural veterans receive the healthcare and services they deserve. Earlier this year, she worked to resolve unpaid claims of six Theodosia-area veterans through the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans who live more than 40 driving miles from or have other impediments to convenient access to a VA facility to receive care at a local health care provider.\r\nMcCaskill has led several efforts to increase\u00a0accountability\u00a0and\u00a0quality\u00a0of veterans services.\u00a0Earlier this year, McCaskill\u00a0released a report\u00a0detailing shameful treatment of veterans of World War II who were exposed to mustard gas, leading to her introduction of the Arla Harrell Act.\r\nAiming to continue improvements to the quality of customer service at statewide VA facilities, McCaskill last year announced the expansion\u00a0of her successful \u201csecret-shopper\u201d program to the southwest Missouri area. The Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program allows veterans to share timely, confidential feedback about their VA health care visits, and helps provide oversight and accountability for VA health care facilities.\u00a0The survey\u00a0is now active in five regions:\u00a0St. Louis;\u00a0Kansas City;\u00a0Columbia;\u00a0Poplar Bluff;\u00a0Southwest Missouri (Fayetteville). Veterans seeking to participate in the Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program can visit McCaskill\u2019s website,\u00a0McCaskill.senate.gov/VCSP, and complete the confidential survey. Responses can be submitted after each health care visit.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for military veterans.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/ec-from-dc/an-eventful-year", "An Eventful Year", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As 2016 comes to a close, I want to take this time to say thank you. Thank you to everyone reading this newsletter. Thank you for your time, your comments, and your support throughout this year.\n\t\t\t\tWe have had an eventful year, tackling several important issues. And I didn\u2019t do it alone. It was a collective effort, from both parties, to bring significant and meaningful results to the 5th District and to the citizens of this country.\n\t\t\t\tWe managed to push a comprehensive housing bill through the House of Representatives and the Senate that will allow long-awaited and needed changes to public, rural, and veteran housing - changes that have not been seen in more 30 years. We secured water improvement projects in the 5th District in Missouri\u2019s flood prone areas. We fought, and continue to fight, to protect the pensions of thousands of retirees facing drastic and unforeseen cuts. We successfully advocated for technology companies to make changes to their policies and procedures to ensure they were including and treating minorities fairly. We continue to work on economic growth and vitality in the rural areas and make it a point to remember and serve our veterans.\n\t\t\t\tDon\u2019t get me wrong, this year hasn\u2019t been easy. My colleagues and I spent the night sleeping on the House floor during an historic sit-in to demand action against gun violence. There\u2019s still more work to be done as we must figure out a way to end violent attacks against the innocent. And Congress must find a way to work together.\n\t\t\t\tOn January 3, 2017, we have new opportunity in the New Year when we swear in Members of the 115th Congress.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to come together to work for the best interests of our constituents, to encourage growth and development in our Midwestern communities, and to fight for the new opportunities for our families.\n\t\t\t\tMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tWarmly,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmanuel Cleaver, II\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=0E212DB0-CFD7-4872-BD31-E944CA0F887A", "St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri one of eight states participating in mental health treatment expansion pilot program", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chuck RaaschMissouri will be one of eight states participating in a pilot program expanding access to mental health services in community health clinics.\r\nIt\u2019s the next step in the Excellence in Mental Health Act introduced by Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and signed by President Obama in 2014.\r\nBlunt on Wednesday said that one in four Americans suffer mental health problems but only a fraction get care. The designation of Missouri and the seven other states \u201cwill help bridge that gap by expanding and improving access to quality mental and behavioral health care,\u201d he said.\r\nMinnesota, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania are the other seven states chosen Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services. They have until July 1 next year to begin two-year demonstration programs.\r\nVikki Wachino, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the demonstration program will allow state to have more access for behavioral health services for Medicaid and Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients, and it \u201cwill help individuals with mental and substance use disorders obtain the health care they need to maintain their health and well-being.\u201d\r\nClick here to read more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senator-looks-to-expand-protections-for-whistle-blowers", "Senator Looks to Expand Protections for Whistle-Blowers", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Looks to Expand Protections for Whistle-Blowers \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Thursday, December 22, 2016\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Ron Nixon\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            WASHINGTON \u2014 Senator Claire McCaskill, responding to what she has called troubling weaknesses in protections for whistle-blowers, has asked federal agencies to provide information on senior managers who may have retaliated against employees who reported wrongdoing.\r\nHer request was prompted by a statement in June from the Transportation Security Administration that said that despite a number of documented cases of such reprisals, neither the courts nor government agencies had confirmed whistle-blower retaliation by any senior manager at the agency.\r\nMs. McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, asked the agency about any disciplinary actions against managers after The New York Times reported that T.S.A. employees had been reassigned, demoted, investigated or fired for reporting lapses or misconduct by senior leaders. She said that data from the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency that protects federal employees from reprisal, showed that claims of retaliation by at least seven employees were substantiated.\r\nThe problem, Ms. McCaskill said, is that the Office of Special Counsel often negotiates settlements for whistle-blowers instead of pursuing a full investigation, which allows the agency and the manager to avoid admitting wrongdoing. Such actions \u2014 similar to settlements by the Justice Department with big banks \u2014 could have a chilling effect on people who want to come forward to report serious public safety or national security concerns, she said.\r\n\u201cThis has the potential to create a toxic work environment in which managers feel free to retaliate against legitimate whistle-blowers knowing the case will be settled and their jobs will be safe,\u201d she said.\r\n\r\nMs. McCaskill, who will be the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee in the next Congress, gave the agencies until Dec. 30 to respond. She said she would use the information to explore options for fixing the problem, either through legislation, hearings or some other action.\r\nOfficials at the Office of Special Counsel said that once the office had found evidence of retaliation, its main priority was assisting the whistle-blowers, perhaps by helping them get their jobs back.\r\n\u201cThe system works best when agencies use our findings to both assist whistle-blowers who wrongly were retaliated against and to discipline managers appropriately,\u201d said Carolyn Lerner, who heads the office.\r\nMs. McCaskill said her request for information on retaliation by managers was prompted by cases like the one involving Robert MacLean, an air marshal who was fired by the T.S.A. in 2006 after disclosing to an MSNBC reporter that the agency was planning to reduce the number of air marshals on overnight flights.\r\nThe T.S.A. said the information Mr. MacLean had disclosed compromised aviation security.\r\nHe sued the agency, fighting his firing all the way to the Supreme Court. Last year, the justices ruled that his disclosures were not \u201cspecifically prohibited by law.\u201d\r\n\r\nMr. MacLean has since been reinstated by the T.S.A., but he said he continued to face retaliation from senior managers, many of whom were responsible for his firing.\r\n\u201cBut none of them have been punished,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the one filing for bankruptcy because I had to defend myself all those years. I\u2019m the one being assigned to entry-level positions that I\u2019m overqualified for.\u201d\r\nMr. MacLean said he had been denied salary increases and promotions. He added that for a time he was assigned to sit in a small office \u201cand do nothing in the empty room.\u201d\r\nHe has since been assigned to a T.S.A. Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response, or VIPR, squad, an armed team that performs security sweeps to prevent terrorist attacks at transportation hubs. But he said it was not an assignment he had asked for.\r\nBruce Anderson, a spokesman for the T.S.A., said the agency took misconduct at any level seriously. He said he could not comment specifically on Mr. MacLean\u2019s case because of litigation and investigations.\r\nBut he added, \u201cMacLean\u2019s assertions don\u2019t accurately portray his assigned duties.\u201d\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/who-im-fighting-for", "Who I’m fighting for", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Who I\u2019m fighting for \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Thursday, December 22, 2016\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Claire McCaskill\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Here\u2019s the question Americans should always be asking every member of Congress: who are you fighting for?\r\nHere\u2019s who I\u2019m fighting for: Billy Hull.\r\nBilly Hull is a retired coal miner with nearly 30 years working at the Peabody Coal Power Mine near Montrose, Missouri. Mr. Hull wrote me a letter earlier this year, saying in part: \u201cMy Wife and I, married 59 years fall under the Patriot Coal Companies Voluntary Employees Beneficial Association (VEBA). My wife Earlene is a two time cancer survivor and I suffered a stroke in 2012. If we lose our benefits it will be hard for us to afford our medicine cost. Due to the bankruptcy of both Peabody Coal Co. and the Patriot Coal Company the Patriot VEBA fund will be exhausted in late 2016 leaving us without pension and healthcare benefits\u2026\u201d\r\nMr. Hull isn\u2019t alone. He\u2019s one of thousands of retired coal miners and their widows whose pensions and healthcare\u2014promised to them decades ago\u2014are now in jeopardy.\r\nMy friend, Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia has spent two years pushing for a fix\u2014his bipartisan Miners Protection Act, which I strongly support. But Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate refuse to act on the legislation.\r\nRather than fix the problem before they went home, several weeks before Christmas, elected Republican leadership kicked the can down the road with a four-month extension, and said that miners were lucky to get that.\r\nWell, that wasn\u2019t good enough for me, which is why I voted against the spending bill. Kicking the can doesn\u2019t fix this crisis. It only increases the uncertainty while ensuring Billy Hull and thousands like him will start receiving cancellation notices in a matter of months.\r\nI don\u2019t know who these U.S. House Republicans are fighting for, but it\u2019s not working Americans. And I\u2019ve got a message for them\u2014we\u2019ve got to get this right for these miners and their families. Because Billy Hull and thousands of Americans like him whose blood, sweat, and tears powered our nation for generations don\u2019t have the peace of mind that those members of the Congress are blessed with.\r\nMissouri\u2019s own Harry Truman\u2014whose Senate seat I hold today\u2014made a promise to these coal miners when he was President, that their government would always honor their pensions and health benefits. I\u2019m fighting to keep his promise. And I think I\u2019ll have some big help in President-elect Donald Trump, who\u2019s repeatedly promised to stand with America\u2019s coal workers.\r\nThis debate reminds me of a fight in Congress exactly two years ago. Back then, Congress approved a sprawling, $1 trillion spending package\u2014and tucked into that \u201comnibus\u201d bill was a provision allowing for deep cuts to retiree benefits for 32,000 Missourians participating in the Central States Pension Plan. I opposed that legislation, and I was the only member of Missouri\u2019s Congressional delegation to vote against it. Now I\u2019m backing legislation to undo that law.\r\nThen and now, I\u2019m fighting for Missouri\u2019s working families.\r\nAs my friend Senator Manchin said on the Senate floor\u2014if we don\u2019t stand for something, then we don\u2019t stand for anything.\r\nI\u2019m standing for Billy Hull. And I\u2019m going to keep fighting.\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=BAF37EB3-FFDF-4675-A1D0-C016C6AABEE0", "Blunt Touts Missouris Selection for Demonstration Program to Improve Access to Quality Mental Health Care", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Proud to announce #MO has been selected for demonstration program to improve access to quality mental health care https://t.co/L7dyYuzDrA\r\n\u2014 Senator Roy Blunt (@RoyBlunt) December 21, 2016\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today announced that Missouri has been selected to participate in a demonstration program to expand access to community mental health services and strengthen the quality of care for those living with mental and behavioral health issues. The demonstration program was created under Blunt\u2019s Excellence in Mental Health Act, which was signed into law in 2014.\u00a0 \u201cNearly one in four Americans has a mental or behavioral health issue that is both diagnosable and treatable, but only a fraction receive the help they need,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cThis demonstration program will help bridge that gap by expanding and improving access to quality mental and behavioral health care across our state. I was proud to get the Excellence in Mental Health Act signed into law, and I\u2019m glad to see our state continue leading the nation in developing solutions to bring mental and behavioral health care in line with the way other illnesses are treated.\u201dIn October of 2015, Blunt and Senator Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) announced that 24 states, including Missouri, applied for the demonstration program. Each of these states received a planning grant to work with interested community mental health centers, Federally-Qualified Health Centers, VA clinics, and other mental health organizations to design a state program that meets the new quality standards for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers. Blunt and Stabenow first introduced the Excellence in Mental Health Act in February of 2013 to put community mental health centers on an equal footing with other health centers by improving quality standards and offering patients increased services like 24-hour crisis psychiatric care, counseling, and integrated services for mental illness. The Excellence in Mental Health Act is supported by more than 50 mental health, veterans, and law enforcement organizations.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/collins-mccaskill-release-committee-report-of-bipartisan-drug-pricing-investigation", "Collins, McCaskill Release Committee Report of Bipartisan Drug Pricing Investigation", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, McCaskill Release Committee Report of Bipartisan Drug Pricing Investigation \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Report includes findings from three hearings; review of more than one million pages of documents; and interviews with scores of patients, doctors, hospital administrators, consumer advocates, health experts, and pharmaceutical industry executives \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, released a report on drug pricing today titled, \u201cSudden Price Spikes in Off-Patent Prescription Drugs: The Monopoly Business Model that Harms Patients, Taxpayers, and the U.S. Health Care System.\u201d The comprehensive report details the findings stemming from the Committee\u2019s bipartisan investigation into abrupt and dramatic price increases for prescription drugs whose patents expired long ago. Through close examination of the monopoly business model used by four pharmaceutical companies to exploit market failures, the report examines how companies acquired decades-old, off-patent, and previously affordable drugs and then raised the prices suddenly and astronomically at the expense of patients. The report provides case studies of the four companies; explores the influence of investors; assesses the impacts of price hikes on patients, payers, providers, hospitals, and the government; and discusses potential policy responses.\r\n\u201cThe skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs affect every American family, particularly our seniors,\u201d said Chairman Collins. \u201cThis report is the culmination of the Senate Aging Committee's year-long, bipartisan investigation into the egregious price increases on a number of decades-old drugs acquired by pharmaceutical companies that act more like hedge funds. We must work to stop the bad actors who are driving up the prices of drugs that they did nothing to develop at the expense of patients just because, as one executive essentially said, \u201cbecause I can.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe hedge fund model of drug pricing is predatory, and immoral for the patients and taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill\u2014especially for generic drugs that can be made for pennies per dose,\u201d Ranking Member McCaskill said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find ways to increase competition for medicines and ensure that patients and their families aren\u2019t being gouged.\u201d\r\nChairman Collins and Ranking Member McCaskill launched the Aging Committee\u2019s bipartisan investigation in November 2015 following a series of media reports detailing dramatic drug price increases after the acquisition of decades-old, off-patent, and previously affordable drugs. The investigation centered on Turing Pharmaceuticals, Retrophin, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., and Rodelis Therapeutics. Evidence gathered by the Committee also suggests that additional companies have employed the monopoly business model uncovered in this report, putting the health and lives of Americans at risk.\r\nThe views of a wide-range of health policy experts and clinicians were considered, and the report identifies potential policy responses:\r\n \r\nEnact the Increasing Competition in Pharmaceuticals Act, introduced by Chairman Collins and Ranking Member McCaskill, to incentivize competition to address regulatory uncertainty, small market size, and other factors that serve as limitations to generic entry;\r\nEncourage generic competition by ensuring the right to obtain samples and simplifying Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies;\r\nConsider allowing highly targeted, temporary prescription drug importation to provide prompt price relief for major price increases in off-patent drugs;\r\nTake steps to prevent the misuse of patient assistance programs and copay coupons;\r\nReinvigorate the Federal Trade Commission to take greater enforcement action on drug company mergers, operations, and drug market dynamics; and\r\nImprove transparency in the health care system.\r\n \r\nThroughout the investigation, Chairman Collins and Ranking Member McCaskill have been committed to promoting innovation while improving access and affordability of prescription medications for patients, particularly for the 90 percent of our nation\u2019s seniors who take prescription drugs. Chairman Collins and Ranking Member McCaskill strongly support continued efforts to stop bad actors who are acquiring drugs that have been off-patent for decades and driving up their prices solely because they can.\r\nDuring the course of its bipartisan investigation, the Aging Committee held three hearings; interviewed scores of patients, doctors, hospital administrators, consumer advocates, health experts, and pharmaceutical industry executives and board members; reviewed more than one million pages of documents obtained from the four companies; and deposed or took transcribed interviews of numerous corporate witnesses.\r\nThe first hearing of the series, held on December 9, 2015, sought to identify and define the problems resulting from these price increases. The second hearing, held on March 17, 2016, took an in-depth look inside the monopoly business models of Turing and Retrophin, both formerly headed by Martin Shkreli. The third hearing, held on April 27, 2016, investigated Valeant\u2019s business model, its investor relationships, and the harm caused to patients and the health care system by the enormous price increases Valeant imposed on certain drugs it acquired.\r\nThe full report can be found online HERE.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/following-mccaskill-push-atandt-to-become-first-carrier-to-offer-robocall-blocking-technology", "Following McCaskill Push, AT&T to Become First Carrier to Offer Robocall Blocking Technology", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following McCaskill Push, AT&T to Become First Carrier to Offer Robocall Blocking Technology \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Move comes after Senator, who has led efforts to combat unwanted robocalls, repeatedly urged phone companies to show concrete results \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, who has led the fight to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls, today applauded an announcement by AT&T that the telecom company will launch a service to help customers block robocalls, becoming the first carrier to offer this technology at McCaskill\u2019s urging.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s good to see the telecom industry taking seriously the problem of unwanted robocalls plaguing consumers by finally giving customers the tools to block them,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor. \u201cWhile I hope to see AT&T expand this service beyond wireless devices so that all of their customers can take full advantage, other carriers also would be wise to empower consumers with accessible technology to prevent these fraudulent and unwanted calls.\u201d\r\nThis fall, after recommendations from the \u201crobocall strike force\u201d of telecom companies convened to discuss solutions to keep unwanted or fraudulent robocalls from reaching consumers. McCaskill called on the companies to follow through on their recommendations to provide consumers the protection they expect and deserve.\r\nThis summer, McCaskill had called on the nation\u2019s top telecom companies \u2013 which for years promised results but delivered little \u2013 to outline the concrete steps they have taken and plan to take to protect consumers. McCaskill\u2019s letter followed a letter from FCC Chairman Wheeler urging companies to do more to implement robocall blocking technologies and report back within 30 days.\r\nThree years ago, McCaskill asked the top telecom trade associations to evaluate the feasibility of implementing technology to help filter out unwanted calls and protect America's most vulnerable consumers. The industry\u2019s responses indicated they would be hard at work to address the problem, including developing better technologies\u2014however little concrete action had been taken in the three years since.\r\nMcCaskill has introduced legislation, the Robocall and Call Spoofing Enforcement Improvements Act, to increase fines and penalties on robocall violators, streamline enforcement, expand the statute of limitations on violators, and enforce anti-spoofing provisions against violators outside the U.S. who target consumers inside the U.S. In addition, McCaskill\u2014an outspoken critic of a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that rolled back consumer protections of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by allowing callers collecting federal debts to make robocalls\u2014supports legislation that would repeal this provision.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect consumers.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-advances-redevelopment-of-bannister-federal-complex", "Congressman Cleaver Advances Redevelopment of Bannister Federal Complex", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) advocated for the inclusion of language in the end-of-year Continuing Resolution \u2013 H.R. 2028 - and is pleased to announce that the language was included in the final bill. H.R. 2028 was passed by the U.S. House\u00a0earlier this month by a vote of 326-96. This added language will help further the redevelopment of the old Bannister Complex.\nH.R. 2028 provides funding for the U.S. Government until April 28, 2017. Special language was needed to provide full funding for the transfer of ownership of the Bannister Complex from the National Nuclear Security Administration to private ownership.\n\u201cOur hands were tied. We could not make a move towards new use and new ownership at the Bannister Complex without the full funding. Thankfully, we can now get to work and begin the clean-up and redevelopment of this blighted area,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nThe National Nuclear Security Administration, which currently owns the property, needed $200 million for demolition and remediation costs to meet legal obligations to transfer the Bannister complex to private ownership in 2017. The transfer of the Bannister Complex is years in the making. A delay could derail the sale and cost the federal government an additional $40 million or more to maintain the property. With private ownership, the land can be remediated for industrial use.\nThe 300-acre Bannister Plant was originally built in 1942 to manufacture airplane engines, and began producing mechanical weapon components for our nuclear weapon stockpile in 1949. The facility has soil and groundwater contamination from chemicals used in manufacturing and solid waste disposal. The cleanup and redevelopment of the Bannister property is crucial for the stabilization and recovery of South Kansas City.\nFor more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-backed-bipartisan-plan-to-improve-first-responders-training-and-support-is-signed-into-law", "McCaskill-Backed Bipartisan Plan to Improve First Responders’ Training & Support is Signed into Law", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-Backed Bipartisan Plan to Improve First Responders\u2019 Training & Support is Signed into Law \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Legislation helps provide better resources & training for first responders to improve community safety \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 A bipartisan plan backed by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to improve training and support for first responders by ensuring they have the resources and tools to handle potential hazardous incidents has been signed into law.\r\n\u201cFirst responders are on the front lines of keeping our communities safe, and we have to ensure they\u2019ve got the best tools possible to do that vital job,\u201d said McCaskill, who was recently named the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. \u201cWith Missouri at the center of the nation\u2019s freight railroad network, and in light of the derailment of crude oil trains across the country, community safety is more important than ever, and this bill will help modernize our safety systems in the event of an accident.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill is a backer of the bipartisan Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Act, along with Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. The legislation establishes a public-private council that combines emergency responders, federal agencies, and leading experts to review training and best practices for first responders. This council, co-chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, will provide Congress with expert recommendations on how to address first responders\u2019 safety needs with increased railway safety challenges so they can best protect communities across the country.\r\nMcCaskill is a longtime advocate for first responders, including those who work on railway safety. Last year at a hearing on transportation safety, McCaskill, noting that Kansas City and St. Louis are the second- and third-largest freight rail hubs in the country, raised concerns she has heard from local officials and first responders in Missouri on how to improve the safety of crude oil moving by rail, and communication with first responders in the event of a derailment accident in a major metropolitan area.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s work to achieve concrete results for Missouri.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-warren-gao-report-shows-shocking-increase-in-student-loan-debt-among-seniors", "McCaskill-Warren GAO Report Shows Shocking Increase in Student Loan Debt Among Seniors", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-Warren GAO Report Shows Shocking Increase in Student Loan Debt Among Seniors \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t More than 100K have their Social Security benefits garnished every year\u2014thousands are shoved into poverty as a result\u2014to pay it back \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Elizabeth Warren today released a government report showing that student loan debt is escalating rapidly, and tens of thousands of senior Americans are currently having their Social Security benefits cut below the poverty line to recoup defaulted student loan debt.\r\nThe report, conducted for McCaskill and Warren by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), indicates that in the past ten years the amount of student loan debt among seniors has skyrocketed, as has the number of seniors whose Social Security benefits are being garnished in order to recoup that debt. McCaskill and Warren both serve on the Senate Aging Committee, where McCaskill is the top Democrat.\r\nThe report\u2019s troubling findings included:\r\n \r\nThe cohort of those over 50 in student loan debt, over 7 million Americans, is growing much faster than younger cohorts. Since 2005, Americans aged 65 and up saw their total student loan debt grow by 385 percent.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe number of Americans whose Social Security checks are being garnished by the government to recoup defaulted student loans has increased by 540 percent in the last decade to over 114,000 older borrowers.\r\n \r\n \r\nSince 2004, the number of seniors whose Social Security benefits have been garnished below the poverty line has increased from 8,300 to 67,300.\r\n \r\n \r\nThirteen percent of borrowers 50 or older at the time of their initial offset died while their loans were still outstanding.\r\n \r\n\u201cThis report shows us that seniors clearly aren\u2019t immune to the student loan crisis\u2014they\u2019re deeply impacted by this issue to the point that it\u2019s leaving many of them in a dire financial situation,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cWe could have hundreds of thousands of American seniors living in poverty due to garnished Social Security benefits if this trend continues, and we shouldn\u2019t allow that to happen.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe hard-earned Social Security checks that are the sole source of income for millions of seniors should not be siphoned off to pay interest and fees on student loan debt,\u201d said Warren. \u201cIt\u2019s no wonder many Americans don\u2019t think Washington works for them: our government is shoving tens of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities into poverty through garnishment every year\u2014and charging them $15 every month for the privilege\u2014just so that the Department of Education can collect a little bit more interest and keep boosting the government\u2019s student loan profits. This is predatory and counterproductive, and Congress should pass the bill I\u2019ve cosponsored to put a stop to this practice.\u201d\r\nSome of the report\u2019s troubling findings included that more than 70% of garnished Social Security benefits were going toward fees and interest, and not paying down seniors\u2019 principal balances\u2014leaving many seniors with a reduced standard of living, in a cycle of debt they could not escape.\r\nGAO also issued recommendations related to the report, including eliminating Social Security benefits garnishment to below the federal poverty line, as well as simplifying the paperwork for disabled Americans to discharge their student loan debt.\r\nThe report is available online HERE.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/following-mccaskill-request-on-student-loan-counseling-education-department-changes-course", "Following McCaskill Request on Student Loan Counseling, Education Department Changes Course", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following McCaskill Request on Student Loan Counseling, Education Department Changes Course \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Agency announces loan counseling experiment and new college completion toolkit, programs advocated by Senator following College Affordability Tour \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 19, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill applauded the announcement by the Department of Education that it will begin a loan counseling experiment and has released a new college completion toolkit. Following her College Affordability Tour across Missouri earlier this year, McCaskill had urged the Department to reconsider a decision not to allow colleges and university to require that student borrowers complete personalized debt calculators as part of their entrance counseling.\r\n\u201cStudent debt has a serious financial impact on students, families, and our economy\u2014something I heard firsthand from so many students and educators across the state, who are worried about how their loans will affect them long after graduation,\u201d said McCaskill, a graduate of the University of Missouri. \u201cAt our urging, I\u2019m glad the Department of Education took a concrete step in helping first-time borrowers understand the real world implications of student loan debt and untying the hands of the administrators who want to help them\u2014and I\u2019m looking forward to working with them to help move this program from an experiment to a permanent tool.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s College Affordability Tour centered on innovative, effective ways to make college more affordable and decrease the enormous amounts of loan debt that students are facing. Those goals included a boost to Pell Grants to make them available more than twice yearly, encouraging higher and faster graduation rates, and more resources for students who choose to dual-enroll to get ahead, enabling them to graduate sooner and cut down on the amount of loans they may need.\r\nOne survey showed roughly half of all first-year students underestimate their student debt and more than a quarter of students with federal loans incorrectly stated they have no federal debt. Personalized debt calculators, like the Financial Awareness Calculation Tool, give student borrowers the opportunity to calculate an estimate of their loans and the repayment process.\r\nAccording to the\u00a0Institute for College Access & Success,\u00a0the average debt for a Missouri graduate of a public 4-year institution or private non-profit 4-year institution is\u00a0$25,844 and the proportion of Missouri graduates from those institutions with debt is\u00a059 percent.\u00a0Missouri ranks \u200e33rd\u00a0in the nation\u00a0in terms of how much debt students graduate with and\u00a031st\u00a0in the nation\u00a0in terms of how many students graduate with debt.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/education\u00a0to read highlights of McCaskill\u2019s work to improve education.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-gets-committee-assignments-for-next-congress", "McCaskill Gets Committee Assignments for Next Congress", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Gets Committee Assignments for Next Congress \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t In addition to being named top-ranking Democrat on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Senator will remain senior member of Armed Services panel, and will join Finance Committee \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 19, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 When the new Congress convenes in January, in addition to serving as top-ranking Democrat on the Senate\u2019s most powerful oversight committee, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill will also remain a senior member of the Senate\u2019s Armed Services Committee and will be joining the Senate Finance Committee.\r\n\u201cMissourians expect me to fight for them\u2014to make their families and communities more secure, and to strengthen accountability in government,\u201d said McCaskill, a former prosecutor and daughter of a World War II veteran. \u201cThat\u2019s been the bread and butter of my work in the Senate. And these assignments will give me a strong platform to keep fighting for the state I love.\u201d\r\nLast month, McCaskill was named the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over the federal government\u2019s operations and the Department of Homeland Security. That new role will dramatically expand McCaskill\u2019s role in federal government oversight, protecting the homeland, and guarding taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse.\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s continued seniority on the Senate Armed Services Committee will allow her to continue her work to strengthen national security, and her advocacy for Missouri\u2019s military installations and the role the state plays in the nation\u2019s defense\u2014while the Senate Finance Committee has broad jurisdiction over tax policy, trade, and healthcare.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s work for Missourians.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/weekly-capitol-report/making-healthcare-affordable-again", "Making Healthcare Affordable Again", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The rolling hills and flatland of southeast and south central Missouri are a beautiful place during the Holiday Season; we take time to gather with family and friends, and we also reflect on the previous days and months throughout the year. For those of us who are Christians, Christmas is a joyful time of celebration for the birth of our savior, and also a reminder that the true spirit of the Holiday is the gift of giving itself.\nOne of the things we are often most thankful for this time of year is good health and well-being, but with escalating costs of care and government mandates coming\u00a0in between you and your doctor of choice,\u00a0our entire healthcare system\u00a0is something that many families are rightfully\u00a0concerned about this year.\nOver the next week, I will be conducting half a dozen\u00a0healthcare roundtables throughout southeast and south central Missouri. I plan to meet with doctors, patients, pharmacists, small business owners,\u00a0families\u00a0and anyone else interested in discussing the rising cost of care in this country. We need to have an open and honest discussion about\u00a0the impact Obamacare has had on coverage and access to care, the collapsing of the\u00a0Obamacare marketplace,\u00a0and solutions for how we can provide fair, open, transparent and affordable healthcare\u00a0coverage in this country. I will be hosting roundtables in Farmington, Cape Girardeau, Kennett, Poplar Bluff, West Plains and Rolla.\nI believe it is important to hear directly from\u00a0families about the struggles they are experiencing and the changes they would like to see in healthcare. I have already heard a great deal from people across southeast and south central Missouri who have been personally impacted by diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s, diabetes, and opioid addiction who desperately want to strengthen research and delivery systems to find better treatments and ultimately cures for these diseases. I\u2019ve also heard from parents whose children are suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who want a cure so that their children can enjoy the same simple joys as other children. I\u2019ve heard from the epilepsy community who want to accelerate the discovery and development of new therapies that individuals with epilepsy need to help them live their lives to the fullest potential, as well as the ALS community who are in desperate need of a treatment for ALS, which at this point has no effective treatment option and leaves patients with few options. And, I also heard from some of the 11,000 folks across southeast and south central Missouri who are living with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) who are some of those most in need of access to affordable and flexible high-quality care that they are currently being denied access to by the federal government.\nThese stories and the painful struggles so many families have shared have had a profound impact on me personally. Recently, \u201c21st Century Cures\u201d was passed and signed into law and while it included important provisions to advance medical research in this country, it also included language I authored to provide those with ESRD more choice, options and flexibility in their care coverage. My provision removed a arbitrary government rule which stood in the way of these patients from receiving the care they deserve.\u00a0\nMy hope is that the healthcare roundtables we conduct in the coming weeks will bring forward more stories and issues and provide us a better understanding of how to address the real problems, while also making a difference for our families. The ideas and problems we identify will be something I can then work directly with the new Trump Administration and incoming Health and Human Services Secretary Tom\u00a0Price on in order\u00a0to include those ideas\u00a0in our healthcare replacement for the disastrous Obamacare. I have found the incoming Administration to be open and accessible and really interested in getting healthcare coverage right in this country while lowering out of pocket costs for patients. I want to share your ideas directly with them.\u00a0I also hope to find better ways to work with the\u00a0local\u00a0resources we have like the\u00a0recently opened\u00a0Delbert Day Cancer Institute in Rolla\u00a0which will help provide better treatments for cancer patients. However, perhaps the thing I am looking towards the most is the chance to meet new families, and make new friends, and provide greater hope during this season of giving.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398827", "Blaine's Bulletin: Spirit of the Season", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cJoy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money\u2026Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.\u201d \u2013 Pope Benedict XVI\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      \u201cJoy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money\u2026Let us pray that this presence of the liberating joy of God shines forth in our lives.\u201d \u2013 Pope Benedict XVI\r\nChristmas is just around the corner which means twinkling lights are bright throughout our communities and presents are being wrapped to set out around the tree on Christmas Eve.\r\nEach season is unique in itself, but there is truly something special about the spirit of Christmas. There is no other time when generosity is at such an all-time high. This time of year, giving back is more than just a saying, it is a time of year when people reach out in the hope of bringing joy to individuals in need. Christmas has the unique ability to bring people together. Whether that is spending time with individuals who don\u2019t have nearby friends and family members to be together with for the holidays or by participating in a coordinated effort within your communities. Giving back can be simply organizing a local service activity in your community or donating any spare toys, clothes, or canned food to a local drive. And, if you find yourself with a few hours to spare, volunteers are always appreciated at local homeless shelters. These simple yet effective acts of charity may not seem like much to some, but it means the world to others.The 3rd District is home to the most kind and supportive individuals and I know if we all work together, we can make our communities even better.\r\nDuring this holiday season, I hope you reflect on the year and recount all the joy this past year has brought you and your family. Let us also all remember the message of peace and goodwill and we take the time to cherish the memories that are made with our loved ones and friends.\r\nLastly, I ask that you take a moment to say a special prayer for the thousands of men and women in uniform who are far from home this holiday season. On behalf of myself, my family, and my staff, I want to wish you a joyous\u00a0 and peaceful Christmas season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=9BAE371C-6751-42FA-B6BE-54166356F9A1", "Blunt Selects Painting for Inaugural Luncheon", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, earlier today announced the painting that will be on display during the Inaugural Luncheon. He has selected George Caleb Bingham\u2019s \u201cVerdict of the People,\u201d an oil painting from the American art gallery at the Saint Louis Museum of Art.\r\nAfter the newly-elected President has taken the oath of office and delivered the inaugural address, Chairman Blunt and the JCCIC host a traditional inaugural luncheon in National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Since 1953, the JCCIC has organized a luncheon celebration for the President, Vice President and their spouses, Senate and House leaders, the JCCIC members, and other invited guests. As chairman, Blunt selects a work of art to be displayed during the luncheon.\r\n\u201cVerdict of the People\u201d (1854-55) is one of three works by the Missouri artist that comprise the Election Series, presenting the course of democratic elections from public debate between candidates, to the voting process, to the announcement of election. Bingham wanted to visually record the cultural tensions at play in American democracy in the 1850s.\r\nAfter Election Day, it often took days to compile the votes. The results were publicly announced at the courthouse, and crowds gathered to hear the \u201cVerdict of the People.\u201d This painting depicts a chaotic street scene just as a clerk calls out the election results. Bingham\u2019s electorate is one of inclusiveness. Everyone is here \u2013 the well-to-do farmers, laborers, merchants, westerners, kids, politicians, immigrants, veterans, women, and African-Americans. They are elated, dejected, confounded, argumentative, jovial, and intensely serious.\r\nThe painting will be on display in National Statuary Hall on January 20, 2017, then returned to the Saint Louis Art Museum.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/housing-for-veterans-and-families-during-medical-treatments-heading-to-missourimccaskill-statement", "Housing for Veterans and Families During Medical Treatments Heading to Missouri—McCaskill Statement", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Housing for Veterans and Families During Medical Treatments Heading to Missouri\u2014McCaskill Statement \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t VA announces plans to build Fisher Houses at Columbia, Kansas City VA facilities to provide free housing accommodations during treatments \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that Kansas City and Columbia will be priority sites for future construction of Fisher Houses, which provide free housing accommodations to veterans and their families while undergoing treatment at a VA medical center or military hospital\u2014a move applauded by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill.\r\n\u201cAfter everything they have sacrificed for our country, we owe it to our veterans and their families to provide them with the highest quality care, and the greatest flexibility when that care isn\u2019t easily accessible,\u201d said McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran. \u201cThe VA made a great choice in selecting Kansas City and Columbia for future Fisher House accommodations, which will help give Missouri veterans the convenient and comfortable experience they deserve while receiving medical treatment.\u201d\r\nIn 2016, Fisher Houses across the country\u2014including the St. Louis Fisher House\u2014accommodated over 23,000 families, saving guests over $3 million in lodging expenses. In addition to Kansas City and Columbia, VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald recommended 12 other VA medical centers become priority sites for future Fisher Houses. The addition of these sites will support access to care for thousands of additional veterans traveling to VA facilities for treatment.\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate for ensuring veterans receive the healthcare and services they deserve. Earlier this year, she worked to resolve unpaid claims of six Theodosia-area veterans through the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans who live more than 40 driving miles from or have other impediments to convenient access to a VA facility to receive care at a local health care provider.\r\nAiming to continue improvements to the quality of customer service at statewide VA facilities, McCaskill last year announced the expansion\u00a0of her successful \u201csecret-shopper\u201d program to the southwest Missouri area. The Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program allows veterans to share timely, confidential feedback about their VA health care visits, and helps provide oversight and accountability for VA health care facilities.\u00a0The survey is now active in five regions:\u00a0St. Louis;\u00a0Kansas City;\u00a0Columbia;\u00a0Poplar Bluff;\u00a0Southwest Missouri (Fayetteville). Veterans seeking to participate in the Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program can visit McCaskill\u2019s website,\u00a0McCaskill.senate.gov/VCSP, and complete the confidential survey. Responses can be submitted after each health care visit.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for military veterans.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/blog/cures-now-law", ""Cures" is now law.", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "With over 10,000 diseases in the world and only 500 known cures, it is important we work to foster new and innovative approaches to finding cures and delivering hope for patients. After a three-year-long journey through Congress, I am happy to tell you the 21st Century Cures Act\u2014a transformational, bipartisan, and fully-offset bill to change the way we treat disease, modernize medical research, and ensure America remains a leader in biomedical innovation\u2014became law last week.\nThis bill brings much needed reforms to the way we look at healthcare research. In addition to prioritizing new and cutting-edge research, modernizing and reforming the FDA, and investing in programs to incentivize innovative new treatments, the bill contained provisions that will help Americans coast-to-coast.\n\u00a0\n Combatting Alzheimer\u2019s \nI have seen first-hand the devastating effects of Alzheimer\u2019s, having lost family members to the disease. The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease is growing \u2014 and growing fast. An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease in 2016. These numbers will escalate rapidly in coming years, as the baby boom generation has begun to reach age 65 and beyond, the age range of greatest risk of Alzheimer's. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, from 5.2 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease.\nThis bill invests $1.5 billion into the National Institute of Health\u2019s BRAIN Initiative, which will improve our understanding of diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s, and hopefully lead us to a cure.\n\u00a0\n Addressing the Opioid Epidemic \nMissourians, like many Americans, are being hit hard by the scourge of opioid addiction which takes more than 40 lives each day nationwide. Bolstering the states\u2019 efforts to combat these diseases will help keep families together and strengthen communities.\nThis bill provides $1 billion for grants to states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment activities, such as improving prescription drug monitoring programs and implementing prevention programs.\n\u00a0\n Making Mental Health a Priority \nThe Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which I co-sponsored, has been included in this bill as well. This measure, which makes mental health a national priority, originally passed the House in July.\nWe have all experienced the pain and suffering that stems from mental illness, but none more so than the families of those afflicted. They are often left feeling too helpless and hopeless to act. Our current mental health system is outdated and needs to be reformed. This bill takes us a step in the right direction, reforming our mental health system to help patients get the treatment they need.\n\u00a0\n Prioritizing Innovation \nThe pace of scientific advancement over the past two decades, including the mapping of the human genome, has been impressive. Translating these discoveries into new FDA-approved treatments, however, has proven difficult.\u00a0\nThis legislation brings American health care infrastructure into the 21st century. It invests nearly $9 billion in new resources for a medical research innovation fund at the National Institutes of Health that will target diseases for which there is not yet a cure. 21st Century Cures also supports the Food and Drug Administration with new resources to keep pace with medical innovation, including new drugs and devices that need expert review. This bill also brings the patient perspective to the heart of research and development, and seeks to foster better use of personalized medicine and more participation in clinical trials.\nThis bill delivers cutting-edge advancements to health care and spurs the discovery and development of life-saving treatments. It offers hope to millions of Americans facing impossible odds. This bill is a big win for all Americans, and I am happy it is now law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/aiming-to-protect-veterans-from-exorbitant-emergency-room-bills-mccaskill-urges-va-to-comply-with-law", "Aiming to Protect Veterans from Exorbitant Emergency Room Bills, McCaskill Urges VA to Comply with Law", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Aiming to Protect Veterans from Exorbitant Emergency Room Bills, McCaskill Urges VA to Comply with Law \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t VA has failed to follow 2010 law requiring reimbursement for non-VA emergency care, denying hundreds of thousands of veterans\u2019 claims \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 15, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Aiming to protect veterans from exorbitant emergency room bills, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of senators to call on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to properly follow a law requiring reimbursement for non-VA emergency care after the agency rejected hundreds of thousands of veterans\u2019 claims.\r\n\u201cSix years after enactment of the [Emergency Care Fairness Act], our nation\u2019s veterans continue to bear the burden of emergency treatment costs not covered by veterans\u2019 third-party insurance,\u201d wrote McCaskill and her colleagues. \u201cThe [VA]\u2019s continued denial of these claims is deeply troubling.\u201d\r\nIn 2010, the passage of the Emergency Care Fairness Act directed the VA to cover veterans with private health insurance in the event their private insurance doesn\u2019t cover the full amount of non-VA emergency care. However the VA has failed to follow the law since its enactment, denying hundreds of thousands of veterans\u2019 reimbursement claims for emergency care. Earlier this year, a federal court ordered the VA to write regulations that comply with the law. In addition to urging the VA to follow the law, McCaskill and her colleagues also requested that the agency fix its mistake and re-open all previously-denied claims.\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate for ensuring veterans receive the healthcare and services they deserve. Earlier this year, she worked to resolve unpaid claims of six Theodosia-area veterans through the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans who live more than 40 driving miles from or have other impediments to convenient access to a VA facility to receive care at a local health care provider.\r\nMcCaskill has led several efforts to increase\u00a0accountability\u00a0and\u00a0quality\u00a0of veterans services.\u00a0Earlier this year, McCaskill\u00a0released a report\u00a0detailing shameful treatment of veterans of World War II who were exposed to mustard gas, leading to her introduction of the Arla Harrell Act.\r\nFull text of the letter HERE.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for military veterans.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/in-fight-to-keep-consumers-safe-mccaskill-pushes-fda-to-improve-process-for-reviewing-dietary-supplement-ingredients", "In Fight to Keep Consumers Safe, McCaskill Pushes FDA to Improve Process for Reviewing Dietary Supplement Ingredients", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In Fight to Keep Consumers Safe, McCaskill Pushes FDA to Improve Process for Reviewing Dietary Supplement Ingredients \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator outlines need for transparency and enforcement in letter to FDA Commissioner, cites frustration at bureaucratic delays \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 15, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill wrote to the government\u2019s top food and drug safety official as part of a years-long push to ensure that dietary supplements available to American consumers are safe and that enforcement action is quickly taken against scam artists who break the law and endanger consumers.\r\nAfter an unexplained five-year delay, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance for manufacturers outlining the process for including new ingredients in dietary supplements. This draft guidance provides much needed direction for manufacturers on the testing, safety standards, and manufacturing processes required by FDA for new dietary ingredients.\r\nIn a letter to FDA commissioner Robert Califf, McCaskill outlined three areas of the draft guidance that need improvement to ensure that manufacturers understand their responsibilities, and that consumers remain safe, including transparency about the ingredients for consumers and healthcare professionals and the need to take aggressive enforcement actions against any manufacturers making and selling unsafe and illicit supplements. After years of advocacy to ensure American consumers are protected in the dietary supplement industry, McCaskill urged the FDA to include these consumer protections in their guidance ahead of its final release.\r\n\u201cGiven the ongoing public safety concerns involved, I urge the FDA to quickly consider this comment and others and finalize its guidance as soon as possible. American consumers cannot afford to wait for another five years,\u201d McCaskill wrote.\r\nMcCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, had previously written to ten medical associations asking for any policies they have developed for when and how physicians assess dietary supplement use in patients prior to starting treatment.\r\nLast year, McCaskill\u2014a former Missouri State Auditor and courtroom prosecutor\u2014sent letters to 15 retailers inquiring about their policies concerning dietary supplements and what they do to prevent the sale of harmful or fraudulently marketed products in their stores, on their websites and at shows. This inquiry was in response to the discovery of products such as Brain Armor, which has since been removed from the Amazon website, that made false claims about their ability to enhance memory and treat dementia.\r\nAs past Chairman of the Senate\u2019s Consumer Protection Subcommittee, McCaskill has also examined misleading and false claims made by makers of weight-loss products.\r\nA copy of McCaskill\u2019s letter to FDA Commissioner Califf is available online HERE.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to strengthen protections for American consumers.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-jason-smith-receives-friend-of-farm-bureau-award", "U.S. Rep. Jason Smith Receives 'Friend of Farm Bureau' Award", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Rep. Jason Smith Receives \u2018Friend of Farm Bureau\u2019 Award\nSmith is honored during Missouri Farm Bureau Annual Meeting\nOsage Beach, MO- Congressman Jason Smith was presented with the \u2018Friend of Farm Bureau\u2019 Award by Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst during their 102nd Annual Meeting. Smith received the honor due to his constant support and fight to protect the rural way of life for Missouri farmers and their families.\n\u201cAs a fourth generation Missouri farm owner, I am humbled to have received the \u2018Friend of Farm Bureau\u2019 Award. The over 19,000 farms throughout southeast and south central Missouri play a major role in the state\u2019s economy. Washington bureaucrats who have never stepped foot on a farm in Missouri have no business making anti-growth, over-reaching regulations that continue to harm farmers. I remain committed to supporting reforms that allow the over 29,000 hardworking farmers across southeast and south central Missouri to do what they do best which is to put food on our tables and drive our economy,\u201d Smith stated.\n\u201cDuring his first two terms, Congressman Jason Smith has stood up for rural Missouri and agriculture at every opportunity,\u201d said Blake Hurst, president of Missouri Farm Bureau.\u00a0\u201cHe has pushed back against unreasonable regulations from EPA and other government agencies and is at the forefront of urging President-Elect Trump to rescind the many onerous and needless Executive Orders issued in recent years.\u201d \nEstablished in 1996, The Friend of Farm Bureau Award is given to Missouri lawmakers who have a proven record of support for agriculture and rural Missouri. The Missouri Farm Bureau has been working to improve the quality of life for farmers, rural Missouri and all Missourians since 1915.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news//news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=449", "U.S. Rep. Jason Smith Receives 'Friend of Farm Bureau' Award", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-congressman-wm-lacy-clay-d-missouri-regarding-consent-decree", "STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI  REGARDING THE CONSENT DECREE REACHED BETWEEN THE  ST. LOUIS COUNTY FAMILY COURT AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE  TO CORRECT MULTIPLE CONSITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHTS OF JUVENILES", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cToday\u2019s agreement by the St. Louis County Family Court to enter into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice is a victory for the constitution and for the juveniles who will encounter the justice system and finally enjoy equal protection under the law\u2026which should include an opportunity to make a fresh start.\nFor more than two years, I have been pressing the St. Louis County Family Court to urgently address and correct the horrendous, multiple constitutional violations of the rights of juveniles, many of whom were African American, as revealed by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division report released in August of 2015.\nI want to commend both the judges of the St. Louis County Family Court and the tireless staff of the Justice Department\u2019s Civil Rights Division for reaching this transformative and long-overdue agreement.\u00a0\u00a0\nWhen fully and faithfully implemented, this consent decree will truly represent a new beginning for juvenile justice in St. Louis County.\u201d\n\u00a0\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pfizer-gets-letter-from-us-senators-seek-information-on-drug-to-treat-opioid-overdoses", "Pfizer gets letter from US senators seek information on drug to treat opioid overdoses", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pfizer gets letter from US senators seek information on drug to treat opioid overdoses \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Wednesday, December 14, 2016\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Meg Tirrell & Dan Mangan\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            The Senate Aging Committee has asked pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for information about soaring prices for the generic drug naloxone, used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.\r\nThe drug's price rose from $45 for a set of 10 vials in 2009 to $263.88 in early 2014\u2014an increase of almost 600 percent, before settling to $189.96, CNBC reported in September.\r\n\"Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, many related to misuse or abuse of prescription opioids,\" Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill wrote in a letter to Pfizer CEO Ian Read dated Nov. 28, a copy of which was obtained by CNBC.\r\nPfizer gained naloxone when it acquired Hospira for $17 billion in 2015. The senators said they'd already received 2015-2016 pricing information on the drug from Pfizer, in response to an earlier letter.\r\n\"Explain, in detail, the number and amount of price increases and decreases taken by Hospira between 2009 and 2014 for naloxone,\" the senators wrote.\r\nThey also asked for details on how Hospira came to the decision to raise the price, as well as how much the increases contributed to research and development into improving the product, and whether any issues of patient access arose.\r\nIn response to an inquiry from CNBC, Pfizer defended its pricing, saying the drug's cost was \"priced responsibly\" in a statement.\r\n\"From the time Naloxone entered our portfolio...our focus has been on providing access to this life saving treatment and we believe it is priced responsibly at a wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) price of $15.83 per dose for the single dose vial, and $11.87 per dose for the multidose vial (10 doses in a vial),\" the statement read.\r\n\"Pfizer's Naloxone Access Program includes a donation of up to 1 million doses of Naloxone over four years and $1 million in opioid overdose grants to several states.\"\r\nPfizer isn't the only maker of naloxone. Other formulations and delivery systems are on the market, including an auto injector called Evzio from private manufacturer Kaleo that costs almost $4,000 for two doses.\r\nCollins and McCaskill wrote letters to five manufacturers in June inquiring about price increases.\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/rabbit-regulations-have-mccaskill-hopping-mad", "Rabbit regulations have McCaskill hopping mad", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rabbit regulations have McCaskill hopping mad \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Wednesday, December 14, 2016\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Deirdre Shesgreen\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            WASHINGTON \u2014 Marty Hahne\u2019s magic tricks don\u2019t work in Washington.\r\nHahne is the Springfield-area magician who became a media sensation a few years ago, when the Washington Post wrote about an obscure federal rule that required him to have a license and disaster plan for his rabbit, Casey, the furry star of his children\u2019s magic shows.\r\nThe reaction was wondrous\u2014at first.\r\nThe federal Secretary of Agriculture quashed the disaster plan requirement immediately after the Post\u2019s story was posted online. And by early 2014, lawmakers in Congress had directed the Agriculture Department to craft an exemption to the rules, so that Hahne and other magicians no longer had to submit to surprise federal bunny inspections and other silliness.\r\nNearly three years later, though, those political edicts seem like hocus pocus to Hahne, a.k.a. \u201cMarty the Magician.\u201d\r\nAgriculture Department regulators haven\u2019t finalized the exemption, so he still has to file annual paperwork for his rabbit permit, and Casey still gets regular visits from the USDA inspectors. The Ozark-based magician even has to send the feds his travel schedule if he and Casey go on any overnight trips.\r\n\u201cWhen I travel with my rabbit, like if I\u2019m going to an elementary school in Kansas City \u2026 the letter of the law says I need to fax or email them my itinerary,\u201d said Hahne, who performs at schools, libraries, and birthday parties. \u201cIt\u2019s just a real inconvenience.\u201d\r\nThe decades-old rule was originally intended to regulate zoos and circuses, but it has expanded over the years to scoop up even small \u201canimal exhibitors\u201d like Hahne. The issue captured national attention when the USDA moved to expand the rule even further\u2014requiring businesses that sell or exhibit animals to develop emergency plans for their furry friends in case of a flood, tornado or other disasters.\r\nAs Springfield doctors rein in Xanax, one woman took it pretty hard, police say  That proposal, since nixed, stemmed from a public outcry after thousands of animals were abandoned during Hurricane Katrina. Congress got involved then too\u2014passing a law requiring the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make sure rescue plans addressed the needs of individuals with pets and service animals.\r\nHahne said it\u2019s all gotten a bit out of hand.\r\n\u201cIf you have six tigers in a show, you should be inspected,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if you have one little bunny rabbit?\u201d\r\nFederal regulators have not ignored magician\u2019s bunny saga. But they have taken years to re-write the rules that require smaller animal exhibitors to get a license and inspections. And the proposed rules they\u2019ve come up with would still ensnare Hahne in their regulatory net.\r\nOn Aug. 3, more than two years after Congress called for the exemption, the Agriculture Department\u2019s animal and plant division issued a 12-page draft proposal. Under that measure, to wiggle out of the licensing and inspection requirements, magicians and other animal exhibitors can\u2019t make a living off that activity.\r\n\u201c\u2026 Persons who derive their primary source of income from exhibiting the animals, or who generate a substantial amount of money from such exhibition as determined by APHIS (the USDA\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), would not be eligible for the exclusion,\u201d the draft rule states. The agency said Congress\u2019 legislative directive should be interpreted to mean \u201cthe activity is not a full-time job or primary source of income.\u201d\r\nBut Hahne is a full-time magician, and Casey is a regular part of his act. \u201cTheir definitions don\u2019t help me out,\u201d he said.\r\nNow, the Agriculture Department\u2019s proposal has Sen. Claire McCaskill hopping mad.\r\n\u201cI can think of no earthly reason why a magician should be subject to a burdensome registration regulation from the government for his lone rabbit,\u201d the Missouri Democrat said. \u201cI relish the opportunity to arm-wrestle bureaucrats who dropped their common sense on their way into the office.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week blasting the agency for taking so long to enact the new rule and for failing to figure out a common-sense solution to the magician\u2019s dilemma.\r\n\u201cThis is a classic example of bureaucrats in Washington identifying a potential problem but using a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel to address it,\u201d she said.\r\nLyndsay Cole, a spokeswoman for the USDA\u2019s animal and plant agency, said agency officials met with McCaskill last week to hear her concerns. She said USDA officials are now reviewing all the public comments submitted on the draft rule before finalizing it.\r\n\u201cThe intent of our proposed rule is to exempt business activities that are de minimis \u2013 meaning they are of a sufficiently small size, maintain or infrequently exhibit a small number of certain common non-dangerous animals, or own household pets that are exhibited occasionally, generate less than a substantial portion of income, and reside exclusively with the owner \u2013 from federal licensure and oversight,\u201d Cole said.\r\nHahne said he was encouraged that McCaskill decided to weigh in on the matter. But it might take more than a little magic to get the rule fixed.\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/for-missouri-entrepreneurs-mccaskill-aims-for-the-act-of-the-disappearing-regulation", "For Missouri Entrepreneurs, McCaskill Aims for ‘The Act of The Disappearing Regulation’", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Missouri Entrepreneurs, McCaskill Aims for \u2018The Act of The Disappearing Regulation\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator tells Department of Agriculture to create \u2018commonsense\u2019 exemption to rule requiring animal-handlers\u2014including magicians with rabbits\u2014to have a license from the federal government and government-approved plan \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Working to pull a rabbit out of a hat for Missouri entrepreneurs and small business owners facing unnecessary federal bureaucracy, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill\u2019s    \u201cAct of the Disappearing Regulation,\u201d takes aim at a requirement that animal handlers\u2014including magicians who keep a limited number of rabbits\u2014must have a federal government license and a government-approved emergency plan, to do so.\r\nWatch a short video on The Act of the Disappearing Regulation.\r\nMcCaskill is telling the Department of Agriculture to create a \u201ccommonsense\u201d exemption to this rule, highlighting the absurdity of a government requirement that a magician must have a license and federally-approved emergency plan for a rabbit that is part of a magic show.\r\n\u201cI relish the opportunity to arm-wrestle bureaucrats who dropped their common sense on their way into the office,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis is a classic example of bureaucrats in Washington identifying a potential problem, but using a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel to address it. I can think of no earthly reason why a magician should be subject to a burdensome registration regulation from the government for his lone rabbit, and I\u2019ll be holding their feet to the fire to get this simple, long-overdue change across the finish line.\u201d\r\nThe 2014 Farm Bill\u2014which McCaskill helped pass into law after inaction from U.S. House Republicans\u2014provided an exemption for these magicians which would no longer require them to develop and submit a comprehensive disaster plan to cover the care of a rabbit under the Animal Welfare Act. Yet after a more than two-year delay, the Agriculture Department has yet to finalize this exemption.\r\nIn a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, McCaskill wrote: \u201cThe idea that any magician who keeps a limited number of rabbits or other common animals at home needs federal government license to do so flies in the face of common sense and can serve only to alienate well-meaning citizens from the many important roles and functions of the federal government,\u201d wrote \u00a0Therefore I urge you to finalize a rule to clearly exempt these operations that have no business being regulated by the Department.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has repeatedly gone to bat for Missouri businesses\u2014working to prevent burdensome regulations and cut red tape. Last year\u2019s long-term highway bill included provisions of the Federal Permitting Improvement Act, which McCaskill sponsored with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, that streamlines and speeds up the federal permitting process for the largest and most complex projects, which were laden with an uncoordinated federal review process.\r\nShe has also worked to eliminate a redundant pesticide approvals process for Missouri\u2019s farmers and ranchers, opposed the EPA\u2019s Waters of the U.S. rule saying it \u201cgoes too far,\u201d prevented burdensome regulations on St. Louis-based manufacturer Unico Systems, led a successful fight against unnecessary EPA regulations that would have negatively impacted Ste. Genevieve-based manufacturer Holcim, and won a victory for supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail locations by securing a one-year delay in new menu labeling requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.\r\nFull text of the letter HERE.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s Work to Curb Unreasonable Regulation\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has consistently fought to curb unnecessary or unreasonable federal rules and regulations:\r\n\r\nPassed into law Federal Permitting Improvement Act, that streamlines and speeds up the federal permitting process for the largest and most complex projects, which were laden with an uncoordinated federal review process.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIntroduced bipartisan legislation for state and local governments struggling to meet federal ozone standards that would provide a \u201cpragmatic and reasonable\u201d option for regulators to meet the goals and avoid being saddled with a potentially economically damaging \u201cnonattainment\u201d status.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWon a victory for supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail locations by securing a one-year delay in new menu labeling requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLed a successful fight against unnecessary EPA regulations that would have negatively impacted Ste. Genevieve-based manufacturer Holcim\r\n\r\n\r\nSponsored a bipartisan amendment with Senator Blunt that would exempt farmers transporting crops, livestock, and equipment within 150 miles of their farm from regulations aimed at non-farm commercial vehicles and give individual states the freedom to establish safety rules\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to boost job opportunities for Missouri.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskills-bipartisan-plan-targeting-unsolved-racially-motivated-murders-passes-congress-heads-to-presidents-desk", "McCaskill’s Bipartisan Plan Targeting Unsolved, Racially-Motivated Murders Passes Congress, Heads to President’s Desk", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill\u2019s Bipartisan Plan Targeting Unsolved, Racially-Motivated Murders Passes Congress, Heads to President\u2019s Desk \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Renewal of Emmett Till Act allows law enforcement to continue investigations seeking justice \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate has approved bipartisan legislation led by Senator Claire McCaskill that will renew the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, continuing Department of Justice and FBI efforts to investigate and prosecute unsolved racially-motivated murders\u2014and the bill now heads to the President\u2019s desk where it is expected to be signed into law. \u00a0\r\n\u201cThis legislation brings justice and closure to the families and communities affected by the heinous acts of violence and hatred that are a stain on our nation\u2019s history,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Jackson County Prosecutor who led the bipartisan efforts with Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. \u201cThe bill will help us continue the critical work of better investigating and solving these crimes, no matter how long ago they occurred, and I\u2019m thrilled we\u2019ve finally been able to carry it across the finish line.\u201d\r\nThe bill encourages the Department of Justice and FBI to partner with advocacy organizations, universities, and other entities that have been gathering evidence on cold cases from the 1960s and beyond. The bill also recognizes the potential for prosecutions at the state level, and seeks to facilitate collaboration between state and federal law enforcement.\r\nThe legislation, which first passed the Senate this summer following McCaskill\u2019s efforts, recently passed the U.S. House with several changes, necessitating passage again through the Senate before the end of the year. The President is expected to sign the bill into law.\r\nMcCaskill, a strong supporter of efforts to investigate racially-motivated crimes, helped lead the legislation\u2019s original passage in 2008. The bill\u2019s provisions will expire in 2017 if it is not renewed, and she worked closely with civil rights-advocate Alvin Sykes of Kansas City to advance the renewal.\r\nThe 2008 Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act provided a means to investigate and prosecute racially-motivated murders that occurred on or before December 31, 1969. The legislation established offices within the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate and prosecute murders from the civil rights era, and authorized $10 million annually for investigations and $2 million for grants to states in order to support this work. The bill\u2019s renewal will continue the allocation and provides for the investigation of all racially-motivated murders, despite date of occurrence.\r\nDemocratic Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis of Georgia introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/year-closing-with-more-mccaskill-bills-becoming-law", "Year Closing with More McCaskill Bills Becoming Law", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Year Closing with More McCaskill Bills Becoming Law \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Bipartisan wins by Senator\u2014including strengthening accountability and law enforcement efforts\u2014continue to stack up \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The year approaches a close with a series of bipartisan legislative victories from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, including the passage into law of her plan to strengthen the power of watchdogs who guard against waste & abuse of taxpayer dollars at government agencies, and her legislation to bolster Department of Justice and FBI efforts to investigate and prosecute unsolved racially-motivated murders.\r\nMcCaskill, along with Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, led efforts to pass the bipartisan Inspector General Empowerment Act, which enhances watchdogs\u2019 ability to oversee waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars at federal agencies.\r\nMcCaskill also teamed up with Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina to pass the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act to investigate and prosecute unsolved racially-motivated murders. McCaskill\u2019s bill to extend whistleblower protections to nearly all government contractors is also headed to the President\u2019s desk, as is this year\u2019s annual defense bill\u2014shaped by McCaskill\u2014which includes a number of her priorities including legislation to prevent retaliation against those who report a sexual assault in the military.\r\n\u201cMissourians expect me not to get bogged down in politics, and instead work across the aisle to forge compromise and get results for them. That\u2019s exactly what these bills represent,\u201d said McCaskill, who was recently named the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the top committee for oversight and accountability in government.\r\nThe Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act encourages the Department of Justice and FBI to partner with advocacy organizations, universities, and other entities that have been gathering evidence on cold cases from the 1960s and beyond. The bill also recognizes the potential for prosecutions at the state level, and seeks to facilitate collaboration between state and federal law enforcement. McCaskill, a strong supporter of efforts to investigate racially-motivated crimes, helped lead the legislation\u2019s original passage in 2008. The bill\u2019s provisions would have expired 2017 if it was not renewed, and she worked closely with civil rights-advocate Alvin Sykes of Kansas City to advance the renewal.\r\nIn another step toward strengthening accountability in government, McCaskill\u2019s Senate-approved legislation to extend whistleblower protections was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the President\u2019s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law. The bill would extend and make permanent current whistleblower protections to nearly all federal government grantees, subgrantees, contractors and subcontractors, as well as prohibit contractors from being reimbursed for legal fees accrued in their defense against retaliation claims by whistleblowers.\r\nAnd in another bipartisan achievement, this year\u2019s national defense bill includes a plan by McCaskill and Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa to further curb sexual assault in the military. McCaskill and Ernst\u2014both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee\u2014introduced the bipartisan Military Retaliation Prevention Act targeting stubbornly high rates of survivors who report that they have been retaliated against by their peers after coming forward. Those rates of experienced retaliation remain high, even as the number of assaults has dropped and reporting by victims has gone up, following a slate of historic reforms overhauling the military justice system.\r\nMcCaskill and Ernst\u2019s retaliation provision was part of sweeping legislation approved by Congress and on its way to the President\u2014shaped by McCaskill\u2014that also includes provisions to fund the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, mental health resources for the National Guard, and resources for construction at Fort Leonard Wood, among other defense priorities.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to read more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for stronger accountability in Washington.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398826", "Luetkemeyer, Missouri Delegation Secure HUD Housing Authority Grant for St. Louis", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Luetkemeyer, Missouri Delegation Secure HUD Housing Authority Grant for St. Louis \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 12, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        After the Missouri delegation worked with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro, it was announced that HUD awarded the city of St. Louis a grant for the Fiscal Year 2016 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation program. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      After the Missouri delegation worked with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro, it was announced that HUD awarded the city of St. Louis a grant for the Fiscal Year 2016 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation program. \r\n\u201cToday, I am proud to announce that housing opportunities will expand and increase for Missourians in the St. Louis region,\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cWith this grant and with other investments coming into the city, there will be more opportunities for better housing and jobs for families and individuals. I want to thank Secretary Castro for discussing this project with me and for his work to secure the grant for betterment of all Missourians. I look forward to the progress that will be made.\u201d\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=F8CED78D-498C-4561-9391-E91C818D9A16", "Blunt Announces Major Grant Award to Spur Revitalization in St. Louis", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that St. Louis has been selected to receive a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to spur revitalization in the Near North Side community. Blunt played a key role in advocating for the grant, which will be used to expand housing and commercial development, increase access to loans for small businesses and homeowners, and improve education and employment opportunities.\u201cThis grant will go a long way toward driving economic growth and development in a region vital to the future of St. Louis and the state,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cThis critical investment, coupled with the construction of the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters, will transform the North St. Louis area, improving the quality of life and expanding opportunities for thousands of families. I look forward to working with Mayor Slay, elected officials, and community partners to move forward on the projects backed by this grant.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/following-mccaskill-advocacy-nearly-30-million-infusion_announced-for-north-st-louis-city-revitalization-efforts", "Following McCaskill Advocacy, Nearly $30 Million Infusion  Announced for North St. Louis City Revitalization Efforts", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following McCaskill Advocacy, Nearly $30 Million Infusion  Announced for North St. Louis City Revitalization Efforts \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator wrote and spoke directly to U.S. Housing Secretary in weeks leading up to decision to award  $29.5 million in grant funding for City of St. Louis through Choice Neighborhoods program \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 12, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tST. LOUIS \u2013 Following sustained support and advocacy from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, today she joined the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and local leaders to announce the award of $29.5 million in grant funding for the City of St. Louis through the Choice Neighborhoods program. The city\u2019s selection by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will fund revitalization efforts in North St. Louis.\r\nClick HERE for an image from today\u2019s event.\r\n\u201cThis is great news for St. Louis\u2014this funding will be a huge economic boon to the community and will go a long way to help revitalize the enormous potential in some of our struggling neighborhoods, \u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to join with the many folks on the ground who have worked so hard building a strong coalition on behalf of our city.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has been a strong advocate for the city\u2019s application. In the final weeks of deliberation, McCaskill spoke with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro to reiterate her strong support. Earlier this fall after being named a finalist, McCaskill sent a letter to Secretary Castro on behalf of St. Louis\u2019 application where she stated, \u201cThe Choice Neighborhood grant would direct resources to poverty stricken residential areas [near the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency site] and ensure that the redevelopment and economic growth can extend to and benefit these longtime St. Louis residents.\u201d\r\nIn September, with strong support from McCaskill, St. Louis was named a finalist for the prestigious Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The application put forth by the City was selected as one of the top five out of 34 cities for its development of a viable, feasible plan for the transformation of the Near North Side neighborhood and focused on health, education, public safety, social services, job training, entrepreneurship, housing, and neighborhood enhancements.\r\nMcCaskill has been a leading advocate for continued revitalization efforts for the City of St. Louis and surrounding regions. Working closely with the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, McCaskill supported the designation of St. Louis as a Promise Zone \u2014a partnership between the federal government and the community to boost economic development, reduce crime, leverage private investment, and improve educational opportunities. Additionally, she helped secure a $5 million grant to create approximately 3,000 jobs for St. Louis youth.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to expand Missouri jobs.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/mccaskill-i-wont-support-this-bill-that-leaves-retired-miners-and-their-widows-out-in-the-cold", "McCaskill: ‘I won't support this bill that  leaves retired miners and their widows out in the cold’", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As 16,300 retired American coal miners and their families face a loss of healthcare and pensions promised to them, Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate have refused to act on a bipartisan plan to address the crisis. Now time has run out, and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced she will vote against Congress\u2019 final legislation this year\u2014a government spending bill\u2014after Republican leaders refused to include the bipartisan Miners Protection Act in the legislation.\nMcCaskill cited a letter she received from Billy Hull, a retired coal miner with nearly 30 years working at the Peabody Coal Power Mine near Montrose, Missouri. Mr. Hull wrote to McCaskill earlier this year, saying in part: \u201cMy wife Earlene is a 2 time cancer survivor and I suffered a stroke in 2012. If we lose our benefits it will be hard for us to afford our medicine cost. Due to the bankruptcy of both Peabody Coal Co. and the Patriot Coal Company the Patriot VEBA fund will be exhausted in late 2016 leaving us without pension and healthcare benefits\u2026\u201d\n\u201cHere\u2019s the question Americans should always be asking every member of Congress: who are you fighting for?\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cBilly Hull is who I\u2019m fighting for. Passing a bipartisan fix for these miners would mean they won\u2019t have to spend the holidays terrified of losing their healthcare. Missouri\u2019s own Harry Truman\u2014whose Senate seat I hold today\u2014made a promise to these coal miners when he was President. I\u2019m fighting to keep his promise.\n\u201cI\u2019ve been hearing Republican leaders in the U.S. House complain that they\u2019ve already left Washington, D.C. to get home early for Christmas\u2014so the government funding bill they approved and sent to the Senate, though it only includes a 4-month extension for these miners\u2019 healthcare, will just have to be good enough,\u201d McCaskill added. \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know who these U.S. House Republicans are fighting for, but it\u2019s not working Americans like Billy Hull and the thousands like him whose blood, sweat, and tears powered our nation for generations, and yet don\u2019t have the peace of mind that those members of the U.S. House are blessed with.\u201d\nOn December 31, thousands of retired miners and their widows are scheduled to lose their health insurance. Congressional Republicans included a four-month extension of this insurance in the spending bill\u2014barely giving the miners another month of coverage before they would receive a 90-day notice of cancellation. McCaskill is pushing for certainty for these retirees and their families with the permanent health insurance solutions in the Miners Protection Act, so they aren\u2019t facing the loss of their insurance every few months.\nMcCaskill also highlighted President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s repeated statements of support for America\u2019s coal miners, and called on him to urge Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate to address the pending crisis. \nTwo years ago, McCaskill was the only member of the Missouri Congressional delegation to vote against a sprawling, $1 trillion end-of-year spending package. Tucked into that \u201comnibus\u201d spending bill was a provision allowing for deep cuts to retiree benefits for 32,000 Missourians participating in the Central States Pension Plan. McCaskill is a strong supporter and cosponsor of the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, which would repeal the law that allows for massive pension cuts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=82B62D7D-6C66-40C2-BB97-4ED2A99F2E21", "Blunt Touts Missouri Wins in Water Resources Bill", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today highlighted several Missouri priorities that were included in the Water Resources and Development Act, which passed the Senate and is now headed to the White House.\u201cMissouri is a transportation hub and our waterways play a critical role in moving goods around the country,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cMaintaining and improving our waterways and surrounding infrastructure are imperative for boosting economic growth and keeping families and businesses safe from flooding. This bill authorizes resources for the most critical and economically-beneficial projects, and holds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accountable to the Table Rock Lake community. I\u2019m glad to see several Missouri priorities reflected in the bill, and I urge the president to sign it without delay.\u201dFollowing Are the Blunt-Backed Missouri Priorities Included in the WRDA Bill: \r\n \r\nMissouri Projects \u2013 The bill authorizes critical Missouri projects backed by Blunt, including much-needed improvements for Kansas City Levees, the Turkey Creek Basin, the Swope Park Industrial Area, and the Blue River Basin. These flood control projects will protect families and businesses. \r\n \r\n \r\nTable Rock Lake \u2013 The bill extends the comment period and time frame for the planned Shoreline Management Plan revision at Table Rock Lake, and lifts the permit moratorium.\r\n \r\n \r\nCooperative Joint Management Act \u2013 The bill includes the Blunt-backed Corps of Engineers Cooperative Joint Management Restoration Act. This provision re-establishes the Corps of Engineers\u2019 practice of allowing cooperating partners managing Corps recreational facilities to keep the user fees collected and apply them to site maintenance and operations. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n \r\n \r\nSmall Ports \u2013 The bill makes permanent a set aside in funding to dredge small ports, first created in the 2014 WRDA bill.\r\n \r\n \r\nCoal Ash \u2013 The bill includes a bipartisan compromise, supported by Blunt, which will encourage the safe disposal of coal combustion residuals.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/ec-from-dc/the-golden-rule", "The Golden Rule", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The ancient Greek rhetorician, Isocrates, not to be confused with classical Greek philosopher, Socrates, taught his students the following: \u201cDo not do to others that which angers you when they do it to you.\u201d Confucius, the influential Chinese philosopher, is credited with having said, \u201cWhat you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.\u201d Epictetus, from the School of Stoicism said, \u201cDo unto others whatever you would like them to do to you.\u201d There are similar precepts found in The Book of Certitude of the Baha\u2019i faith, The Talmud, The Koran, and The Mahabharata. Scholars and theologians have labeled these words of virtue, the Golden Rule, or ethic of reciprocity. No matter which oracle or sage first uttered these words, this powerful moral directive is exactly what the next president and congress must embrace for the sake of this country. In fact, Ronald Reagan, our 40th president, said \u201cWe might come closer to balancing the budget if all of us (congress and the president) lived closer to The Commandments and the Golden Rule.\u201d He was right. Promulgating and practicing the Golden Rule means that we are, with great intentionality, regulating our public conduct that we may not do or say anything that we wouldn\u2019t want done or said against us.\n\t\t\t\tIn considering this magnificent ideal, I have concluded that I may not have control over the economy or interest rates or gasoline prices but I have absolute control over me. Therefore, I will regulate my congressional conduct, in compliance with the Golden Rule. I will not attend any meeting in any hotel or elsewhere to plot the failure of the President-elect. I will not join others in congress to purposely cause legislative gridlock because I would not want it done to a democrat in the White House. If the president succeeds, I succeed for I am a citizen of this country. I have children and grandchildren that matter deeply to me. Therefore, it would be an act of political self-mutilation to want any president to fail. If the President-elect fails, it will negatively impact my children and my children\u2019s children.\n\t\t\t\tIn disagreement with some democratic activists, with whom I share much in common, I will not seek to delegitimize the next first lady by questioning her immigration status. There is nothing, absolutely nothing or no one that can compel me to rudely disrupt the President\u2019s State of the Union address. As a person who has delivered several thousand sermons and speeches, I am always prepared for unmannerly and uncivil interruptions, but it would certainly have an unpleasant taste. The whole world is watching the United States so we should watch what we say and what we do. As the world\u2019s most expansive democracy, we have a responsibility to kindle a bright light for would-be and fledgling self-rule governments to mirror.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tNo matter how tempting, I will not refer to the Republican Party as the Repub party. In addition to the fact that the Repub Party like the Democrat Party is grammatically incorrect, the founders of the Republican Party named itself such. Why would I call an individual political party or an organization anything different from what they prefer? If Ferdinand L. Alcindor prefers to be called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, why would I call him Kar or any other name? Why would I use a political party\u2019s name as an epithet other than for the purpose of being childishly negative or hostile? I would never want that done to me, therefore, I will not do it to others.\n\t\t\t\tThe most significant building block necessary to develop a federal government that actually inspires peace and tolerance across our bifurcated country is the practice of the Golden Rule. The wrong-headed D.C. belief that whomever holds the gold makes the rule has not proved workable and is dangerously divisive, even in the world\u2019s greatest democracy. The main guidepost to our estranged political parties should be the Golden Rule. In fact, the Golden Rule is the Mount McKinley (highest point in the U.S.) of our remarkable republic.\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\tWarmly,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmanuel Cleaver, II\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/weekly-capitol-report/a-shovel-to-clean-it-up", "A Shovel to Clean it Up", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In his own words, President Obama stated \u201cWe can\u2019t wait for Congress to do its job, so where they won\u2019t act, I will\u201d and over past 8 years, that\u2019s exactly what he has done at the expense of the American people. With Obama\u2019s self-proclaimed unconstitutional approach to going around Congress to push his own liberal agenda, it is no surprise that the last 8 years have been bad for rural America and the families who make their living off the land. President Obama has issued hundreds of \u00a0new major regulations since taking office, each with an estimated cost to the American economy of $100 million or more. With out of-control agencies like the EPA and IRS, rural America has been impacted tremendously by the expansion of intrusive job-killing regulations under the Obama Administration.\nHowever, it is not enough to point to how much the Obama Administration has hurt rural America, the battle has been to stop his efforts and proactively fight for the people of southeast and south central Missouri. This year alone, I am proud to have led the charge on real initiatives that focus on reining in big government and providing relief for rural America and especially the farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and families that make up our community. My SCRUB Act was designed to remove outdated regulations and take an axe to the more than 175,000 pages of federal regulations on the books that are suffocating growth in this country. Also, after it was uncovered the IRS was spending over $500 million in collected user fees each year as a slush fund to implement Obamacare mandates instead of improving their service to taxpayers, I led the charge on the IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending (OWES) Act to return those funds to taxpayers and was pleased my House colleagues approved the legislation in April. In July, two of my amendments aimed at reining in the Department of Interior and the out-of-control Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were adopted to prevent millions of taxpayer dollars from funding liberal propaganda supporting new EPA regulations and funding of radical environmental groups. I also have led the charge to make sure that not one penny is allocated to implement the disastrous Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.\nPresident-elect Trump\u2019s commitment and passion to tear up so many of the regulations we have seen in the last 8 years is absolutely the right approach and because of the leadership I have taken to eliminate bureaucracy and red-tape I have been asked to work with the Trump Administration on this effort. I am compiling a list of agency rules and regulations that must be repealed so that true reform in Washington can be achieved and so that the farmers and families in our region can do what they do best - provide for themselves, the nation and the world. This list includes disastrous threats harming rural America like the WOTUS Rule, efforts to shut down the coal industry, restrictions on family farm and estate transfers, the Veterinary Feed Directive Rule which adds unnecessary burdens when trying to get feed for ones animals, and executive orders which have encouraged an influx in illegal and unchecked immigration.\nWe also have additional hope with the selection of Oklahoma Attorney General Pruitt this week by President-elect Trump to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His selection would be a win for rural America and a promising sign that relief from burdensome regulations created by the Obama Administration is coming in the near future. Pruitt shares my belief that the states should have more control, not the federal government. He will drastically shrink the imprint and size of the EPA and has been a leading legal opponent to the Obama Administrations war on coal and assault on farmers\u2019 and ranchers water usage. He has argued against the Liberal agenda in local courts, state courts and the United States Supreme Court. I believe General Pruitt\u2019s expertise will prove vitally important for advancing an aggressive agenda during the first 100 days of President-elect Trump\u2019s administration.\nWith people in leadership like Attorney General Pruitt who are committed to fighting for rural America and for states\u2019 rights and against an intrusive bureaucracy led by the Obama Administration over the past 8 years, I am confident that the roots in rural America are going to be in a better position to take hold and grow. We have some digging out to do, but I along with the new Trump administration and Attorney General Pruitt are ready to bring the shovels and get to work.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398825", "Blaine's Bulletin: Upholding Article I of the Constitution", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Article I of the United States Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the federal government and bestows federal legislative power exclusively to Congress. Unfortunately, we have had to remind the outgoing Administration more than once that Congress, not the President, writes the laws and his job is to faithfully executive them as they are written. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Article I of the United States Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the federal government and bestows federal legislative power exclusively to Congress. Unfortunately, we have had to remind the outgoing Administration more than once that Congress, not the President, writes the laws and his job is to faithfully executive them as they are written. \r\nOver the last several years, the executive overreach from the Obama Administration has hurt our country time and time again. The House has been diligent in finding ways to hold the executive branch more accountable and restore the balance of power among the three branches of government. You may recall this spring, when President Obama issued his executive amnesty order that was contrary to\u00a0 Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution. In response, House Speaker Paul Ryan introduced, and the House ultimately passed, a resolution to authorize the House to go to court to fight for its Constitutional powers under Article I.\r\nIn addition, another bill the House has previously passed and will, hopefully, be enacted into law with the incoming administration is the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. This legislation requires each chamber of Congress to approve regulations that are estimated to have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. This would ensure Congress is accountable for decisions to impose major new regulations \u2013 not the executive branch.\r\nJust this week, the House once again showed its commitment to reaffirming Article I of the Constitution with passage of my bill, the Transparent Insurance Standards Act. This bill helps protect the best interests of U.S. insurance customers and is also another step in restoring the powers in Article I. It does so by stating that Congress has the ultimate say in terms of what standards are approved by the United States. This legislation ensures that Congress has a stronger voice when it comes to the monitoring of agreements impacting U.S. policyholders and insurance markets. With passage of this bill, it sets the stage for the House to get back to work on this issue in the 115th Congress.\r\nAs Congress continues its work in January, House Republicans will get to work in implementing its Better Way agenda. Remember this comprehensive initiative is full of ideas to address challenges that face our nation and there is an entire section devoted to the importance of the government upholding the Constitution. Please know that I agree with you, we must restore checks and balances and the separation of powers that our founders put so much work and effort into achieving.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-on-spending-bill-just-like-i-couldnt-support-a_bill-that-gutted-workers-pensions-i-wont-support-this-bill-that--leaves-retired-miners-and-their-widows-out-in-the-cold-", "McCaskill on Spending Bill: ‘Just like I couldn’t support a  bill that gutted workers’ pensions, I won’t support this bill that  leaves retired miners and their widows out in the cold’", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill on Spending Bill: \u2018Just like I couldn\u2019t support a  bill that gutted workers\u2019 pensions, I won\u2019t support this bill that  leaves retired miners and their widows out in the cold\u2019  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t With thousands of miners and families facing loss of healthcare and pensions, McCaskill  announces opposition to government spending bill after Republican leaders  in the U.S. House and Senate refuse to act on the bipartisan Miners Protection Act \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 As 16,300 retired American coal miners and their families face a loss of healthcare and pensions promised to them, Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate have refused to act on a bipartisan plan to address the crisis. Now time has run out, and U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today announced she will vote against Congress\u2019 final legislation this year\u2014a government spending bill\u2014after Republican leaders refused to include the bipartisan Miners Protection Act in the legislation.\r\nMcCaskill cited a letter she received from Billy Hull, a retired coal miner with nearly 30 years working at the Peabody Coal Power Mine near Montrose, Missouri. Mr. Hull wrote to McCaskill earlier this year, saying in part: \u201cMy wife Earlene is a 2 time cancer survivor and I suffered a stroke in 2012. If we lose our benefits it will be hard for us to afford our medicine cost. Due to the bankruptcy of both Peabody Coal Co. and the Patriot Coal Company the Patriot VEBA fund will be exhausted in late 2016 leaving us without pension and healthcare benefits\u2026\u201d\r\n\u201cHere\u2019s the question Americans should always be asking every member of Congress: who are you fighting for?\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cBilly Hull is who I\u2019m fighting for. Passing a bipartisan fix for these miners would mean they won\u2019t have to spend the holidays terrified of losing their healthcare. Missouri\u2019s own Harry Truman\u2014whose Senate seat I hold today\u2014made a promise to these coal miners when he was President. I\u2019m fighting to keep his promise.\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve been hearing Republican leaders in the U.S. House complain that they\u2019ve already left Washington, D.C. to get home early for Christmas\u2014so the government funding bill they approved and sent to the Senate, though it only includes a 4-month extension for these miners\u2019 healthcare, will just have to be good enough,\u201d McCaskill added. \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know who these U.S. House Republicans are fighting for, but it\u2019s not working Americans like Billy Hull and the thousands like him whose blood, sweat, and tears powered our nation for generations, and yet don\u2019t have the peace of mind that those members of the U.S. House are blessed with.\u201d\r\nOn December 31, thousands of retired miners and their widows are scheduled to lose their health insurance. Congressional Republicans included a four-month extension of this insurance in the spending bill\u2014barely giving the miners another month of coverage before they would receive a 90-day notice of cancellation. McCaskill is pushing for certainty for these retirees and their families with the permanent health insurance solutions in the Miners Protection Act, so they aren\u2019t facing the loss of their insurance every few months.\r\nMcCaskill also highlighted President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s repeated statements of support for America\u2019s coal miners, and called on him to urge Republican leaders in the U.S. House and Senate to address the pending crisis.\r\nTwo years ago, McCaskill was the only member of the Missouri Congressional delegation to vote against a sprawling, $1 trillion end-of-year spending package. Tucked into that \u201comnibus\u201d spending bill was a provision allowing for deep cuts to retiree benefits for 32,000 Missourians participating in the Central States Pension Plan. McCaskill is a strong supporter and cosponsor of the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, which would repeal the law that allows for massive pension cuts.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-joins-representatives-in-charge-to-protect-pensions", "Congressman Cleaver Joins Representatives in Charge to Protect Pensions", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2013 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II joined 40 other U.S. Representatives in a letter to House leaders regarding future pensions. The charge led by U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur, Rick Nolan and Cheri Bustos urged House Leadership to reject any proposal attacking the hard-earned pension benefits of retirees and workers added as a rider to any end-of-year legislation. Congressman Cleaver is pleased to announce that the effort was successful in keeping harmful provisions out of appropriations legislation.\n\u00a0\u201cWhen I spoke with and listened to hundreds of retirees earlier this year in a town hall meeting, who were in fear of facing dramatic cuts to their pensions, the only thing I could think of was how did this happen. I believe one of the problems involved last minute budget moves. We can\u2019t let that happen again,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \nThe lawmakers urged House Leadership to reject House Education and Workforce Chairman John Kline\u2019s draft composite pension proposal, because the proposal has not been fully debated in Congress. House leaders responded and the proposal failed.\nCongressman Cleaver has been working on behalf of retirees, and specifically those with the Central States Pension Fund, since 2015. Hundreds of retirees have written to his office regarding the future stability of the Fund. This February Congressman Cleaver held a town hall meeting in his district in Kansas City, Missouri and invited U.S. Department of Treasury\u2019s Special Executive to Compensation, Ken Feinberg to listen to the retirees\u2019 concerns. \u00a0He also sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting a formal investigation into the management of the Central States Pension Fund to determine if there was any fraudulent or mishandling of funds. At least 32,000 retirees would be affected in Missouri by any cuts to the Central States Pension Fund. \nThe full text of the letter is available below:\n\u00a0\nDecember 5, 2016\nThe Honorable Paul D. Ryan\n\tSpeaker\n\tU.S. House of Representatives\n\tWashington, DC 20515\nThe Honorable Kevin McCarthy\n\tMajority Leader\n\tU.S. House of Representatives\n\tWashington, DC 20515\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi\n\tMinority Leader\n\tU.S. House of Representatives\n\tWashington, DC 20515\nThe Honorable Steny Hoyer\n\tMinority Whip\n\tU.S. House of Representatives\n\tWashington, DC 20515\n\u00a0Dear Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy, Minority Leader Pelosi, and Minority Whip Hoyer,\n\u00a0We write to express grave concern over the possible inclusion of pension reform legislation to \u201cmodernize multiemployer pensions\u201d in any must-pass, end-of-year legislative vehicle, particularly a budgetary continuing resolution. Just two years ago, at the last minute and behind closed doors, a similar negotiation unfolded and resulted in the inclusion of the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act (MPRA) in the 2014 Cromnibus. We are deeply troubled to hear this may happen again with pension legislation that would have significant consequences to American workers and retirees. \nIn September 2016, House Education & Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline revealed a discussion draft and held one hearing on a \u201cDiscussion Draft to Modernize Multiemployer Pensions,\u201d which would change funding rules for pension plans to allow the creation of \u201ccomposite\u201d multiemployer plans. The composite plans would combine elements of defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. \nAlthough we commend Chairman Kline for his commitment and desire to address the looming challenges of retirement security in America, to include this proposal in must-pass legislation without a formal introduction, in addition to no Committee markup, floor debate, or independent floor vote, is unacceptable. On such critical life issues as retirement and financial security, we seek to be involved in the creation of the legislative proposal and engage in a transparent debate through regular process.\u00a0 \nWe are in full agreement that Congress must address the multiemployer retirement savings crisis and that tough choices will likely be required. However, we cannot blindly accept a proposal that has been through almost zero regular order and which permits employers and pension funds to transition to new plans that may put existing \u201clegacy\u201d plans that already face funding challenges at greater risk. \nAlthough Chairman Kline assures his proposal is good for employers, workers, retirees, and taxpayers, the current circumstances multiemployer pension funds in America face is a zero-sum situation and a result of circumstances beyond the control of workers and retirees. Again, as we saw with MPRA, retirees are asked to bear the brunt of this policy\u2019s proposals, with almost no input. Concerns[1] have already arisen that his new proposal provides inadequate funding for new composite plans and will weaken the funding base for existing plans. The proposal will not only put retirees\u2019 pensions at risk, but will reduce premium payments and add significant new liabilities to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation\u2019s already underfunded multiemployer insurance program.\nFollowing the unacceptable inclusion of MPRA in the 2014 Cromnibus deal, we continue to hear extensively from constituent retirees whose retirement security is at stake. These hardworking Americans deserve a fair, thorough and open legislative process where their interests are weighed and heard. Given the limited time since Chairman Kline unveiled his proposal and its subsequent limited review and process, we firmly assert that its inclusion in any must-pass legislation is intolerable.\nThank you for your consideration of our request. \n\u00a0For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.\u00a0A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressmen-cleaver-graves-announce-passage-of-a-water-infrastructure", "Congressmen Cleaver, Graves Announce Passage of a Water Infrastructure Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed\u00a0the 2016 Water Resources Development Act bill, S.612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. \u00a0This bill authorizes water resources development projects to be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and also authorizes funding to address the Flint water crisis. \nSeveral flood protection projects in the Kansas City area are included in the final House bill. \u00a0In a successful bi-partisan effort, Missouri Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-05) and Sam Graves (R- 06) advocated for the inclusion of these Kansas City projects in WRDA, which authorizes flood control and other water infrastructure projects conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers.\n\u201cI am pleased to see the passage of the 2016 WRDA bill, S.612. This bill contains several flood control projects that are imperative for Kansas City area. I\u2019m pleased that Congressman Graves and I were able to work together to advocate for these improvements that will help protect families and businesses against the devastation of floods,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\n\u201cProper maintenance of the Missouri River affects everyone and everything in the Kansas City area,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cOver the past year, Congressman Cleaver and I have worked to highlight the importance of levee systems that protect thousands of homes and millions of dollars in economic activity across our region. I am pleased to see those projects prioritized here, ensuring KC has the best possible defense against floods that could threaten lives and devastate local business.\u201d Congressman Graves continued.\n\u00a0The target areas in Kansas City that would receive significant improvements are;\n Turkey Creek Basin Flood Project \u2013 Increased authorization to $156.1 million for the final phases would widen the channel, relocate bridges, and include tunnel modifications to finish the project. Turkey Creek flows 15 miles through the Kansas City metro, and its frequent flooding poses serious risks to loss of life and residential and commercial areas. \n\tBlue River Basin Project in the Dodson Industrial District \u2013 Increased authorization to $48.4 million for the final phase would complete this project and would include a 6,800 foot levee floodwall along the north bank of the Blue River, protecting over $380 million in property investment and the 1,500 people who work in the area. \n\tArmourdale and Central Industrial District Levees \u2013Authorization of $328.1 million to start construction of Phase II of the project. These levees\u00a0cover 60 miles along the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, providing critical flood project to the economic heart of Kansas City.\u00a0 The project protects over 5,000 structures totaling over $20 billion in investments, plus serving as home to 24,000 people. \n\tSwope Park Industrial Area \u2013 Increased authorization to $32.4 million to complete the project. \u00a0Swope Park Industrial Area is a 50-acre business park with multiple companies and over 400 employees. The site sits along the Blue River, and only one access road exists into the park. The project will provide flooding relief and create a permanent safe passage for workers in and out of the industrial area.\n For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.\u00a0\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.\u00a0A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=810", "House passes Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Today, the House of Representatives passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Congressman Billy Long (MO-07) and Senator Roy Blunt (MO) worked on language that was added to the WIIN Act that delays the Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 proposed Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management Plan for 2 years.  \u201cSenator Blunt and I have spent the last year talking with constituents and making sure that those around Table Rock Lake have their voices heard and get the best deal possible,\u201d said Rep. Long. \u201cFor two years residents of Table Rock Lake haven\u2019t been able to build or update their docks among other restrictions imposed by the Army Corps of Engineers Shoreline Management Plan. Our language addresses those concerns by ensuring that individuals will be given a substantial amount of time to adjust to the changes and offer recommendations.\u201d  The language added within the bill would halt the plan by 2 years, lift the moratorium on issuing permits for new and existing docks, extend the public comment period and create an oversight committee to review permits.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398824", "Luetkemeyer Statement on Passage of Comprehensive Water Resources Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Luetkemeyer Statement on Passage of Comprehensive Water Resources Bill \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 8, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act:\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act: \r\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s water infrastructure is vital to the 3rd District which is home to more than 150 miles of the Missouri River and nearly 100 miles of the Mississippi River.\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cThe reforms in this bill will ensure that these important resources continue to be drivers of our district\u2019s economy. I am also pleased that we were able to include an authorization to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat flooding on the Upper Mississippi River. We can\u2019t afford to stand by without a plan as our region continues to experience devastating floods. Developing a comprehensive plan that protects all communities will help save lives and prevent billions of dollars in damages.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-applauds-passage-of-continuing-resolution", "Wagner Applauds Passage of Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Ann Wagner", "W000812", "wagner.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\nContact:\u00a0(202) 225-1621\n\u00a0\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution:\n\u201cWorking with President-elect Trump, the House today passed a Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution, which will fund our national defense, disaster relief, and the 21st Century Cures Act, among other critical investments, through April. I am looking forward to working with a Republican-led Senate and Trump Administration next year to ensure our conservative spending priorities are enacted through the remainder of the fiscal year, while removing government intrusion and providing American families with better opportunities for success.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=7E852735-FBD9-4FD1-82DA-DCEFE5F16A5A", "Senate Passes Blunt-Backed Missouri & National Military Priorities in Defense Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today commended Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes funding and provides authorities our military needs to defend the nation. This is the 55th consecutive year Congress has passed the NDAA, and the bill is now on its way to the president\u2019s desk.\u201cWhen we send our troops into harm\u2019s way, it is our job to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to carry out their missions,\" Blunt said. \"This bill honors that commitment, and includes several defense priorities that are critical for Missouri military installations and personnel, including the largest military pay raise in six years. It also prevents the president from moving terrorist detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil, which the vast majority of Americans opposes. The strong, bipartisan support this bill has received year after year is a testament to its importance for our nation\u2019s security, and I urge the president to sign it without delay.\u201dHere\u2019s More on the Key Blunt-Backed Missouri and National Defense Priorities Included in the Bill:\r\n \r\nTroop Pay Raise \u2013 The bill provides for a well-deserved 2.1 percent pay increase for military personnel. This is the largest pay increase in six years.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nNational Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West Headquarters \u2013 The bill authorizes funding for land acquisition and planning and design for the new NGA West facility in North St. Louis. Blunt successfully secured funding for the project in this year\u2019s Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which was signed into law in September.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nFt. Leonard Wood Fire Station \u2013 The bill authorizes funding for a new fire station at Ft. Leonard Wood. Blunt also secured funding for the project in this year\u2019s MilCon/VA bill.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nEnd Strength Increase \u2013 The bill increases end strength levels to help address readiness issues and stabilize the problems that are making it difficult for our troops to accomplish their mission. Blunt has also backed the POSTURE Act, which would reverse ongoing and future reductions to end strength levels in the Active U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Army National Guard, Active Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sam-graves-congratulates-hurst-on-reelection-as-mo-farm-bureau", "Sam Graves Congratulates Hurst on Reelection as MO Farm Bureau President4", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement congratulating Atchison County native Blake Hurst on his reelection as President of the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation. Hurst was selected by Farm Bureau delegates on Tuesday to serve his fourth two-year term leading the organization.\n\u201cI\u2019ve known Blake my whole life, and I mean it sincerely when I say there is no one better for this position,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cHe has done an excellent job the past six years working on behalf of Missouri farmers and our entire ag community, and I know that he has a lot more to accomplish in the job. I congratulate Blake on this excellent honor and wish him continued success over the next two years.\u201d\n\u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/sam-graves-touts-passage-of-water-resources-bill-highlights-improvements", "Sam Graves Touts Passage of Water Resources Bill, Highlights Improvements to Missouri's River Infrastructure", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves today celebrated the House passing the Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. The bill strengthens flood protection programs across Missouri and prioritizes improvements to inland waterway systems. S.612 passed today by a vote of 360-61, and is expected to be signed into law by the President before the end of 2016.\n\u201cNorthern Missouri has the unique advantage of being surrounded by the two longest rivers in the United States,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cIt gives us some of the most fertile agricultural land in the country, and an opportunity for local farmers, manufacturers and small businesses to ship their goods across the world. But it also means our safety and economic wellbeing depend on effective river management.\n\"I am thrilled that this bill includes authorizations for critical flood protection programs across north Missouri, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law in the coming weeks.\u201d\nGraves is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over this bill, and is the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.\n\u201cWith the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers surrounding his district, no one has fought harder for this country\u2019s water infrastructure than Sam Graves,\u201d Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster said. \u201cHe\u2019s worked to ensure life-saving flood protection for Missouri communities, and he's pushed to improve the maintenance of inland waterways that are critical to farmers and manufacturers across the Midwest. Chairman Graves has earned the reputation as a national leader on river issues, and I thank him for everything he did to help pass this important bill.\u201d\nGraves\u2019 district is bordered by approximately 284 miles of the Missouri River on its western and southern boundaries, and more than 100 miles of the Upper Mississippi River on its eastern edge. In addition to providing the resources needed to protect against flooding, this bill invests in port and inland harbor infrastructure that allows Missouri farmers, manufacturers and small businesses to transport goods around the globe.  \n\t\u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/sam-graves-congratulates-hurst-reelection-mo-farm-bureau-president4", "Sam Graves Congratulates Hurst on Reelection as MO Farm Bureau President4", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", "graves", "https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement congratulating Atchison County native Blake Hurst on his reelection as President of the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation. Hurst was selected by Farm Bureau delegates on Tuesday to serve his fourth two-year term leading the organization.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve known Blake my whole life, and I mean it sincerely when I say there is no one better for this position,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cHe has done an excellent job the past six years working on behalf of Missouri farmers and our entire ag community, and I know that he has a lot more to accomplish in the job. I congratulate Blake on this excellent honor and wish him continued success over the next two years.\u201d\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/sam-graves-touts-passage-water-resources-bill-highlights-improvements", "Sam Graves Touts Passage of Water Resources Bill, Highlights Improvements to Missouri's River Infrastructure", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", "graves", "https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves today celebrated the House passing the Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. The bill strengthens flood protection programs across Missouri and prioritizes improvements to inland waterway systems. S.612 passed today by a vote of 360-61, and is expected to be signed into law by the President before the end of 2016.\n\n\u201cNorthern Missouri has the unique advantage of being surrounded by the two longest rivers in the United States,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cIt gives us some of the most fertile agricultural land in the country, and an opportunity for local farmers, manufacturers and small businesses to ship their goods across the world. But it also means our safety and economic wellbeing depend on effective river management.\n\n\"I am thrilled that this bill includes authorizations for critical flood protection programs across north Missouri, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law in the coming weeks.\u201d\n\nGraves is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over this bill, and is the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.\n\n\u201cWith the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers surrounding his district, no one has fought harder for this country\u2019s water infrastructure than Sam Graves,\u201d Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster said. \u201cHe\u2019s worked to ensure life-saving flood protection for Missouri communities, and he's pushed to improve the maintenance of inland waterways that are critical to farmers and manufacturers across the Midwest. Chairman Graves has earned the reputation as a national leader on river issues, and I thank him for everything he did to help pass this important bill.\u201d\n\nGraves\u2019 district is bordered by approximately 284 miles of the Missouri River on its western and southern boundaries, and more than 100 miles of the Upper Mississippi River on its eastern edge. In addition to providing the resources needed to protect against flooding, this bill invests in port and inland harbor infrastructure that allows Missouri farmers, manufacturers and small businesses to transport goods around the globe.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/hartzler-statement-water-resources-bill", "Hartzler statement on Water Resources Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) released the following statement after the House passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, a bill to address the needs of America\u2019s water infrastructure and flood protection resources:\n\t\t\t\t\u201cAmericans rely on the stable operation of critical waterways to transport the products they use every day. For example, the Missouri River, which runs through my district, is vital for Missouri farmers to ship their products around the world and receive imports such as fertilizer from abroad. This bill provides the resources our water infrastructure needs to make sure our nation can compete globally and succeed economically.\n\t\t\t\tAdditionally, this bill authorizes key missions of the Army Corps of Engineers, which routinely handles important flood protection projects, including four major projects in Missouri that will protect businesses and provide certainty needed to bring new jobs to the area. After the floods in Louisiana and Iowa, it is more important than ever to make sure we are using the Army Corps to protect Americans from natural disaster. I am pleased the House passed this vital jobs and infrastructure bill.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tFor a summary of the WIIN Act, click here.\n\t\t\t\tCongresswoman Hartzler represents Missouri\u2019s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves on the House Agriculture, Armed Services, and Budget Committees.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=64", "House passes Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-applauds-passage-continuing-resolution", "Wagner Applauds Passage of Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Ann Wagner", "W000812", "wagner.house.gov", "wagner", "https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "For Immediate Release\n\nContact: (202) 225-1621\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution:\n\n\u201cWorking with President-elect Trump, the House today passed a Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution, which will fund our national defense, disaster relief, and the 21st Century Cures Act, among other critical investments, through April. I am looking forward to working with a Republican-led Senate and Trump Administration next year to ensure our conservative spending priorities are enacted through the remainder of the fiscal year, while removing government intrusion and providing American families with better opportunities for success.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-shaped-defense-bill-set-to-become-law-includes-key-missouri-priorities", "McCaskill-shaped Defense Bill Set to Become Law, Includes Key Missouri Priorities", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-shaped Defense Bill Set to Become Law, Includes Key Missouri Priorities \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Funding for National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Fort Leonard Wood construction, and plans for retaliation-prevention and mental health treatment for National Guard, included in annual defense bill \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Sweeping legislation approved by Congress and on its way to the President\u2014and shaped by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill\u2014includes provisions to fund the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, mental health resources for the National Guard, McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan retaliation-prevention plan, and resources for construction at Fort Leonard Wood, among other defense priorities.\r\nThe annual National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the nation\u2019s defense funding and priorities, was approved today by the U.S. Senate and now heads to the President\u2019s desk, where it is expected to become law.\r\n\u201cOne of the most important parts of my job is ensuring we\u2019re keeping this country strong and retaining Missouri\u2019s leadership in our national defense\u2014and this sweeping legislation helps achieve both goals,\u201d said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a clear blueprint for our national security needs that will help boost Missouri\u2019s already critical role in our nation\u2019s defense and help enhance America\u2019s capabilities at home and abroad.\u201d\r\nThe annual defense bill included several of McCaskill\u2019s priorities, such as:\r\n \r\nFunding for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, which McCaskill successfully advocated at the highest levels of government to remain in St. Louis.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Military Retaliation Prevention Act\u2014McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan legislation with Republican Senator Joni Ernst to target the stubbornly high rates of survivors who report that they have been retaliated against by their peers after coming forward to report a sexual assault.\r\n \r\n \r\nA $9.5 million increase to fund mental health providers for members of the Army National Guard\u2014a provision endorsed by the National Guard Association of the United States.\r\n \r\n \r\n$6.9 million for a firehouse at Fort Leonard Wood.\r\n \r\n \r\nA mandatory review of the behavioral health and suicide prevention programs of the military services.\r\n \r\n \r\nPre-separation counseling that includes information on alcohol, prescription drug, opioid, and other substance abuse issues.\r\n \r\n \r\nUrging funding for the European Reassurance Initiative be in the base defense budget, rather than included in a budget gimmick in military spending bills meant to avoid federal spending caps set by Congress.\r\n \r\n \r\nEstablishing a permanent prohibition on infrastructure projects in Afghanistan that can\u2019t be accessed by oversight personnel.\r\n \r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/defense to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to protect our national security.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/jason-smiths-bill-eliminating-federal-coverage-barriers-for-kidney", "Jason Smith's Bill Eliminating Federal Coverage Barriers for Kidney Failure Patients Advances to President's Desk", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Today, the United States Senate passed U.S. Rep. Jason Smith\u2019s (MO-08) bill to remove a federal restriction that prevents patients with kidney failure from accessing the high-quality, affordable health care coverage options they direly need, sending it to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Smith\u2019s bill H.R. 5659, the Expanding Seniors Receiving Dialysis (ESRD) Choice Act of 2016, was included in the larger health package, H.R. 34 the 21st Century Cures Act, that promotes innovation and advancements in technology, eliminates regulations that stifle competition, provides resources to combat the growing opioid epidemic, and ensures critical support for those struggling with mental health.\n\u201cThis legislation came about after meeting and hearing from families in southeast and south central Missouri. For too long, some of the sickest Americans have been denied access to the quality health care that they desperately need. Patients suffering from kidney failure need better options when choosing the best health care services during their road to recovery and shouldn\u2019t face restrictions from the federal government.\u00a0 I am excited to see my legislation make it to the President's desk and am eager to see how this medical innovation package ushers in new ways to treat patients around the country, especially patients suffering from kidney failure\u201d Smith stated upon passage in the Senate.\nThe 21st Century Cures Act, is included in the package to improve the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration. Smith\u2019s bill H.R. 5659, the ESRD Choice Act of 2016, removes the federal restriction so patients with kidney failure can enroll in Medicare Advantage\u2014providing patients with more affordable, effective, and integrated health care. Smith introduced the ESRD Choice Act in July where it was then advanced by the Ways and Means Committee and then passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 423-0 in September. The 21st Century Cures Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week by a vote of 392-26 and today passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 94-5.\u00a0 Summaries for the 21st Century Cures Act and Smith\u2019s ESRD Choice Act can be found here and here.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398823", "House Passes Luetkemeyer Legislation to Protect Americas Insurance Markets", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after his legislation, the Transparent Insurance Standards Act, passed the House of Representatives. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after his legislation, the Transparent Insurance Standards Act, passed the House of Representatives. \r\n\u201cThe Transparent Insurance Standards Act is a bill that would increase transparency, protect U.S. policyholders, and uphold Article I of the Constitution by stating that Congress will have the ultimate say in terms of what standards are approved by the United States,\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cMy bill maintains that international discussions should represent the state-based regulatory system and that United States should be in the position of exporting our standards, not importing them from Europe. On matters of importance to consumers, America will lead and not be led. I am pleased with today\u2019s strong vote and look forward to continuing the work on this issue in the new Congress.\u201d\r\nH.R. 5143 reinforces that any international insurance standard agreed to at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) would not be self-executing and could not be applied in the United States until implemented through the existing domestic process, and provides Congress the opportunity to reject any agreement. It also requires the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve to work to ensure policyholder protection, increased transparency, and recognition of the state-based model of insurance regulation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=B1C9DDB3-BF31-4A42-B15E-EDDAC4B7B1ED", "Blunt Votes to Speed Progress Toward Life-Saving Cures", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies, today commended Senate passage of the 21st Century Cures Act. The measure, which passed the House last week and is now headed to the president\u2019s desk, continues Blunt-led efforts to boost medical research, advance the Precision Medicine Initiative, improve access to mental and behavioral health services, and address the opioid epidemic.\u201cWhen everyone in your family is well, you have lots of problems; when someone is sick, you only have one problem,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cToday, the Senate took a major step toward helping every family that has faced, or will face, an incurable disease by accelerating progress toward life-saving cures. As chairman of the Labor/HHS appropriations subcommittee, I\u2019ve been proud to lead efforts to increase resources for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. I\u2019m glad to see that priority reflected in this bill, but there is still more that needs to be done. That\u2019s why I will continue working through the appropriations process to establish a pattern of responsibly investing in groundbreaking research, especially in areas such as cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and the Precision Medicine and BRAIN Initiatives.\u201d In addition to investing in biomedical research, the 21st Century Cures Act streamlines red tape to dramatically reduce the time and costs associated with the approval process for new treatments and therapies, while ensuring they remain safe and effective. The bill facilitates increased research collaboration and gives NIH the ability to eliminate wasteful paperwork.\u00a0It focuses on finding treatments for rare pediatric diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs.\u00a0And, it improves the interoperability of electronic health records to ensure they are accessible by patients, hospitals, and doctors.Blunt continued, \u201cI\u2019m also proud that the 21st Century Cures Act addresses two other areas I have focused on as chairman: improving mental health and addressing the opioid epidemic. Nearly one in five Americans suffer from a behavioral or mental health issue. And, nearly two million Americans have an opioid use disorder related to prescription pain relievers. This bill will help more Americans get the help they need, and both of these issues will continue to be a priority for me in the year ahead.\u201dMore information on the 21st Century Cures Act is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=C4FACDEF-7E88-4854-AA15-13EE874BF552", "VIDEO: Blunt: Defense Bill Provides the Vision, Authorization Necessary to Move Forward & Defend America", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass the 55th consecutive National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the resources and authorities the military needs to keep America safe. The bill includes a 2.1 percent pay raise for our troops, and authorizes a fire station at Fort Leonard Wood, and land acquisition and planning and design funding for the NGA West facility in North St. Louis.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/videos?ContentRecord_id=E4966CBB-A1B4-49E8-9133-00F0F57DA25A", "VIDEO: Blunt: Defense Bill Provides the Vision, Authorization Necessary to Move Forward & Defend America", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass the 55th consecutive National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the resources and authorities the military needs to keep America safe. The bill includes a 2.1 percent pay raise for our troops, and authorizes a fire station at Fort Leonard Wood, and land acquisition and planning and design funding for the NGA West facility in North St. Louis.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/hartzler-no-presidential-pardon-bergdahl", "Hartzler: No Presidential pardon for  Bergdahl", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) released the following statement following reports of a clemency application submitted by Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to avoid trial on charges of desertion and endangering his fellow soldiers:\n\t\t\t\t\u201cSergeant Bowe Bergdahl\u2019s request for a presidential pardon is an appalling show of disrespect to our nation\u2019s military and justice system. I urge President Obama to deny this request and to respect the decision of an Army Commander to order Sgt. Bergdahl prosecuted in a general court-martial. It is in that setting I hope Sgt. Bergdahl\u2019s grave offenses are addressed, and military order along with due process is upheld.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tHartzler serves as Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and has released a report on \u201cThe Department of Defense\u2019s May 2014 Transfer to Qatar of five law-of-war detainees in connection with the recovery of a captive U.S. soldier.\u201d She represents Missouri\u2019s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news//news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=179", "Jason Smith's Bill Eliminating Federal Coverage Barriers for Kidney Failure Patients Advances to President's Desk", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/civility-message/listening-to-each-other", "Listening to Each Other", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friends,\nBelieve it or not, during my high school years, I was a squeaky tenor in the Harry T. Burleigh a cappella choir, named in honor of the African American composer, arranger, and baritone soloist. The director of the well synchronized choir was Mrs. Gwendolyn Jackson, an accomplished contralto in her own right. Mrs. Jackson use to tell us during rehearsals, \u201cBoys and girls, if you can\u2019t hear the voice of the singers around you, it means that you are too loud.\u201d\nThere are many things that contribute to the lack of functionality but few are easier to identify than the failure to hear other voices. During committee hearings and even during floor debate, it is noticeable that Members don\u2019t tend to listen for comprehension but rather for reciprocation. For those who are married or in a long time relationship, you know that you can\u2019t just listen to the spoken words of your partner. You must listen to their spirit to determine what they are really saying.\nShortly after I was first elected, I went to the floor to listen to a bill under debate. It was shocking for me, a former mayor, to hear people debating a bill as if they were arguing two separate pieces of legislation. Obviously, they thought they were engaging in a discussion of the same bill. Had they listened to each other they would have realized that they were not listening, they were simply waiting for their turn to talk. A man bragged that he had the finest hearing aid known to humankind. A friend asked what kind is it. He replied, \u201cOh, my watch says about 3:15.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\nWarmest Regards,\nEmanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/the-future-of-surface-transportation-highway-chairman-graves-leads", "The Future of Surface Transportation: Highway Chairman Graves Leads Debate on Autonomous Vehicle Technology", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves this morning led a roundtable focused on the policy implications of autonomous vehicle technology in America. Graves, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, welcomed guests from across the industry to take part in the discussion, including under Secretary for Policy at U.S. DOT Blair Anderson, and ATA President & CEO Chris Spear.\n\u201cThe possibilities for our nation\u2019s surface transportation system are endless over the next decade,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cAutonomous vehicle technology \u2013 and the opportunity it presents to make roads safer and highway travel more efficient \u2013 is a huge part of that. But policy makers and legislatures across the country must be ready to deal with the regulatory implications of these advancements.\u201d\nAmong\u00a0the specific topics addressed at the roundtable, entitled \u201cGetting Smart on Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges for Transportation Transformation,\u201d were NHTSA\u2019s recently-issued guidance document on autonomous vehicles and its impact on future rulemaking processes.\n\u201cToday\u2019s roundtable gave us a much needed forum to hear from both public and private sector entities on the progress made \u2013 and the impediments to additional growth \u2013 in this emerging industry. And given the disruptive nature of this technology, it\u2019s important to consider the diverse interests of all those involved in the process,\u201d Graves continued. \u201cIt is a worthwhile and necessary conversation, and it will not be the last one we have in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/future-surface-transportation-highway-chairman-graves-leads-debate-autonomous", "The Future of Surface Transportation: Highway Chairman Graves Leads Debate on Autonomous Vehicle Technology", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", "graves", "https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves this morning led a roundtable focused on the policy implications of autonomous vehicle technology in America. Graves, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, welcomed guests from across the industry to take part in the discussion, including under Secretary for Policy at U.S. DOT Blair Anderson, and ATA President & CEO Chris Spear.\n\n\u201cThe possibilities for our nation\u2019s surface transportation system are endless over the next decade,\u201d Rep. Graves said. \u201cAutonomous vehicle technology \u2013 and the opportunity it presents to make roads safer and highway travel more efficient \u2013 is a huge part of that. But policy makers and legislatures across the country must be ready to deal with the regulatory implications of these advancements.\u201d\n\nAmong the specific topics addressed at the roundtable, entitled \u201cGetting Smart on Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities and Challenges for Transportation Transformation,\u201d were NHTSA\u2019s recently-issued guidance document on autonomous vehicles and its impact on future rulemaking processes.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s roundtable gave us a much needed forum to hear from both public and private sector entities on the progress made \u2013 and the impediments to additional growth \u2013 in this emerging industry. And given the disruptive nature of this technology, it\u2019s important to consider the diverse interests of all those involved in the process,\u201d Graves continued. \u201cIt is a worthwhile and necessary conversation, and it will not be the last one we have in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-speaks-to-incoming-university-of-missouri-system-president", "McCaskill Speaks to Incoming University of Missouri System President", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Speaks to Incoming University of Missouri System President \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator welcomes President-designate Mun Choi to University of Missouri \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill spoke with incoming University of Missouri President Mun Choi during an introductory phone call, welcoming him to the University of Missouri system and discussing areas to work together on behalf of students.\r\n\u201cI was glad to have the opportunity to get to know Dr. Choi better,\u201d said McCaskill, a graduate of the University of Missouri. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to working together on our shared priorities to continue the University of Missouri\u2019s long tradition of excellence for its students, faculty, and staff.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate for Missouri students, recently working with the University of Missouri and the Obama Administration to ensure graduate teaching assistants were able to keep their health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, McCaskill introduced the Campus Accountability and Safety Act to combat sexual assault on college and university campuses by protecting and empowering students, strengthening accountability and transparency for institutions, and holding perpetrators accountable. The legislation is informed by feedback McCaskill heard when she\u00a0traveled\u00a0across Missouri, visiting 10 different campuses and speaking with representatives from nearly 50 colleges and universities, including the University of Missouri.\r\nDr. Choi currently serves as provost and executive vice president at the University of Connecticut. He will succeed Interim President Michael Middleton on March 1, 2017 as the 24th president of the University of Missouri System.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/education to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to educate young Missourians.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/pentagon-cover-up-mccaskill-vows-investigation-to-get-to-the-bottom_of-buried-study-detailing-125-billion-in-waste", "Pentagon Cover-Up: McCaskill Vows Investigation to ‘get to the bottom’  of Buried Study Detailing $125 Billion in Waste", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pentagon Cover-Up: McCaskill Vows Investigation to \u2018get to the bottom\u2019  of Buried Study Detailing $125 Billion in Waste \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Following Washington Post expos\u00e9, Senator\u2014soon to be top-ranking Democrat on Homeland  Security & Governmental Affairs panel\u2014demands full report and accompanying data  from Defense Department McCaskill: \u2018Pentagon played Congress and the American public for fools\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill\u2014soon to be the top-ranking Democrat on Congress\u2019s leading oversight panel\u2014is vowing an investigation after a Washington Post expos\u00e9 detailing how the Department of Defense buried an internal study that exposed $125 billion in administrative waste in its business operations amid fears Congress would use the findings as an excuse to slash the defense budget.\r\nAccording to the Washington Post: \u201cPentagon leaders had requested the study to help make their enormous back-office bureaucracy more efficient and reinvest any savings in combat power. But after the project documented far more wasteful spending than expected, senior defense officials moved swiftly to kill it by discrediting and suppressing the results.\u201d\r\n\u201cIf this is true, the Pentagon played Congress and the American public for fools,\u201d said McCaskill, who in January will become the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, and is also a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. \u201cIt would mean that while some in Congress were busy debating cuts to vital services, furloughing employees, and threatening working peoples\u2019 pensions, the Department of Defense literally knew it could save the American people billions and billions of dollars in bureaucratic waste, and instead, they buried it. I vow to get to the bottom of this.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s office contacted the Defense Department early Tuesday to demand a full copy of the buried study along with the background data.\r\nMcCaskill has consistently used her position as Senator to root out misconduct and abuse of power in federal agencies:\r\n \r\nShe waged a successful six-year battle to rein in wasteful wartime contracting practices in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ultimately passed into law the most expansive reforms to wartime contracting practices since World War II\r\nShe spearheaded investigations into poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and into management at Arlington National Cemetery following disclosures of mismarked gravesites\u2014both of which resulted in resignations of senior officials, and legislation\r\nShe investigated into the General Services Administration, after a Las Vegas conference that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, and secured the resignations of senior officials while introducing legislation to prevent such waste in the future\r\nAnd she led a probe that resulted in the resignation of an Assistant Secretary of Labor for circumventing rules and regulations to secure government contracts for friends and colleagues\r\n \r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to read more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for stronger accountability in Washington.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/voicing-support-for-29-million-for-north-st-louis-city-revitalization-efforts-mccaskill-appeals-directly-to-housing-and-urban-development-secretary-", "Voicing Support for $29 Million for North St. Louis City Revitalization Efforts, McCaskill Appeals Directly to Housing & Urban Development Secretary", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Voicing Support for $29 Million for North St. Louis City Revitalization Efforts, McCaskill Appeals Directly to Housing & Urban Development Secretary  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t City is finalist for up to $29.5 million in grant funding through Choice Neighborhoods program \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today voiced her strong support for the City of St. Louis in its application for up to $29.5 million in grant funding through the Choice Neighborhoods program, speaking with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro to urge consideration of the city\u2019s application for revitalization efforts in North St. Louis.\r\n\u201cAs our vibrant city continues to expand, these critical resources would go a long way to help revitalize the enormous potential in some of our struggling neighborhoods,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m confident that the strong partnerships on the ground in St. Louis would ensure these funds have a transformative impact on the Near North Side community, and I hope the Administration will support what we in St. Louis already know\u2014that this program would be an enormous economic boon to the neighborhood and the surrounding community.\u201d\r\nIn a letter McCaskill sent last month to Secretary Castro in support of St. Louis\u2019 application she stated, \u201cThe Choice Neighborhood grant would direct resources to poverty stricken residential areas [near the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency site] and ensure that the redevelopment and economic growth can extend to and benefit these longtime St. Louis residents.\u201d\r\nIn September, with strong support from McCaskill, St. Louis was named a finalist for the prestigious Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The application put forth by the City was selected as one of the top five out of 34 cities for its development of a viable, feasible plan for the transformation of the Near North Side and focused on health, education, public safety, social services, job training, entrepreneurship, housing, and neighborhood enhancements.\r\nMcCaskill has been a strong advocate for continued revitalization efforts for the City of St. Louis and surrounding regions. Working closely with the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, McCaskill supported the designation of St. Louis as a Promise Zone \u2014a partnership between the federal government and the community to boost economic development, reduce crime, leverage private investment, and improve educational opportunities. Additionally, she helped secure a $5 million grant to create approximately 3,000 jobs for St. Louis youth.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to expand Missouri jobs.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/editorials/congressman-smith-asks-trump-to-eliminate-14-federal-rules-regulations-in", "Congressman Smith asks Trump to eliminate 14 Federal rules, regulations in letter", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a letter on December 5th, Congressman Smith asks President-elect Trump to take steps to eliminate 14 federal rules and regulations that are harming people across southeast and south central Missouri and rural America. Read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletters/incurable-diseases-dont-have-to-stay-that-way", "Incurable Diseases Don't Have to Stay that Way", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "There are 10,000 known diseases in the world. Somehow, even today, treatment only exists for 500 of those. That is a staggering number, but the House of Representatives and the Senate have been working together to give our healthcare industries the tools to fix it.\nLast week, I helped pass the\u00a021st\u00a0Century\u00a0Cures Act, a bill that streamlines the review of life-saving drugs, provides funding to continue researching cures for rare and deadly diseases, and accelerates critical therapies for at-risk patients across the country.\nSpecifically, by increasing the speed at which cutting edge or experimental drugs are approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the\u00a021st Century\u00a0Cures\u00a0Act\u00a0breaks down the barriers that have prevented\u00a0millions of Americans from getting the drug and disease treatments their lives depend on.\nThis means the FDA maintains responsible safety procedures but can avoid so many of the obstacles they face before getting drugs to patients. The bill also seeks to improve the FAA's decision-making process by bringing in patients to share their experiences and help shape the agency's policies going forward.\nAll new funding in the\u00a021st Century Cures Act\u00a0will be fully offset with cuts to previously approved spending. Additionally, all programs will be reviewed annually in order to ensure taxpayers are getting the best and most efficient return possible on this investment.\nThousands of the diseases that are currently \u201cincurable\u201d don\u2019t have to stay that way. We have a unique opportunity to bring our healthcare system into the 21st\u00a0century, and spur cutting-edge medicines and treatments that can save lives. This bill will allow us to do just that.\nSincerely,  \u00a0  Sam Graves", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/breaking-us-house-approves-mccaskill-whistleblower-protection-bill-heads-to-presidents-desk-", "BREAKING: U.S. House Approves McCaskill Whistleblower Protection Bill, Heads to President’s Desk", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING: U.S. House Approves McCaskill Whistleblower Protection Bill, Heads to President\u2019s Desk  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator, longtime advocate for strengthening accountability in government, extending protections for those who raise the alarm on waste, has worked to protect whistleblowers at federal agencies & extend protections for contractors, grantees, subcontractors and subgrantees \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 In another step toward strengthening accountability in government, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill\u2019s Senate-approved legislation to extend whistleblower protections has been approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the President\u2019s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s bill would extend and make permanent current whistleblower protections to nearly all federal government grantees, subgrantees, contractors and subcontractors, as well as prohibit contractors from being reimbursed for legal fees accrued in their defense against retaliation claims by whistleblowers.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got an enormous contracting workforce in the federal government, and we\u2019ve got to make sure that all of our contractors have the same whistleblower protections as the government employees they work alongside\u2014because these folks are the ones raising the alarm on waste, fraud, and abuse of power,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor who was just named the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the top committee for oversight and accountability in government. \u201cNow that this legislation is finally headed to the President\u2019s desk, these whistleblowers get the long-overdue protections they deserve, enabling them to act as the eyes and ears of taxpayers across the federal government.\u201d\r\nCurrently, whistleblower protections apply only to contractors, grant recipients, subcontractors, but not to employees of subgrantees, even though the federal government distributes billions in grant funding each year, much of which gets passed through to other organizations. McCaskill\u2019s legislation also makes permanent existing civilian contractor and grantee whistleblower protections, which are currently set to expire next year. In 2015, McCaskill successfully included a provision in the annual defense bill extending whistleblower protections to all Department of Defense contractors, subcontractors, grantees and subgrantees.\r\nIn September, McCaskill introduced legislation to expand protections for whistleblowers after a recent government watchdog report, completed at McCaskill\u2019s request, detailed examples of retaliation and intimidation against whistleblowers by contractors at the Department of Energy\u2014which has the largest civilian contracting workforce in the federal government.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to read more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for stronger accountability in Washington.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-restore-buy-america-plan-to-use-us-workers-and-materials-in-us-construction-projects", "McCaskill: Restore ‘Buy America’ Plan to use U.S. Workers & Materials in U.S. Construction Projects", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill: Restore \u2018Buy America\u2019 Plan to use U.S. Workers & Materials in U.S. Construction Projects \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t In dispute between President-elect Trump and U.S. House Republican leadership, McCaskill  joins bipartisan push in Senate to restore a plan, stripped by U.S. House Republicans, to  require American-made steel and iron be used in infrastructure projects funded \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has joined a bipartisan push in the Senate to boost American jobs, demanding that \u2018Buy America\u2019 provisions requiring U.S. workers and materials be used in construction projects, be restored to a national water infrastructure bill, after they were removed by U.S. House Republicans.\r\nMcCaskill said that the U.S. House leadership\u2019s move to strip the provisions would send American tax dollars to foreign companies at the expense of U.S. iron and steel producers and workers across the country.\r\n\u201cWhen Americans\u2019 tax dollars are spent on critical infrastructure needs in America, the companies doing the work should hire American workers and buy American steel\u2014they shouldn\u2019t be spending those tax dollars on foreign resources,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cDoubling the economic boost from these projects seems like common sense to me\u2014and President-elect Trump has made clear he supports the idea, too. I can\u2019t for the life of me figure out why Republican leaders in the U.S. House refuse to get on board to buy and hire American.\u201d\r\nThe \u2018Buy America\u2019 provision was approved by the Senate with broad bipartisan support in the Water Resources Development Act, but struck during negotiations with U.S. House Republican leadership. This decision runs counter to President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s commitment last week in Cincinnati where he said about infrastructure spending, \u201cWe will have two simple rules when it comes to this massive rebuilding effort: Buy American and hire American.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has consistently advocated for American and Missourian manufacturing. Earlier this year, after urging from McCaskill on behalf of Missouri manufacturers Bull Moose Tube Company and EXLTUBE, the International Trade Commission voted 4-2 to level the playing field for Missouri and U.S. manufacturers by finalizing duties against foreign steel pipe and tubing producers found to be illegally dumping in the international market.\r\nLast year, McCaskill worked with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio to pass the Federal Permitting Improvement Act which streamlined and sped up the federal permitting process for the largest and most complex projects. Her work to pass this legislation was cited by Daniel Mehan, President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry as, \u201ca real breath of fresh air for infrastructure around the country.\u201d\r\nShe has also worked to eliminate a redundant pesticide approvals process for Missouri\u2019s farmers and ranchers, opposed the EPA\u2019s Waters of the U.S. rule saying it \u201cgoes too far,\u201d prevented burdensome regulations on St. Louis-based manufacturer Unico Systems, led a successful fight against unnecessary EPA regulations that would have negatively impacted Ste. Genevieve-based manufacturer Holcim, and won a victory for supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail locations by securing a one-year delay in new menu labeling requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.\r\nFull text of letter HERE.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s Work to Cut Red Tape and Support Jobs\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has consistently fought to curb unnecessary or unreasonable federal rules and regulations:\r\n\r\nPassed into law Federal Permitting Improvement Act, that streamlines and speeds up the federal permitting process for the largest and most complex projects, which were laden with an uncoordinated federal review process.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIntroduced bipartisan legislation for state and local governments struggling to meet federal ozone standards that would provide a \u201cpragmatic and reasonable\u201d option for regulators to meet the goals and avoid being saddled with a potentially economically damaging \u201cnonattainment\u201d status.\r\n\r\n\r\nIntroduced bipartisan legislation for state and local governments struggling to meet federal ozone standards that would provide a \u201cpragmatic and reasonable\u201d option to those localities\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWon a victory for supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail locations by securing a one-year delay in new menu labeling requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLed a successful fight against unnecessary EPA regulations that would have negatively impacted Ste. Genevieve-based manufacturer Holcim\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to expand Missouri jobs.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/ec-from-dc/a-huge-impact", "A Huge Impact", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A development this week in Washington D.C. could have a huge impact on many families in my district and around the country. Earlier this week, the House considered H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill includes three parts; bipartisan 21st Century Cures provisions, bipartisan Mental Health Reform, and various bipartisan Medicare-related provisions. The 21st Century Cures bill dedicates $6.3 billion over 10 years for medical research, opioid prevention and FDA innovation.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Cancer Moonshot program spearheaded by Vice President Biden will receive $1.8 billion to increase access to cancer therapies, improve our ability to prevent cancer and detect it earlier. H.R. 34 also establishes a new grant program for adult suicide prevention and crisis response, updates critical mental health and substance abuse programs, and improves treatment options for serious mental illnesses.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Although I have concerns about some aspects of the bill, particularly some of the funding revoked for other prevention programs, the bill is overall very encouraging. The opioid abuse prevention and treatment projects and the mental health reforms are all promising changes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids have killed more than 28,000 people in 2014 - that\u2019s more than any other year on record. At least half of those overdoses involved prescription opioids. In recent years, Missouri has seen a significant increase in heroin overdoses according to the state Department of Health and Senior Services, from 69 cases in 2007 to 244 in 2011.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is an example of both sides of Congress working together to address an issue that has plagued hundreds of families struggling with addiction and mental illness.\nWarmly,\nEmanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://jasonsmith.house.gov/media-center/weekly-capitol-report/make-america-safe-again", "Make America Safe Again", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Jason Smith", "S001195", "jasonsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Over the last 8 years, the\u00a0United States has lost credibility with its allies, failed to deter her enemies and seen the security of American families suffer in an increasingly dangerous world. More often than not the cause\u00a0were actions or inactions\u00a0taken by the Obama administration through their inability to stand with our friends or take a stand against regimes that want to inflict harm against the United States. As we close the chapter on the failure of President Obama\u2019s last 8 years and ready for new leadership, there are already positive signs about the direction President Elect Trump will take our National Security.\nHis choice for CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, a Congressman\u00a0and colleague of mine from Kansas\u00a0has received strong bipartisan support because of his extensive defense background with real firsthand experience and knowledge of the issues and threats we are facing. Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point and even patrolled the Berlin Wall during his service.\u00a0In Congress Pompeo serves on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Select Benghazi Committee; charged with uncovering the truth behind the terrorist attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Libya.\nPresident-elect Trump has also named Lt. General Michael Flynn to be his National Security Advisor and 4-Star General James Mattis to be the Secretary of Defense. These gentlemen have had distinguished military careers and been recognized for their intellect, strategic thinking, and experience with combat operations. Their knowledge and expertise will help guide the President-elect and our country as we prepare and plan to keep our citizens and soldiers safe both home and abroad,\u00a0while always putting America first.\nWhile Mr. Trump has recruited some of the best and brightest military minds to his administration he is also nominating very skilled diplomats, like South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations. Haley will be responsible for working with our next Secretary of State to articulate American positions to our friends, to take strong lines against our enemies\u00a0and will make providing for the security of American families a priority once again.\nIn addition to these strong appointments by the new Trump Administration, Congress passed legislation this week to improve our national security programs.\u00a0The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, provides support for national security programs that are critical to protect our country at a time when we face the most significant threat level since 9/11. The legislation allows the National Counterterrorism Center to better track and report on the emergence and movements of any terrorist network and also increases scrutiny of activities of countries like Russia. Cyber warfare and secret cyber intelligence-gathering operations by the Russians pose a major threat to America, a danger that President Obama and his administration have failed to highlight.\nWith strong leaders like Mike Pompeo, Michael Flynn, James Mattis and Nikki Haley who are dedicated to America\u2019s success, I am confident the United States will return to its place as world leader and become a safer place. I look forward to working with\u00a0all of them\u00a0to take strong stances against countries like North Korea and Iran and wipe groups like ISIS from the face of the earth.\u00a0The last 8 years have taught us that trying to lead from behind is simply not leading at all and only allows others to chart a course we are destined to follow, fortunately it looks like we are on our way to putting America first once again.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=809", "Long comments on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2013 Congressman Billy Long (MO-07) issued the following statement today after the passage of the \u201cNational Defense Authorization Act\u201d for fiscal year 2017.\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act is vital to making sure that our men and women in uniform are taken care of and that our national security is adequately funded,\u201d said Rep. Long. \u201cMy first priority is making sure that my constituents are safe, and by voting in favor of this bill, I am reassured that it will accomplish just that.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act\u201d for fiscal year 2017 includes: a pay increase for our military, an increase in ground and aviation training, reforms to the acquisition process, and improvements to the military health care system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398821", "Blaine's Bulletin: A Life-Saving Bill, Tele-Town Hall, and Constituent Service Days", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week in Congress, the House took a big step and passed a life-saving bill that has one core goal in mind \u2013 to get cures and treatments to patients faster. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      This week in Congress, the House took a big step and passed a life-saving bill that has one core goal in mind \u2013 to get cures and treatments to patients faster. \r\nThe bill, the 21st Century Cures Act, is full of real changes to help Americans across the country. This bill provides research dollars to the National Institutes of Health,\u00a0 provides grants to states to continue the fight to combat opioid abuse, and includes funds to the Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs and medical devices more quickly. In addition, included in this bill is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Reform Act which helps individuals and their families in mental health crisis and addresses needs of Americans with a substance abuse disorder.\r\nI look forward to hearing about progress and updates from medical professionals throughout the next several months and years about what they have been able to accomplish as a result of this legislation being signed into law.\r\nFor more information on bills like the 21st Century Cures Act or anything else that is going on in Congress, I wanted to let you know of an upcoming Tele-Town Hall I am hosting to provide you the opportunity to ask any questions. As many of you know, I host Tele-Town Halls throughout the year which are outlets for you to ask questions yourself or hear friends and neighbors from your communities speak about what is on their minds. If you are not currently signed up to receive emails about when the next one is, please visit my website or call any of my offices to do so. In addition, I encourage you to leave your email address so you never have to worry about receiving the latest information about what is happening in the 3rd District. There will be a Tele-Town Hall in December and I want to make sure 3rd District residents have advanced notice so you can plan accordingly. A staff member will send out an email a few days in advance of the evening of the call. The 60 minute call is your time to ask me questions about what is on your mind and I look forward to hearing from you.\r\nIn addition, the end of the year is nearing and I wanted to ensure 3rd District residents have another opportunity to meet my staff to go over any questions you may have. With an incoming Administration, we can expect changes at various agencies and with an extensive priority list for the new year, there will be a lot going on in Washington. Please know that I will keep you updated with all of the latest news so you are not left in the dark and you have correct information. Constituent Service Days have proved to be informative and helpful for 3rd District residents so please be sure to stay on the look out for more dates and locations in 2017.\r\nAs you may know, right now is open enrollment in Medicare and my staff can assist you in navigating that process. They can also help with any help you may need at the VA, IRS, or answer questions that are on your mind. If you would like additional information for this round of Constituent Service Days, or anything else you are looking for assistance with, please feel free to call any of my offices for details.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398822", "Luetkemeyer Statement on Passage of  National Defense Authorization Act", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Luetkemeyer Statement on Passage of  National Defense Authorization Act \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 2, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in the House of Representatives: \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in the House of Representatives: \r\n\u201cThis must-pass piece of legislation provides critical funding for core defense requirements such as personnel, training, and maintenance that ensures our service men and women have the necessary support to fulfill their missions,\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cI am pleased this legislation provides a 2.1 percent pay raise for our troops as well as increases the end strength of our Armed Forces, both of which go beyond the President\u2019s request. Furthermore, this bill contains the longstanding provision to prohibit the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the transfer of its detainees to the United States. Providing for the common defense is a top priority and I will continue to support legislation, like the NDAA, that keeps our nation and Americans safe.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=41C62307-91BD-4BDD-8932-681B4B8B5409", "Blunt Statement on Selection of General James Mattis to Serve as Defense Secretary", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement applauding President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense:\r\n\u201cGeneral Mattis is a proven leader with the knowledge and experience to turn the page on eight years of the Obama administration\u2019s misguided defense and foreign policy decisions. Missouri is home to more than 17,000 active-duty military personnel and several major defense installations, including Whiteman, Rosecrans, Fort Leonard Wood, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Missouri National Guard installations across the state. I look forward to supporting General Mattis\u2019 confirmation, and working with him to address the challenges facing our military men and women and their families.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/hartzler-praises-passage-defense-funding-authorization", "Hartzler Praises Passage of Defense Funding Authorization", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, on Friday voted to authorize national defense funding for 2017. The bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and other national security interests, from troop pay to new equipment to maintenance on existing buildings.\n\t\t\t\tAccording to Hartzler, the bill is the work of lawmakers fulfilling their foremost duty as representatives of the people. \u201cProviding for the common defense is our primary obligation, and for 55 years straight, the NDAA has shown that providing for our troops transcends partisanship. We understand the importance of making sure the brave men and women fighting to defend our freedoms have the resources they need to complete the missions we ask them to take on,\u201d Hartzler said.\n\t\t\t\tAfter the House of Representatives and Senate each passed their own versions of the bill, a number of lawmakers from each chamber, including Hartzler, were selected to reconcile the two bills and produce a single bill that both sides of Capitol Hill agree on.\n\t\t\t\t\u201cThere are a number of provisions I am pleased to see in the final bill,\u201d Hartzler said. \u201cWe pushed to make sure we authorized a full 2.1 percent pay raise for our troops \u2013 something they greatly deserve. A majority of our other efforts focused on our military\u2019s declining readiness and need for force restoration.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tThe result of these negotiations meant some provisions were not included in the final bill, however. \u201cThe House bill included additional F/A-18 Super Hornets to address a significant strike fighter shortfall in our Navy,\u201d Hartzler pointed out. \u201cI am greatly disappointed they are not included in the final bill; but I am optimistic we can correct this with a supplemental funding measure from the new Administration,\u201d she stressed.\n\t\t\t\tOverall, Hartzler is pleased with the bill. \u201cWe were able to increase the end strength of our forces across the board, which means more soldiers will be trained at Fort Leonard Wood before going on to their duty stations. I also worked to secure funding for Army ammunition plants, such as the Lake City plant in Missouri, that are in dire need of maintenance and modernization.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tCongresswoman Hartzler represents Missouri\u2019s Fourth Congressional District, home to Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base. In addition to serving on the House Armed Services Committee, she also serves on the Agriculture and Budget Committees.\n\t\t\t\tFor a summary of the bill, click here.\n\t\t\t\tFor the full text of the conference report, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=117", "Long comments on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398820", "Luetkemeyer Applauds Passage of Legislation to Promote Risk-Based Regulation for Banks", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after a bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives that sends the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act to the Senate for consideration. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after a bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives that sends the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act to the Senate for consideration. \r\n\u201cToday, the House passed legislation that would protect U.S. taxpayers from actual risk posed to the financial system. Decisions on what institutions are deemed systemically important should be based not on size alone, but also on activity and other factors that actually demonstrate systemic risk,\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cThe bottom line is that the current SIFI designation process is arbitrary and subjects banks with $50 billion or more in assets to the same standards as trillion dollar global SIFIs. This should not be a one-size-fits-all mold. My bill will ensure the Financial Stability Oversight Council will use an indicator-based approach that restores transparency and financial security to the system, and creates financial independence and upward mobility for American consumers. I want to thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for their strong support of this bill. I look forward to working with the incoming Administration, the new Congress, and key stakeholders in finding ways to hold regulators accountable and take another step to reform our broken financial regulatory system.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=AB2D91AF-72C6-4E67-B218-B6B5F2F078A3", "Blunt Votes to Extend Iran Sanctions", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Iran Sanctions Extension Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 99-0 and is now headed to the president\u2019s desk. The bill renews the Iran Sanctions Act, which is set to expire on December 31st, providing the next administration the authority it needs to reinstate sanctions against the Iranian regime that were lifted under President Obama\u2019s nuclear agreement.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Iranian regime is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, a direct threat to our close friend and ally, Israel, and a destabilizing force in the Middle East,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cThe president\u2019s nuclear deal has already handed the regime $100 billion in sanctions relief, while it continues violating its international treaty obligations. This legislation gives the next administration a powerful tool to hold Iran accountable and I urge the president to sign it without delay.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=C767D734-6009-456F-B4A1-20C2353CEE41", "Blunt Lauds House Passage of Bill to Honor OSS Veterans with Congressional Gold Medal", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) lauded House passage of legislation to honor veterans of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with a Congressional Gold Medal. The bill recognizes the members of the intelligence agency for their \u201csuperior service and major contributions during World War II.\u201d The Senate bill was introduced by Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.), and passed the Senate in February. Congressman Bob Latta (Ohio) introduced companion legislation in the House.\r\nThe OSS, the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, conducted critical operations during the war including establishing intelligence networks, training\u00a0resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, and carrying out\u00a0\u201cmercy missions\u201d at the end of the WWII to save the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. Since the legislation previously passed the Senate, the bill will now head to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cThe members of the OSS saved thousands of lives during World War II,\u201d said Blunt. \"From establishing intelligence networks deep behind enemy lines to bolstering resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, these intelligence officers played a critical role in securing the Allied\u00a0victory. I urge the president to sign this bill so we can move forward in officially recognizing the heroic efforts of the OSS members with the Congressional Gold Medal.\u201d\r\nLatta added, \u201cHonoring\u00a0veterans of the OSS with a Congressional Gold Medal will ensure that their heroic actions during one of our\u00a0country\u2019s\u00a0most trying times will not be forgotten. The clandestine nature of the OSS often meant members had to operate behind enemy lines in situations calling for unquestionable bravery and\u00a0unparalleled\u00a0skill. Their actions played an important role in winning the war and saved countless American lives in the process.\u201d\r\nWarner continued, \u201cFor many years, the heroic contributions of the OSS \u2013 which included some of the most daring covert operations of World War II \u2014 remained shrouded in secrecy, their impact largely unknown to the American public. Today, Congress is able to publicly recognize the members of the OSS for their remarkable heroism and many sacrifices. As the predecessor to the modern CIA, other elements of the U.S. intelligence community, and U.S. special operations forces, the OSS once boasted nearly 13,000 members, but more than 70 years after they won the war, fewer than 100 are still with us. I know how much it means to the veterans of the OSS, as well as their families, that this legislation is finally making its way to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Today, Congress has ensured that their courage of spirit and their love of country will long live on in our nation\u2019s memory.\u201d\r\nThe OSS was created in 1942 under the leadership of General William J. Donovan to better coordinate and oversee American intelligence operations. At its peak, 13,000 members served in the OSS including notable names such as Julia Child, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., John Ford, and James Donovan, who was depicted in the 2015 movie,\u00a0Bridge of Spies. OSS veterans and their family members were present in the House gallery when the legislation was approved.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/curing-what-ails-us", "Curing What Ails Us", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014The House of Representatives, with support from Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) on Wednesday passed the 21st Century Cures Act, a transformational bill to change the way we treat disease.\n\t\t\t\tHartzler lauded the bill, saying it \u201cbrings much needed reforms to the way we look at healthcare research. With over 10,000 diseases in the world and only 500 known cures, we need to foster new and innovative approaches to finding cures and delivering hope for patients.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tIn addition to prioritizing new and cutting-edge research, modernizing and reforming the FDA, and investing in programs to incentivize innovative new treatments, the bill contained provisions Hartzler was particularly pleased to see included.\n\t\t\t\t\u201cI have seen first-hand the devastating effects of Alzheimer\u2019s, having lost family members to the disease,\u201d Hartzler said. \u201cThis bill invests $1.5 billion into the NIH\u2019s BRAIN Initiative, which will improve our understanding of diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s, and hopefully lead us to a cure.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tThe bill also includes $1 billion for grants to states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment activities, such as improving prescription drug monitoring programs and implementing prevention. \u201cMissourians, like many Americans, are being hit hard by the scourge of opioid addiction which takes more than 40 lives each day nationwide,\u201d Hartzler added. \u201cBolstering the states\u2019 efforts to combat these diseases will help keep families together and strengthen communities.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tThe Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which Hartzler co-sponsored, has been included in this bill as well. This measure, which makes mental health a national priority, originally passed the House in July.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWe have all experienced the pain and suffering that stems from mental illness,\u201d Hartzler said, \u201cbut none more so than the families of those afflicted. They are often left feeling too helpless and hopeless to act. Our current mental health system is outdated and needs to be reformed. This bill takes us a step in the right direction to help patients get the treatment they need.\u201d\n\t\t\t\tHartzler also highlighted a provision to create a working group, comprised of federal and non-federal members tasked with reporting to Congress on scientific advances, research questions, surveillance activities, and emerging strains in species of pathogenic organisms such a Lyme disease \u2013 a disease that affects 300,000 Americans each year. This is a devastating disease that needs to be addressed.\n\t\t\t\tThe 21st Century Cures Act, which is fully offset, brings American health care infrastructure into the 21st century. It accelerates the cycle of discovering, developing, and delivering new cures and treatments and ensures that America remains the global leader in biomedical innovation. The bill provides a pivotal opportunity to help researchers change the way we fight and treat disease.\n\t\t\t\tHartzler represents Missouri\u2019s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/opening-remarks-chairwoman-hartzler-1", "Opening Remarks of Chairwoman Hartzler", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, made the following remarks on the hearing titled \u201cForce Management Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan; Readiness and Strategic Considerations.\u201d\u00a0 For hearing testimony and to watch the hearing live click here.\"Good morning.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to extend a warm thank-you to our witnesses testifying before us today.Before I begin, I would like to welcome the members of the committee present today (or who may yet arrive) who are not members of the subcommittee.\u00a0 I ask unanimous consent that these committee members be permitted to participate in this hearing with the understanding that all subcommittee members will be recognized for questions prior to those not assigned to the subcommittee.Without objection, so ordered. This hearing will help the subcommittee to assess \u201cForce Management Levels,\u201d or \u201cFMLs,\u201d which are more commonly known as \u201ctroop caps.\u201d\u00a0 The White House set a troop cap for Iraq and Afghanistan.\u00a0 That cap is 5,262 for Iraq.\u00a0 In Afghanistan, the cap is 8,448 beginning this January.\u00a0 These are very precise numbers.Some might argue that setting a troop cap upends an orderly military planning process.\u00a0 Typically, military leaders are first given a mission and then they determine what resources are required to meet that mission.\u00a0 Setting a cap first, however, constrains subsequent military choices.\u00a0 An imposed Force Management Level leads to potentially dangerous trade-offs.Indeed, one consequence of a troop cap may be our military readiness.\u00a0 I look forward to learning about the extent to which readiness factors are (or should be) taken into consideration when a troop cap is implemented.In July, during a readiness subcommittee hearing, the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army\u2019s Training and Doctrine Command expressed concern that, because of troop caps, Army aviation brigades were deploying to Afghanistan without maintenance personnel.He said (and I quote) \u201cCombat Aviation Brigades are not meeting readiness rates.\u201d\u00a0 He noted that soldiers were losing their edge in maintenance skills.\u00a0 This was, he warned, degrading \u201cthe ability of an aviation unit to regain readiness.\u201dI am eager also to know how troop caps affect the deployments of Army brigades which are charged with the Train, Advise, and Assist mission.\u00a0 As I understand it, although it might be preferable for the Army to deploy entire brigade combat teams for this work, this is not possible because doing so would breach the troop caps.\u00a0 Therefore, as an alternative, individual senior soldiers are chosen from a variety of units to undertake the TAA mission. \u00a0I want to gain a better understanding of how this practice might harm Army readiness, unit cohesion, career development, and retention. Furthermore, I am concerned about how troop caps might influence the positioning of force protection personnel.\u00a0 For example, are medevac teams being placed outside the theater because doing so allows them to not be subject to troop caps?\u00a0 If so, can they still respond quickly to recover injured warfighters?I would also like our witnesses to discuss other considerations associated with setting troop caps.\u00a0 How does the development of a troop cap fit into the planning process?I am pleased to recognize our witnesses today and I want to thank them for taking the time to be with us.\u00a0 Members have been provided with the full biography of each witness.\u00a0 Joining us today are:Mr. Cary Russell, the Director of Military Operations and Warfighter Support for the Government Accountability Office.\u00a0 Mr. Russell will summarize some of the important work the GAO has done on this subject.Retired Army General Carter Ham.\u00a0 General Ham retired from the United States Army in 2013 as the commander of U.S. Africa Command.\u00a0 He spent nearly four decades in the Army and is one of a very small number of military leaders who rose from the rank of Private to four-star General.andRetired Army Lieutenant General Jim Dubik.\u00a0 General Dubik retired from the US Army in 2008 after 37 years of active service.\u00a0 General Dubik\u2019s last job on active duty was as the Commanding General of the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq and the NATO Training Mission-Iraq.Thank you all again for being here today. We will now hear your opening remarks.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/breaking-defense-bill-to-include-mccaskill-ernst_bipartisan-plan-to-further-curb-sexual-assault-in-military", "BREAKING: Defense Bill to Include McCaskill-Ernst  Bipartisan Plan to Further Curb Sexual Assault in Military", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING: Defense Bill to Include McCaskill-Ernst  Bipartisan Plan to Further Curb Sexual Assault in Military \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Final version of this year\u2019s defense bill to include bipartisan Military Retaliation Prevention Act\u2014 building on recent reforms to better combat peer-to-peer retaliation against victims who report \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 In another bipartisan achievement, this year\u2019s national defense bill will include a plan by U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Joni Ernst of Iowa to further curb sexual assault in the military.\r\nMcCaskill and Ernst\u2014both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee\u2014introduced the bipartisan Military Retaliation Prevention Act targeting stubbornly high rates of survivors who report that they have been retaliated against by their peers after coming forward. Those rates of experienced retaliation remain high, even as the number of assaults has dropped and reporting by victims has gone up, following a slate of historic reforms overhauling the military justice system.\r\nThe legislation, which was included in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act earlier this year has now been included in the final version negotiated with the U.S. House.\r\n\u201cThis is just another step in what's been an historic overhaul strengthening how our military handles these crimes,\u201d said McCaskill, a former prosecutor of sex crimes. \u201cWe\u2019ve worked hard to empower survivors to report these crimes and come out of the shadows, and to hold commanders accountable. This plan will offer new tools to help bring down the stubborn rates of retaliation against survivors who report and speak up.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe inclusion of our Military Retaliation Prevention Act in the NDAA is an important step forward in changing the culture surrounding sexual assault in the military,\u201d said Ernst, the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate. \u201cSexual assault anywhere and of any kind is absolutely unacceptable, and the survivors in our military should be empowered to come forward and report the attack, without fear of retaliation by their peers, so that we can work together to ensure these horrible acts are prosecuted fully and are not continued in our military.\u201d\r\nThe Senators\u2019 bipartisan bill (summary available online\u00a0HERE, and full bill text available online\u00a0HERE) would target retaliation in a number of ways:\r\n \r\nStrengthen the military response\u00a0by\u00a0making retaliation its own unique offense under the Uniform Code of\u00a0Military Justice (where retaliation is currently punishable under Article 92 of the UCMJ, a broader article to punish failure to obey an order or regulation)\r\nIncrease transparency\u00a0by requiring victims be notified of how their complaint was decided\u2014and requiring the Pentagon collect and publish data on retaliation complaints.\r\nRequire specific training for investigators,\u00a0including all military criminal investigators, IG investigators, or any personnel assigned by commanders to investigate the complaints\r\nEnsure each of the services adopts best practices\u00a0by establishing metrics for measuring the outcomes of their efforts to prevent and respond to instances of retaliation\r\n \r\nThe Senators\u2019 plan was informed by recommendations made by the\u00a0Judicial Proceedings Panel\u00a0(which is chaired by former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, author of the federal rape shield law and former member of the\u00a0Response Systems Panel) and the\u00a0Military Justice Review Group.\r\nInitial data\u00a0has demonstrated\u00a0concrete progress\u00a0in curbing sexual violence in the military as a result of reforms passed by Congress over the past few years. The Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military shows that incidents of unwanted sexual contact dropped by 29 percent from 2012 to 2014. The total number of reports (restricted and unrestricted) are up 11 percent from the previous year and up 70 percent from FY12. About 1 out of 4 survivors reported in FY14, up significantly from 1 out of 10 survivors reporting in FY12, and the highest reporting rate ever. Increased reporting occurred in all categories\u2014unrestricted reports, restricted reports, and reports that survivors converted from restricted to unrestricted. And 82 percent of survivors surveyed agreed that their unit commander supported them, 73 percent were satisfied with their unit commander\u2019s response, and 73 percent said they would recommend others report if they were a survivor of a sexual assault.\r\nHowever that same data found that 62 percent of the women who reported an incident of unwanted sexual contact reported experiencing some form of retaliation. The majority, 53 percent, categorized their experience as \u201csocial\u201d retaliation. 32 percent indicated they experienced professional retaliation. The most recent Report on Sexual Assault in the Military showed that 68 percent of survey respondents indicated that they had experienced some sort of \u201cnegative reaction\u201d to reporting a sexual assault.\r\nAmong the more than 30 reforms already passed into law over the past few years:\r\n \r\nCommanders have been stripped of the ability to overturn convictions, and are now held accountable under rigorous new standards.\r\nEvery survivor who reports a sexual assault now\u00a0gets their own independent lawyer\u00a0to protect their rights and fight for their interests\u2014a reform that has no parallel in the civilian justice system.\r\nCivilian review is now required if a commander decides against a prosecution in a case in which a prosecutor wants to go to trial.\r\nDishonorable discharge is now a required minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual assault.\r\nThe pre-trial \u201cArticle 32\u201d process, which came under scrutiny following a case at the Naval Academy, has been reformed to better protect survivors.\r\nThe statute of limitations in these cases has now been eliminated, a particularly important development in a sustained battle against sexual assaults.\r\nThe \u201cgood soldier\u201d defense for servicemembers accused of sexual assault\u00a0has been eliminated\u00a0under most circumstances.\r\nSurvivors are now allowed formal input on whether their case is tried in military or civilian court.\r\nSexual assault survivors are now allowed to challenge their discharge or separation from service.\r\nThe role of the prosecutor in advising commanders on going to court-martial has been strengthened.\r\n \r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/nga-updatefollowing-mccaskill-advocacy-deal-reached-for_national-geospatial-intelligence-agency-land-acquisition", "NGA Update—Following McCaskill Advocacy, Deal Reached for  National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Land Acquisition", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NGA Update\u2014Following McCaskill Advocacy, Deal Reached for  National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Land Acquisition \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator spoke last month with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to highlight importance of the deal, following  successful advocacy at highest levels of government for agency to keep its 3,000 employees in Missouri \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 After pushing for such a deal last month with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, who successfully advocated at the highest levels of government for the selection of the north St. Louis site for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency\u2019s new western headquarters\u2014keeping its operations in Missouri\u2014today released the following statement on the news that the city can now issue bonds to formally purchase land for the site:\r\n\u201cNGA is now one step closer to breaking ground on its new St. Louis home, which will be a huge economic boon to a community that\u2019s already making enormous economic strides and keeping our proud 72-year legacy on the front lines of American intelligence right here in Missouri.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill also advocated for the deal last month in a phone call with Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The City of St. Louis today received its Major Land Acquisition Waiver, which allows the city to issue bonds to purchase land for the new site.\r\nMcCaskill, a longtime advocate for keeping the NGA in Missouri, and had met directly with the NGA Director to discuss the merits of keeping its operations in the St. Louis region. She personally urged President Obama, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to recognize the North St. Louis site as the best place for NGA operations.\r\nMcCaskill, along with Republican Senator Roy Blunt, recently penned an op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the importance of the NGA to Missouri. Last year, the two wrote to the director of the NGA, urging the agency to keep its operations in Missouri as it evaluated sites for the relocation of its St. Louis-based operation.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/defense to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to protect our national security.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=808", "Long comments on the passage of the final 21st Century Cures bill", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2013 Congressman Billy Long (MO-07) issued a statement today following the passage of the final \u201c21st Century Cures\u201d bill.\r\n\r\n\t\u201c21st Century Cures is a bipartisan bill that will have a tremendous impact on medical research for many years to come,\u201d said Rep. Long. \u201cThis piece of legislation, which includes my provision allowing for further communication between drug manufacturers and heath care professionals, will cut through the bureaucratic red tape that stifles innovation and will pave a way for developing drugs for rare diseases. My hope is that the Senate will pass this bill and send it to the president\u2019s desk by the end of the 114th Congress to be signed into law.\u201d\r\n\r\n\tThe final \u201c21st Century Cures\u201d bill as a whole is fully offset and will provide: $1 billion in grants for states to fight opioid abuse, $500 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and $4.8 billion to the National Institutes of Health. Finally, this bill will reform the FDA to bring drugs and devices to the market at a lower cost.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398819", "Luetkemeyer Supports Bill to Advance Development of  Medical Treatments and Cures", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Blaine Luetkemeyer", "L000569", "luetkemeyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a major bipartisan vote, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) supported legislation that advances the discovery, development and delivery of treatments and cures in the biomedical field.  \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      In a major bipartisan vote, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) supported legislation that advances the discovery, development and delivery of treatments and cures in the biomedical field.\u00a0 \r\n\u201cThere are 10,000 known diseases in the world yet we only have cures and treatments for 500 of them,\u201d Luetkemeyer said. \u201cThis bill streamlines the review of life-saving drugs, provides money to continue to research cures for diseases, and provides grants for states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment. The 21st Century Cures Act is a true life-saving bill and I look forward to hearing about progress from our medical professionals in Missouri and across the country as they get to work finding and developing new cures and treatments.\u201d\r\nAlso included in this bill is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Reform Act. This legislation, which Luetkemeyer is a cosponsor of, helps individuals and their families in mental health crisis and addresses needs of Americans with a substance abuse disorder.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=8BBF5DC7-9C2C-4FFE-B413-C6760D9FC9C7", "Blunt, Warner Lead Senate in Recognizing 20th Anniversary of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the Senate passed their resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The NGA was founded on October 1, 1996.\u201cThroughout its 20 year history, the NGA and its dedicated team of intelligence professionals have provided vital, timely information to keep our country safe,\u201d Blunt said. \u201cThe agency\u2019s work has proved invaluable to U.S. policy makers and military commanders in both war and peacetime, and during significant national security and natural disaster events. I\u2019m proud to have NGA facilities in St. Louis and Arnold, Mo., and will continue working to support the agency\u2019s critical mission.\u201dThe military and civilian employees serving at the NGA West campus in St. Louis, Mo. and the East campus in Springfield, Va., as well as locations throughout the United States and across the globe, produce crucial mapping, charting, and intelligence products to warfighters, first responders, civil authorities, policy makers, and the maritime and aviation communities.Warner added, \u201cFor over 20 years, the intelligence personnel at NGA have quietly served in defense of our nation. By helping us map and understand the globe, NGA has proven to be an invaluable resource for policymakers to make the best decisions to protect our citizens in an uncertain world. I am proud that Virginia is home to this vital intelligence agency. The men and women that serve there are essential not only to our intelligence gathering, but to disaster relief and humanitarian efforts that exemplify the true meaning of public service. As the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am honored to be a part of this well-deserved recognition for their quiet sacrifice.\u201d The full text of the resolution is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/graves-votes-to-make-life-saving-disease-treatments-available-to", "Graves Votes to Make Life-Saving Disease Treatments Available to Millions of Americans", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after voting to pass the 21st\u00a0Century\u00a0Cures Act. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 392-26.\n\"There are 10,000 known diseases, but we only have treatments for 500 of them,\" Rep Graves said. \"The 21st Century\u00a0Cures\u00a0Act\u00a0will give the FDA\u00a0and the private sector the tools to close this gap,\u00a0accelerating critical, potentially life-saving therapies for at-risk patients across the country. This bill also includes the most significant reforms to our nation's mental health system in a decade. I'm thrilled that it passed the House, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law in the coming days.\"\nSpecifically, 21st\u00a0Century\u00a0Cures Act streamlines the review of life-saving drugs, provides money to continue to research cures for diseases, and provides grants for states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment.\nBy increasing the speed at which cutting edge or experimental drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and increasing fully-offset federal funding for medical research and development, the bill lays the groundwork for medical breakthroughs that will help thousands of\u00a0Americans suffering from what are currently uncured diseases.\nOnce this bill is signed into law, the FDA will be able to maintain responsible safety procedures while allowing them to approve those new drugs with minimal obstacles and bureaucracy.\u00a0A quicker turnaround time from drug development to market availability will allow innovators to develop new and alternative treatments for diseases and drug addictions.\nFinally, the bill gives patients the ability to provide their input and experiences to help shape the FDA\u2019s regulatory decision-making process. Patients are also empowered to choose to voluntarily provide hospitals and research institutions with their personal health records for future research.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n.Any new funding in the 21st\u00a0Century\u00a0Cures\u00a0Act\u00a0will be fully offset.\u00a0Discretionary spending will also be subject to annual review in order to\u00a0maximize accountability for taxpayers.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-votes-make-life-saving-disease-treatments-available-millions-americans", "Graves Votes to Make Life-Saving Disease Treatments Available to Millions of Americans", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Sam Graves", "G000546", "graves.house.gov", "graves", "https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after voting to pass the 21st Century Cures Act. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 392-26.\n\n\"There are 10,000 known diseases, but we only have treatments for 500 of them,\" Rep Graves said. \"The 21st Century Cures Act will give the FDA and the private sector the tools to close this gap, accelerating critical, potentially life-saving therapies for at-risk patients across the country. This bill also includes the most significant reforms to our nation's mental health system in a decade. I'm thrilled that it passed the House, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law in the coming days.\"\n\nSpecifically, 21st Century Cures Act streamlines the review of life-saving drugs, provides money to continue to research cures for diseases, and provides grants for states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment.\n\nBy increasing the speed at which cutting edge or experimental drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and increasing fully-offset federal funding for medical research and development, the bill lays the groundwork for medical breakthroughs that will help thousands of Americans suffering from what are currently uncured diseases.\n\nOnce this bill is signed into law, the FDA will be able to maintain responsible safety procedures while allowing them to approve those new drugs with minimal obstacles and bureaucracy. A quicker turnaround time from drug development to market availability will allow innovators to develop new and alternative treatments for diseases and drug addictions.\n\nFinally, the bill gives patients the ability to provide their input and experiences to help shape the FDA\u2019s regulatory decision-making process. Patients are also empowered to choose to voluntarily provide hospitals and research institutions with their personal health records for future research.\n\n.Any new funding in the 21st Century Cures Act will be fully offset. Discretionary spending will also be subject to annual review in order to maximize accountability for taxpayers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:07:19Z"], ["https://hartzler.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/blog/curing-what-ails-us", "Curing What Ails Us", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Courtesy of Speaker Ryan's Office \nAs part of the Better Way health care agenda, House Republicans laid out a plan to accelerate the development of cutting-edge cures and treatments. Right now, there are 10,000 known diseases, but we only have treatments for 500 of them. The 21st Century Cures Act, which the House will take up today, seeks to close this gap. Its passage would mean:\n More help and hope for patients by accelerating life-saving and life-improving therapies.\n\tFewer barriers that stand in the way of research and development.\n\tA more inclusive approach for patient feedback during the drug development process.\n\tA focus on personalized medicine that identifies the best treatments for a patient\u2019s specific needs.\n\tSignificant reforms to our mental health system\u2014the most in more than a decade.\n It\u2019s important to note that any new funding in this legislation will be fully offset. We have also made this discretionary spending subject to annual review in order to maximize accountability for taxpayers.\nToday\u2019s vote is the culmination of a national effort under the leadership of Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Starting in 2013, Chairman Upton and his committee took ideas and stories from all walks of life. They held countless hearings and roundtables. They picked up support from hundreds of organizations. It is a story that can be told in 109 seconds, but for many families, the impact of this work will last a lifetime.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=206", "Long comments on the passage of the final 21st Century Cures bill", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Billy Long", "L000576", "long.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-teams-up-with-southwest-missouri-advocate-to-highlight-incidents-of-elder-abuse", "McCaskill Teams Up With Southwest Missouri Advocate to Highlight Incidents of Elder Abuse", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Teams Up With Southwest Missouri Advocate to Highlight Incidents of Elder Abuse \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: We can\u2019t allow those entrusted to protect seniors to abuse them    \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013-U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill was joined by Springfield-area advocate Jessica Kruse as she continued her bipartisan push to ensure that Missouri seniors are protected from neglect and abuse by legal guardians. Kruse, from Ozarks Elder Law in Springfield, Missouri testified at a McCaskill hearing today focusing on preventing abuse by individuals who are court-appointed guardians.\r\nThe hearing took place in the Senate Aging Committee, which is led by McCaskill and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Ms. Kruse discussed some of the challenges that local law enforcement and prosecutors in Missouri face when attempting to combat elder financial abuse. According to the most recent published statistics, the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services received over 17,000 initial reports of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of seniors in one year. It\u2019s unclear how many of these cases involve financial exploitation specifically.\r\nPointing to a recent report recommending better inter-governmental communication, McCaskill asked, \u201cThe problem is, when Social Security finds out there is fraud they are not sharing that information with state courts, even though they share it with other federal agencies\u2014what\u2019s the rationale for that? The (Social Security Administration) have caught someone ripping someone off, what in the good lord\u2019s name are they doing keeping that information from state authorities?\u201d\r\nLast year McCaskill asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to update a report it issued in 2010 which found examples of serious abuse, particularly by individuals who make their livings as professional guardians. In conjunction with the hearing, GAO released its report titled \u201cElder Abuse: The Extent of Abuse by Guardians Is Unknown, but Some Measures Exist to Help Protect Older Adults.\u201d The report described recent incidents of abuse, but also explained that data on this type of abuse is not closely tracked or collected and that greater effort in this area needs to be made in order to protect seniors. \u00a0\r\nIn addition to Kruse, witnesses for the hearing included Kathryn Larin, Acting Director; Forensic Audit and Investigative Services Team, Government Accountability Office; Cate Boyko, Manager of the Minnesota Conservator Account Auditing Program; Jaye Martin, Maine Legal Services for the Elderly.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/seniors to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for seniors.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1082, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "House", "p1": "MO", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 648, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 434, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1082, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MO&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "MO", "label": "MO", "count": 1082, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 1082, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-30,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emccaskill~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fnews-releases~2Fmccaskill-teams-up-with-southwest-missouri-advocate-to-highlight-incidents-of-elder-abuse", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MO&year=2016&_next=2016-11-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emccaskill~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fnews-releases~2Fmccaskill-teams-up-with-southwest-missouri-advocate-to-highlight-incidents-of-elder-abuse&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 729.6388279646635, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}