{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://hartzler.house.gov/newsletters/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-new-years-2015", "View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of New Year's, 2015", "2014-12-30", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Vicky Hartzler", "H001053", "hartzler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Good Day,\nA busy and productive year is drawing to a close and I would like to share some of the highlights from 2014. It was a year of reaching out, listening to, and responding to the concerns of the good citizens of Missouri\u2019s Fourth Congressional District. I would like to share just a few of this year\u2019s memorable moments.\nA number of the year\u2019s events were tied to the defense of our nation. With tensions mounting in the Middle East, I joined several of my House Armed Services Committee (HASC) colleagues on a fact-finding mission to the region, visiting Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco \u2013 meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and President Abdel al-Sisi of Egypt. In each country we visited, we also met with United States Embassy staff and U.S. Defense officials.\nAmong the many issues we discussed was terrorism, in general, and the march of ISIL toward an Islamic caliphate in the Middle East. I shared these concerns with MO-4 citizens at a series of presentations in Harrisonville, Sedalia, and Waynesville. These events were well-attended as residents of our district are rightly concerned about the terrorist threats to our homeland and to Americans abroad and they wanted to hear the latest.\nI have spoken of the great pride we all have in the men and women serving at Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood. This summer I had the privilege of speaking, via telephone, to members of the 442nd Fighter Wing deployed to Afghanistan. What these Airmen did was so important to the troops on the ground - and I thanked them for the job they were doing. The crews spent precious time away from their families, and were looking forward to the return home. I was honored to be invited to take part in the \u201cwelcome home\u201d celebration. It was rewarding to see these Airmen reunited with their families. We cannot thank them enough for their service and their sacrifice.\nStill with defense matters in MO-4, I had the opportunity to welcome Secretary of the Air Force Rebecca James to Whiteman Air Force Base. I also welcomed Chief of Army, General Ray Odierno, to Fort Leonard Wood. I am honored to represent the district that is home to these fine military installations and to represent the interests of the brave men and women stationed there and serving our country.\nOn another matter, I took on a number of social issues affecting our district and our country. In Columbia, our Summit on Human Trafficking helped increase awareness of this horrific crime. All too often, many of us think of human trafficking as something that takes place only in big cities or in other countries when, in fact, this appalling crime is taking place right in our own backyard. This forum followed House approval of a series of bills aimed at preventing or eliminating the spread of trafficking and protecting the victims of this crime against humanity. Many of these victims are pre-teens and young teenagers, with 80 percent of the victims being female. My hope is that the information shared at this summit will help educate and take awareness and prevention to the next step so someday we do not have this abomination occurring in our country.\nI later took a step toward improving child welfare in our state and throughout the nation by hosting a Congressional Listening Tour for Children, in Columbia, with fellow Member of Congress Karen Bass (D-CA), children\u2019s services experts, and community leaders. The goal of our time in Columbia was to highlight both the positive aspects and challenges of the child welfare system here in Missouri. Participants shared their on-the-ground experiences and their perspectives on the best practices and concerns with our child welfare system. An issue of this importance crosses political lines, and my Democratic colleague as well as other participants share my interest in promoting adoption, encouraging family permanency, and stopping child trafficking.\nThis year also included a number of events that we are doing on an annual basis. The third annual Lebanon Job Fair was a success for unemployed Missourians as well as those looking to advance their careers. I was pleased to help bring together employers and those looking for work through the Job Fair and to see some hired that day. It is a tangible action I can take, in addition to legislative action in Washington, to help the good people I am privileged to represent by facilitating the job search process.\nThe fourth Missouri Business Conference at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg once again brought together small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students with experts on business success. Five issue-specific panels featured more than two dozen entrepreneurs\u00a0who have lived the vision of starting a business and offered their insights.\nThe University of Central Missouri was also the host location for my inaugural Veterans Summit. The goal was to provide veterans with timely information on issues they care about such as how to overcome the challenges of reintegration after deployment, strengthening the family, and succeeding in the workplace. At the same time, we wanted to connect veterans with the many resources they have earned and deserve. Panels hosted by experts included discussion of personal, emotional, spiritual, family and career issues of returning veterans; continuing education and career opportunities for returning veterans; and discussion of VA health care and benefits.\nState Fair Community College in Sedalia hosted the Fourth District\u2019s inaugural Youth Leadership Summit. More than 200 students from 48 high schools were able to participate in this all-day event and have the opportunity to hear from dynamic speakers who shared tips for success in school and in reaching their goals. I am hopeful the time spent will help MO-4 students reach their potential and help make a difference in their communities and schools. I look forward to seeing the great things they are going to do in the future and am glad I could be a small part of it.\nAn \u201cAll-of-the-Above\u201d Energy Tour and our annual Farm Tour rounded out this year\u2019s ambitious schedule of events throughout our district.\nOn a personal note, I was honored to have been chosen to deliver the commencement address to students graduating from the University of Missouri\u2019s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). My message to these young people as they go forward is that they have been blessed with a world class education \u2013 and the world is going to need them. These graduates will advance the cause of feeding the world while protecting our resources as they work together and speak with one voice, advocating the positive message of agriculture and embracing wise use of technology. I was proud to be there on this historic day in the lives of these young people.\nFinally, I would like to close with a few quick facts and figures from 2014. During the year, I sponsored or co-sponsored several bills, including 14 which were signed into law; 1,240 constituents were helped by our caseworkers \u2013 with issues including veterans\u2019 benefits, Medicare questions, visa and passport applications, and many more; More than 655 tours of the U.S. Capitol were given to MO-4 citizens who visited us this year; and 155,970 letters and emails were sent to constituents.\nMy desire is to provide the best representation and service possible for the good people of our district. While we have done much, there is much more to accomplish in 2015. I look forward to working with you to move our district forward, to get America back on track, and to make a difference in the lives of the families in our district. Together, with the Lord\u2019s help, we can do it.\nHave a blessed and happy New Year!\nVicky", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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"], "primary_key_values": ["http://hartzler.house.gov/newsletters/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-new-years-2015"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5494441613554955, "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"}