{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"MO\" and year = 2017 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/the-town-hall-senator-behind-the-scenes", "The Town Hall Senator: Behind-the-Scenes", "2017-12-27", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.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-backed-legislation-supporting-missouri-firefighters-heads-to-president-trumps-desk", "McCaskill-Backed Legislation Supporting Missouri Firefighters Heads to President Trump\u2019s Desk", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-Backed Legislation Supporting Missouri Firefighters Heads to President Trumps Desk \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Legislation will provide critical grants to dozens of fire departments across Missouri   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 22, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Legislation backed by Claire McCaskill to extend funding for grant programs to local firefighters and emergency responders has passed the United States Senate and is now headed to President Trumps desk for signing.\r\nHelping Missouri firefighters is something we can and should come together on and exactly the type of issue where people just want us to work together, McCaskill said. These resources represent more firefighters and better equipment for departments across the state, and I plan to keep working in a bipartisan way to ensure our first-responders have what they need to save lives.\r\n\r\nThe Fire Grants Reauthorization Act reauthorized the highly successful Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs through Fiscal Year 2024. AFG protects communities and firefighters from fire-related hazards by providing eligible fire departments the financial support to train, equip and properly resource Americas emergency personnel. The SAFER program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help increase and maintain the number of trained firefighters in local communities.\r\n\r\nOver the last two years, the Missouri Division of Fire Safetywhich is based in Jefferson Cityreceived nearly $500,000 in grants from these programs for equipment. Dozens of fire organizations across the state have received grant funding through these programs.\r\nMcCaskillwho as a young Jackson County prosecutor was tasked with prosecuting arson cases in the cityis a longtime supporter of grant funding for state and local first responders and law enforcement, including through the Justice Departments Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which allows state and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime. Earlier this year, McCaskill met withMissouris State Council of Firefighters last monthto discuss her commitment to public safety and the funding challenges they face.\r\nContinuing her longstanding support for Missouri firefighters and first responders and recognizing the need to support firefighters in rural communities, McCaskill is backing legislation to strengthen education benefits for volunteer firefighters and first responders at up to 100 or more fire departments in Missouri. McCaskills plan would expand eligibility to volunteer firefighters and first responders for the Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Any volunteer firefighter or first responder with student loans would be eligible for this program, which could pay off the entirety of their student loan debt.\r\nVisitmccaskill.senate.govto learn more about McCaskills 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/video/view/kmov-details-for-senator-claire-mccaskills-50th-town-hall", "KMOV: Details for Senator Claire McCaskill's 50th town hall", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/knpn-mccaskill-listens-to-comments-and-concerns-at-50th-town-hall", "KNPN: McCaskill Listens to Comments and Concerns at 50th town hall", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/koam-us-senator-claire-mccaskill-in-kirkwood-hosting-50th-town-hall-of-2017", "KOAM: U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill in Kirkwood hosting 50th town hall of 2017", "2017-12-22", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.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/after-insurance-company-tells-missourians-youll-be-responsible_for-er-costs-if-its-not-an-emergency-mccaskill-pushes-back", "After Insurance Company Tells Missourians \u2018you\u2019ll be responsible  for ER costs if it\u2019s not an emergency\u2019 McCaskill Pushes Back", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After Insurance Company Tells Missourians youll be responsible  for ER costs if its not an emergency McCaskill Pushes Back \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Patients, hospitals across state could be at financial risk after Anthem announced  it would no longer cover emergency room costs if care deemed non-emergent  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is pushing back on Anthem after the insurance company announced it would no longer cover emergency room costs for Missourians if the care is deemed non-emergent.\r\nThe company sent notices to its customers informing patients that youll be responsible for ER costs when its NOT an emergency  a change that could dramatically impact patients, who may no longer seek care in an emergency for fear it wont be covered, and hospitals, who are obligated to provide care no matter the cost or circumstances.\r\nAnthem has a strong presence in Missouri, and this decision significantly impacts health care costs for thousands of Missourians, wrote McCaskill. Patients are not physicians. I am concerned that Anthem is requiring its patients to act as medical professionals when they are experiencing urgent medical events. Missouri state law and federal law protects patients from having to make these types of medical decisions Anthems policies are discouraging individuals from receiving needed care and treatment out of fear they may personally be fully financially responsible for the cost of treatment, even though they have insurance.\r\nMcCaskills letter continues: A direct result of this policy is a shifting of costs from the insurer to hospitals and patients. If patients are unable to pay the costs, hospitals will bear the full brunt of those costs.\r\nThis fall, McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sought answers from Envision Healthcare and its subsidiary EmCare Holdings, Inc. following reports of skyrocketing costs at emergency rooms run by EmCare. According to those reports, EmCare tripled the highest rate for ER visits at one hospital that was studied and allegedly pressured ER doctors to order expensive, unnecessary tests for patients. EmCare manages more than ten hospitals in Missouri.\r\nMcCaskill has continually worked to improve healthcare in Missouri and across the country. In response to rural hospital closures across the country, McCaskillcalled for an investigationinto the challenges these hospitals face, trends in rural hospital closures, and recommendations for the federal government about addressing these issues. Earlier this year, McCaskill introduced legislation aiming toprotect access to health insurancefor Missourians on the individual insurance market, amid reports of insurers withdrawing from those markets. McCaskill also joined Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine to pass a bill toincrease competition for generic drugs and lower prescription costs.\r\nFull text of the letter HERE.\r\nVisitmccaskill.senate.gov/healthcareto learn more about McCaskills fight to improve healthcare 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/goal-mccaskill-blunt-honor-university-of-central-missouri-champion-womens-soccer-team", "Goal! McCaskill, Blunt Honor University of Central Missouri Champion Women\u2019s Soccer Team", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Goal! McCaskill, Blunt Honor University of Central Missouri Champion Womens Soccer Team \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Missouri Senators introduce resolution congratulating team on record-setting season \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Missouri U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt introduced a resolution in the United States Senate honoring the University of Central Missouri womens soccer team on their NCAA Division II championship and undefeated season.\r\nThe Jennies record-setting season and championship victory are accomplishments that make all of Missouri proud, McCaskill said. The kind of grit, skill, and determination it takes to not only win a national championship, but to do so with a perfect record to boot, is rare and remarkable.\r\nThe Central Missouri Jennies kicked it into high gear this season, finishing the year with a perfect record and earning the NCAA Division II title, said Blunt. Missourians are very proud of the hard work the Jennies put in to accomplish their record-setting season, and we wish them the best as they get ready to defend their title next year.\r\nThe University of Central Missouri womens soccer team completed an undefeated season with a 26-0 record, setting a new NCAA Division II womens soccer record for wins in a season, and tying the single-season record of 21 shut-outs. This is the first national championship in program history.\r\nFull text of the resolution 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/mccaskill-rubio-hassan-introduce-legislation-bolstering-dhs-counterterrorism-coordination-efforts", "McCaskill, Rubio, Hassan Introduce Legislation Bolstering DHS Counterterrorism Coordination Efforts", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill, Rubio, Hassan Introduce Legislation Bolstering DHS Counterterrorism Coordination Efforts \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After recent terrorist incidents in U.S., Senators codify Department of Homeland Securitys Counterterrorism Advisory Board   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  In the aftermath of recent terrorist incidents, U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today introduced bipartisan legislation authorizing the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) Counterterrorism Advisory Board, whose mission is to bring together the intelligence, operational, and policy-making elements from acrossDHS to devise joint strategies to deter and disrupt potential terrorist attacks. \r\n\r\nThis bill is about ensuring that everyone inside the Department of Homeland Security committed to preventing and responding to terrorist incidents are able to communicate and coordinate effectively with each other, said McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The men and women heroically contributing to our counterterrorism efforts are the best in the world and this bill will augment their efforts.\r\n\r\n\"The Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) is an important component of the Department of Homeland Securitys work in preventing terrorist attacks by identifying and reducing security threats and vulnerabilities, said Senator Rubio. This bill will ensure that the CTAB facilitates a cohesive operational strategy so that DHS components and their partners are best enabled to detect, deter and disrupt terrorist operations.\r\nThe Department of Homeland Security is tasked with preventing terrorist attacks on our homeland, and we must ensure that the full resources of the Department and the entire federal government are coordinated in focusing on this critical mission, saidSenator Hassan. I call on members of both parties to support this bipartisan bill that will help ensure coordination of the Departments counter-terrorism operations and keep our communities safe.\r\nThe Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) was established in 2010 after the failed underwear bomber attack on a Northwest Airlines flight in 2009 revealed a need for better coordination and ongoing situational awareness for senior leadership.\r\n\r\nSince its creation, CTAB has met to make recommendations about whether to issue a National Threat Alert System alert, and has aided in the response to aviation threats, border threats, homegrown violent extremists, and cyber threats. The Senators Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) Authorization Act of 2017 codifies the board for four years and ensures that DHS will continue to succeed in its counterterrorism mission.\r\n\r\nA copy of the Senators legislation is available online HERE.\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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-released-the-following-statement-regarding-the", "Congressman Cleaver Released the Following Statement Regarding the Passage of the GOP Tax Bill", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.)  Today, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II voted in opposition to the Conference Report on H.R. 1  the GOP Tax Bill.\nToday, Republicans in Congress voted to pass their tax bill which was written in secret and rushed through the House and Senate without any public hearings. This tax hike, wrapped in a bow and advertised as a gift for the American people, is a scam and middle class and poor families will pay the price. The bill will raise taxes on 86 million middle-class households and provide 83% of tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.\nIn our state alone, Missouri will lose $500 million to $1 billion in state revenue. That impacts the quality of education our students receive, the amount of money we have to repair our roads and bridges, and on and on. In addition, because this tax bill repeals the individual mandate, it will increase health care costs for Missouri residents and cause 13 million people to lose health insurance.\nIm disappointed that Republicans first priority is tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, rather than reauthorizing the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), funding community health centers, passing the DREAM Act, and providing disaster relief funding.\nCongressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) Fifth District of Missouri\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouris Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lees 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/following-congressman-cleaver-s-call-for-action-twitter-implements-new", "Following Congressman Cleavers Call for Action, Twitter Implements New Policy Aimed At Reducing Hateful and Racist Content", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington D.C.)  Today, Congressman Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement in response to Twitters enforcement of its new policy seeking to curtail the amount of racist, violent, and hateful content on its wide-ranging social media platform:\nI am encouraged that our calls for action have expedited Twitters efforts to finally reduce the hateful and violent racist rhetoric that has been plaguing the platform over the past few years. It is obvious, that Twitter is a powerful social networking platform with great potential for positivity and increasing social awareness, however, recently it has become a playground where racism and hatred have been allowed to flourish. Its good to know Twitters senior leadership heard our concerns, seem to understand the gravity of these flaws in the platform, and have taken a small first step in ensuring that it will not be a part of such degradation. Make no mistake about it, we cannot sit back and allow extremists to promote hatred and violence while hiding behind a username, said Congressman Cleaver.\nIn October, Congressman Cleaver, along with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), sent a letter to Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, expressing concerns regarding the social media platforms role in propagating hate and undermining democracy and the companys stagnation in acknowledging and addressing the severity of this problem. The Members requested a clear framework of how the company planned to fix the increasing hostility of foreign and domestic actors, recognizing that if the company failed to do so, increased Congressional oversight and regulation would be necessary.\nCleaver and Watson Coleman were also among members of the Congressional Black Caucus who met with, Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg to discuss allegations that Russian-backed agencies exploited the companies system to influence the outcome of the 2016 election through the spread of racial and discriminatory messaging. After the meeting, Facebook also announced major changes to its platform.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouris Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lees 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-says-trump-gop-taxscam-will-raise-taxes-over-320000-missouri", "Clay Says Trump-GOP TaxScam Will Raise Taxes on over 320,000 Missouri Families, Strip Healthcare Coverage Away from 13 Million Americans, Explode the Debt", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "-WASHINGTON, DC\nNote: The following, in its entirety, is all first-person from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri in reaction to House passage of H.R. 1, the GOP Tax Scam.\nThis monstrous Trump-GOP Tax Scam is one of the worst pieces of legislation that I have ever seen. It raises taxes on over 86 million middle-class families to provide a massive transfer of wealth from working people to the super-wealthy and to corporations.\nFamilies like President Trumps will be richly rewarded while over 320,000 middle-class families in Missouri will get a tax increase. In fact, 83% of the tax cuts in this deeply flawed and fiscally irresponsible bill will pad the pockets of the top 1%.\nThis terrible and destructive bill will rob seniors by cutting over $25 billion from Medicare to help pay for tax cuts for billionaires.\nIt will strip away healthcare coverage from 13 million Americans.\nAnd it will explode the debt by putting at least $1 trillion more on the national credit card which our children and grandchildren will pay for.\nThis isnt tax reformits tax fraud.\nUnder the Trump-GOP TaxScamthe haves will have more, and everyone else will pay for it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/joy-to-sedalia-world-record-christmas-stocking-heralded-by-mccaskill", "Joy to Sedalia! World Record Christmas Stocking Heralded by McCaskill", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Joy to Sedalia! World Record Christmas Stocking Heralded by McCaskill \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: Its a Christmas miracle! \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 19, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Ahead of the word-record-breaking Christmas stockings unveiling in Sedalia, Mo. today, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill issued the following statement:\r\nIts a Christmas miracle! Sedalias tight-knit community and its abundance of Christmas spirit has made Missouri quite proud of this massive holiday feat.\r\nAccording to local reports, the red-and-white stocking will be 170-feet-tall and 72-feet-long heel to toe, and was spearheaded by Charlie Thomas of Sedalia. If successful, the Guinness World Record for the Worlds Largest Christmas Stocking will be brought to the United States from Italy, where it currently resides.\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-blunt-push-fema-on-st-louis-sewer-district-appeal", "McCaskill, Blunt Push FEMA on St. Louis Sewer District Appeal", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill, Blunt Push FEMA on St. Louis Sewer District Appeal \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senators write to Federal Emergency Management Agency following damage sustained in 2015-2016 flooding \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 19, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt are requesting full and fair consideration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), following a second appeal by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District related to damage to the areas sanitary sewer system following flooding in 2015-2016.\r\nAfter affected property owners filed millions of dollars in claims due to widespread sewer backups, the Sewer District requested resources from FEMA to reimburse residents for the damage. The Sewer Districts first appeal was rejected, and the Senators are contacting FEMA headquarters in conjunction with the Sewer Districts second appeal.\r\nThe St. Louis Sewer District has made good faith efforts to respond to FEMA and help residents whose property was damaged as a result of flooding that occurred nearly two years ago, McCaskill said. I hope FEMA gives their appeal full consideration.\r\nFederal support is critical to ensuring the St. Louis area is able to fully recover from previous flooding, said Blunt. I urge FEMA to fully and carefully consider the St. Louis Sewer Districts appeal.\r\nThe Senators have repeatedly worked together to advocate for Missouri resources. Last month they wrote a letter to FEMA in support of resources for Joplin as it continues to deal with the aftermath of the deadly tornado there in 2011. This month, they also requested full consideration of resources for Carter County Missouri after damage due to flooding earlier this month.\r\n the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District received more than $5 million in claims from affected property owners and has requested FEMA assistance for emergency protective measures, the Senators wrote to FEMA Assistant Administrator Alex Amparo. We understand the Sewer District has made good faith efforts to respond to all requests from FEMA for additional information and documentation, and we ask that you give the Districts appeal full and fair consideration.\r\nRead the full text of the Senators letter 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/mccaskill-demands-answers-after-rx-drug-price-goes-from-free-to-more-than-100000-per-year", "McCaskill Demands Answers After Rx Drug Price Goes from Free to More Than $100,000 Per Year", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Demands Answers After Rx Drug Price Goes from Free to More Than $100,000 Per Year \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator continues years-long effort to curb sudden and dramatic increase in pharmaceutical prices \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 19, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  After a public report that a decades-old drugthat was provided free of charge as recently as 2016had suddenly seen its price soar to a cost of more than $15,000 per bottle, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is demanding answers from Strongbridge Biopharma, which acquired the drug and relaunched it earlier this year.\r\n\r\nTime and again weve seen pharmaceutical companies acquire decades old prescription drugs and gouge consumersand its time we explored every possible way to prevent this practice, McCaskill said. Im prepared to work with the FDA and Congress to see what we can do to prevent these types of sudden price spikes.\r\nIn a letter to Strongbridge President and CEO Matthew Pauls, McCaskill requested additional information on the drug Keveyis, including a detailed description of the factors contributing to the companys pricing decision and total gross revenue from the companys sales of the drug.\r\nPatients suffering from periodic paralysis and all other Americans concerned about price spikes for rare-disease treatments do, in fact, deserve an explanation of recent company decisions, McCaskill wrote to Pauls.\r\nMcCaskill has previously introduced the bipartisan Increasing Competition in Pharmaceuticals Act with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to improve the Food and Drug Administrations approval process for certain generic applications. By promoting competition in the generic drug marketplace, the bill would help lower costs and improve the accessibility of decades-old prescription drugs.\r\nThe legislation stems from the only bipartisan investigation into the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to the egregious price spikes for certain drugs, which was led by McCaskill and Collins last Congress. From the beginning, the investigation strived to understand why companies can make these large price increases and to identify which policies should be considered to counter these disturbing practices.\r\nAs the former top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, McCaskill embarked on a statewide tour of Missouri during which she heard directly from seniors on issues ranging from Medicare and Medicaid to prescription drug prices. Last year, Americans were expected to spend more than $328 billion on prescription drugs. Of this amount, individuals paid about $50 billion out-of-pocket. The federal government picked up another $110 billion in payments through Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, and other programs.\r\nRead McCaskills letter online HERE.\r\n\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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kmbc-mccaskill-calls-on-postmaster-general-to-fix-one-of-the-dumbest-things-shes-come-across", "KMBC: McCaskill calls on Postmaster General to fix 'one of the dumbest things' she's come across", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kmbc-mccaskill-proposing-bipartisan-plan-to-save-pensions", "KMBC: McCaskill proposing bipartisan plan to save pensions", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kmov-mccaskill-holds-50th-town-hall-of-2017-speaks-volumes-of-her-commitment-to-missouri", "KMOV: McCaskill holds 50th town hall of 2017, \"speaks volumes of her commitment to Missouri\"", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kmov-mccaskill-presses-va-on-reports-of-whistleblower-retaliation", "KMOV: McCaskill presses VA on reports of whistleblower retaliation", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/koam-claire-mccaskill-fights-to-expand-loan-assistance-program-to-help-volunteer-firefighters", "KOAM: Claire McCaskill fights to expand loan assistance program to help volunteer firefighters", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kode-mccaskill-greets-full-room-for-town-hall-at-southwest-missouri-center-in-webb-city", "KODE: McCaskill greets full room for town hall at Southwest Missouri Center in Webb City", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/krcg-threats-facing-us-food-supply-leads-to-bipartisan-mccaskill-legislation", "KRCG: Threats facing U.S. food supply leads to bipartisan McCaskill legislation", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/ktvi-missouri-senator-claire-mccaskill-calling-for-answers-from-va-over-whistleblower-retaliation", "KTVI: Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill calling for answers from VA over whistleblower retaliation", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/ktvi-town-hall-meetings-are-the-only-way-missourians-voices-can-be-heard-mccaskill-says", "KTVI: Town hall meetings are the only way Missourians' voices can be heard, McCaskill says", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/ktvo-a-battle-for-medical-benefits-from-the-us-government-is-coming-to-an-end-for-one-mo-family", "KTVO: A battle for medical benefits from the U.S. government is coming to an end for one MO family", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/ktvo-claire-mccaskill-demanding-answers-from-us-postal-service-for-missouri-address-confusion", "KTVO: Claire McCaskill demanding answers from U.S. Postal Service for Missouri address confusion", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kytv-missouris-senator-claire-mccaskill-closing-in-on-50-public-town-hall-meetings", "KYTV: Missouri's Senator Claire McCaskill closing in on 50 public town hall meetings", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kytv-moms-dads-and-doctors-worried-about-kids-losing-healthcare-in-mo", "KYTV: Moms, dads and doctors worried about kids losing healthcare in MO", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/kytv-senator-claire-mccaskill-talks-taxes-at-public-west-plains-town-hall", "KYTV: Senator Claire McCaskill talks taxes at public West Plains town hall", "2017-12-19", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-calls-on-student-loan-companies-to-end-predatory", "Congressman Cleaver Calls on Student Loan Companies to End Predatory Loan Practices", "2017-12-18", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.)  Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) sent letters to the CEOs of the four largest student loan servicers - Navient, Nelnet, Great Lakes and FedLoan Servicing - urging them to address consumercomplaints about inadequate servicing, poor record-keeping, and steering borrowers into costly repayment plans.\nWe write to you with deep concern over the rising rate of student loan defaults and continuous claims of fraudulent practices in lending, servicing, and collecting, the letter states.\nStudent loan debt has grown to over $1.3 trillion in the United States with nearly 5 million Americans currently in default as mentioned in this Wall Street Journal report.\nPersis Yu is an attorney and the Director of National Consumer Law Centers Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.\n\"Servicers can play a critical role in helping student loan borrowers keep their loans manageable and affordable. Unfortunately, as we saw in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus lawsuit against Navient, bad servicing can be very costly for borrowers, and can even cause borrowers to default on their loans. We applaud Representative Cleavers efforts to ensure that servicers working for the federal taxpayer are operating in the best interest of student loan borrowers,\" said Director Yu.\nCleaver and Jayapal are requesting that the student loan companies:\n Implement an aggressive campaign to retrain staff on repayment plans and other available plans\n Implement an escalated customer support pilot program to service high risk borrowers and borrowers who have rehabilitated loans\n Commit to working with an independent third party to review their student borrower accounts and identify those who are delinquent and at high risk for default. Work with these borrowe\n Implement call center business hours that can service borrowers coast to coast. Currently west coast borrowers are having issues reaching east coast servicers to receive timely support. Congressman Cleaver has been aggressively seeking solutions to combat the overwhelming burdens of student loans. He held a town hall in his district in Kansas City, Missouri last summer specifically geared to the topic of student loan debt. Congressman Cleaver also called on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of Educations student loan services and industry practices.\nThis is an issue that needs immediate remediation. There are too many people in the U.S. who are struggling and if we can lessen the burden with these student loans, we can help people breathe a little easier, said Congressman Cleaver.\nThe letters can be viewed on the following links; Navient, Nelnet, Great Lakes and FedLoan Servicing. \nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouris Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lees 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/the-town-hall-senator-mccaskill-armed-with-missourians-input-from-50-public-town-halls-is-ready-as-ever-to-fight-for-the-state-i-love", "The Town Hall Senator: McCaskill, Armed with Missourians’ Input from 50 Public Town Halls, is ‘ready as ever to fight for the state I love’", "2017-12-18", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Town Hall Senator: McCaskill, Armed with Missourians Input from 50 Public Town Halls, is ready as ever to fight for the state I love \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Averaging nearly one town hall per week in 2017, McCaskill plans to keep raising Missourians voices in Washington \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 18, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMISSOURI  The only way Missourians will know that their voices are being heard in Washington, is if Im showing up, hearing them, listening and learning, and using what I learn to fight for them in the Senate.\r\nThat, says Senator Claire McCaskill, is the driving principle behind the historic number of public town halls she held throughout Missouri in 2017.\r\nSaturday marked McCaskills 50th public town hall this yearmore than the rest of Missouris Congressional delegation combinedmeaning she averaged nearly one town hall every week.\r\nAll but two of the counties in which McCaskill hosted public town halls are traditionally conservative counties that delivered double-digit victories for President Donald Trump last year, an issue McCaskill specifically highlighted:\r\nWhether or not folks always agree with me isnt the pointI represent all Missourians, and I owe it to all Missourians to show up, show respect, hold myself accountable, and listen, said McCaskill, who was born in Rolla and raised in Houston and Lebanon, Missouri.\r\nThe feedback McCaskill has collected through her town halls has already fueled several of the fights she is waging in the Senatefrom the urgent need to invest in rural broadband, and feedback on how to protect Missourians access to healthcare, to ideas on how to boost job opportunities, invest in critical infrastructure like roads and bridges, and confront a growing opioid drug crisis in Missouri communities.\r\nMcCaskill has committed to using what she has heard to reinforce her efforts in the new year.\r\nWhat Missourians told metheir ideas, their concerns, their criticismsall of it makes me a better Senator, better equipped to achieve the results they expect. And Im ready as ever to fight for the state I love.\r\n\r\nBy the numbers:\r\n50\r\nthe number of public town halls, announced in advance, and open to any Missourian and to the press, that McCaskill held in 2017more than the rest of Missouris Congressional delegation combined\r\nalso, the number of press conferences with local reporters following each town hall\r\n0\r\nissues or questions from Missourians that McCaskill ducked or shied away from\r\nThousands\r\nthe number of Missourians who attended McCaskills town halls to get their questions answered and offer her their ideas and feedback\r\n\r\nCounties that hosted McCaskills 2017 public town halls:\r\n \r\nAdair\r\nAudrain\r\nBarry\r\nBoone\r\nBuchanan\r\nButler\r\nCallaway\r\nCamden\r\nCape Girardeau\r\nCass\r\nChristian\r\nCrawford\r\nDeKalb\r\nDunklin\r\nFranklin (2)\r\nGreene\r\nGrundy\r\nHarrison\r\nHenry\r\nHowell\r\nJackson\r\nJasper\r\nJefferson\r\nJohnson\r\nLincoln\r\nLivingston\r\nMacon\r\nMarion\r\nMiller\r\nMoniteau (2)\r\nMonroe (2)\r\nMorgan\r\nNew Madrid\r\nNodaway\r\nPhelps\r\nPike\r\nPlatte\r\nPolk\r\nPulaski\r\nRandolph\r\nSt. Francois\r\nSt. Louis\r\nStoddard\r\nTaney\r\nTexas\r\nWarren\r\nWashington\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/missouri-volunteer-firefighters-first-responders-could-benefit-from-mccaskill-student-loan-forgiveness-plan", "Missouri Volunteer Firefighters, First Responders Could Benefit from McCaskill Student Loan Forgiveness Plan", "2017-12-15", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Missouri Volunteer Firefighters, First Responders Could Benefit from McCaskill Student Loan Forgiveness Plan \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Volunteer firefighters, first responders in more than 100 Missouri fire departments could be eligible for education benefits; Fire Fighters Association of Missouri head: Making volunteer firefighters eligible for federal student loan forgiveness would be a powerful recruitment and retention incentive \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 15, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Continuing her longstanding support for Missouri firefighters and first responders, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is backing legislation to strengthen education benefits for volunteer firefighters and first responders at up to 100 or more fire departments in Missouri.\r\nMcCaskills plan would expand eligibility to volunteer firefighters and first responders for the Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. There are more than 100 volunteer fire departments in Missouri. Any volunteer firefighter or first responder with student loans would be eligible for this program, which could pay off the entirety of their student loan debt.\r\nId like to thank Senator McCaskill for her support for the Volunteer First Responder Loan Forgiveness Act, said Kenneth Hoover, President of the Fire Fighters Association of Missouri. Volunteer and combination fire departments across the state are struggling to recruit and retain the next generation of volunteers. Making volunteer firefighters eligible for federal student loan forgiveness would be a powerful recruitment and retention incentive and a just reward for the hard work and dedication of volunteer emergency responders across the state.\r\nMissouris first responders are on the front lines of protecting our families, homes, and businessesand weve got to do everything we can to ensure they can continue to recruit top-notch talent to serve our communities, said McCaskill, who prosecuted arson cases as a Jackson County prosecutor. That should include access to the same student loan forgiveness programs afforded other public service employees.\r\nId like to thank Senator McCaskill for her strong support for this important legislation, said Kevin Quinn, Chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council. Volunteer emergency responders donate countless hours each year training and responding to emergencies, and are the sole providers of emergency services in nearly 20,000 communities across the nation. Passage of this bill will give fire and EMS agencies a powerful recruitment and retention tool, while giving long-serving volunteers the ability to have their college loans forgiven.\r\nApproximately 70 percent of the fire fighters in the U.S. serve in a volunteer capacity. These volunteers spend large amounts of their own time and money training to respond to emergencies within their communities. Volunteer first responders save local taxpayers more than $30 billion annually, and most volunteer first responders serve rural communities where full-time departments are not feasible.\r\nMcCaskillwho as a young Jackson County prosecutor was tasked with prosecuting arson cases in the cityis a longtime supporter of Missouri firefighters and first responders. McCaskill passed legislation through the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where she serves as the top-ranking Democrat, to help fire and emergency services personnel continue to have access to critical training, equipment, and staffing resources. Earlier this year, McCaskill met with Missouris State Council of Firefighters to discuss her commitment to public safety and the funding challenges they face.\r\nVisitmccaskill.senate.govto learn more about McCaskills 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/video/view/50th-town-hall-of-2017-and-50-amazing-communities-to-thank", "50th Town Hall of 2017... and 50 amazing communities to thank", "2017-12-15", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.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/joplin-disaster-recovery-extension-granted-after-mccaskill-blunt-efforts", "Joplin Disaster Recovery Extension Granted After McCaskill, Blunt Efforts", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Joplin Disaster Recovery Extension Granted After McCaskill, Blunt Efforts \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senators asked that FEMA give full and fair consideration to citys extension request following 2011 tornado \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Following a request from U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted Joplins request for an extension to the deadline for completing four projects as part of recovery efforts from the 2011 tornado that devastated the region.\r\nLast month the Senators requested FEMA give full consideration to Joplins request for an extension. The projects will repair streets, sidewalks, catch basins, curbs and gutters. An extension allows Joplin to complete the projects as part of the citys broader disaster recovery efforts while continuing to receive reimbursements from FEMA.\r\nThis extension gives Joplin more time to complete the critical infrastructure projects thatll continue to help the citys roads recover from the devastating tornado, McCaskill said. Its good news for the city, and for taxpayers  giving Joplin the flexibility to sequence its projects in a way thatll reduce wasteful spending.\r\nThe Joplin tornado had a devastating impact on much of the local infrastructure, and the federal government can help ensure the community continues to have the support it needs to rebuild, Blunt said. This extension will provide much-needed flexibility for recovery efforts that still need to be done. Ill continue working with local, state, and federal officials to ensure Joplin has the support and resources it needs.\r\nMcCaskill and Blunt have continued to support recovery efforts in the Joplin area since the 2011 tornado. Earlier this year, the Senators wrote to the Department of Homeland Security supporting the Joplin Public School Systems second appeal for funding high school repairs.\r\nRead the Senators letter to FEMA 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/mccaskill-seeks-answers-on-tv-crime-drama-about-postal-inspectors-funded-by-the-postal-service-yes-this-is-a-real-thing", "McCaskill Seeks Answers on TV Crime Drama About Postal Inspectors Funded by the Postal Service (Yes, This is a Real Thing)", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Seeks Answers on TV Crime Drama About Postal Inspectors Funded by the Postal Service (Yes, This is a Real Thing) \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator requests details from USPS about their sponsorship of the weekly Saturday morning TV show, The Inspectors \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is demanding to know how and why the United States Postal Service (USPS) sponsors a weekly TV show on CBS. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver recently spotlighted the series, which airs on Saturday mornings and tells stories based off of mail fraud and scams that USPS inspectors targeted.\r\n\r\nI know postal inspectors do great and important workbut Im not sure they need to be sponsoring a scripted TV drama when the agency is having such massive financial problems and closing post offices in Missouri and across the country, McCaskill said.                                 \r\nThe Inspectors is sponsored by USPS Postal Inspection Service and went on air in 2015, running on CBS on Saturday mornings. McCaskill wrote the Postmaster General requesting answers on who within the Postal Service approved sponsoring the show, how it is funded, and what metrics have been used to review the shows effectiveness.\r\n\r\nSince her time as Missouri State Auditor, McCaskill has been a leading voice in Missouri and Washington for cutting wasteful government spending. She became the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this past January. In McCaskills position leading the Committee, she has called for answers on questionable government contracts, such as one that left taxpayers on the hook for over $50 million in questionable costs, including seven luxury vehicles and $400,000 average salaries for significant others of corporate officers to serve as executive assistants. She recently demanded details from the Federal Communications Commission on efforts to follow through on almost $90 million in fines proposed against providers for the Lifeline program. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskillwaged a successful six-year effortto crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contracting.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskills letter to the Postmaster General HERE.\r\n\r\nVisitmccaskill.senate.gov/spendingto learn more about McCaskill's fight to cut wasteful spending 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/on-pensions-mccaskill-tells-missouri-retirees-i-wont-stop-fighting-for-you", "On Pensions, McCaskill Tells Missouri Retirees: ‘I won’t stop fighting for you’", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On Pensions, McCaskill Tells Missouri Retirees: I wont stop fighting for you \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator met with retired Missouri truckers and their families who are facing potential cuts to their pensions \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Retired Missouri truck drivers and their families met with U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to discuss her efforts to protect pension promises made to more than 32,000 Missourians and protecting them from the potential collapse of the Central States Pension Plan.\r\nThousands of Missourians were promised that after decades of working hard, playing by the rules, and paying into their pension, they would be able to retire with dignity, McCaskill said. Now, through no fault of their own, theyre facing drastic cuts, breaking the promises made to them. Thats just wrong, and I wont stop fighting for these Missourians to get the pensions they earned.\r\nCynthia McDaniel of Appleton City, Mo., Connie Marascuilo of Kansas City, Mo., and John Carey, of Kansas City, Mo. were among those meeting with McCaskill to discuss how cuts to their promised pensions would impact their lives. Mrs. McDaniel also attended a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin earlier this year, after McCaskill requested Secretary Mnuchin meet with affected Missourians. Mrs. McDaniels husband drove trucks for 40 years, the majority of which was with Consolidated Freightways in Kansas City. Mrs. Marascuilos husband has been a truck driver for more than 30 years and is counting on his pension in retirement. Mr. Carey is a retired truck driver.\r\nMcCaskills legislation, the Butch Lewis Act, would create a new office within the Treasury Department that would allow pension plans to borrow the money they need to remain solvent and continue providing retirement security for retirees and workers for decades to come, and all without cuts to pensions. McCaskill was the only member of the Missouri Congressional delegation to vote against legislation that allowed for deep cuts to retiree benefits for the more than 32,000 Missourians who participate in the Central States Pension Fund.\r\nEarlier this year, Missouri workers and retirees joined McCaskill for a roundtable discussion on the importance of protecting pension plans from deep cuts. McCaskill also hosted a February listening session with retirees to discuss the importance of guaranteeing pension benefits.\r\nClick HERE to read a recent op-ed from McCaskill on keeping pension promises to 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/saturday-50th-mccaskill-town-hall-of-the-year-in-kirkwood", "SATURDAY: 50th McCaskill Town Hall of the Year in Kirkwood", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SATURDAY: 50th McCaskill Town Hall of the Year in Kirkwood \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator\u2014averaging nearly one town hall per week in 2017\u2014will host public town hall at St. Louis Community College  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 14, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tKIRKWOOD \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is bringing her town hall tour of Missouri to the town where she lives, and will host her 50th public town hall of the year at St. Louis Community College, Meramec Campus in Kirkwood this Saturday, December 16.\r\n\r\nSaturday, December 16 at 10:00 a.m. CT at the St. Louis Community College, Meramec Campus Theatre in Kirkwood, McCaskill will hold a public town hall, with media availability to follow.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe only way Missourians will know that their voices are being heard in Washington, is if I\u2019m showing up, listening, and using what I learn to fight for them,\u201d said McCaskill, who has hosted more public town halls in her time as Senator than the rest of Missouri\u2019s Congressional delegation combined. \u201cWhether or not folks always agree with me isn\u2019t the point\u2014I represent all Missourians, and I owe it to all Missourians to show up, show respect, hold myself accountable, and listen. What Missourians tell me\u2014their ideas, their concerns, their criticisms\u2014all of it makes me a better Senator, better equipped to achieve the results they expect.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe feedback McCaskill has collected through her town halls has already fueled several of the fights she is waging in the Senate\u2014from the urgent need to invest in rural broadband, and feedback on how to protect Missourians\u2019 access to healthcare, to ideas on how to boost job opportunities, invest in critical infrastructure like roads and bridges, and confront a growing opioid drug crisis in Missouri communities.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has hosted forty-nine public town hall forums on previous tours across Missouri this year. In 2009 during debate over the Affordable Care Act\u2014at a time of heightened demonstrations against the legislation\u2014McCaskill held a series of highly publicized town halls, including in traditionally conservative areas of Missouri, to hear directly from Missourians about their concerns and respond to criticisms. In 2014, McCaskill logged more than 1,000 miles around the state on her \u201cMcCaskill on Main Street\u201d series of public town halls. McCaskill has also toured the state with town halls aimed at military veterans and seniors\u2014and has hosted individual town halls, such as one she hosted last year with then-U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack focused on the opioid epidemic.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill Public Town Hall \u2013 Kirkwood\r\n\r\nSaturday, December 16th\r\n10:00 a.m. CT public town hall\r\nMedia availability following the event\r\nMeramec Campus Theatre\r\nSt. Louis Community College\r\n11333 Big Bend Road\r\nKirkwood, Mo. 63122-5720\r\n*Seating is limited and offered on a first come first serve basis. Parking available in the West Lot off Couch Avenue. Campus map available 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/breaking-us-senate-reports-reveal-internal-disagreements-over-technology-and-border-wall-funding-personnel-priorities-in-administrations-fy-2019-budget-proposal", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Reports Reveal Internal Disagreements over Technology and Border Wall Funding, Personnel Priorities in Administration’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Reports Reveal Internal Disagreements over Technology and Border Wall Funding, Personnel Priorities in Administration\u2019s FY 2019 Budget Proposal \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After receiving whistleblower document, Democratic staff of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issue two additional reports on White House budget guidance that would cut Department of Homeland Security priorities, including critical technology funding, to pay for border wall and would deny pay raises for law enforcement  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 13, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today issued two reports detailing how the White House rejected Department of Homeland Security (DHS) priorities\u2014including border security technology\u2014in order to pay for a border wall and how the White House directed DHS to deny requested pay raises for DHS law enforcement officials in FY 2019. The reports are based on an FY 2019 budget document DHS received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which was provided to the Committee by a whistleblower. Yesterday, the Committee published details on the Administration\u2019s proposed cuts to counterterrorism programs based on the same whistleblower document.\r\n\r\nFederal agencies develop their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year and submit a request to OMB, typically in the fall. OMB then reviews the proposed budget, ensuring it aligns with the President\u2019s priorities, and communicates its funding decisions to the agency through a process referred to as \u201cpassback.\u201d At times, OMB provides less money than requested; in other instances it provides more. In late November 2017, a whistleblower provided OMB\u2019s nonpublic \u201cpassback\u201d document to the Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The document is titled the Department of Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and Policy Guidance and details OMB guidance from the President to the Department of Homeland Security regarding its FY 2019 budget proposal.\r\n\r\nKey Findings: Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Request on Border Security Priorities:\r\n\r\n \r\nOMB instructed DHS to seek $1.6 billion \u2013 $700 million more than the Department\u2019s original budget request \u2013 for border wall construction in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.\r\nOMB instructed DHS to decrease its funding request for specific border security technology and equipment initiatives by approximately $175 million.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nDespite its assertion that \u201csurveillance in the [Rio Grande Valley] Sector is a continued priority,\u201d OMB instructed DHS to request only $43.7 million for Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS) \u2013 a $44.6 million reduction to the Department\u2019s original request, constituting a cut of over 50%.\u00a0OMB acknowledged that reductions to RVSS technology are necessary \u201cto offset the costs of Presidential priorities not funded in the DHS request.\u201d\r\n \r\n\r\nKey Findings: Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Request on Border Security Personnel:\r\n \r\nOMB rejected DHS\u2019s request for pay raises for all civilian DHS law enforcement officers, despite challenges the agency has faced to fill current shortages. Additionally, OMB seeks a pay freeze for all federal civilian employees.\r\nWhile ports of entry\u2014staffed by CBP Officers\u2014are short thousands of officers, OMB did not accept DHS\u2019s proposed increase in funding for CBP Officers.\r\nOMB instructed DHS to hire 1,000 more new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents than DHS actually requested, raising the total number of new law enforcement personnel ICE must hire in FY 2019 from 1,000 to 2,000.\r\n \r\nThe Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee\u2019s Democratic staff reports, led by the staff of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, are available online HERE, and HERE.\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/latest-headlines/sen-mccaskill-highlights-local-impact-of-proposed-counterterrorism-program-cuts", "Sen. McCaskill highlights local impact of proposed counterterrorism program cuts", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. McCaskill highlights local impact of proposed counterterrorism program cuts \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Tuesday, December 12, 2017\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Aaron Martin\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the FBI testified before a Senate panel on Friday about evolving international terrorist threats and the impact of $582.8 million in proposed cuts to counterterrorism programs.\r\nU.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, voiced concerns about how the Trump Administration\u2019s proposed cuts to counterterrorism programs would impact St. Louis and Kansas City during Friday\u2019s hearing.\r\n\u201cPreventing radicalization, as well as preventing and responding to attacks, demands training, support, and other resources for state and local governments, law enforcement, and first responders,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI am deeply concerned that many essential counterterrorism programs that provide that support were reduced or outright eliminated in the president\u2019s fiscal year 2018 budget.\u201d\r\nCounterterrorism that is operated by the DHS and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to help state and local governments mitigate terrorist threats would be cut under the administration\u2019s proposed budget. Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams, which TSA administers to sweep and monitor transportation hubs, would be among the cuts.\r\nMcCaskill also noted that DHS counterterrorism programs that provide funding to the Kansas City Transportation Authority and the St. Louis Lambert International Airport would also be affected by the proposed cuts.\r\n\u201cIn July, DHS announced awards through the Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks Grant Program; Kansas City and St. Louis were both awarded money,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI am very familiar with how these resources are being used, and they are being used wisely and appropriately. Programs like this are essential to bolstering security in our cities. But the president\u2019s budget proposed eliminating this grant program, as well.\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/senator-claire-mccaskill-to-fcc-deliver-on-our-nations-universal-service-promise-to-missourians", "Senator Claire McCaskill to FCC: “Deliver on our nation’s universal service promise to Missourians.”", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Claire McCaskill to FCC: \u201cDeliver on our nation\u2019s universal service promise to Missourians.\u201d \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Tuesday, December 12, 2017\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is urging the Federal Communications Commission ensures that broadband providers deliver on rural service for Missourians.\r\nIn a press release from the senator Tuesday, it was announced that McCaskill asked the agency to implement strong upfront oversight safeguards against waste and abuse. The FCC is preparing to award $1.98 billion in rural broadband funding next year.\r\nMcCaskill wrote in a letter to the leadership of the FCC that \u201c\u2026More than 112,000 locations in rural Missouri are preliminarily eligible for universal service funding through the auction. These unserved communities\u00a0 have been waiting years for broadband and the auction presents a unique opportunity to finally allow universal service funding to flow to these communities in Missouri.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill cited concerns that the commission would fail to ensure sufficient safeguards in the auction that would not only fail to connect rural Missouri with broadband, but also risk introducing waste and fraud into the program. She encouraged the commission to screen applicants in an effort to ensure that they were qualified and capable of serving households in the geographic areas in which they were bidding.\r\nIn 2018, the FCC is expected to move forward with a first-of-its-kind reverse auction to award $1.98 million a year over the next 10 years in funding for broadband in rural and underserved areas.\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/senator-fears-bills-language-will-hinder-probes", "Senator fears bill's language will hinder probes", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator fears bill's language will hinder probes \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Tuesday, December 12, 2017\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Ken Newton\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            \r\nPresident Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act Tuesday, a measure funding the American military for the 2018 fiscal year.\r\n\r\n\r\nMissouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of the $700 billion spending bill, which includes some priorities for St. Joseph.\r\n\r\n\r\nBut the Democratic lawmaker musters her state auditor roots when she fears the defense bill might hinder the work of the inspector general overseeing reconstruction in Afghanistan.\r\n\r\n\r\nRestrictive language in the bill, she said in a letter Monday, inhibits efforts to uncover misspent money.\r\n\r\n\r\nThis inspector general\u2019s office \u201chas identified billions of dollars of government waste, fraud and abuse,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cIt has been an important partner in my efforts to protect taxpayer dollars, and I\u2019m committed to ensuring nothing gets in the way of its critical work.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\nThe war in Afghanistan predates McCaskill\u2019s tenure in the Senate, but she became a leader in the chamber of contracting oversight in the rebuilding of that nation. Patterning it after a wartime profiteering probe initiated by then Sen. Harry Truman, she led the Financial & Contracting Oversight Committee for six years.\r\n\r\n\r\nLast year, she inserted into a law a prohibition on U.S. tax dollars being spent on work in Afghanistan if the project lacked access by oversight officials. This year, she called into question $400 million in American spending on Afghanistan projects on the verge of failure.\r\n\r\n\r\nShe has stewarded legislation offering whistleblower protections as a means of discovering instances of governmental waste or fraud.\r\n\r\n\r\nIn the defense measure signed Tuesday, McCaskill wrote in a letter to John F. Sopko, the special inspector general, that the bill\u2019s language requires specific auditing standards for all its work, even the work not associated with an audit, such as congressional testimony.\r\n\r\n\r\nSuch a restriction could undermine the inspector general\u2019s independence, she said. Her amendment to modify the requirement was not accepted into the final bill.\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cIf at any time your office feels that the integrity of its oversight is endangered due to the new requirements in the (defense bill), please alert me,\u201d she urged the inspector general.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe bill signing puts in motion $10 million for construction of a communications facility at the Air National Guard base at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, along with movement toward funding of a C-130H full-motion simulator at the base.\r\n\r\n\r\nMissouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, on Tuesday noted that a measure he had introduced, the Military Family Stability Act, became law with the defense bill signing. It provides flexibility for service members when relocating to a new assignment.\r\n\r\n\r\nKansas Sen. Jerry Moran got into the bill a measure to give records access to veterans exposed to toxic substances. The Republican said the declassification of documents would affect 100 or more service members affected by these toxins.\r\n\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/breaking-us-senate-report-reveals-internal-disagreements-over-funding-counterterrorism-programs-in-administrations-fy-2019-budget-proposal", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Report Reveals Internal Disagreements over Funding Counterterrorism Programs in Administration’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Report Reveals Internal Disagreements over Funding Counterterrorism Programs in Administration\u2019s FY 2019 Budget Proposal \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After receiving whistleblower document, Democratic staff of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issues report showing that the White House rejected key counterterrorism elements of the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s budget request  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 12, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today issued a report detailing the Administration\u2019s intended funding cuts to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) state, local, and national counterterrorism programs based on an FY 2019 budget document DHS received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which was provided to the Committee by a whistleblower.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m worried that the Office of Management and Budget is overriding what local, state, and national leaders have told me they most need to keep us safe,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cWith recent terrorist attacks in our country and throughout the globe, counterterrorism programs shouldn\u2019t be on the chopping block.\u201d\r\nFederal agencies develop their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year and submit a request to OMB, typically in the fall. OMB then reviews the proposed budget, ensuring it aligns with the President\u2019s priorities, and communicates its funding decisions to the agency through a process referred to as \u201cpassback.\u201d At times, OMB provides less money than requested; in other instances it provides more. In late November 2017, a whistleblower provided OMB\u2019s nonpublic \u201cpassback\u201d document to the Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The document is titled the Department of Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and Policy Guidance and details OMB guidance from the President to the Department of Homeland Security regarding its FY 2019 budget proposal. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Democrat Staff report examines counterterrorism cuts in the \u201cpassback\u201d document, including DHS\u2019s initial FY 2019 budget proposal and OMB\u2019s responsive guidance directing more drastic cuts.\r\nKey findings from the report, Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Requests for Counterterrorism Programs:\r\n \r\nVisible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams are multi-disciplinary groups of security officers deployed to various locations to prevent and deter acts of terrorism. Rejecting DHS\u2019s request, OMB instructed DHS to completely eliminate VIPR Teams and cut an additional $27 million for Federal Air Marshals.\r\n \r\n \r\nDenying DHS\u2019s request, OMB ordered DHS to seek $11 million in additional cuts for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Administration intends to seek $568 million in total cuts to DHS counterterrorism programs from FY 2017 enacted budget levels.\r\n \r\nMcCaskill has previously emphasized the importance of DHS\u2019s counterterrorism programs. She has repeatedly questioned DHS and other national security officials about potential cuts to the programs during Senate hearings, and a report issued by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Democratic staff earlier this year highlighted the impact of the Administration\u2019s proposed FY 2018 budget cuts.\r\nThe report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee\u2019s Democratic staff, led by the staff of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, 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/on-rural-broadband-access-mccaskill-tells-communications-agency-to_deliver-on-our-nations-universal-service-promise-to-missourians", "On Rural Broadband Access, McCaskill Tells Communications Agency to  ‘deliver on our nation’s universal service promise to Missourians’", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On Rural Broadband Access, McCaskill Tells Communications Agency to  \u2018deliver on our nation\u2019s universal service promise to Missourians\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator urges safeguards in broadband auction to protect integrity of service in rural areas; As FCC prepares to award $1.98 billion for rural broadband, asks agency to prescreen applicants and prioritize proven technologies \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 12, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ensure broadband providers can deliver on rural service for Missourians, asking the agency to implement strong upfront oversight safeguards against waste and abuse as it prepares to award $1.98 billion in rural broadband funding next year.\r\n\u201c\u2026 More than 112,000 locations in rural Missouri are preliminarily eligible for universal service funding through the [Connect America Fund Phase II] auction,\u201d wrote McCaskill in a letter to the leadership of the FCC. \u201cThese unserved communities have been waiting years for broadband and the auction presents a unique opportunity to finally allow universal service funding to flow to these communities in Missouri.\u201d\r\nThe letter continues: \u201cI am concerned, however, that the Commission may fail to adopt sufficient safeguards in the auction. Absent adequate safeguards, the auction could not only fail to connect rural Missouri with broadband, but also risks introducing waste and fraud into the program\u2026 To protect the integrity of the program, I urge the commission to screen applicants to ensure they are both qualified to participate and have the ability to serve all unserved households in geographic areas where they are bidding with the applicable speed and capacity\u2026 Adopting these common sense safeguards should help ensure a fair auction and help to finally deliver on our nation\u2019s universal service promise to rural Missourians.\u201d\r\nNext year, the FCC is expected to move forward with a first-of-its kind reverse auction to award $198 million a year over 10 years, or $1.98 billion, in funding for broadband in unserved areas. The FCC is considering public comments as it finalizes the rules and procedures for the auction.\r\nMcCaskill, a longtime advocate for improving access to affordable, reliable forms of communication in small towns and rural communities, recently backed\u00a0bipartisan legislation\u00a0to ensure Missourians in rural communities receive reliable and affordable phone call quality. Additionally, McCaskill\u00a0introduced the\u00a0Community Broadband Act\u00a0to improve internet access in rural communities by protecting the rights of localities\u2014which often face significant cost and other barriers\u2014to build municipal broadband networks, and, along with fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, has previously urged the FCC to move forward on its rural broadband auction without delay.\r\nThis fall, following a call from McCaskill for Verizon to reverse course on its plan to drop nearly 8,500 rural customers nationally\u2014including approximately 400 Missourians\u2014from access to wireless broadband service within 30 days, Verizon announced it will allow affected customers who want to stay with Verizon to do so after changing service plans, and allow more time for those who wish to leave the carrier altogether to do so.\r\nAnd this summer McCaskill held a\u00a0roundtable\u00a0with federal and local officials to discuss the importance of rural broadband. Currently, more than 60 percent of Missourians in rural areas do not have broadband access. Following the roundtable, she wrote to the FCC to express concerns about the auction rules that she heard directly from the Missouri electric cooperatives.\r\nFull text of letter HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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/video/view/missourians-deserve-real-bipartisan-tax-reform", "Missourians Deserve Real, Bipartisan Tax Reform", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.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-backed-bill-to-increase-consumer-protections-grow-small-business-clears-key-committee-hurdle", "McCaskill-Backed Bill to Increase Consumer Protections, Grow Small Business, Clears Key Committee Hurdle", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill-Backed Bill to Increase Consumer Protections, Grow Small Business, Clears Key Committee Hurdle \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Financial legislation includes Senator\u2019s bipartisan bill to protect seniors from exploitation Senator: \u2018This is exactly what Missourians expect us to be doing\u2014working together, across party lines, to solve real problems facing Missouri families\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 11, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, along with a group of 19 colleagues, to increase consumer protections, cut burdensome regulation, and support small businesses cleared a key hurdle when it was passed by the Senate Banking Committee and now heads to the Senate floor.\r\n\u201cThis is exactly what Missourians expect us to be doing\u2014working together, across party lines, to solve real problems facing Missouri families, especially our most vulnerable seniors,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis plan is a win-win\u2014helping protect seniors from financial exploitation and increasing consumer protections against identity theft, all while cutting unnecessarily regulations for community banks that help small businesses across Missouri grow and thrive.\u201d\r\nIncluded in the bipartisan plan is McCaskill\u2019s Senior$afe Act, which would encourage and allow the employees of financial institutions to report suspected exploitive or fraudulent activity to authorities when they suspect that a customer might be the victim of financial exploitation.\r\nThe sweeping legislation includes provisions of McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan bill\u2014cosponsored by Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia, and championed by Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer\u2014to provide regulatory relief to small regional banks subject to unnecessarily overly-burdensome regulations put in place by the \u201cDodd-Frank\u201d financial reform bill. Those rules that were never intended for banks that primarily engage in ordinary consumer banking practices.\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate on behalf of Missouri\u2019s consumers. Included in this bipartisan legislation are protections for consumers who fall victim to fraud and tough financial times, including one free year of fraud alerts for consumers impacted by the Wells Fargo scandal and the Equifax breach, as well as gives consumers one free credit freeze and unfreeze per year. And it would shield veterans from having certain medical debt appear on credit reports.\r\nAdditionally, McCaskill\u2019s legislation acknowledges that home-ownership is central to the America\u2019s economic health, and makes it easier for small financial institutions to lend to Missouri families, while supporting low income families.\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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-raises-concerns-over-potential-limits-on-oversight-of-us-spending-in-afghanistan-", "McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Potential Limits on Oversight of U.S. Spending in Afghanistan", "2017-12-11", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Potential Limits on Oversight of U.S. Spending in Afghanistan  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Defense bill could limit role of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which identifies waste and fraud in U.S. government-funded projects in Afghanistan \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 11, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is raising concerns over the possibility that this year\u2019s annual defense bill could limit the oversight work of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which has played a critical role in identifying waste and fraud in U.S. government-funded projects in Afghanistan.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis office has identified billions of dollars of government waste, fraud, or abuse,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cIt has been an important partner in my efforts to protect taxpayer dollars, and I\u2019m committed to ensuring nothing gets in the way of its critical work.\u201d\r\n\r\nThis year\u2019s annual defense bill requires the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction to use specific auditing guidelines for its work overseeing the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, but much of the Office\u2019s work includes non-audit products such as Quarterly Reports to Congress. McCaskill had filed an amendment to strike the provision, but it was not accepted. She encouraged Special Inspector General John Spoko to come forward if the new provision limits his efforts. \u201cThe work SIGAR does is vital to identifying waste, fraud and abuse to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent and it is essential that SIGAR\u2019s work continue unfettered,\u201d McCaskill wrote.\u00a0\u201cIf at any time your office feels that the integrity of its oversight is endangered due to the new requirements in the [annual defense bill], please alert me.\u201d\r\n\r\nInformation from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has extensively informed McCaskill\u2019s efforts to target waste, fraud, and abuse. Just this year, McCaskill demanded answers after the Office\u2019s report found that six projects in Afghanistan costing almost $400 million are at risk of failure and after another of the Office\u2019s reports found that the Department of Defense spent up to $28 million on uniforms with a \u201cforest\u201d pattern despite the fact that forests cover only 2.1 percent of Afghanistan\u2019s total land area. McCaskill has repeatedly raised concerns over Jorge Scientific/Imperatis contracts following the Office\u2019s investigations into the contractor. Most recently, McCaskill blew the whistle on a Jorge Scientific/Imperatis subcontract that billed over $50 million in questionable costs to the Army.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/spending\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to cut wasteful government spending.\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/at-senate-hearing-on-terrorist-threats-mccaskill-raises-concerns-over-proposed-cuts-to-counterterrorism-programs-used-by-kansas-city-st-louis", "At Senate Hearing on Terrorist Threats, McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Proposed Cuts to Counterterrorism Programs Used by Kansas City, St. Louis", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "At Senate Hearing on Terrorist Threats, McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Proposed Cuts to Counterterrorism Programs Used by Kansas City, St. Louis \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator serves as top-ranking Democrat on Homeland Security Committee, has previously questioned government officials over proposed cuts to terrorism prevention and preparedness programs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 During a hearing on defending the country from international terrorist threats, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill raised concerns over the Administration\u2019s proposed cuts to counterterrorism programs across the country, including programs utilized by St. Louis and Kansas City. Witnesses at the hearing, entitled Adapting to Defend the Homeland Against the Evolving International Terrorist Threat, included officials from the Department of Defense, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security.\r\n\u201cPreventing radicalization, as well as preventing and responding to attacks, demands training, support, and other resources for state and local governments, law enforcement, and first responders,\u201d said McCaskill, who serves as the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. \u201cI am deeply concerned that many essential counterterrorism programs that provide that support were reduced or outright eliminated in the President\u2019s FY 2018 budget.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill discussed the importance of these programs in Missouri, stating, \u201cIn July, DHS announced awards through the Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks Grant Program; Kansas City and St. Louis were both awarded money. I am very familiar with how these resources are being used, and they are being used wisely and appropriately. Programs like this are essential to bolstering security in our cities. But the President\u2019s budget proposed eliminating this grant program, as well.\u201d\r\nA report issued by the Homeland Security Committee Democratic staff earlier this year highlighted the impact of the Administration\u2019s proposed $582.8 million in cuts from critical counterterrorism programs that DHS administers, including programs that have provided funding to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and St. Louis Lambert International Airport.\r\nMcCaskill has served on the Homeland Security Committee since joining the Senate, becoming the top-ranking Democrat on the Committee at the beginning of the year. She has repeatedly raised objections to cuts to state and local counterterrorism programs. At a Committee hearing in September, McCaskill questioned Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke about the proposed cuts. McCaskill praised Missouri grants for terrorism preparedness and prevention earlier this year, highlighting the importance of the programs. \r\n Visit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to read more about McCaskill\u2019s efforts to strengthen 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/citing-nearly-400-million-in-duplicative-defense-contracts-mccaskill-urges-department-of-defense-cut-down-on-waste", "Citing Nearly $400 Million in Duplicative Defense Contracts, McCaskill Urges Department of Defense Cut Down on Waste", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Citing Nearly $400 Million in Duplicative Defense Contracts, McCaskill Urges Department of Defense Cut Down on Waste \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After a top watchdog report found millions spent on 2,000 contracts for hundreds of contractors in a year on same helicopter part, Senator questions Pentagon leadership;  \u2018This is the kind of stuff that just makes you want to tear your hair out as somebody who\u2019s a former auditor\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 Continuing her efforts to cut down on waste and inefficiency in government contracting, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, today raised concerns to top Pentagon leadership about nearly $400 million in duplicative defense contracts.\r\n\u201cThey identify in [the Pentagon Inspector General\u2019s report on contracting challenges], that for the H-60 helicopter used by the services and [Southern Command], that [the Department of Defense] have purchased 2.9 million spare parts for the H-60,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cUsing 2,000 separate contracts, awarded to 590 different contractors over a 12 month period, for almost $400 million dollars. And often these parts were purchased for different prices\u2014the same part. This is the kind of stuff that just makes you want to tear your hair out as somebody who\u2019s a former auditor. What roadblocks can you identify, Secretary Lord, that would keep you from fixing something ridiculous like that?\u201d\r\nMcCaskill continued: \u201cI just think when something comes on line you should begin the process of identifying a handful of contractors because you want the consistency and if somebody falls off you\u2019ve got others, and to get the best deal and leverage the best deal for that helicopter. I mean I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve said in this committee and pointed out inefficiencies between the services for things they\u2019re all using.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill also discussed Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson\u2019s visit to Whiteman Air Force Base at her invitation, and the personnel issues involved in hiring trainers for the joint strike fighter, and other slowdowns in hiring civilian personnel.\r\nSince her time as Missouri State Auditor, McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has been a leading voice in Missouri and Washington for cutting wasteful government spending. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has unanimously approved two of her bills with Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana to\u00a0eliminate wasteful spending\u00a0at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. McCaskill has also\u00a0expanded\u00a0whistleblower protections\u00a0to federal contractors, grantees, subgrantees, and others who the federal government directly or indirectly hires through bipartisan bills that have been signed into law. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill\u00a0waged a successful six-year effort\u00a0to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contracting.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/fund-our-rural-schoolsmccaskill-calls-on-congressional-leadership-to-renew-secure-rural-schools", "‘Fund our rural schools’—McCaskill Calls on Congressional Leadership to Renew Secure Rural Schools", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u2018Fund our rural schools\u2019\u2014McCaskill Calls on Congressional Leadership to Renew Secure Rural Schools \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t 29 Missouri counties saw more than $2 million decrease in Secure Rural Schools funding that hurt schools, infrastructure, public safety services \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 Continuing her advocacy for Missouri\u2019s rural schools and communities, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has joined a bipartisan effort to restore Secure Rural Schools funding for communities surrounding Mark Twain National Forest\u2014to provide resources to support local schools, transportation, and public safety services.\r\n\u201cPublic schools are the beating hearts of our small towns and rural communities in Missouri\u2014and I\u2019m not about to let up in my fight to see them get the resources they need,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThere\u2019s a whole lot of noise and whole lot of must-pass legislation in Washington as the year comes to a close, but I\u2019m going to keep fighting to fund our rural schools and make sure our rural communities aren\u2019t forgotten and left on the cutting room floor.\u201d\r\nFunding for the Secure Rural Schools program expired in 2015, leaving more than 775 counties and 4,400 school districts nationwide with budget shortfalls, including 29 Missouri counties that are home to Mark Twain National Forest. As a result of the program\u2019s expiration, Missouri counties saw a more than $2 million decrease in their most recent payment.\r\nIn a bipartisan letter to Congressional leadership, McCaskill and 31 colleagues wrote: \u201cIn the interest of working together in a bipartisan way to support local rural communities, we ask that you include a reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools in any end-of-the-year legislation.\u201d\r\nSecure Rural Schools\u00a0was first enacted in 2000 as local governments faced steep reductions in timber revenue sharing. Current revenue sharing payments are no longer sufficient to support the services forest counties must provide.\r\nMcCaskill has\u00a0continually advocated for Missouri\u2019s rural communities\u00a0and called on this program to be fully funded. Despite\u00a0calls from McCaskill\u00a0and a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues earlier this year to fully fund the Secure Rural Schools program in the President\u2019s budget proposal, the Trump Administration included no funding for the program in its budget.\r\nFull text of letter HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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-questions-uber-following-data-breach-affecting-57-million-users", "McCaskill Questions Uber Following Data Breach Affecting 57 Million Users", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Questions Uber Following Data Breach Affecting 57 Million Users \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator requests details on compromised personal information, had previously called for answers from the company in 2014 about the company\u2019s troubling data security practices  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 8, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for answers from Uber over a 2016 data breach affecting 57 million users that was only recently disclosed. McCaskill previously raised concerns with Uber\u2019s data security in 2014.\r\n\u201cCompanies have a responsibility to their customers and employees in Missouri and throughout the country to protect their personal information. Not only did Uber fail to do so, it engaged in a cover-up to hide the breach from those affected,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cUber needs to come forward with full details on what happened and how they\u2019re preventing problems like this in the future.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill joined Senator Bill Nelson of Florida to raise concerns over the 2016 breach in which 57 million users\u2019 personal information was compromised. The company hid the breach until last month. Uber suffered another breach in 2014 and hid it until it was made public in early 2015. McCaskill and Nelson had written to Uber two months before the 2014 breach was made public, seeking information about the company\u2019s troubling data security practices. In their most recent letter to Uber, the Senators called for additional answers on the company\u2019s data security. \u201cThis [2016] breach shows a pattern and practice of Uber not properly securing data or notifying those affected by such a breach\u2026.This breach, the long delay in reporting it, and an apparent attempt to cover it up by paying a ransom illustrate problems that we raised back in December 2014 when we sent a letter noting troubling problems with Uber\u2019s data security and privacy policies.\u00a0\r\nAfter the 2014 breach, the Federal Trade Commission investigated the company and put in place new requirements to protect customer privacy, and the Senators are requesting additional details on whether or not Uber is complying with its agreement with the Federal Trade Commission.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nMcCaskill has long worked to keep Missourians\u2019 personal information safe and protect them from fraud and scams. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan legislation that would allow financial institutions to report suspected exploitive or fraudulent activity to authorities when they notice unusual activity in the accounts of their clients over the age of 65. In light of the Equifax breach earlier this year, McCaskill has continued her push for her\u00a0legislation to empower consumers\u00a0by enhancing the accuracy of their credit reports and making it easier to dispute potential errors.\u00a0This past May, McCaskill\u00a0alerted\u00a0Missouri veterans of a scam targeting the Veterans Choice Program, in which fraudsters send letters to veterans containing nearly identical phone numbers to the Veterans Choice Program, and ask veterans for their credit card information when they call. McCaskill has also targeted IRS impersonators who have defrauded Missourians.\r\nRead McCaskill and Nelson\u2019s letter to Uber HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers\u00a0to 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/citing-nearly-400m-in-duplicative-defense-contracts-mccaskill-urges-dod-cut-down-on-waste", "Citing Nearly $400M in Duplicative Defense Contracts, McCaskill Urges DoD Cut Down on Waste", "2017-12-08", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", null, 0, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-releases-statement-on-impeachment-of-president-trump", "Congressman Cleaver Releases Statement On Impeachment of President Trump", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II released the following statement regarding his vote on the impeachment of President Donald Trump.\n\"Yesterday, I voted to table a resolution containing the articles of impeachment of President Donald Trump. I believe that this President has sent tasteless tweets, made crude and cruel comments, and embraced those who espouse hatred and division while pushing policies like the Trump tax cuts which benefit him and his children. However, I will not violate who I am by refusing to wait until the special counsel has completed his investigation. On the subject of impeachment, I have decided to say nothing as often as I can. After all, in the United States we believe in due process, even if the President believes that a federal judge, because of his race, cannot be fair on the federal bench. I realize that Trump\u2019s presidency generates anger. I will remind folk that there is only one letter of the alphabet that separates anger from danger. My vote to table was an issue of fairness.\"\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/following-mccaskill-testimony-against-foreign-trade-practices-trade-commission_rules-unanimously-in-favor-of-missouri-soybean-biodiesel-producers", "Following McCaskill Testimony Against Foreign Trade Practices, Trade Commission  Rules Unanimously in Favor of Missouri Soybean, Biodiesel Producers", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following McCaskill Testimony Against Foreign Trade Practices, Trade Commission  Rules Unanimously in Favor of Missouri Soybean, Biodiesel Producers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t International Trade Commission voted 4-0 to impose double-digit duties on Argentinian, Indonesian biodiesel to level the playing field for Missouri businesses Senator: I\u2019m glad we were able to get this done\u201d \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 7, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Following testimony by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill on behalf of Missouri\u2019s soybean and biodiesel workers and producers\u2014which support more than 17,000 jobs in Missouri\u2014the government agency that decides whether American companies have been harmed voted unanimously on the side of the soybean industry, opening the door for the Department of Commerce to approve hefty double-digit duties on Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel imports.\r\nClick HERE for more photos from McCaskill\u2019s testimony before the International Trade Commission.\r\n\u201cSoybean farmers and biodiesel producers are cornerstones of Missouri\u2019s economy, and given a level playing field, I know they can compete and win in the global marketplace,\u201d said McCaskill in response to the favorable ruling by the International Trade Commission. \u201cI\u2019m glad we were able to get this done to help protect Missouri jobs, and I\u2019ll keep up my fight for all the Missouri farmers, workers, and producers that help our economy thrive.\u201d\r\nThe biodiesel market in Missouri supports more than 8,000 jobs. The soybean industry has created 3,000 direct jobs and 6,400 indirect jobs in Missouri, and adds $1.7 billion in economic benefits to the state. McCaskill testified last month that Missouri workers and businesses have been harmed by the hundreds of millions of gallons of Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel that are unfairly being dumped into the U.S. markets.\r\nThe state of Missouri is the third-largest producer of biodiesel and a major producer of soybeans. There are six active biodiesel plants in Missouri, with a combined capacity of 235 million gallons. These plants, and their related crushing facilities, are located in towns like Deerfield, St. Joseph, Moberly, and Mexico and support hundreds of jobs in rural Missouri.\u00a0\r\nAt that International Trade Commission hearing, McCaskill testified: \u201cThese workers, and my state\u2019s economy, are being harmed by the hundreds of millions of gallons of Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel that is unfairly being dumped into the United States. The biodiesel and the soybeans we\u2019re talking about today aren\u2019t just products of commerce\u2014they represent jobs for folks in my state. And when those jobs are threatened by unfair trade practices on the part of a foreign competitor, I\u2019m not just going to sit by, and neither should you.\u201d\r\n\r\nMcCaskill is a longtime advocate for Missouri workers and businesses against unfair trade practices. Last year, after urging from McCaskill on behalf of Missouri manufacturers Bull Moose Tube Company and EXLTUBE, the International Trade Commission voted 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\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/news-releases/highlighting-concerns-of-nearly-450000-missourians-mccaskill-opposes-changes-to-net-neutrality-rules", "Highlighting Concerns of Nearly 450,000 Missourians, McCaskill Opposes Changes to Net Neutrality Rules", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Highlighting Concerns of Nearly 450,000 Missourians, McCaskill Opposes Changes to Net Neutrality Rules \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Citing Missourians who have weighed in, Senator urges federal agency maintain consumer safeguards that protect a free and open internet \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 7, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Highlighting the concerns of more than 443,000 Missourians who submitted public comments to the Federal Communications Commission and the thousands more who contacted her office directly, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is urging the agency to keep its current net neutrality rules in place and scrap efforts to eliminate them.\r\n\u201c[The FCC\u2019s order] would eliminate important consumer safeguards that protect a free and open internet,\u201d McCaskill wrote to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. \u201cParticularly as we have seen increased consolidation among the nation\u2019s largest broadband providers, enactment of network neutrality rules was an important step toward making sure that consumers are protected when they connect to the online content of their choice. This has been echoed by the thousands of Missourians who have contacted my office in the past two weeks, as well as the overwhelming majority of the more than 443,000 Missourians who submitted public comments to the FCC on the issue earlier this year. Any effort to repeal these rules without putting alternative net neutrality safeguards in place is unacceptable.\u201d\r\nThe letter continues: \u201cPerhaps most troubling about the order is that it just furthers the unfortunate politicizing of this important policy issue. I have long said that Congress should settle the issue of net neutrality once and for all with legislation to provide certainty for consumers and providers alike. Until Congress can reach such an agreement, I urge you to abandon efforts to entirely eliminate net neutrality rules.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s letter also cites her bipartisan investigation with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio into the customer service and billing practices of the nation\u2019s largest cable and satellite providers, most of which are also among the nation\u2019s largest providers of broadband service. The Senators\u2019 investigation found that providers charged a host of fees not prominently displayed in advertised pricing, required customers wishing to cancel their service to speak to \u201cretention specialists\u201d who were incentivized to not allow cancellations, and sometimes overcharged consumers nationwide by millions of dollars. McCaskill expressed concerns that the changes to net neutrality rules would eliminate the FCC\u2019s ability to adopt truth in billing rules for broadband that currently exist for cable and phone companies.\r\nMcCaskill has\u00a0urged\u00a0the Federal Communications Commission to protect consumers on a variety of issues\u2014fighting to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls by urging the Commission to do more to implement robocall-blocking technologies, and\u00a0urging action\u00a0to prevent fraud in Lifeline, a program that provides subsidized telephone service to low-income Americans, but has been a target for abuse.\r\nFull text of the letter HERE\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers\u00a0to 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-meets-with-trump-trade-chief-to-urge-missouri-agriculture-protectionstatement", "McCaskill Meets with Trump Trade Chief to Urge Missouri Agriculture Protection—Statement", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Meets with Trump Trade Chief to Urge Missouri Agriculture Protection\u2014Statement \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator, Finance Committee members sit down with U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer to warn of impact of North American Free Trade Agreement withdrawal on Missouri\u2019s crop and livestock sectors \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 7, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, along with fellow members of the Senate Finance Committee, met this week with President Trump\u2019s trade chief to discuss the importance of protecting Missouri\u2019s agriculture economy in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and released the following statement:\r\n\u201cOur trade deals need to be better, but I\u2019m really worried about Missouri agriculture, which is the backbone of our economy. Nothing the Trade Ambassador said reassured me. I\u2019m very concerned that Missouri agriculture is going to pay a big price for the trade policies of this Administration.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill, a longtime advocate for farmers and ranchers in Missouri, and recently joined her Republican colleagues in seeking protections for Missouri agriculture producers in NAFTA renegotiations, in a letter to Mr. Lighthizer. Last month she joined a bipartisan call along with fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and led by Republican Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, urging the Trump Administration to conduct a robust economic analysis to evaluate how any changes to NAFTA would affect Missouri\u2019s crop and livestock sectors.\r\nThe Senators\u2019 wrote in their letter to the Administration that, \u201cU.S. is the world\u2019s top exporter of food and agricultural products and is an important economic driver that stimulates prosperity and jobs throughout rural America. According to USDA, every $1 in agricultural exports generates an additional $1.27 in economic activity, and every $1 billion in farm exports supports 8,000 jobs.\u201d\r\nSince NAFTA was enacted in 1993, Canada and Mexico have been Missouri\u2019s top export destinations and two of the top five importers of American agricultural products, including 28 percent of total American agricultural exports last year. And after sustained efforts by McCaskill, President Trump finalized agreements with China to allow Missouri\u2019s rice and beef producers to finally export their products to China.\r\nVisit mccaskill.senate.gov/rural to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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-praises-fort-leonard-wood-community-on-army-award", "McCaskill Praises Fort Leonard Wood Community on Army Award", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Praises Fort Leonard Wood Community on Army Award \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Fort Leonard Wood, Sustainable Ozarks Partnership recognized with Army Community Partnership award \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 6, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 After Fort Leonard Wood and the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership received the Army Community Partnership Award from the U.S. Army, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran, issued the following statement:\r\n\"Missouri plays a critical role in our nation\u2019s defense, and the community support for Fort Leonard Wood\u2019s mission and the men and women who power it is something everyone should be proud of. The work done by the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership to support all those who live and train at Fort Leonard Wood is remarkable and worthy of this recognition.\u201d\r\nThe award\u2019s citation recognizes Fort Leonard Wood and the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership for \u201csuccess in strengthening emergency response through the interconnection of water resources between the installation and community. This partnership provides reciprocal backup water supplies during future emergency situations that both improve water resiliency and enhance installation readiness.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill is a longtime advocate for Fort Leonard Wood and the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership. Earlier this year at the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership annual meeting, McCaskill discussed her efforts to support the work of Fort Leonard Wood and the surrounding community, including her work to secure\u00a0$250 million for Fort Leonard Wood\u2019s General Leonard Wood Army Hospital.\r\nAs part of her Security & Defense Tour across the state last year, McCaskill visited Fort Leonard Wood where she met with Soldiers and observed a skills contest described as the \u201cSuper Bowl\u201d of Army competitions to recognize outstanding warriors.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/senate-confirms-president-trumps-nominee-and-st-louis-native-to-lead-general-services-administration-with-mccaskills-support", "Senate Confirms President Trump’s Nominee and St. Louis Native to Lead General Services Administration with McCaskill’s Support", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Confirms President Trump\u2019s Nominee and St. Louis Native to Lead General Services Administration with McCaskill\u2019s Support \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t McCaskill introduced, supported Emily Murphy at her confirmation hearing \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 6, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 Senator Claire McCaskill voted to confirm St. Louis native Emily Murphy, President Trump\u2019s nominee to lead the General Services Administration. The agency is responsible for the federal government\u2019s real estate management, and assisting federal agencies with purchasing goods and services, including IT systems.\r\n\u201cI was proud to support Ms. Murphy, a fellow Missourian who has a long and distinguished career in government oversight,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cShe understands the importance of using Missourians\u2019 tax dollars wisely, and I look forward to working with her to cut wasteful spending.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill introduced Murphy at her Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing. Prior to the hearing, McCaskill met with Murphy to discuss how she will save taxpayer dollars, especially as it relates to buying and selling federal property.\r\nThe Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has oversight authority over the General Services Administration and other federal agencies, and protecting taxpayer dollars has been a top priority for McCaskill as a Committee leader. Earlier this year, McCaskill-backed bipartisan legislation to crack down on misuse of federal agency travel and purchase cards spending passed the Senate. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has unanimously approved two of her bills with Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana to eliminate wasteful spending at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Recently, the Senate passed a McCaskill-backed bill making it illegal to spend taxpayer dollars on portraits of government officials. McCaskill led an investigation into the General Services Administration under the Obama Administration, helping topple its leaders at the time for waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars\u2014including on a conference that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/spending\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to cut wasteful spending 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/mccaskill-statement-on-confirmation-of-kirstjen-nielsen-to-be-secretary-of-the-department-of-homeland-security_", "McCaskill Statement on Confirmation of Kirstjen Nielsen to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security", "2017-12-05", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Statement on Confirmation of Kirstjen Nielsen to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 5, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen to become the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Department of Homeland Security plays a vital role in protecting our national security\u2014I\u2019m glad that this important post has been filled. I look forward to working with Ms. Nielsen to keep Missourians and all Americans safe.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill became the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in January of this year and also serves as a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.\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/mccaskill-calls-for-answers-from-va-over-whistleblower-retaliation-claims", "McCaskill Calls for Answers from VA Over Whistleblower Retaliation Claims", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Calls for Answers from VA Over Whistleblower Retaliation Claims \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: \u2018Whistleblower retaliation is never acceptable, but it\u2019s especially concerning when it gets in the way of veterans\u2019 care\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 4, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on what it is doing to protect whistleblowers after recent reports of increased whistleblower retaliation at the agency.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhistleblower retaliation is never acceptable, but it\u2019s especially concerning when it gets in the way of veterans\u2019 care,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cMillions of veterans have put their lives on the line for our country, but then struggle to receive healthcare services at the VA once they come home. Whistleblowers play a key role in identifying problems at the VA\u2014and it is imperative that they feel comfortable shining a light on misconduct and abuse.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\nA recent Washington Post story detailed the experiences of two VA doctors who came forward as whistleblowers and continue to face retaliation despite the creation of a new department at the agency responsible for handling whistleblower retaliation claims. President Trump established the VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) in April, and Congress made the office permanent in June. \u201cI am troubled by recent reports that, despite being given more tools and guidance, VA is failing to treat claims of retaliation appropriately,\u201d McCaskill wrote in a letter to the VA Secretary. She requested information from the VA on what the agency has done to address concerns over weak whistleblower protections, how the OAWP protects whistleblower confidentiality, and how the OAWP processes and investigates whistleblower claims.\r\n\r\nThe daughter of a World War II veteran, McCaskill has long been an advocate for veterans in Missouri and nationwide. After a whistleblower exposed problems with construction at the Jefferson Barracks campus of the VA St. Louis Health Care System, McCaskill called for an investigation into the facility\u2019s construction and answers on what the agency\u2019s Inspector General is doing more broadly to improve oversight over major construction projects. McCaskill is also seeking answers from the VA after a recent report finding that thousands of servicemembers with PTSD or other mental health conditions who received \u201cother than honorable\u201d discharges were potentially barred from receiving mental healthcare and other benefits. McCaskill has also called for answers on the VA\u2019s efforts to cut down on fraud, waste, and abuse after a former contractor at the John Cochran Division of the VA St. Louis Health Care System pled guilty to a federal conspiracy charge of taking kickbacks worth nearly $270,000.\r\n\r\nAiming to continue improvements to the quality of customer service at statewide VA facilities, McCaskill\u00a0created a \u201csecret-shopper program,\u201d the Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program, which allows veterans to share timely, confidential feedback about their VA health care visits, and helps provide oversight and accountability for VA health care facilities. The program is now active in five regions:\u00a0St. Louis;\u00a0Kansas City;\u00a0Columbia;\u00a0Poplar Bluff;\u00a0Southwest Missouri (Fayetteville).\u00a0Last year,\u00a0following advocacy\u00a0from McCaskill and more than one-thousand rural veterans in Missouri, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would expand the hours of operation at the Salem Veterans Clinic to be open Monday through Friday.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the VA Secretary HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for military veterans.\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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-releases-statement-regarding-michael-flynn-s", "Congressman Cleaver Releases Statement Regarding Michael Flynns Admission of Guilt", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II released the following statement regarding former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn\u2019s, guilty plea.\n\u201cThe fact that General Michael Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI about his talks with Russian agents further proves that Americans cannot fully trust this administration. This ends the \u201cno collusion\u201d mantra that we have heard daily out of Washington. We\u2019ve seen indictment after indictment among President Trump\u2019s top aides and now two guilty pleas. Former Trump Campaign Aide, George Papadopoulos, admitted that he too lied to federal investigators about meetings with Russia.\nWe do not know where this investigation will lead but it troubles me that the very person in charge of protecting our national security would lie to the FBI. This is beyond outrageous, and it begs the question, what else is the Trump administration hiding?\u201d\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-blunt-honor-whiteman-air-force-base-62nd-anniversary", "McCaskill, Blunt Honor Whiteman Air Force Base 62nd Anniversary", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill, Blunt Honor Whiteman Air Force Base 62nd Anniversary \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Whiteman Air Force Base was designated in memory of Sedalia native Second Lieutenant George A. Whiteman, one of the first Airman killed in World War II \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 1, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Missouri U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt are honoring the 62nd anniversary of the dedication of Whiteman Air Force Base with their introduction of a U.S. Senate resolution commemorating the occasion, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Missouri native President Harry S. Truman\u2019s establishment of the Air Force.\r\n\u201cWhiteman\u2019s critical role in our nation\u2019s defense has been cemented over generations,\u201d said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran. \u201cThe men and women who have and continue to serve at Whiteman represent the very best of our state\u2014and I know I share the gratitude of all Missourians for their contributions to our national security, and to the rich history of this installation.\u201d\r\n\u201cFor more than half a century, Whiteman has served an important role in defending our freedoms and supporting our nation\u2019s heroes as they carry out their missions,\u201d said Blunt. \u201cWe will always be grateful for the sacrifices the brave men and women stationed at Whiteman have made and continue to make on our behalf. I\u2019ll keep working to help ensure this installation has the resources it needs to remain a pivotal component of our nation\u2019s military for years to come.\u201d\r\nWhiteman is named in honor of Sedalia native Second Lieutenant George A. Whiteman, one of the first Airmen killed in World War II.\r\nThe resolution highlights the contribution of the base, from training pilots in World War II to the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings as operators of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The 131st, a Missouri National Guard unit, is the only nuclear-capable bomb wing in the Air National Guard.\r\nText of Senate Resolution 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/mccaskill-demands-answers-on-efforts-to-follow-through-on-almost-90-million-in-fines-proposed-against-lifeline-providers", "McCaskill Demands Answers on Efforts to Follow through on Almost $90 Million in Fines Proposed against Lifeline Providers", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Demands Answers on Efforts to Follow through on Almost $90 Million in Fines Proposed against Lifeline Providers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t FCC announced plans to fine 12 Lifeline providers more than $94 million four years ago, almost $90 million still outstanding; 10 of 12 companies still receive Lifeline program funds \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 1, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is demanding answers from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over what it\u2019s doing to follow through on almost $90 million in fines it proposed against Lifeline carriers who profited by violating program rules, for example through collecting subsidies for duplicate or ineligible subscriber accounts. Ten of the 12 companies cited continue to receive more than $2.4 billion through the program between 2014 and 2016.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s outrageous that the government continues to pay billions of taxpayer dollars to companies when it has taken no action to collect the millions in penalties it proposed against those same companies,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m determined to tackle the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in this program and I look forward to hearing from the government about its plans to recover taxpayer dollars that never should\u2019ve gone to these companies in the first place.\u201d\r\n\r\nBetween September 2013 and February 2014, the FCC proposed more than $94 million in fines to 12 Lifeline providers for enrolling ineligible subscribers. Only one of the companies has publicly agreed to pay money back to the FCC, and 10 of the companies continue to receive Lifeline payments from the FCC. These 10 companies received more than $2.4 billion from the program between 2014 and 2016. \u201cIt is critical that you ensure that the FCC Enforcement Bureau acts swiftly and aggressively to hold companies accountable for violating Lifeline program rules,\u201d McCaskill wrote to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. \u201cThese rules serve to protect taxpayers and the low-income Americans who rely on Lifeline for necessary communications services, and they cannot do so without robust enforcement by the FCC.\u201d McCaskill\u2019s letter requested details on what the FCC is doing to collect remaining fines and why it continues to allow Lifeline providers who previously violated program rules to continue to participate in the program.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill began her oversight of the Lifeline program in 2011, when she urged the FCC to\u00a0provide stronger oversight\u00a0of the program, resulting in the FCC issuing new orders to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Her letter today is part of her continued efforts to push for aggressive enforcement of Lifeline providers who broke rules.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill joined Republican Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rob Portman of Ohio and Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware in calling for the Government Accountability Office to share information from its investigation with the FCC and the FCC Office of Inspector General so the agency and its inspector general can further investigate and pursue enforcement actions. McCaskill and Johnson also requested a forensic audit of top Lifeline provider companies in an effort to hold them accountable for any waste, fraud, or abuse of taxpayer dollars. At a hearing earlier this year, McCaskill called for answers from Pai on what he is doing to hold Lifeline companies accountable. Her questions focused on the report she requested that detailed numerous problems and vulnerabilities ranging from an inability to verify the eligibility of over one-third of selected participants, to providing Lifeline benefits to fictitious or deceased individuals, to auditing less than one-half of one percent of the telecommunication providers responsible for providing service. In 2014, McCaskill requested that the FCC refer possible criminal violators in the program to the Justice Department for criminal investigation, and subsequently the Justice Department\u00a0indicted three men charged with defrauding the program\u00a0of approximately $32 million.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the FCC HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability.\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/mccaskill-seeks-additional-answers-on-afghan-trainees-going-awol", "McCaskill Seeks Additional Answers On Afghan Trainees Going AWOL", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Seeks Additional Answers On Afghan Trainees Going AWOL \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t 152 Afghan trainees in the U.S. have gone AWOL since 2005, including 11 from Missouri\u2019s Ft. Leonard Wood \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 1, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is continuing to seek answers after a report showed that a significant number of Afghan military trainees went missing after coming to the United States for training, requesting details on what Immigration and Customs Enforcement is doing to locate Afghan trainees who went Absent Without Leave (AWOL).\r\n\r\nFrom 2005 to 2017, 2,537 individuals from Afghanistan came to the United States for training through various programs, including Counter Drug Training Support, International Military Education and Training, and multiple military leadership courses. Since 2005, 152 of the trainees have gone AWOL, including 11 from Missouri\u2019s Ft. Leonard Wood. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for finding AWOL trainees.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s a national security risk when Afghan trainees go unaccounted for after training at military bases in Missouri and across the country,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cWe need answers on what the government is doing to locate AWOL trainees and prevent them from going AWOL in the first place.\u201d\r\n\r\nMcCaskill wrote the Department of Homeland Security, of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a part, asking for more details on challenges the agency faces in finding AWOL trainees and what the agency is doing to improve inter-agency coordination in order to do so more quickly. McCaskill also requested an update on the current status of AWOL trainees, including those who fled from Missouri\u2019s Ft. Leonard Wood. \u201cAfghan trainees going AWOL creates coordination challenges that heighten risks to our national security and public safety,\u201d McCaskill wrote in her letter to DHS Acting Secretary Elaine Duke.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\nMcCaskill previously requested answers from the Defense Department over its role running the program and preventing trainees from going AWOL. She is awaiting answers from the agency.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has served on both the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and Armed Services Committee since joining the Senate in 2007, and has made\u00a0protecting American families at home and abroad a top priority. Earlier this year, HSGAC approved McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan bill\u00a0to help determine weaknesses in security following a terrorist attack. McCaskill has continued to fight for counterterrorism funding during a HSGAC hearing with the FBI Director, the Homeland Security Acting Secretary, and the National Counterterrorism Center Director. She also called for answers from the Defense Department following a contract that left taxpayers on the hook for over $50 million in questionable costs, including seven luxury vehicles and $400,000 average salaries for significant others of corporate officers to serve as \u201cexecutive assistants.\u201d\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s to the Department of Homeland Security HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to read more about McCaskill\u2019s efforts to strengthen national security.\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/photos/missouri-biodiesel-producers-meet-with-mccaskill-after-her-testimony-on-their-behalf-against-unfair-trade-practices", "Missouri Biodiesel Producers Meet with McCaskill After Her Testimony on Their Behalf Against Unfair Trade Practices", "2017-12-01", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill met with Missouri biodiesel producers today to discuss the important role soybean farmers and biodiesel producers have on Missouri\u2019s economy\u2014which has created and supported more than 17,000 jobs in Missouri\u2014and the importance of standing up against unfair trade practice that harm American companies. Earlier this month, McCaskill testified directly to the International Trade Commission\u2014the legal body that decides whether American companies have been harmed\u2014on behalf of Missouri\u2019s biodiesel companies that Missouri workers and businesses have been harmed by the hundreds of millions of gallons of Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel that are unfairly being dumped into the U.S. markets. \u201cAgriculture is the cornerstone of Missouri\u2019s economy, and we\u2019ve got to keep it that way.\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m going to fight like hell for Missouri farmers and producers to make sure foreign companies and governments aren\u2019t undercutting the markets, because I know when Missourians compete on a level playing field, we are second to none.\u201d Missouri is the third-largest producer of biodiesel and one of the major producers of soybeans in the United States. These two industries support more than 17,000 jobs in Missouri, with the soybean industry alone creating 3,000 direct jobs and 6,400 indirect jobs in Missouri, adding $1.7 billion in economic benefits to the state. Continuing her bipartisan advocacy for domestic renewable fuel production, McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Trump Administration to continue increasing the Renewable Volume Obligations for biomass-based diesel. The bipartisan effort focuses on encouraging continued development of the biodiesel industry, to increase jobs, spur economic growth and lead to more energy security.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/facebook-responds-to-congressman-cleaver-s-concerns-regarding-racial", "Facebook Responds to Congressman Cleavers Concerns Regarding Racial Bias in Social Media", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington D.C.) - Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) yesterday received a letter from Facebook Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, after a series of concerns were presented to Facebook and Twitter top executives. In the letter, Sandberg specifically stated she is responding to a series of recent letters from Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II, and other Members of the CBC.\n\u201cI appreciate the CBC\u2019s commitment to asking hard questions and holding us accountable for our progress,\u201d the letter states. \u201cWe know that African Americans have been the victims of divisive and abusive content online and we appreciate the leadership the CBC has shown in speaking out in defense of democratic values and in favor of more diversity in technology,\u201d the letter continues.\nLast month, Congressman Cleaver and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) sent a letter to Sandberg and Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, encouraging them to take immediate action to combat the spread of racially divisive communications and take seriously the threat of foreign entities\u2019 use of the sites to undermine American democracy.\nCongressman Cleaver was also among those CBC members who met with Sandberg to discuss allegations that Russian-backed agencies exploited the company\u2019s system to influence the outcome of the 2016 election through the spread of racial and discriminatory advertisements.\nAdditionally, in a letter sent to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg last year, Congressman Cleaver joined his colleagues in addressing reports of advertisers on Facebook using multicultural affinity groups to exclude certain racial and ethnic groups when placing housing ads online.\nIn the response letter, Sandberg stated Facebook is committed to addressing these issues, adding;\n\u201cSolving these problems will not happen overnight, but we are committed to addressing and making progress on the issues raised in our meeting and in these letters.\"\nFacebook stated the company would;\n\u2022 Strengthen policies prohibiting discrimination in advertising\n\u2022 Provide more education to advertisers about their obligation not to discriminate\n\u2022 Prohibit the use of the multicultural affinity segments to advertise offers of housing, employment, or credit\n\u2022 Require advertisers running ads that offer housing, employment or credit to certify compliance with our anti-discrimination policy and with applicable law\nIn addition to the changes on their site, Facebook recognizes that the company needs to do more to include minorities and women within the workforce, an issue that Congressman Cleaver has urged Facebook and other technology companies to prioritize when filling senior leadership positions.\n\u201cOur partnerships with minority-focused organizations have helped us build relationships, and we will continue to invest in these and many other efforts as we push for greater diversity,\u201d Sandberg stated in the letter.\n\u201cI am pleased to hear that Facebook has announced changes both within the company and with its online advertisement policies. Ultimately we will see if these measures will hinder racial divisiveness and discrimination,\u201c said Congressman Cleaver.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/following-reports-of-30-million-in-cancelled-fema-contracts-to-bronze-star-mccaskill-calls-for-answers", "Following Reports of $30 Million in Cancelled FEMA Contracts to Bronze Star, McCaskill Calls for Answers", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following Reports of $30 Million in Cancelled FEMA Contracts to Bronze Star, McCaskill Calls for Answers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t In request to FEMA, McCaskill also details concerns with a previously unreported contract and the backlog for installing temporary protective roofing  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 30, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today raised concerns with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) over contracting decisions for hurricane recovery efforts after reports that FEMA awarded more than $30 million in contracts to Bronze Star, LLC, then cancelled the contracts after the company completely failed to deliver the required products. The company was created only two months before the contracts were awarded, and had never done work on a similar scale.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill also raised new concerns today, calling for answers from FEMA about a $34 million contract to Global Computers and Networks, LLC\u2014also for protective tarps in Puerto Rico\u2014that, according to federal contract records, only has one employee and an annual revenue of $240,000. In addition, McCaskill detailed the significant backlog that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has for installing temporary roofing on tens of thousands of hurricane-damaged homes.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s unacceptable that families devastated by recent hurricanes are facing such delays in getting the services they need,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cFEMA needs to be vigilant in how it awards and oversees contracts so that disaster relief funds actually reach the survivors who need it and taxpayer dollars aren\u2019t wasted.\u201d\r\n\r\nMcCaskill is seeking details from FEMA about the Bronze Star contract and other hurricane relief contracts. \u201cFEMA\u2019s decision to award Bronze Star contracts to provide critical supplies raises further questions about FEMA\u2019s contract award process,\u201d McCaskill wrote to FEMA Administrator Brock Long. \u201cIn particular, I am concerned about how FEMA is ensuring that contractors with limited performance records have the sufficient capacity to meet a contract\u2019s requirements\u2026FEMA must take appropriate steps to manage and oversee hurricane relief contracts to ensure that the taxpayer dollars reach disaster survivors and are not wasted or mismanaged.\u201d\r\n\r\nMcCaskill also raised concerns over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 significant backlog installing one type of protective roof covering\u201437,000 homes were waiting to receive temporary roofing as of November 13th. \u201cThese serious delays on the part of the Army Corps, coupled with Bronze Star\u2019s failure to deliver under FEMA contracts, are prohibiting survivors of Hurricane Maria from accessing urgently needed supplies,\u201d McCaskill wrote.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s letter follows up on questions she posed to FEMA earlier this week over its overall post-hurricane contracting process in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is responsible for oversight of disaster relief efforts. McCaskill has repeatedly called for answers over the Whitefish contract in Puerto Rico, including most recently\u00a0when she wrote to FEMA asking for additional information on the agency\u2019s role in the contract.\u00a0Earlier this year, McCaskill joined Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin to call for an\u00a0investigation\u00a0from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General into the Whitefish contract. She also\u00a0wrote to the Army Corps of Engineers\u00a0earlier this month about nearly $1 billion it is awarding to contractors for repairing the electrical grid in Puerto Rico.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to FEMA HERE.\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/missouri-biodiesel-producers-meet-with-mccaskill-after-her-testimony-on-their-behalf-against-unfair-trade-practices", "Missouri Biodiesel Producers Meet with McCaskill After Her Testimony on Their Behalf Against Unfair Trade Practices", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Missouri Biodiesel Producers Meet with McCaskill After Her Testimony on Their Behalf Against Unfair Trade Practices \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator and Missouri biodiesel producers discuss need to protect more than 17,000 Missouri jobs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 30, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill met with Missouri biodiesel producers this week to discuss the important role soybean farmers and biodiesel producers have on Missouri\u2019s economy\u2014which has created and supported more than 17,000 jobs in Missouri\u2014and the importance of standing up against unfair trade practice that harm American companies.\r\nClick HERE for more photos from McCaskill\u2019s meeting.\r\nEarlier this month, McCaskill testified directly to the International Trade Commission\u2014the legal body that decides whether American companies have been harmed\u2014on behalf of Missouri\u2019s biodiesel companies that Missouri workers and businesses have been harmed by the hundreds of millions of gallons of Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel that are unfairly being dumped into the U.S. markets.\r\n\u201cAgriculture is the cornerstone of Missouri\u2019s economy, and we\u2019ve got to keep it that way.\u201d\u00a0McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m going to fight like hell for Missouri farmers and producers to make sure foreign companies and governments aren\u2019t undercutting the markets, because I know when Missourians compete on a level playing field, we are second to none.\u201d\r\nMissouri is the third-largest producer of biodiesel and one of the major producers of soybeans in the United States. These two industries support more than 17,000 jobs in Missouri, with the soybean industry alone creating 3,000 direct jobs and 6,400 indirect jobs in Missouri, adding $1.7 billion in economic benefits to the state.\r\nContinuing her bipartisan advocacy for domestic renewable fuel production, McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of Senators in urging the Trump Administration to continue increasing the Renewable Volume Obligations for biomass-based diesel. The bipartisan effort focuses on encouraging continued development of the biodiesel industry, to increase jobs, spur economic growth and lead to more energy security.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to protect 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://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-congressman-wm-lacy-clay-d-mo-regarding-president-donald-j", "STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MO REGARDING  PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP\u2019S VISIT TO MISSOURI", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "-WASHINGTON, DC \nNote:\u00a0 The following, in its entirety, is all first-person from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri.\n\u201cMr. President, welcome to Missouri. I understand that your visit will focus on your indefensible, reckless Republican tax scam that will raise taxes on millions of middle-class families; rob seniors; punish students; weaken higher education; strip healthcare coverage away from 13 million Americans and explode the debt by charging an additional $1.4 trillion on the national credit card.\nYou and\u00a0the Republican\u00a0party like to talk about family values.\u00a0 And there is no doubt that extremely wealthy families\u00a0like yours will reap millions from your GOP Tax Scam.\u00a0 But what about real Americans who will pay more and get less?\nShow-Me why you want to raise taxes on over 320,000 middle-class families in Missouri;\nShow-Me why you want to bury 255.920 Missouri students who hold student loans even deeper in debt by eliminating the deduction for student loan interest;\nShow-Me why you want to harm 165,001 seriously-ill Missouri taxpayers who will no longer be able to deduct Medical Expenses;\nShow-Me why when asked about the state level impact of the GOP Tax Scam, even the Republican Chairman of the Missouri House Budget Committee, State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick of Shell Knob told the St. Louis Post-DIspatch on November 9th: \u201cWe cannot have a billion dollar hole blown in the budget. We cannot afford that.\u201d\nShow-Me why you want to impose double taxation on every Missouri taxpayer who will no longer be able to deduct state and local income taxes;\nShow-Me why you want to weaken Medicare by robbing it of over $25 billion over the next ten years to help pay for\u00a0tax cuts for\u00a0billionaires like you;\nAnd,\u00a0Show-Me how you intend to ever look middle-class families in the face again when you promised to lower taxes for every\u00a0American\u2026and instead,\u00a0you\u00a0pushed\u00a0this\u00a0shameful\u00a0GOP Tax Scam that will ensure that the haves will have more\u2026and everyone else will pay for it.\u201d\n\u00a0\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/after-new-york-city-ramming-attack-mccaskill-continues-push-to-prevent-cuts-to-counterterrorism-programs", "After New York City Ramming Attack, McCaskill Continues Push to Prevent Cuts to Counterterrorism Programs", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After New York City Ramming Attack, McCaskill Continues Push to Prevent Cuts to Counterterrorism Programs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator asks Department of Homeland Security if any of the programs slated to be cut were used to respond to recent attack in New York City \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today wrote the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seeking information on whether grant programs targeted for major cuts were used to respond to the recent terrorist attack in New York City in which a vehicle was used to ram into a crowded bicycle lane killing eight people.\r\n\r\nIn a letter to Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, McCaskill questions whether a risk analysis had been conducted prior to cuts to multiple counterterrorism programs proposed in the Administration\u2019s 2018 budget, as well as how those programs had been brought to bear in preventing or responding to previous terrorist attacks inside the United States.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen both at home and abroad that terrorists are turning to motor vehicles to target innocent people on the street\u2014and we\u2019ve got communities in Missouri and other states that need federal resources to keep their citizens safe,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cResources that were used in New York or across the country to prevent or respond to terrorist attacks shouldn\u2019t be on the chopping block.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn her role leading the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, McCaskill has repeatedly raised concerns over proposed Administration cuts to these and other similar programs. A report issued by the Committee earlier this year highlighted the impact of the Administration\u2019s proposed $582.8 million in cuts from critical counterterrorism programs that DHS administers.\r\n\r\n\u201cCuts of this magnitude hinder communities\u2019 abilities to protect Americans from terrorist attacks and keep our country safe,\u201d McCaskill wrote to Duke. \u201cThese programs not only help our nation\u2019s largest cities, like New York City and Washington, D.C., but also smaller metropolitan areas like those in my own state of Missouri\u2026.I am concerned that the Administration would cut these programs without an adequate understanding of their use in preventing and responding to terror attacks.\u201d\r\n\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s letter to Duke is available online HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/defense\u00a0to read more about McCaskill\u2019s efforts to strengthen 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-on-tax-reform-if-they-decide-to-start-fresh-with-a-real-bipartisan-approach-i-believe-we-could-get-it-done", "McCaskill on Tax Reform: ‘If they decide to start fresh with a real bipartisan approach… I believe we could get it done’", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill on Tax Reform: \u2018If they decide to start fresh with a real bipartisan approach\u2026 I believe we could get it done\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator reiterates willingness to support real tax reform focused on Missouri\u2019s working families\u2014publishes Medium post detailing what she supports, versus plan by Republican leaders in Congress \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 As Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moves a controversial, partisan tax plan to the floor of the U.S. Senate\u2014a plan that would, according to independent analysts, \u201ccut taxes of [the] wealthy and increase taxes on families earning less than $75,000 by 2027\u201d\u2014Senator Claire McCaskill today released the following statement:\r\n\u201cWhat I said to President Trump when we sat down together is still true today\u2014I\u2019m eager to support real, bipartisan tax reform. I\u2019d jump at the chance to support a plan to deliver relief to Missouri\u2019s working families, simplify the tax code, close loopholes exploited by the rich, and lower the corporate tax rate. Unfortunately, this tax plan doesn\u2019t live up the commitment I got from President Trump, when he told me he wouldn\u2019t support tax reform that benefited the very rich at the expense of the little guy. The Republican-drafted tax plan would further complicate the tax code, keep open those loopholes, deepen the national debt, and give the vast majority of benefits to millionaires and billionaires, while working families get hurt. But if Republican leaders decide to start fresh, with a real bipartisan approach, I\u2019m ready to get to work and I believe we could get it done.\u201d\r\nClick HERE to read a blog post by McCaskill outlining what she would support in a tax reform plan.\r\nAs reported yesterday, McCaskill joined other moderate Senate Democrats including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, among others, to express readiness to negotiate bipartisan tax reform \u201cdespite being frozen out of negotiations.\u201d\r\nThe current Republican-drafted tax proposal would make tax cuts to large corporations permanent, while making the relatively smaller tax breaks for individuals and families temporary. The proposal would also undermine current healthcare law (leading to higher premiums and fewer insured Americans), and, according to former U.S. Defense Secretaries, jeopardize U.S. military funding.\r\nMcCaskill offered several amendments to the proposed tax plan during the Senate Finance Committee\u2019s consideration, including:\r\n \r\nAn amendment to restore the deduction for individuals and families for property that is lost in a disaster, such as flooding or a fire, outside of a formal declared disaster area\u2014a deduction that is eliminated for individuals in the proposed tax plan, but retained for corporations. The amendment was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\n \r\nAn amendment to ensure that individuals have the same access to deductions as corporations (such as deductions for state and local taxes, and moving expenses), which is not currently the case in the proposed tax plan. That goal, which was the subject of several amendments, was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\n \r\nAn amendment to ensure that the tax plan\u2019s proposed deduction for \u201cpass-through\u201d income\u2014a deduction for business owners who receive income passed through various business structures like an LLC\u2014would only be available to small business owners earning less than $1 million, instead of also being available to millionaires and billionaires. Under the amendment, the revenue that would gone to millionaires and billionaires would have instead gone to small business tax relief. The amendment was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\nMcCaskill also cosponsored or voted to support several amendments to the proposed tax plan, including amendments to: make the tax cuts for individuals and families permanent, expand the child tax credit, protect Social Security and Medicare from budget cuts, and establish a dedicated infrastructure fund with some of the revenue from companies shifting tax dollars back to the U.S. from overseas. Republican members of the committee rejected each of those amendments, and every amendment offered by the Finance Committee\u2019s Democrats.\r\nAs reported, according the Joint Committee on Taxation\u2014who serve as the official nonpartisan analysts for Congress\u2014under the proposed tax plan: \u201cTax hikes for households earning $10,000 to $30,000 would start in 2021 and grow sharply from there. By the year 2027, Americans earning $30,000 to $75,000 a year would also be forced to pay more in taxes even though people earning over $100,000 continue to get substantial tax cuts. Most of the hit to the poor and working-class comes from the Senate Republicans' push to insert a major health care shift into the tax bill\u2026 [leading] to 13 million more uninsured, the Congressional Budget Office has said. Many of those people earn modest incomes and currently receive tax credits and subsidies from the government to help them afford insurance. As health insurance premiums rise and people opt not to buy insurance anymore, their tax breaks go away\u2026\u201d\r\nClick HERE to read a blog post by McCaskill outlining what she would support in a tax reform plan.\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/nearly-2-million-headed-to-wright-county-for-rural-water-systemmccaskill-announces", "Nearly $2 Million Headed to Wright County for Rural Water System—McCaskill Announces", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Nearly $2 Million Headed to Wright County for Rural Water System\u2014McCaskill Announces \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: \u2018Every Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 29, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced $1.9 million in federal funding and loans has been awarded to the town of Mansfield, in Wright County, to improve the existing water treatment facility.\r\n\u201cEvery Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live \u2013 whether it\u2019s a community big or small,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis funding will go a long way to help folks in Mansfield shore up the infrastructure in place to ensure that basic promise to the community.\u201d\r\nThe $981,000 grant and $986,000 loan was awarded to the town of Mansfield through the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Rural Development Program to improve the existing water system that currently has a 60-70% water loss rate.\r\nMcCaskill has been a\u00a0longtime\u00a0supporter\u00a0of investing in Missouri\u2019s infrastructure. She has\u00a0led efforts\u00a0to claw back previously earmarked funds to ensure the money is spent on critical infrastructure needs instead of politicians\u2019 pet projects. Her efforts allowed the Missouri Department of Transportation to direct $72.6 million of previously unspent funds across Missouri to support local needs. These funds were originally earmarked by Congress for use 10 or more years ago, but because they were duplicates, or the project was scrapped, among other reasons\u2014the funds were never used.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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/video/view/mccaskill-if-they-decide-to-start-fresh-w/-a-real-bipartisan-approach-i-believe-we-could-get", "McCaskill: If they decide to start fresh w/ a real bipartisan approach, I believe we could get...", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moves a controversial, partisan tax plan to the floor of the U.S. Senate\u2014a plan that would, according to independent analysts, \u201ccut taxes of [the] wealthy and increase taxes on families earning less than $75,000 by 2027\u201d\u2014Senator Claire McCaskill today released the following statement:\n\u201cWhat I said to President Trump when we sat down together is still true today\u2014I\u2019m eager to support real, bipartisan tax reform. I\u2019d jump at the chance to support a plan to deliver relief to Missouri\u2019s working families, simplify the tax code, close loopholes exploited by the rich, and lower the corporate tax rate. Unfortunately, this tax plan doesn\u2019t live up the commitment I got from President Trump, when he told me he wouldn\u2019t support tax reform that benefited the very rich at the expense of the little guy. The Republican-drafted tax plan would further complicate the tax code, keep open those loopholes, deepen the national debt, and give the vast majority of benefits to millionaires and billionaires, while working families get hurt. But if Republican leaders decide to start fresh, with a real bipartisan approach, I\u2019m ready to get to work and I believe we could get it done.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/continuing-push-to-pull-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat-for-missouri-small-business-owners_mccaskill-urges-commonsense-exemption-for-animal-handlers", "Continuing Push to Pull a Rabbit Out of a Hat for Missouri Small Business Owners,  McCaskill Urges Commonsense Exemption for Animal Handlers", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Continuing Push to Pull a Rabbit Out of a Hat for Missouri Small Business Owners,  McCaskill Urges Commonsense Exemption for Animal Handlers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator asks for Department of Agriculture exemption to rule requiring small scale animal exhibitors\u2014including magicians  with rabbits\u2014to have license from the federal government and government-approved disaster plan \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 28, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is continuing to tell federal regulators to hop on a commonsense fix for Missouri small business owners facing unnecessary regulations from a requirement that animal handlers\u2014including magicians with a small number of rabbits\u2014must have a federal government license and a government-approved plan for those animals.\r\nWatch a short video on\u00a0The Act of the Disappearing Regulation.\r\n\u201cThis is a prime example of burdensome federal regulation that lacks basic common sense,\u201d McCaskill wrote to the Department of Agriculture\u2019s undersecretary in charge of regulation. \u201c\u2026The idea that any magician who keeps a limited number of rabbits or other common animals at home needs federal government licenses 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. Therefore I urge you to finalize a rule to clearly exempt these operations that have no business being regulated by the USDA.\u201d\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill also asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a \u201ccommonsense\u201d exemption to\u00a0the 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.\u00a0McCaskill also urged the same action\u00a0last year from former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s letters have highlighted that the\u00a02014 Farm Bill\u2014which she helped pass into law after inaction from U.S. House Republicans\u2014\u201c[recognizes] the ridiculousness of the situation\u201d by providing 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\u00a0Animal Welfare Act. After a more than two-year delay, the Agriculture Department has yet to finalize this exemption.\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s letter also urges the lifting of the USDA\u2019s import ban on Mexican sheep \u2013 a request she heard from several Missouri farmers at her town hall forums across the state this summer.\r\nMcCaskill is a longtime advocate for eliminating waste and duplication in government\u2014working to\u00a0eliminate\u00a0a redundant pesticide approvals process for Missouri\u2019s farmers and ranchers, and passing provisions of the\u00a0Federal Permitting Improvement Act, along 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\nFull text of the letter\u00a0HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/jobs\u00a0to 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/mccaskill-continues-fight-to-restore-dea-enforcement-power-during-opioid-epidemic-at-senate-roundtable", "McCaskill Continues Fight to Restore DEA Enforcement Power During Opioid Epidemic at Senate Roundtable", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Continues Fight to Restore DEA Enforcement Power During Opioid Epidemic at Senate Roundtable \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator invites panelists and colleagues to discuss 2016 bill that curbed opioid distributor enforcement; McCaskill introduced repeal bill earlier this year \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 28, 2017\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 led a roundtable with her Senate colleagues in order to discuss the need to strengthen Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) enforcement against opioid distributors and her bill to repeal the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016. Public reports have indicated that the law, along with a revolving door between the DEA and drug distribution industry, had dramatically restrained the agency\u2019s enforcement efforts.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis legislation was clearly not helpful in terms of removing a valuable tool that was a deterrent\u2026a deterrent to some of the largest companies in America that there were serious and significant consequences if they didn\u2019t do it by the book,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cWhen you remove that deterrent, then things get even sloppier, and when things get sloppy in the area of opioids, people die. Innocent people die\u2026.So we will do our best to undo the damage that has been done.\u201d\r\nThe 2016 bill purported to \u201cimprove enforcement efforts related to prescription drug diversion and abuse\u201d by altering DEA procedures for revoking or suspending registrations\u00a0for\u00a0opioid distributors under the Controlled Substances Act. However, the effect of these changes, according to reports, has been to significantly curtail the ability of DEA to bring enforcement actions against drug distributors.\r\nParticipants at today\u2019s roundtable included Joseph Rannazzisi, former head of the DEA Office of Diversion Control; Frank Younker, former DEA Diversion Group Supervisor, Cincinnati Resident Office; and Jonathan P. Novak, former DEA enforcement attorney. The DEA denied permission for its Chief Administrative Law Judge John J. Mulrooney II to participate in the roundtable.\r\nEarlier this year McCaskill launched an investigation into opioid manufactures\u2014the most comprehensive Congressional investigation into the crisis to date\u2014when she requested information related to sales and marketing materials, internal addiction studies, details on compliance with government settlements and donations to third party advocacy groups from major opioid manufacturers. She expanded her investigation, requesting documents and information from opioid manufacturers Mallinckrodt, Endo, Teva, and Allergan, while a request to McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Cardinal Health, Inc., focused on their distribution of opioid products. In September, McCaskill announced the first round of findings, detailing systemic manipulation of the prior authorization process by Insys Therapeutics.\r\nA video of today\u2019s roundtable can be found HERE.\r\nVisit www.mccaskill.senate.gov/opioid-investigation to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s investigation.\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/joplin-disaster-recovery-is-focus-of-mccaskill-blunt-request", "Joplin Disaster Recovery Is Focus of McCaskill, Blunt Request", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Joplin Disaster Recovery Is Focus of McCaskill, Blunt Request \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senators ask that FEMA give full and fair consideration to city\u2019s extension request following 2011 tornado \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 27, 2017\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 Roy Blunt are calling for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give full consideration to Joplin\u2019s request for an extension to the deadline for completing four projects as part of recovery efforts from the 2011 tornado that devastated the region.\r\nThe projects will repair streets, sidewalks, catch basins, curbs and gutters. An extension allows Joplin to complete the projects as part of the city\u2019s broader disaster recovery efforts while continuing to receive reimbursements from FEMA.\r\n\u201cWe respectfully request that you fully and fairly consider the city\u2019s request\u2026as Joplin continues to recover from the devastating EF-5 tornado that struck the city on May 22, 2011,\u201d wrote the Senators in a letter to FEMA\u2019s Acting Region VII Administrator. \u201cWe understand that these extensions would give Joplin flexibility in coordinating several infrastructure projects\u2026Specifically, it would allow Joplin to better sequence the infrastructure projects in a way that may help reduce wasteful spending.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill and Blunt have continued to support recovery efforts in the Joplin area since the 2011 tornado. Earlier this year, the Senators wrote to the Department of Homeland Security supporting the Joplin Public School System\u2019s second appeal for funding high school repairs.\r\nRead the Senators\u2019 letter to FEMA 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/mccaskill-helps-shape-bipartisan-breakthrough-for-missouri-consumers", "McCaskill Helps Shape Bipartisan Breakthrough for Missouri Consumers", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Helps Shape Bipartisan Breakthrough for Missouri Consumers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Financial legislation includes Senator\u2019s bipartisan bill to protect seniors from exploitation \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 27, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, along with a bipartisan group of 19 colleagues, has introduced major bipartisan legislation to strengthen Missouri small businesses and families by increasing access to capital, cutting burdensome regulation, and protecting consumers.\r\n\u201cWith all the noise and gridlock in Congress right now, this bipartisan plan to help protect consumers from fraud and financial risk while encouraging investments in Missouri communities is a real breath of fresh air,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cSmall community banks on Main Street didn\u2019t cause the financial crash and recession, and they shouldn\u2019t have to bear the financial burdens as those that did\u2014so this plan ensures Missouri families and small businesses can thrive, while keeping the large banking giants in check, and better protecting Missouri seniors.\u201d\r\nIncluded in the bipartisan plan is McCaskill\u2019s Senior$afe Act, which would encourage and allow the employees of financial institutions to report suspected exploitive or fraudulent activity to authorities when they suspect that a customer might be the victim of financial exploitation.\u00a0\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s legislation recognizes that community banks, credit unions, and regional banks do not pose the same risk as Wall Street banks, and tailors regulation appropriately. The sweeping legislation includes provisions of McCaskill\u2019s bipartisan bill\u2014cosponsored by Republican Senator David Perdue of Georgia, and championed by Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer\u2014to provide regulatory relief to small regional banks subject to unnecessarily overly-burdensome regulations put in place by the \u201cDodd-Frank\u201d financial reform bill. Those rules that were never intended for banks that primarily engage in ordinary consumer banking practices.\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime and strong advocate on behalf of Missouri\u2019s consumers. Included in this bipartisan legislation are protections for consumers who fall victim to fraud and tough financial times, including one free year of fraud alerts for consumers impacted by the Wells Fargo scandal and the Equifax breach, as well as give consumers one free credit freeze and unfreeze per year.\u00a0And it would shield veterans from having certain medical debt appear on credit reports.\r\nAdditionally, McCaskill\u2019s legislation acknowledges that home-ownership is central to the America\u2019s economic health, and makes it easier for small financial institutions to lend to Missouri families, while supporting low income families.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers\u00a0to 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"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-questions-fema-involvement-in-draft-whitefish-contract", "McCaskill Questions FEMA Involvement in Draft Whitefish Contract", "2017-11-27", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Questions FEMA Involvement in Draft Whitefish Contract \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Following new details on FEMA\u2019s role in the Whitefish contract, Senator seeks additional information \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 27, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is continuing to seek answers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about Whitefish Energy Holdings\u2019 contract to repair Puerto Rico\u2019s electrical grid following conflicting information from FEMA about the agency\u2019s role in the Whitefish contract.\r\nOriginally, FEMA denied any involvement or funding of the Whitefish contract. However, after FEMA officials told Committee staff that \u201cit is possible that FEMA funds will be used by Whitefish,\u201d McCaskill wrote to FEMA for answers. Today McCaskill is expanding her request following discovery of a recent document indicating that FEMA reviewed a draft of the Whitefish contact.\r\n\u201cFEMA needs to provide a thorough, clear explanation of what role they played in the Whitefish contract,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that taxpayer dollars aren\u2019t wasted and are being effectively used for disaster recovery, but that\u2019s difficult to determine if we continue getting conflicting information about this contract.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s latest request is for a briefing \u201cto clarify the involvement of FEMA in reviewing the Whitefish draft contract\u201d and answers to the questions she posed in an earlier request. McCaskill is seeking details on FEMA\u2019s review of the draft Whitefish contract, if FEMA funding has been used to pay the Whitefish contract, and information on other contracts FEMA is involved with as part of disaster recovery efforts.\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill joined Committee Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin to call for an investigation from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General into the Whitefish contract. She also wrote to the Army Corps of Engineers earlier this month about nearly $1 billion it is awarding to contractors for repairing the electrical grid in Puerto Rico. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is responsible for oversight of disaster relief efforts.\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to FEMA 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/mccaskill-fights-to-fix-bizarre-quirk-leaving-some-missouri-residents-with-iowa-mailing-addresses-", "McCaskill Fights to Fix Bizarre Quirk Leaving Some Missouri Residents with Iowa Mailing Addresses", "2017-11-24", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Fights to Fix Bizarre Quirk Leaving Some Missouri Residents with Iowa Mailing Addresses  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator pushes USPS to fix the issue that creates unnecessary problems for the affected Missourians   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 24, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 After recently discovering that some Missouri residents along the Missouri-Iowa border have been assigned Iowa mailing addresses for decades, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is demanding answers from the Postal Service in an effort to fix the problem.\r\n\r\nAccording to research conducted by McCaskill\u2019s office, some residents of Atchison, Clark, Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, and Scotland counties have been impacted, though the exact number of affected residents is unknown. Clark County Commissioners and residents have already alerted the United States Postal Service of the issue and requested a change in the delivery routes, which is believed to be the reason for the bizarre situation.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u201cThe notion that Missouri residents have faced numerous hassles for decades because they have an Iowa mailing address is one of the dumbest things I\u2019ve come across,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis needs to get fixed and I plan on doing everything I can to help.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe issue has created inconvenience and confusion for affected Missouri residents. \u201cThis address issue causes residents, businesses, and local governments of these six counties a wide variety of unnecessary burdens,\u201d McCaskill wrote to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. \u201cResidents state that it can take several months to obtain death certificates, and local police officers believe that their Missouri drivers licenses are fraudulent because they have Iowa addresses.\u00a0A Clark County clerk expressed concern that the incorrect addresses have negatively impacted the integrity of Missouri\u2019s voting system because Iowa addresses are not compatible with the State-wide voter information system.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill raised the issue when she met with Ms. Brennan on November 14, and the Postmaster General agreed to work with her to resolve the issue.\u00a0McCaskill is now requesting information on the exact origin of the problem and a final date by which the USPS plans to solve the issue.\r\nRead a copy of McCaskill\u2019s letter to the Postmaster General HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural Missouri.\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-seeks-details-on-preventing-fentanyl-and-illicit-opioid-shipments-to-the-us", "McCaskill Seeks Details on Preventing Fentanyl and Illicit Opioid Shipments to the U.S.", "2017-11-22", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Seeks Details on Preventing Fentanyl and Illicit Opioid Shipments to the U.S. \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator requests documents from Departments of State and Homeland Security, USPS about intercepting opioid shipments from foreign countries \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 22, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is seeking details from the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) about their efforts to stop illegal drugs from being mailed to the U.S. from China, Hong Kong and other foreign countries. McCaskill\u2019s request focuses specifically on efforts to intercept shipments of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, one of the most powerful types of opioids. Committee Chairman Ron Johnson is joining McCaskill in her request.\r\n\r\n\u201cFentanyl is now killing more Americans than heroin or any other opioid, and we should use every tool at our disposal to keep it from entering the United States,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI look forward to hearing more from the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and USPS about what we\u2019re doing to stop deadly opioids from entering the country and what more can be done on this front.\u201d\r\n\r\nPartnerships between the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and USPS, as well as partnerships between the United States and foreign countries, can help to reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. Shipments of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (which have very similar ingredients to fentanyl) are of particular concern, as fentanyl is one of the most powerful types of opioids. In the U.S., opioid overdose from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids almost doubled between 2015 and 2016 to nearly 20,000.\r\n\r\nThe State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and USPS all play important roles in reducing the flow of illegal drugs into the country. \u201cThe opioid crisis in this country has reached epidemic proportions, and it is a multifaceted problem that demands a whole-of-government approach to resolve,\u201d the Senators wrote in their letters to the agencies. The Senators are seeking details on how the agencies encourage cross-departmental and international data sharing so that USPS can better identify suspicious packages and help partners overseas identify those trying to illegally ship drugs to disrupt the supply chain. The Senators are also requesting information on how extensive of a problem international drug shipments are and how agencies are doing at following current guidelines to address this problem.\r\nPreviously, McCaskill and Johnson requested details about what Customs and Border Protection is doing to stop illegal opioids from being smuggled into the country at ports of entry and the border. McCaskill also targeted opioid shipments from China at a Senate hearing earlier this year. McCaskill is currently leading the largest Congressional investigation to date into the opioid epidemic, requesting information from opioid manufacturers and distributors.\r\nRead the Senators\u2019 letters to the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and USPS.\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/protecting-missouri-agriculture-in-trade-talks-is-aim-of-mccaskills-bipartisan-push", "Protecting Missouri Agriculture in Trade Talks is Aim of McCaskill’s Bipartisan Push", "2017-11-22", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Protecting Missouri Agriculture in Trade Talks is Aim of McCaskill\u2019s Bipartisan Push \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator asks Commerce Secretary to study economic effects of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement on Missouri\u2019s crop and livestock sectors \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 22, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is joining a bipartisan call, led by Republican Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, urging the Trump Administration to conduct a robust economic analysis to evaluate how any changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would affect Missouri\u2019s crop and livestock sectors.\r\n\r\n\u201cAs Senators representing states with significant agricultural economies, we write to you today to underscore the vital role that agriculture plays throughout our home states and across America,\u201d McCaskill and colleagues, including fellow Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, wrote in the letter. \u201cIt is imperative that before any changes are made to NAFTA, or any other free trade agreement, that economic analysis that illustrates the impact on the full supply chain of the industries involved be shared. As such, we request an economic analysis that examines and evaluates the impacts to crop and livestock sectors as a result of any change to NAFTA.\u201d\r\nThe Senators\u2019 letter continues: \u201cThe U.S. is the world\u2019s top exporter of food and agricultural products and is an important economic driver that stimulates prosperity and jobs throughout rural America. According to USDA, every $1 in agricultural exports generates an additional $1.27 in economic activity, and every $1 billion in farm exports supports 8,000 jobs.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill, a longtime advocate for farmers and ranchers in Missouri, and recently joined her Republican colleagues in seeking protections for Missouri agriculture producers in NAFTA renegotiations. Since NAFTA was enacted in 1993, Canada and Mexico have been Missouri\u2019s top export destinations and two of the top five importers of American agricultural products, including 28 percent of total American agricultural exports last year. And after sustained efforts by McCaskill, President Trump finalized agreements with China to allow\u00a0Missouri\u2019s rice\u00a0and\u00a0beef producers\u00a0to finally export their products to China.\r\nFull text of the letter HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-joins-house-and-senate-democrats-in-sponsoring-new", "Congressman Cleaver Joins House and Senate Democrats in Sponsoring New Proposal for Retired Workers", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II joined Democratic leaders from the House and Senate in sponsoring a new proposal to help pension retirees. The proposed legislation would ensure that retired workers keep the pensions they have earned. Specifically, the legislation would allow the Treasury Department to loan money through the sale of U.S. Treasury bonds to pension plans to ensure that retirees and their families are guaranteed their promised benefits.\n\u201cIt was time for Congress to act. Millions of pensions are at risk. I listened to thousands of retirees in my district, and across the Midwest, who were worried about their pensions being cut, some by as much as 60 percent. I believe this plan is a practical, common-sense solution that will ensure retirees continue to receive the pensions they have worked for,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nPension plans \u2013 including the massive Teamsters\u2019 Central States Pension Fund, the United Mine Workers Pension Plan, and over 200 more plans impacting workers in every state in the country \u2013 are on the brink of failure. If nothing is done, these 200 multiemployer plans are projected to fail, many within the next 10 years. The result would be economically devastating, as the retirement benefits of 1.5 million plan participants could be at risk.\nCongressman Cleaver has been working on behalf of retirees on this issue since 2015 when over 800 retirees began contacting his office.\n\u201cIn my district alone, there will be over 3,500 people affected. For the state of Missouri, an estimated 32,000 people are impacted with a total of $3 billion dollars\u2019 worth of pensions,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nThe proposal would:\n\u2022 Provide financing to put failing pension plans back on solid ground to ensure they can meet their commitments to retirees today and to workers for decades to come.\n\u2022 Prevent cuts to benefits retirees have already earned.\n\u2022 Put safeguards in place so pension plans remain strong for today's workers when they retire.\nIn 2016, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver held a town hall meeting for retired workers who are affected by the massive cuts to the Central States Pension Fund (CSPF) and led efforts to bring the U.S. Treasury Department\u2019s Special Master, Kenneth Feinberg, to hear their concerns about the proposed steep cuts to the Central States Pension Fund. Over 1,500 people showed up at the Downtown Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri to share their concerns, regarding the implementation of the Kline-Miller Act.\nThis year, Congressman Cleaver sent a letter, which can be found here, to President Donald Trump to address the crisis involving multi-employer pensions and in 2016 Congressman Cleaver 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. He also joined other U.S. House members in requesting a full accounting of the CSPF by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That study is currently ongoing.\n\u201cIt\u2019s time to protect the promise we made to retirees. Protect their pensions,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-raises-concerns-over-border-patrol-uniform-contract", "McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Border Patrol Uniform Contract", "2017-11-21", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Raises Concerns Over Border Patrol Uniform Contract \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Border Patrol agents are required to purchase uniforms from a company that marks up gear by up to 1035% \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 21, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for answers about the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s contract with uniform supplier VF Imagewear after reports that Border Patrol and U.S. taxpayers could be on the hook for over a million dollars in wasteful spending. Currently, Border Patrol agents are required to purchase uniforms and gear from the company, even though price comparisons of similar products show that VF Imagewear items can cost up to 1000 percent more than commercially available alternatives.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt seems pretty simple to me \u2013 the government shouldn\u2019t be forcing Border Patrol agents to purchase uniforms and gear that\u2019s highly marked-up,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor. \u201cThis potentially wastes more than a million taxpayer dollars, and I look forward to getting answers on why this contract was awarded in the first place.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen Senator McCaskill became the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Committee she asked me to bring her issues that impede the ability of the men and women of the US Border Patrol to secure our border or endanger Agent safety,\u201d said Brandon Judd, National President of the National Border Patrol Council. \u201cWe have brought several issues to her attention and every time she has acted swiftly to hold DHS and CBP accountable. I want\u00a0to thank Senator McCaskill for looking\u00a0into this issue and providing oversight that CBP should have been doing for years.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn 2014, the Department of Homeland Secured awarded VF Imagewear an exclusive contract under which Border Patrol agents can only purchase uniforms and gear from the company with their $800 annual allotment for uniforms and equipment. In a comparison of VF Imagewear items to comparable items on Amazon, McCaskill staff found that markups ranged from $6-$133, and a percentage increase ranging from 9%-1035%. \u201cThe federal government could be wasting more than $1.3 million annually\u2026for Border Patrol uniforms,\u201d wrote McCaskill to Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan. \u201cGiven that VF Imagewear is the primary uniform supplier for all components of DHS, the federal government could be wasting many more millions of dollars.\u201d McCaskill is requesting details on what led to the contract being awarded, the stipend that Border Patrol agents have for uniforms and gear, and what equipment VF Imagewear provides to the government.\r\n\r\nSince her time as Missouri State Auditor, McCaskill has been a leading voice in Missouri and Washington for cutting wasteful government spending, and she has repeatedly held agencies accountable for contracts rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. Since becoming the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this past January, McCaskill has called for answers on questionable government contracts, such as one that left taxpayers on the hook for over $50 million in questionable costs, including seven luxury vehicles and $400,000 average salaries for significant others of corporate officers to serve as \u201cexecutive assistants.\u201d Last year, McCaskill expanded\u00a0whistleblower protections\u00a0to federal grantees, subgrantees, and others who the federal government directly or indirectly hires through bipartisan bills that have been signed into law. During her first term in the Senate, McCaskill\u00a0waged a successful six-year effort\u00a0to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in wartime contracting.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to Customs and Border Protection HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/spending\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to cut wasteful spending in Washington.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0###\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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-and-congresswoman-watson-coleman-demand", "Congressman Cleaver and Congresswoman Watson Coleman Demand Accountability from the Internet Association to Address the use of Artificial Intelligence Exacerbating On-line Racial and Gender Bias", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) wrote a letter to the President and CEO of the Internet Association, Michael Beckerman, urging the organization to stop the spread of racial and gender bias through technology and adopt practices and policies to hold members accountable when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. The letter is here.\n\u201cAs AI technology continues to expand and touch all areas of our lives, from social media, medicine, traffic management, airport security, retail inventory, to online lending, and education, it is imperative that policy makers carefully attempt to balance policies and regulations that mitigate social and ethical risks while providing an environment that allows for and supports innovation in industries such as yours,\u201d the letter states.\nCleaver and Watson Coleman are asking that the Internet Association respond to the following questions:\n\u2022 Is there a process in your association to review, test, share, and manage member datasets, algorithms or products to ensure that there is not a gender, racial, or religious bias?\n\u2022 Has the Internet Association implemented any best practices to limit the proliferation of discriminatory biases and/or radical ideology?\n\u2022 Is there a process and/or platform that can educate the public and Internet Association members on how to spot, identify and notify the group of racial or gender bias content?\n\u201cWe are continuing to demand answers because this issue affects so much of our daily encounters. We are constantly seeing information on our phones, tablets, and computers. We want to make sure the technology we use is working to solve, rather than magnify, our most difficult social challenges.\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\n\"With an ever-evolving and advancing digital landscape - users reap great benefit from the ease and speed in which we are able to reach across the globe with the click of a mouse or the touch of a button. But we must take seriously the fact that individuals and organizations with harmful intent have that same access,\" said Watson Coleman. \"The Internet Association and its member organizations must seek to proactively ensure that they can readily identify those bad actors and the threat they can pose, both directly and indirectly, to the livelihood of the men and women who use their platforms. As Vice Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Committee, I have seen the harms that cyber threats pose to our security, and despite the nuanced challenges posed by online threats, we must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our homeland - digital and physical.\" Watson Coleman continued.\nLast month, Congressman Cleaver and Congresswoman Watson Coleman sent a letter to Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, encouraging him to take immediate action to combat the spread of racially divisive communications and take seriously the threat of foreign entities\u2019 use of the site to undermine American democracy. Weeks later, the lawmakers were among members of the Congressional Black Caucus who met with, Facebook\u2019s COO, Sheryl Sandberg, to discuss allegations that Russian-backed agencies exploited the company\u2019s system to influence the outcome of the 2016 election through the spread of racial and discriminatory messaging.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-applauds-justice-department-decision-review-police-actions-against", "Clay Applauds Justice Department Decision to Review Police Actions Against Stockley Verdict Protesters", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN \u00a0WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI \nREGARDING JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DECISION TO HONOR HIS REQUEST\nFOR A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION INTO LOCAL POLICE ACTIONS\nAGAINST PROTESTERS OF RECENT JASON STOCKLEY VERDICT \n\u00a0\n-ST. LOUIS, MO\nNote:\u00a0 The following, in its entirety, is all first-person from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri.\n\"I am very gratified that U.S. Attorney Jensen and the Department of Justice have responded so quickly to my request for a civil rights investigation regarding the allegedly unconstitutional \u200eactions by police after the Stockley verdict.\nThe 1st Amendment is vital, because like our local police, it defends everyone. Both are essential to our country and our community.\u201d\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-burr-aim-to-close-health-care-law-loophole-with-bipartisan-bill", "McCaskill, Burr Aim to Close Health Care Law Loophole with Bipartisan Bill", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill, Burr Aim to Close Health Care Law Loophole with Bipartisan Bill \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senators\u2019 legislation would repeal provision that causes the majority of states to unfairly subsidize high wages at a handful of hospitals \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 20, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Richard Burr of North Carolina are teaming up on the bipartisan\u00a0Hospital Payment Fairness Act to fix a problematic provision in the\u00a0Affordable Care Act that causes the majority of states, like Missouri and North Carolina, to unfairly subsidize high wages at a handful of hospitals through Medicare reimbursements.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m the first to admit our healthcare law isn\u2019t perfect, and that it\u2019s in need of changes that\u2019ll make it more fair and affordable for Missourians,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis bipartisan bill does exactly that and tips the scales back in favor of fairness for Missouri\u2019s hospitals and the Medicare payments that help make the care they provide possible.\u201d\r\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased to work with my colleague from Missouri to repeal this problematic provision of Obamacare. Today, this policy benefits a handful of states at the expense of others, pulling millions of dollars away from North Carolina\u2019s health care providers,\u201d Burr said. \u201cWith this repeal, states would be required to take responsibility for their own costs. I hope to see this bill garner even more bipartisan support and bring relief to negatively impacted states across the country.\u201d\r\nMedicare rules stipulate that a state\u2019s urban hospitals must be reimbursed for wages paid to doctors and staff at least as much as rural hospitals in that state are reimbursed. A section of the\u00a0Affordable Care Act\u00a0required Medicare reimbursements for hospital wages be drawn from a national pool of money, instead of from each state\u2019s allocation. As a result, any increase for one particular state means a decrease for other states.\r\nThis provision has proved problematic for many states since Massachusetts has only one rural hospital\u2014Nantucket Cottage\u2014which sets the floor for wage reimbursements in the state. While rural hospitals typically have lower wages than urban ones, wages at Nantucket Cottage are high because of the hospital's remote location and high cost of living. Therefore, the rural wage floor established on Nantucket has become a boon for hospitals in the rest of Massachusetts. Nantucket Cottage's rural designation has allowed the state's dozens of other hospitals to collectively reap hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare reimbursements at the expense of other states, like Missouri and North Carolina.\r\nThe\u00a0Hospital Payment Fairness Act will sunset this section of the\u00a0Affordable Care Act, meaning states like Massachusetts will be responsible for bearing the burden of their own increased rural wage floor costs, instead of tapping the resources of other states. Roughly 40 states lose money under the current system, with Massachusetts receiving the lion\u2019s share of redistributed revenue of the states that have been positively affected.\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-urges-federal-agencies-to-evaluate-duplicative-programs", "McCaskill Urges Federal Agencies to Evaluate Duplicative Programs", "2017-11-20", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Urges Federal Agencies to Evaluate Duplicative Programs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator requests performance metrics from Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce   \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 20, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 After a top federal watchdog identified dozens of priority recommendations for federal agencies, including identifying potentially duplicative government programs, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is requesting information from two government agencies about how they are measuring if those programs really work. In a report from 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified dozens of programs related to \u2018entrepreneurial assistance\u2019 that could be duplicative and lack formal measures to ensure taxpayer dollars are being well spent. GAO followed up in 2017 on numerous recommendations that have yet to be acted upon.\r\n\r\nIn letters to the heads of the Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce, McCaskill is requesting information related to these potentially duplicative programs and asking those agencies why they have failed to implement GAO\u2019s recommendations.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe can\u2019t have dozens of potentially ineffective programs all working on the same thing,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cEncouraging people to start businesses is a good goal, but if we\u2019re spending Missourians\u2019 hard-earned tax dollars on it, we\u2019ve got to make sure money isn\u2019t being wasted.\u201d\r\nProtecting taxpayer dollars has been a top priority for McCaskill as a leader of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Recently, the Senate passed a McCaskill-backed bipartisan bill to reduce wasteful spending on government technology purchases. The Senate also passed a McCaskill-backed bill making it illegal to spend taxpayer dollars on portraits of government officials. Earlier this year, McCaskill-backed bipartisan legislation to crack down on misuse of federal agency travel and purchase cards spending\u00a0passed the Senate. \r\nRead a copy of McCaskill\u2019s letters to Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon HERE, and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross HERE. \r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/spending\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to cut wasteful spending 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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-releases-statement-on-house-tax-bill", "Congressman Cleaver Releases Statement on House Tax Bill", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Kansas City, MO) - Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II released the following statement after the passage of the tax bill.\n\u201cIt was truly disappointing to witness the passage of the hastily drafted House tax plan yesterday. Like many Missourians, I support efforts to simplify the federal tax code; however, I strongly oppose shifting the tax burden from corporations onto hard-working, middle-class families. This tax plan would eliminate deductions that so many families, small business owners, and seniors rely on, such as: child care deductions, student loan payments, teachers\u2019 out-of-pocket expenses, and large medical bills due to cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and other illnesses. For these reasons, I voted, \u201cNo\u201d on H.R. 1. With a 90 year-old mother-in-law and a 96 year-old father and tens of thousands of seniors in my Congressional District, I could not in good conscience vote for a tax plan that does so little for them and for working Americans. This tax bill will drive up our national debt, adding at least $1.5 trillion to the debt and triggering over $136 Billion in spending cuts, including $25 Billion from Medicare in 2018. Congress should find a bi-partisan solution that would provide tax breaks without leaving this kind of debt burden for future generations.\u201d\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information, please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-grijalva-thank-missouri-dreamers-pledge-not-support-year-end", "Clay, Grijalva Thank Missouri Dreamers, Pledge Not to Support Year-End Spending Bill Unless it Includes a Clean Dream Act", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 On the heels of last week\u2019s very successful DACA Summit at Saint Louis University, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D) Arizona, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus; today thanked Missouri Dreamers for their dedication to defending young Americans who are currently protected by DACA, and they restated their demand for an up or down vote on H.R. 3440, the Dream Act of 2017, which is cosponsored by Mr. Clay, Mr. Grijalva and 198 other Members of Congress from across the nation.\nClay and Grijalva also restated their pledge to vote against any year-end spending bill that does not include the Clean Dream Act language to grant permanent legal status to over 800,000 young Americans who are at risk of deportation.\nIn their letter to Missouri Dreamers, Mr. Clay and Mr. Grijalva said in-part: \u201cWe commend you for your leadership; it is much needed during these times of frustration and uncertainly for families across the country. We are proud cosponsors of H.R. 3440, the only bipartisan and bicameral legislation that would provide relief for Dreamers and a pathway to citizenship.\u00a0 If Congressional Republicans do not bring the Clean Dream Act as a stand-along bill to the House floor, we will not support any year-end spending legislation that does not include the Clean Dream Act.\u201d\nBecause of President Trump\u2019s action to end former President Obama\u2019s \u201cDeferred Action for Child Arrivals,\u201d(DACA) - over 800,000 young Americans, including at least 700 in the St. Louis area, are at risk of deportation beginning in March of 2018 if Congress fails to act.\nThe complete text of the letter to Missouri Dreamers from Mr. Clay and Mr. Grijalva is attached.\n\u00a0\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/47-48-49-more-mccaskill-town-halls", "47, 48, 49… More McCaskill Town Halls", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "47, 48, 49\u2026 More McCaskill Town Halls \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator, who has already held 46 town halls across Missouri this year, hosting more \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMISSOURI \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill\u2014who has hosted more than 45 public, in-person town halls throughout Missouri just this year\u2014will hold more town halls in the coming days with stops in Jasper County, Texas County, and Howell County.\r\n\u201cThe Missourians who show up to my town halls don\u2019t always agree with me,\u201d said McCaskill, who has hosted more public town halls in her time as Senator than the rest of Missouri\u2019s Congressional delegation combined. \u201cThey may support some of my work, or they may think I should be focused on other areas. What\u2019s important above all is that I show up, that I listen to them, and that what they tell me fuels the fights I wage for them in the Senate. I\u2019m not scared of tough, candid conversations, because these town halls make me a better fighter for the state I love.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has hosted forty-six public town hall forums on previous tours across Missouri this year. In 2009 during debate over the Affordable Care Act\u2014at a time of heightened demonstrations against the legislation\u2014McCaskill held a series of highly publicized town halls, including in traditionally conservative areas of Missouri, to hear directly from Missourians about their concerns and respond to criticisms.\r\nIn 2014, McCaskill logged more than 1,000 miles around the state on her \u201cMcCaskill on Main Street\u201d series of public town halls. McCaskill has also toured the state with town halls aimed at military veterans and seniors\u2014and has hosted individual town halls, such as one she hosted last year with then-U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack focused on the opioid epidemic.\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-calls-for-additional-action-on-va-disability-appeals-backlog-", "McCaskill Calls for Additional Action on VA Disability Appeals Backlog", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Calls for Additional Action on VA Disability Appeals Backlog  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t VA had disability appeals backlog of 427,000 in FY 2015, veterans often wait more than three years before receiving a decision \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for action from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on what it will do to process veterans\u2019 disability appeals faster. The agency has hundreds of thousands of pending appeals, and veterans often wait over three years before receiving a decision from the VA.\r\n\r\n\u201cAfter all they've sacrificed for our country, many veterans in Missouri and across the country have to wait years before hearing back from the government,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cVeterans can't afford to wait over three years for a decision from the VA while they struggle to make ends meet. Our veterans deserve better than this, and the VA needs to continue taking necessary steps to reduce their disability appeals backlog.\u201d\r\n\r\nAt the end of FY 2015, the VA had more than 427,000 pending appeals. Veterans can appeal claims to the Veterans Benefits Administration\u2014where veterans wait an average of more than three years for a decision, and then to the Board of Veterans\u2019 Appeals\u2014where veterans wait an average of more than five years for a decision. \u201cFor many veterans applying for disability benefits, these delays can exacerbate existing challenges due to age and disability status,\u201d wrote McCaskill in her letter to VA Secretary David J. Shulkin. The Government Accountability Office made a number of recommendations to the VA about how to reduce the backlog and process appeals faster, but the VA said that additional action is not necessary. McCaskill is calling for answers on why the VA dismissed the Government Accountability Office\u2019s recommendations and what the agency is doing to improve the appeals process.\r\n\r\nThe daughter of a World War II veteran, McCaskill has a long history of standing up for veterans. She is seeking answers from the VA after a recent report finding that thousands of servicemembers with PTSD or other mental health conditions who received \u201cother than honorable\u201d discharges were potentially barred from receiving mental healthcare and other benefits. Following issues with construction at VA facilities in Missouri, McCaskill called for answers on what the agency\u2019s Inspector General is doing to improve oversight over major construction projects.\r\n\r\nAiming to continue improvements to the quality of customer service at statewide VA facilities, McCaskill\u00a0created a \u201csecret-shopper program,\u201d the Veterans\u2019 Customer Satisfaction Program, which allows veterans to share timely, confidential feedback about their VA health care visits, and helps provide oversight and accountability for VA health care facilities. The program is now active in five regions:\u00a0St. Louis;\u00a0Kansas City;\u00a0Columbia;\u00a0Poplar Bluff;\u00a0Southwest Missouri (Fayetteville).\u00a0Last year,\u00a0following advocacy\u00a0from McCaskill and more than one-thousand rural veterans in Missouri, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would expand the hours of operation at the Salem Veterans Clinic to be open Monday through Friday.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the VA Secretary HERE.\r\n\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight for military veterans\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/more-than-2-million-headed-to-cooper-county-for-rural-wastewater-treatmentmccaskill-announces", "More Than $2 Million Headed to Cooper County for Rural Wastewater Treatment—McCaskill Announces", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "More Than $2 Million Headed to Cooper County for Rural Wastewater Treatment\u2014McCaskill Announces \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: \u2018Every Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced more than $2 million in federal funding and loans has been awarded to the town of Pilot Grove, in Cooper County, to improve the existing wastewater treatment facility.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cEvery Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live \u2013 whether it\u2019s a community big or small,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis funding will go a long way to help folks in Pilot Grove shore up the infrastructure in place to ensure that basic promise to the community.\u201d\r\nThe $342,000 grant and $1,855,000 loan was awarded to the town of Pilot Grove through the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Rural Development Program to improve the existing wastewater treatment facility for the community.\r\nMcCaskill has been a\u00a0longtime\u00a0supporter\u00a0of investing in Missouri\u2019s infrastructure. She has\u00a0led efforts\u00a0to claw back previously earmarked funds to ensure the money is spent on critical infrastructure needs instead of politicians\u2019 pet projects. Her efforts allowed the Missouri Department of Transportation to direct $72.6 million of previously unspent funds across Missouri to support local needs. These funds were originally earmarked by Congress for use 10 or more years ago, but because they were duplicates, or the project was scrapped, among other reasons\u2014the funds were never used.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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/more-than-600000-headed-to-butler-county-for-rural-wastewater-treatmentmccaskill-announces", "More Than $600,000 Headed to Butler County for Rural Wastewater Treatment—McCaskill Announces", "2017-11-17", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "More Than $600,000 Headed to Butler County for Rural Wastewater Treatment\u2014McCaskill Announces \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator: \u2018Every Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live\u2019 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 17, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced more than $600,000 in federal funding and loans has been awarded to the town of Neelyville, in Butler County, to improve the existing wastewater treatment facility.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u201cEvery Missourian should have access to clean water and basic infrastructure, no matter where you live \u2013 whether it\u2019s a community big or small,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cThis funding will go a long way to help folks in Neelyville shore up the infrastructure in place to ensure that basic promise to the community.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe $235,000 grant and $371,000 loan was awarded to the town of Neelyville through the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Rural Development Program to improve the existing wastewater treatment facility for the community.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has been a\u00a0longtime\u00a0supporter\u00a0of investing in Missouri\u2019s infrastructure. She has\u00a0led efforts\u00a0to claw back previously earmarked funds to ensure the money is spent on critical infrastructure needs instead of politicians\u2019 pet projects. Her efforts allowed the Missouri Department of Transportation to direct $72.6 million of previously unspent funds across Missouri to support local needs. These funds were originally earmarked by Congress for use 10 or more years ago, but because they were duplicates, or the project was scrapped, among other reasons\u2014the funds were never used.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural 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://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-blasts-republican-tax-scam", "Clay Blasts Republican Tax Scam", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI \nIN RESPONSE TO PASSAGE OF H.R.1\n\u00a0\nThe following, in its entirety, is a first-person statement by Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013\n\"The Republican tax scam passed today in the U.S. House betrays working families, explodes the debt, and punishes students, seniors, and homeowners.\u00a0 \nIt will raise taxes on 36 million middle-class families. It will bury student loan holders even deeper in debt by eliminating the deduction for student loan interest.\u00a0 \nIt penalizes hard work by eliminating the deduction for state and local taxes.\nAnd our seniors, who depend on Medicare, will suffer a $25 billion cut from that vital program over the next ten years. \nHouse Republicans not only raised taxes on millions of Americans today, they voted to add $1.5 trillion to the national debt, which our children and grandchildren will have to pay for.\u00a0 \nUnder the GOP tax scam, the haves will have more\u2026and everyone else will be asked to pay for it.\"\n\u00a0\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-demands-answers-on-laurie-mo-postal-facility-closure", "McCaskill Demands Answers on Laurie, MO Postal Facility Closure", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Demands Answers on Laurie, MO Postal Facility Closure \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t USPS gave conflicting information to McCaskill\u2019s office and Laurie residents after their postal facility was abruptly closed in January \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is demanding answers from the United States Postal Service (USPS) about the status of the Laurie, Missouri postal facility that was abruptly closed in January under USPS\u2019 \u201cemergency suspension\u201d process, which is supposed to be temporary. USPS told Laurie officials that a decision on reopening the postal facility would be made by September, but that has not yet occurred. USPS also gave conflicting information to Laurie officials and McCaskill\u2019s office about why a decision has not been made.\r\n\r\n\u201cLaurie residents deserve answers now on what\u2019s going on with their postal facility\u2014and USPS certainly shouldn\u2019t be giving me different information than what it\u2019s giving to my constituents,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cI\u2019m committed to getting to the bottom of this issue and working to ensure that situations like this don\u2019t happen to more Missouri postal facilities.\u201d\r\n\r\nUSPS can make an \u201cemergency suspension\u201d decision to temporarily close a postal facility with little notice, but they frequently remained closed for years, if they are ever reopened at all. The Laurie, MO postal facility was closed under \u201cemergency suspension\u201d in January, and Laurie officials have yet to hear from USPS about if and when the postal facility will be reopened. The Mayor of Laurie said that USPS told Laurie officials that it could not make a decision yet because of a moratorium on opening certain types of postal facilities, but USPS told McCaskill that reopening these postal facilities can be done on a case-by-case basis. \u201cWhen communities lose their long established retail postal facility, even temporarily, those communities deserve accurate, ongoing updates from the Postal Service stating when service may resume or whether any postal retail services will return at all,\u201d wrote McCaskill in a letter to the Postmaster General.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill also asked USPS to add its support to her bipartisan legislation that would prevent the Postal Service from using its \u201cemergency suspension\u201d process to indefinitely close postal facilities without notice to the community and opportunity to appeal. McCaskill introduced the legislation in May along with Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill is a leader of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over USPS. She has long worked to improve rural postal service and hold USPS accountable. In September, McCaskill called for postal reforms after a USPS Inspector General report found that mismanagement led to up to two billion pieces of delayed mail. She has also called for answers from the Postmaster General following reports from Missouri USPS managers that their staffing needs have been disregarded. She also demanded answers from the Postal Service on how it will protect mail delivery for rural Missourians and efficiently manage the cost-sharing benefits with competitors to carry mail the \u201clast mile,\u201d especially in rural areas. McCaskill is widely credited with having waged a successful campaign over several years to save rural post offices in Missouri and maintain delivery standards.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the Postmaster General HERE.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/rural\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural Missouri.\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-i-wanted-to-support-real-tax-reform-this-isnt-itthis-is-a-bad-deal-for-missouri-families", "McCaskill: ‘I wanted to support real tax reform. This isn’t it—this is a bad deal for Missouri families.", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill: \u2018I wanted to support real tax reform. This isn\u2019t it\u2014this is a bad deal for Missouri families. \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Nonpartisan analysis: Tax plan cuts \u2018taxes of wealthy and hikes taxes on families earning under $75,000\u2019 \u2013  Proposal would deepen the national debt, & former Defense Secretaries say plan jeopardizes military funding \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate Finance Committee has advanced a partisan tax plan that, according to independent analysts, \u201ccuts taxes of [the] wealthy and hikes taxes on families earning under $75,000 over a decade\u201d\u2014a proposal that U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill calls \u201ca bad deal for Missouri families.\u201d\r\nThe proposed tax plan, advanced by Republican leaders in Congress, would restrict promised tax relief for working families, undermine the current healthcare law (leading to higher premiums and fewer insured Americans), and, according to former U.S. Defense Secretaries, jeopardize U.S. military funding\u2014all while dramatically deepening the national debt with a costly tax giveaway to the richest Americans.\r\nMcCaskill released the following statement after voting against the proposal:\r\n\u201cI wanted to support real tax reform. This isn\u2019t it\u2014this is a bad deal for Missouri families. Working people in Missouri deserve better than to get scraps, while corporations and wealthy business owners make out like bandits in a plan that explodes our deficit and compromises our military. But I\u2019m still going to keep fighting for my state\u2014and if Congressional leaders decide to toss out this proposal and start fresh with a genuinely bipartisan approach that delivers real tax relief to working people, cleans out the loopholes exploited by the rich and corporations, and lowers the corporate tax rate, I\u2019ll be the first to sign up.\u201d\r\nThe proposed tax plan would make tax cuts to large corporations permanent, while making the relatively smaller tax breaks for individuals and families temporary.\r\nMcCaskill offered several amendments to the proposed tax plan during the Finance Committee\u2019s process, including:\r\n \r\nAn amendment to restore the deduction for individuals and families for property that is lost in a disaster, such as flooding or a fire, outside of a formal declared disaster area\u2014a deduction that is eliminated for individuals in the proposed tax plan, but retained for corporations. The amendment was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\n \r\nAn amendment to ensure that individuals have the same access to deductions as corporations (such as deductions for state and local taxes, and moving expenses), which is not currently the case in the proposed tax plan. That goal, which was the subject of several amendments, was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\n \r\nAn amendment to ensure that the tax plan\u2019s proposed deduction for \u201cpass-through\u201d income\u2014a deduction for business owners who receive income passed through various business structures like an LLC\u2014would only be available to small business owners earning less than $1 million, instead of also being available to millionaires and billionaires. Under the amendment, the revenue that would gone to millionaires and billionaires would have instead gone to small business tax relief. The amendment was rejected by the Republican committee members.\r\n \r\nMcCaskill also cosponsored or voted to support several amendments to the proposed tax plan, including amendments to: make the tax cuts for individuals and families permanent, expand the child tax credit, protect Social Security and Medicare from budget cuts, and establish a dedicated infrastructure fund with some of the revenue from companies shifting tax dollars back to the U.S. from overseas.\r\nRepublican members of the committee rejected each of those amendments, and every amendment offered by the committee\u2019s Democrats.\r\nAs reported today, according the Joint Committee on Taxation\u2014who serve as the official nonpartisan analysts for Congress\u2014under the proposed tax plan: \u201cTax hikes for households earning $10,000 to $30,000 would start in 2021 and grow sharply from there. By the year 2027, Americans earning $30,000 to $75,000 a year would also be forced to pay more in taxes even though people earning over $100,000 continue to get substantial tax cuts. Most of the hit to the poor and working-class comes from the Senate Republicans' push to insert a major health care shift into the tax bill\u2026 [leading] to 13 million more uninsured, the Congressional Budget Office has said. Many of those people earn modest incomes and currently receive tax credits and subsidies from the government to help them afford insurance. As health insurance premiums rise and people opt not to buy insurance anymore, their tax breaks go away\u2026\u201d\r\nThe Congressional Budget Office has also predicted that the massive deficit increase resulting from the proposed tax plan would lead to automatic spending cuts to Medicare, agriculture subsidies, and student loans, to compensate for lost federal revenue.\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-pushes-bipartisan-fix-to-better-fund-opioid-treatment", "McCaskill Pushes Bipartisan Fix to Better Fund Opioid Treatment", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Pushes Bipartisan Fix to Better Fund Opioid Treatment \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Legislation would adjust funding formula to better assist hardest-hit states \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is joining a bipartisan plan to prioritize federal opioid funding for states that have been hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. The legislation would charge the federal agencies tasked with combating the opioid epidemic to take into account mortality rates and lack of access to treatment and services when allocating funding, rather than the current method which unfairly benefits states with higher populations.\r\n\u201cWe need to make sure that our hardest-hit communities and those lacking important treatment resources are getting the help they need to combat this epidemic,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cOpioids have been tearing apart communities across Missouri, and we need to make sure not only do we have an all hands on deck effort to curb this epidemic but that we\u2019re doing so in a way that is most effective.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has been an outspoken advocate in combating the opioid epidemic. Following her\u00a0successful work\u00a0to ensure county and municipal level prescription drug monitoring programs would be\u00a0eligible for federal funds\u00a0and her\u00a0support\u00a0for the grant application, McCaskill announced\u00a0that St. Louis County was awarded $1 million to support the network of county and city level prescription drug monitoring programs in Missouri.\r\nMcCaskill launched the most comprehensive Congressional investigation into the opioid crisis to date earlier this year, requesting documents from opioid manufacturers\u00a0in March, and adding additional manufacturers in July as well as expanding her investigation to include\u00a0distributors\u2019 role\u00a0in fueling the epidemic. In September, McCaskill\u00a0announced the first round of findings, detailing systemic manipulation of the prior authorization process by Insys Therapeutics\r\nAdditionally, McCaskill recently\u00a0introduced a bill\u00a0repealing the law that dramatically restricted the ability of the Drug Enforcement Administration to crack down on opioid distributors suspected of wrongdoing.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/opioids\u00a0for information and resources related to Missouri\u2019s opioid epidemic.\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-pushes-for-transparency-in-online-political-ads", "McCaskill Pushes for Transparency in Online Political Ads", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Pushes for Transparency in Online Political Ads \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator urges Federal Election Commission to update rules so Americans know who pays for political ads online \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is helping lead a group of 17 Senators pushing top federal election officials for a rules change to allow Americans to know who pays for online political ads just as is required for political ads on radio and television.\r\nFollowing the comments from McCaskill and her colleagues, the Federal Election Commission voted today to begin a rule making process on online ads, but details and scope have yet to be determined.\r\nIn a letter to the Federal Election Commission, McCaskill urged immediate action to improve transparency for political advertisements online. The Senators submitted their public comments to the Commission as part of the agency\u2019s month-long comment period on whether it should update rules that currently exempt many online ads from the requirements applied to political ads that air on television and radio.\r\n\u201cMore and more, folks are getting their news from their timelines and newsfeeds\u2014so the same basic rules for transparency that apply to TV and radio ads ought to apply online as well,\u201d said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor. \u201cMissourians deserve to know who is behind the ads they see online\u2014whether they\u2019re paid for by a local business, an advocacy group, or a national political party\u2014adding transparency to online ads is a simple, commonsense change we can and should make immediately.\u201d\r\nIn the Senators\u2019 official comment to the Federal Election Commission they wrote: \u201cTelevision and radio ads continue to play an impactful role in our elections, however, the explosive growth of internet advertisements, or digital ads, cannot be ignored. In the 2016 election, spending on digital advertising reached $1.4 billion, a 789 percent increase from the $159 million spent in 2012.\u00a0All signs indicate that the shift to digital advertising will continue to grow disproportionately.\u201d\r\nMcCaskill has been a longtime advocate for transparency in government and elections. The non-partisan organization GovTrack has ranked her the top Senator for government transparency. Additionally, McCaskill was nominated for a \u201cDoor Stop Award for Congressional Innovation and Transparency\u201d in recognition of her work to make government open and accessible to Missourians.\r\nAiming to rein in special interest money pouring into campaigns across the country, McCaskill voted to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to restore reasonable limits on money in politics. McCaskill is also a strong supporter of the DISCLOSE Act\u2014legislation to strengthen transparency in U.S. elections, in part by requiring secretive organizations spending huge sums on campaigns to disclose their donations.\r\nVisit\u00a0mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability\u00a0to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s fight to strengthen accountability.\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-slams-the-dea-for-refusing-to-allow-chief-administrative-law-judge-to-testify-at-opioid-enforcement-roundtable", "McCaskill Slams the DEA for Refusing to Allow Chief Administrative Law Judge to Testify at Opioid Enforcement Roundtable", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Slams the DEA for Refusing to Allow Chief Administrative Law Judge to Testify at Opioid Enforcement Roundtable \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Senator announces additional participants in the Nov. 28 roundtable on strengthening opioid distributor enforcement will include former DEA officials \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 After announcing earlier this week that she would be leading a roundtable discussion on November 28 to discuss the need to strengthen Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) enforcement against opioid distributors and her bill to repeal the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today slammed the DEA\u2019s decision to refuse permission for its Chief Administrative Law Judge John J. Mulrooney II to participate. In a forthcoming article, Judge Mulrooney sharply criticizes the law McCaskill is working to repeal.\r\n\r\nThe roundtable will be held on Tuesday, November 28 at 2:30 PM ET in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 562. Participants will include Joseph Rannazzisi, former head of the DEA Office of Diversion Control; Frank Younker, former DEA Diversion Group Supervisor, Cincinnati Resident Office; and Jonathan P. Novak, former DEA enforcement attorney. In addition to the DEA denying permission for Judge Mulrooney to participate, the DEA declined McCaskill\u2019s request for the agency to send a representative to the roundtable. The Healthcare Distribution Alliance\u2014a major trade association for drug distributors\u2014also declined to participate.\r\n\r\n\u201c[DEA\u2019s] decision to muzzle a critic of this law is unacceptable while the U.S. opioid epidemic rages out of control,\u201d McCaskill wrote in a letter to the DEA Acting Administrator. \u201c[The opioid crisis and enforcement] failures demand immediate action by Congress. As part of this effort, members of the Senate must have direct access to individuals\u2014like Judge Mulrooney\u2014with valuable knowledge of the [law] and its impact.\u201d\r\n\r\nAfter media reports\u00a0indicated that the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 had dramatically restricted the DEA\u2019s ability to crack down on opioid distributors suspected of wrongdoing, McCaskill introduced a bill to repeal the law. Her roundtable on November 28 will focus on restoring the DEA\u2019s enforcement power over drug distributors, and McCaskill invited Judge Mulrooney to participate. In an upcoming article in the Marquette Law Review, Judge Mulrooney discusses how the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 hamstrings the DEA\u2019s ability to hold opioid distributors accountable for wrongdoing. \u201cGiven [Judge Mulrooney\u2019s] findings, and the unique expertise [he] has gained from years of adjudicating DEA administrative actions, I invited him to attend my forthcoming roundtable,\u201d McCaskill wrote. \u201cShockingly, however, DEA has declined to grant permission for Judge Mulrooney to attend in his personal capacity and discuss his recent scholarship.\u201d McCaskill is urging the DEA to reconsider its decision.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year, McCaskill launched an investigation into opioid manufactures\u2014the most comprehensive Congressional investigation into the crisis to date\u2014when she\u00a0requested information\u00a0related to sales and marketing materials, internal addiction studies, details on compliance with government settlements and donations to third party advocacy groups from major opioid manufacturers. She\u00a0expanded her investigation in July, requesting documents and information from opioid manufacturers Mallinckrodt, Endo, Teva, and Allergan, while a request to McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Cardinal Health, Inc., focused on their distribution of opioid products. In September, McCaskill\u00a0announced the first round of findings, detailing systemic manipulation of the prior authorization process by Insys Therapeutics.\r\n\r\nRead McCaskill\u2019s letter to the DEA Acting Administrator HERE.\r\n\r\n\u00a0Visit www.mccaskill.senate.gov/opioid-investigation to learn more about McCaskill\u2019s investigation.\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/mccaskill-statement-on-allegations-against-senator-franken", "McCaskill Statement on Allegations Against Senator Franken", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Statement on Allegations Against Senator Franken \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\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 released the following statement on allegations against Senator Al Franken of Minnesota:\r\n\u201cI\u2019m shocked and concerned. The behavior described is completely unacceptable. Comedy is no excuse for inappropriate conduct, and I believe there should be an ethics investigation.\u201d\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://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-calls-on-federal-investment-firms-to-hire-more", "Congressman Cleaver Calls on Federal Investment Firms to Hire More Minority- and Women-Owned Firms", "2017-11-15", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), in support of fairness and inclusion, sent letters to several heads of major U.S. Federal Government Retirement boards urging them to interview at least one minority- or woman-owned firm when contracting for asset management opportunities. The letters can be found here.\n\u201cThere\u2019s a problem here. The government is missing out on lucrative investment opportunities simply by overlooking these particular groups,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nA 2017 study, by the Knight Foundation, discovered that only 1.1% of the $71 trillion asset management industry are managed by women and minority owned firms. Congressman Cleaver urged federally administered retirement plans to adopt a mandate similar to the \u201cRooney Rule\u201d which requires that at least one minority candidate be interviewed when screening for potential hires. The rule was developed by the National Football League in 2003 and is still in effect. Numerous corporations and organizations have since adopted this plan.\n\u201cSome public plan funds that take money from women and minority employees are sending funds to firms owned exclusively by white males. A federal- level Rooney Rule would direct federal investment firms to at least consider woman-and minority-owned firms, which they have been limited in doing in the past,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nWhile a federal-level Rooney Rule would not dictate which firms will ultimately be hired, it will provide opportunities from a diverse pool and it will also help to reduce assumptions that minority- and women-owned firms are low-return investments. Studies show that diverse firms perform at or above industry norms.\n\u201cWhenever federal investment managers and appointed boards are looking for asset management, I want them to look at the minority owned firms that are just as qualified and capable of handling billion dollar assets,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver.\nEmanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri\u2019s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee\u2019s 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. For more information please contact Heather Frierson at 816-842-4545 or Heather.Frierson@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-requests-federal-investigation-law-enforcement-response-st-louis", "Clay Requests Federal Investigation into Law Enforcement Response to St. Louis Protests", "2017-11-15", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "William Clay", "C001049", "lacyclay.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri has made a formal request to new United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri Jeffery B. Jenson to launch a federal investigation into alleged unconstitutional practices by St. Louis area local law enforcement agencies in response to protests following the acquittal of former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley in the death of Anthony Lamar Smith. The request from Mr. Clay comes on the heels of a ruling in U.S. 8th District Federal Court in St. Louis earlier today by Judge Catherine Perry that criticized aggressive police crowd control methods and restricted the indiscriminate use of chemical agents against protestors and innocent bystanders.\nIn his letter to U.S. Attorney Jenson, the Congressman said in-part, \u201cI am deeply troubled by the numerous reports and documented allegations of civil rights violations by law enforcement. An investigation into alleged unlawful police actions could be a powerful example of how the federal government ensures justice is administered without bias and an acknowledgment that all rights must be respected.\u00a0 St. Louis is the poster child for the need of federal intervention to address decades of bad police relations that reinforce the decline and erode the trust of police-community relations.\u201d\nIn her order, Judge Perry ruled that, \u201cPolice can\u2019t declare an unlawful assembly and enforce it against those engaged in expressive activity unless persons are acting in concert to pose an imminent threat to use force or violence or to violate a criminal law with force or violence.\u201d\u00a0 Judge Perry also prohibited the use of chemical agents such as mace and pepper spray against, \"Expressive, non-violent activity without probable cause to make an arrest and without providing clear and unambiguous warnings and an opportunity to heed those warnings.\u201d\nRead the full text of Congressman Clay\u2019s letter to U.S. Attorney Jensen.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 761, "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 \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "MO", "p2": "2017"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 761, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MO&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 761, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "MO", "label": "MO", "count": 761, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2017", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017", "results": [{"value": "2017", "label": "2017", "count": 761, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2017-11-15,https~3A~2F~2Flacyclay~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fclay-requests-federal-investigation-law-enforcement-response-st-louis", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MO&year=2017&_next=2017-11-15%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Flacyclay~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia-center~2Fpress-releases~2Fclay-requests-federal-investigation-law-enforcement-response-st-louis&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 176.7352749593556, "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"}