Press releases
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487 rows where party = "Republican", state = "MO" and year = 2013 sorted by date descending
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| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364759 | Blaine's Bulletin: Preserving Your Privacy | 2013-12-27 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | As I reflect on 2013, one of the issues that seemed to be of great concern to the people of the 3rd District was the government’s ever-growing presence in the private lives of American citizens. And over the course of the last 12 months, I have sought to work on your behalf to protect your privacy form the prying eyes of government. share: f t As I reflect on 2013, one of the issues that seemed to be of great concern to the people of the 3rd District was the government’s ever-growing presence in the private lives of American citizens. And over the course of the last 12 months, I have sought to work on your behalf to protect your privacy form the prying eyes of government. The first test we faced came earlier this spring when I met personally with U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) Inspector General Patrick O’Carroll, Jr. That meeting confirmed there was a violation of normal agency protocol when the agency requested and received sensitive data for more than 100,000 Missouri driver’s licenses and concealed carry permits. The admission was a stark one and I appreciated the quick work of the Social Security Administration, especially after it was learned that the information provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in the fall of 2011 was unreadable on the SSA investigator’s computer and the data was destroyed. It was not long after, however, that we faced another privacy challenge that resurfaced amidst a national scandal involving the Internal Revenue Service. In May, the IRS confessed that it was targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status while rubberstamping similar requests from liberal groups. At the same time, it seemed clear to me the IRS was refusing to look at similar liberal groups like the Humane Society of the United States. For three years, the IRS had stonewalled my attempts to get to the bottom of constituent concerns that HSUS was involved in political and lobbying activities that were in direct violation of its 501… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-hartzlers-christmas-greeting-0 | Congresswoman Hartzler's Christmas greeting | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has released the following greeting to mark the Christmas holiday: “Christmas is certainly a time for family and friends. It’s time for older Americans to relive memories of Christmas past and for younger ones to cherish the moments that will become the memories they’ll cherish as they grow older. But first and foremost the focus of the season must be on the reason for the season – the birth of Jesus Christ. Luke’s account of how the birth of Christ was announced to shepherds in the field is familiar to so many of us: ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ My wish is that the light Jesus brought to the world shines upon you this Christmas and that it shines on our men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to keep us safe, to bring them home to us soon. From my family to yours, we wish you the merriest of Christmases." Congresswoman Hartzler and her family live on a working farm near Harrisonville in Cass County. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364758 | Blaine's Bulletin: An American Christmas | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | As we prepare for Christmas, many of us return to traditions as a way to celebrate the season. Christmas in America is a unique experience and over the centuries our nation has created many unique traditions. But as a student of our nation’s history, I recently came across some research that indicates that the first Christmas celebrated in the New World was observed in what many would deem an odd place. share: f t As we prepare for Christmas, many of us return to traditions as a way to celebrate the season. Christmas in America is a unique experience and over the centuries our nation has created many unique traditions. But as a student of our nation’s history, I recently came across some research that indicates that the first Christmas celebrated in the New World was observed in what many would deem an odd place. According to historians, the first Christmas celebrated on land that is now part of the United States took place near Tallahassee, Fl., in 1539. The publication Discovery News reports that Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto established his winter encampment site of 1539-40 near what is now Tallahassee, where he and his men celebrated the first U.S. Christmas. Based on excavations and other historical research, the first Christmas meal would have included pork, local vegetables, fruits, seafood and possibly even turkey. Researchers also found that it was likely the first Christmas mass would have been held outside and would have been very similar to those held in a Franciscan chapel. I think it’s important during this time of year, when presents and parties and all the other trappings of the season seem to consume so much of our time, that Christmas is first and foremost the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. And I find it truly remarkable that 250 years before we became a nation, Christmas was celebrated as part of the Christian faith. Even as many of our Christian traditions seem to be under attack this time of year,… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=176ebc75-a78b-41b4-9412-ea19b81a8274 | Senate Passes Blunt-Klobuchar Bill To Cut Red Tape For Families Who Adopt Abroad | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) today announced that the bipartisan “Accuracy for Adoptees Act” passed the Senate. The legislation would help families who adopt abroad correct errors to their children’s birth certificates. Currently, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not recognize state court orders to amend a child’s birth date, forcing families to seek a correction from the adoptee’s country of birth or have two official birth dates for their adopted child. “Every day, American families open up their homes and their hearts to children in need from all over the world,” Blunt said. “This bipartisan bill will make the transition easier for families and their adopted children by removing excessive red tape and ensuring the accuracy of their birth records.” “Families have enough hoops to jump through when adopting internationally,” Klobuchar said. “We shouldn’t be adding to that red tape by placing extra burdens on those trying to get accurate personal records for their children. I am pleased that this bill has passed the Senate, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to ensure that this common sense legislation become law.” “I am extremely pleased and proud that the U.S. Senate has passed, with bi-partisan support, this commonsense legislation – placing adoptive families and children ahead of partisan politics,” Donald Cofsky, President of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, said. “We owe immense thanks to Senators Blunt and Klobuchar for their dedication to adoptive families and for their tireless efforts in ushering this bill through the Senate. I cannot overstate the importance of this legislation and the positive impact that it will have on adopted children and their families.” The Accuracy for Adoptees Act, which would authorize USCIS to recognize state court orders and cut red tape for adoptive families, will now head to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. Senators Richard John Barasso (Wyo.), Durbin (Ill.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=9556cbf9-0f36-47db-87cb-99fc2d666027 | Senator Blunt Applauds FDA’s Decision To Revise Burdensome Rules Impacting Missouri’s Farm Families, Small Businesses | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – A successful bipartisan effort led by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (Conn.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), and Annie Kuster (N.H.), has resulted in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planning to revise regulations and seek additional comments from the public before finalizing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules. The FDA’s announcement comes less than a month after the lawmakers led a bipartisan coalition of 75 members of the House and Senate expressing concern about the impact of proposed FDA rules on farmers and businesses, which re-proposing the regulations for public comment could help alleviate. “I’m pleased the FDA has agreed to issue a second draft of proposed rules and give farmers and businesses the opportunity to provide additional input,” Blunt said. “I thank Senator Shaheen and my colleagues in the House and Senate for their work to alleviate the impact of these burdensome regulations on farm families in Missouri and nationwide.” In March, the FDA issued two proposed rules implementing FSMA, a 2011 law that overhauled food safety laws to increase the safety of our domestic food supply. These rules addressed preventive controls for human food and standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption. As proposed, the 1,200-page rules have left food producers and processors across the country concerned about a number of issues including those specifically surrounding facility compliance and environmental standards. The FDA’s announced plan to re-propose key rule language will allow farmers and stakeholders to lend critical input toward the FDA-rulemaking process. For more information on the letter signed by 75 members of Congress and sent to FDA on November 25, 2013, please click here. # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=e2a4a41e-82a3-40a5-8199-3298ba7b9904 | Senator Blunt Applauds Bipartisan Passage Of Defense Authorization Bill | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 and applauded the inclusion of several key amendments. Blunt is one of three U.S. Senators to serve on both the defense appropriations and authorizing committees. “I’m pleased that several of my amendments were included in this bipartisan legislation, which will ensure that our nation’s servicemen and women have the important resources they need to protect and defend America,” Blunt said. Missouri is home to almost 18,000 active duty servicemen and women, nearly 10,000 civilian employees, 25,000 reservists and members of the National Guard, and almost 29,000 additional military-related personnel. The state also has more than 125,000 civilian contract employees. Blunt introduced and co-sponsored several amendments that were passed as part of NDAA, including: Bannister Federal Complex, Kansas City, Mo. Land Transfer Amendment: Blunt’s amendment would authorize the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the General Services Agency (GSA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enter into an agreement regarding the conveyance of federal property located at Bannister Road in Kansas City, Mo. and allow for an eventual title transfer and redevelopment of the site. Small Business Contracting Amendment: Blunt’s amendment protects small businesses from overly burdensome regulations when they subcontract with the Department of Defense contracts by ensuring that the Small Business Act applies to all contracts awarded using a small businesses preference no matter which agency makes the award. Article 32 Reform Amendment: Introduced by Senators Blunt, Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), this amendment would reform Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to help prevent abusive questioning of victims of military sexual assault in a pre-trial setting, ensuring that victims who come forwa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=ef69c04c-a40c-4baa-8d5c-f2dd2d889310 | Senator Blunt Blasts Department Of Labor For Targeting Missouri Farm Families | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Mike Johanns (Neb.) and 41 of his colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor this week regarding reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) is overreaching its authority and circumventing Congress by imposing regulations on small farms that are exempt by law. As the letter notes, Congress has prohibited OSHA from targeting small farms, defined as those with fewer than 10 employees since 1976. In 2011, OSHA issued a memo announcing that the congressional prohibition does not apply to many farms because they do “basic, common, and responsible farming activities that OSHA has arbitrarily decided are non-exempt” – like storing, drying, or fumigating grain. “It has come to our attention that OSHA is now interpreting this provision so narrowly that virtually every grain farm in the country would be subject to OSHA regulations,” the senators wrote. “OSHA’s interpretation defies the intent of Congress in exempting farming operations from the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.” The senators also asked Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez to direct OSHA to take the following three steps to alleviate their concern: 1) cease all actions predicated on this interpretation, which is inconsistent with Congressional intent; 2) issue guidance correcting this misinterpretation of the law; 3) and provide a list and description of regulatory actions taken against farms with incorrectly categorized non-farming activities and 10 or fewer employees since the June 2011 memo. To read the entire letter, please see below or click here. December 20, 2013 The Honorable Thomas E. Perez Secretary U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20210 We write to you regarding reports that regulators at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have begun taking regulatory actions against farms that are specifically exempted by Congress from regulatory enforcement c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134251/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-december-23-27-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of December 23-27, 2013 | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, As the Christmas season winds down and Missourians get ready to welcome 2014, the reality of the President’s health care law is beginning to hit home for so many of us who have been forced to give up the health plans we liked and wanted to keep. Many of the new health plans we have had to enroll in are more expensive than the plans we had to abandon and require us to pay for coverage we don’t need and certainly don’t want. Of course, there’s a chance many of us who thought we had enrolled in various health care plans are not actually enrolled, after all. Many Americans who signed up through the government exchanges have been incorrectly informed they enrolled in plans. If you’re in this category you might be in for a big shock early in the new year when you learn that while you were informed you had enrolled, the insurance company you thought you had signed up with might know nothing about you. Bottom line – you might not have coverage! We have recently learned that many of the navigators who are supposed to be guiding consumers wanting to enroll in plans have made a series of mistakes. These mistakes include giving enrollees incorrect information and failing to properly secure enrollees’ personal health information, Social Security numbers, and annual incomes. We have also been told that some of these navigators have encouraged consumers to commit tax fraud by underreporting income in order to qualify for ObamaCare’s health insurance subsidies. This is yet another example of an unworkable law that should never have been launched before it was ready. As we begin the new year, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to end this disastrous law and to replace it with health care options that offer all Americans access to quality, affordable health coverage they want. On another matter, I am pleased to share that even though Congress was not in session, negotiators from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees were at work hammering out the final details of what I hope will be a comp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134357/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-december-16-20-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of December 16-20, 2013 | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | The final full shopping week before Christmas has been a busy one for citizens of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District. In addition to Christmas shopping with my family, I have spent some time this week visiting with good citizens in parts of our district. It was particularly meaningful for me to visit the Truman VA Hospital in Columbia. Doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals at Truman VA are working hard, this holiday season, to administer to the needs of our veterans who are confined to the hospital during the Christmas holidays. Truman VA provides a full continuum of excellent care in both patient and outpatient settings. This facility offers comprehensive primary care services, medical and surgical specialties, as well as behavioral health, physical and occupational therapy. It also provides pharmacy services. Truman VA maintains strong affiliations with the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine, its Sinclair School of Nursing, its School of Health Professions, and other health-related programs. Truman VA provides training opportunities for some 900 students each year. The health care professionals and trainees at Truman VA are providing a service for which simple thanks are insufficient. May God continue to help these health care providers to improve the lives of our veterans who are in need of medical services during this Christmas season. This week also took me to Warsaw, where I had the opportunity to host a town hall and to hear from citizens who shared their thoughts and opinions with me. It is a blessing for me to spend time at home in Missouri’s Fourth District where I can hear the common sense that seems to be so lacking in our Nation’s Capital. There is no doubt many Washington insiders could benefit from the Heartland logic that is found in places like Warsaw, Missouri. There is little doubt our country would be much better off listening to the insights of Mid-America. I look forward to returning after the holidays to share this wisdom with others and working for the solutio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=a6d6e2bb-6882-44c1-a5f7-c9fd399bd465 | Senator Blunt Introduces Bill Honoring Missouri’s “Monuments Men” | 2013-12-19 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) introduced bipartisan legislation today awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the “Monuments Men,” a group of approximately 350 men and women from 13 countries who are credited with preserving, protecting, and restoring millions of pieces of artwork, sculptures, and other cultural artifacts in Europe during World War II. Four of the Monuments Men were Missouri natives, and 10 were later employed in Missouri, including two Directors of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Mo. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (N.J.) and was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Kay Granger (Texas). “This bipartisan bill honors the incredible men and women of Missouri and across the world who protected millions of cultural artifacts from devastation during World War II and preserved these invaluable treasures for future generations,” said Blunt. “I’m hopeful that this legislation will encourage more Americans to learn about the rich history of these works of art and the remarkable legacies of the Monuments Men.” Additional Background on the Monuments Men: The Monuments Men served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section of the Western Allied military effort. They were initially charged with protecting structures, such as churches, museums, and monuments, from destruction. Their responsibilities later shifted to recovering art and artifacts stolen by Nazis across Europe. Today, there are only five living members of the Monuments Men. Works from many of Europe’s major artists – including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Pablo Picasso – were plundered by the Nazis and added to their private collections. Some of the notable pieces preserved by the Monuments Men include Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Michelangelo’s David. By 1951, they had recovered or restored nearly five million cultural artifacts. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Roberts Commission to help the U.S. Army protect cultu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=b8f75b4d-3073-408d-8e5b-3b72cf467075 | Senator Blunt Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act | 2013-12-19 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (Ill.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), and 23 other U.S. Senators today to introduce the “Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act,” bipartisan legislation proposing prospective sanctions on Iran should the regime violate the interim Joint Plan of Action agreed to in Geneva or should Iran fail to reach a final agreement. “Despite the White House’s opposition, many of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree that we must be more aggressive in stopping Iran from developing its nuclear weapons capabilities,” said Blunt, who is one of three U.S. Senators to serve on both the defense authorizing and appropriations committees. The legislation requires further reductions in purchases of Iranian petroleum and applies additional penalties to strategic elements of the Iranian economy, to include the engineering, mining and construction sectors. Simultaneously, it gives the Administration continued flexibility and up to one year from the conclusion of an implementing agreement to pursue a diplomatic track resulting in the complete and verifiable termination of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program. “If Iran has not made significant progress towards their determination that they will never pursue nuclear weapons at the end of the six-month interim period, this bipartisan legislation rightly calls for more robust sanctions,” Blunt concluded. In addition to Blunt, Kirk, and Menendez, the legislation was also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Ben Cardin (Md), Bob Casey (Pa.), Susan Collins (Maine), Chris Coons (Del.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Mary Landrieu (La.), John McCain (Ariz.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and Elizabeth Warner (Mass.). # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=506bd4fa-b33b-4398-acba-6936839cb30c | Senator Blunt’s Bill To Promote Religious Freedom In Middle East Passes Senate Panel | 2013-12-18 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly passed U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s (Mo.) bipartisan legislation to appoint a special envoy for the purpose of promoting religious freedom among religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. Under Blunt’s bill, the envoy would hold the rank of ambassador and work in coordination with the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom to monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious minorities in these regions. In addition to working with foreign governments and relevant multilateral organizations, the envoy would coordinate these efforts with the Secretary of State. To read the bill, click here. “The continued violence we’ve witnessed against Coptic Christians and other civilians in the Middle East is deeply disturbing and defies the religious freedoms that Americans hold dear,” said Blunt. “I’m pleased the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge Majority Leader Reid to allow a vote to demonstrate to leaders in the region that the United States takes religious freedom seriously,” Blunt continued. Blunt’s legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (Mich.) and 18 other U.S. Senators. U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (Va.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In October 2013, Blunt joined U.S. Senators Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry noting recent reports of more frequent, targeted attacks against Coptic churches and individuals in Egypt “warrants a clear U.S. response.” In August 2013, Blunt reiterated his calls for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting and protecting religious freedoms throughout the region. Blunt serves as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. He is also one of three U.S. Senators serving on both the defense autho… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=6b56432b-3620-43d0-ac3a-d513d47d8389 | Senator Blunt Co-Sponsors Resolution To Protect Missourians’ Military Retirement Pay | 2013-12-18 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-sponsored a “sense of the Senate” resolution to address the disproportionate military pay provision in the budget that would reduce the cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment for military retirees under the age of 62. The resolution, which was introduced today by U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), states that retirees from the Armed Forces should not unfairly bear the burden of excessive government spending, and the Senate should seek alternatives to the current military retirement provisions in the budget legislation currently being considered. With this resolution, the Senate agrees to address the reduction of military retirement pension before it goes into effect in December of 2015. “I’m voting against final passage of the budget today, in part because it hurts the brave servicemen and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting America,” said Blunt, who is one of three U.S. Senators to serve on the defense authorizing and appropriating committees. “So many active duty and retired military men and women in Missouri have made sacrifices to serve our country, and we owe it to them – as well as their families – to keep our promise.” The legislation is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John McCain (Ariz.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Susan Collins (Maine), and Rob Portman (Ohio). # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=6f64b2eb-6a54-4527-831c-cbcf4edbc96e | Senator Blunt Joins Colleagues To File Amicus Brief On EPA’s Overreach Implementing GHG Permits | 2013-12-18 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (Okla.), senior member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Senators Deb Fischer (Neb.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), and Pat Roberts (Kan.) this week in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court regarding Utility Air Regulatory Group v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the amicus brief, the Senators ask that the Supreme Court remand the D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals decision that upheld the EPA's authority to require permits for greenhouse gases (GHG) under the Clean Air Act. “The EPA has time and time again stretched the Clean Air Act to continue their war on affordable energy for families and job creators in states like Missouri," said Blunt. “The Obama Administration continues to sidestep Congress by forcing the regulation of greenhouse gases through the Clean Air Act – even though the Act’s authors have said it was never meant to be used for that purpose. These regulations punish our nation’s most vulnerable families who are hurt the most by high energy bills. I will continue to fight against the Obama Administration’s burdensome regulations and promote smart policies that encourage more American energy and more American jobs.” “The EPA's expansive power under the Obama Administration has resulted in overregulation that is stalling economic growth and opportunity in the United States,” said Inhofe. “The Clean Air Act (CAA) was never designed to regulate greenhouse gases, and former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson even admitted in 2009 that these costly regulations alone will not move the needle on climate change. The EPA has had flagrant disregard for the facts and have implemented rules that are stifling job creation and innovation. I urge the Supreme Court to give our brief the utmost attention and to return a decision that reigns in big government and benefits the American people.” “This Administration has abused its authority under the Clean Air Act to expand rules controlling gree… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=8dd40964-e8d5-4c36-91d9-7a275ac3c1a5 | Senators Blunt, Stabenow Join Glenn Close To Urge Congress To Pass Excellence In Mental Health Act | 2013-12-18 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Actress Glenn Close joined U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) for a press conference today to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan “Excellence in Mental Health Act,” which was approved by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee last week. Close is the founder of Bring Change 2 Mind, which works to end the stigma and discrimination against those living with mental illness. The Senators were also joined by mental health advocates, veterans, and law enforcement officials who support the bill. Click here for a high-resolution photo. “Approximately one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year nationwide, according to the National Institute of Mental Health,” said Blunt. “We’ve got a model that works to solve these important problems, and passing this bipartisan provision out of committee is an important step forward. Now is the time for Congress to act.” “Mental health issues touch every family in some way. Our bipartisan bill expands access and improves quality of care so people can get the treatment they need and live healthy, successful lives,” said Stabenow. “We had a major victory last week, we’ve got tremendous momentum, and we’re going to keep working hard until this bill gets done.” “It is critical that people come out and talk about mental illness to reduce the stigma surrounding those living with mental illness,” said Close. “This legislation is so important in the effort to expand access to mental health services and improve the quality of treatment available. With reduced stigma and discrimination, and increased access to quality care, people living with mental illness can get the treatment they need.” Additional Background Information: Last Thursday, a version of the “Excellence in Mental Health Act,” authored by Blunt and Stabenow, passed in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee as an amendment to the so-called ‘doc-fix’ legislation (the SGR bill). The amendment will set up demonstration programs across the country to improve mental healt… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/updating-you-budget-and-fiscal-situation-washington | Updating you on the budget and fiscal situation in Washington | 2013-12-17 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | On December 12, 2013, the House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Budget Act by a vote of 332-94. The Bipartisan Budget Act would set overall discretionary spending for the current fiscal year at $1.012 trillion—about halfway between the Senate budget level of $1.058 trillion and the House budget level of $967 billion. The legislation includes dozens of specific deficit-reduction provisions, with mandatory savings and non-tax revenue totaling approximately $86 billion. The agreement would reduce the deficit by $23 billion without raising taxes. Additionally, the bill would provide $63 billion in sequester relief over two years, split evenly between defense and non-defense programs. Under this proposal, defense spending would receive an additional $22 billion in FY ‘14 and $10 billion for FY ’15. The sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. This agreement will provide certainty by averting a government shutdown in January. This is good for all Americans as it breaks Washington’s pattern of lurching from crisis to crisis. It is not everything we want, but it strengthens our military readiness while cutting spending, and that is good for America. Fully offset savings in this agreement are achieved through: Capping government contractors’ salaries to $487,000. Blocking prisoners from receiving government checks, such as unemployment benefits. Reducing the risks of Social Security fraud. Reforms to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Increases on Transportation Security Administration fees and simplifying how fees are assessed, which saves the federal government $12 billion over 10 years. Reducing payments to student-loan debt collectors to save $6 billion over 10 years. Increasing federal-employee contributions to their retirement program by 1.3 percentage points. This proposal affects new employees hired after December 31, 2013. Lastly, one of the most controversial ways in which this agreement achieves savings is through reforms to military retiree pensions. I share the many … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=9fd9c3d3-2096-4c44-8706-4e85609fc40d | Columbia Daily Tribune: Sen. Blunt learns about local food bank | 2013-12-17 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Ashley Jost Food insecurity and the increased need to serve the working poor were among the issues U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt heard about in a visit to The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri on Monday afternoon. Blunt spent about 15 minutes talking with volunteers, employees and executives from the food bank before touring the facility and helping assemble a few Buddy Packs, packages of food sent home with children in need so they have something to eat over the weekend when they're not in school. Blunt toured the Ozark Food Bank in Springfield earlier in the day. Local food bank Executive Director Peggy Kirkpatrick said all politicians have a standing invitation to see what the operation does and learn about who it's serving. "I think it's important to understand what is really happening with their electorate," she said. "When they are out somewhere else, it's easy to get removed from day-to-day needs of your constituency." Kirkpatrick said the food bank is seeing an "astronomical increase" in people with jobs needing assistance. The organization has given out 22 percent more food compared to last year, Kirkpatrick said. Last year's distribution was 128 million pounds of food. During the meeting with food bank employees and Blunt, Kirkpatrick said the biggest challenge is getting people back to work. Blunt, a Republican, said the answer to the jobs issue is in private-sector job creation. After the tour, Blunt lauded the food bank's partnerships with corporate donors. Much of the food comes from Wal-Mart, General Mills and other distributors. The food bank acts as a wholesaler for 131 organizations, Kirkpatrick said. She expressed concerns that there isn't enough incentive for more companies to donate to the food bank, though the need is great in rural areas. "Metropolitan poverty and rural poverty are two different things," she said, adding that in metropolitan areas, there are not-for-profit organizations more likely and able to help. Read more here… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=5f67cabc-6991-4ca5-9e69-89d6caae1df0 | Springfield News-Leader: Blunt says food safety rules will overburden farmers | 2013-12-14 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Deirdre Shesgreen Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is among those fighting for changes to new federal food safety rules, saying the proposed requirements could be “severely detrimental” to farmers of produce and even force some out of business. The issue pits fruit and vegetable growers against food safety advocates amid ongoing federal efforts to reduce deadly outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. At the center of the fight is a sweeping food safety law, which Congress passed in 2010 after a spate of high-profile food recalls. These included lettuce contaminated with E. coli bacteria that sickened more than two dozen people, and eggs tainted with Salmonella that made approximately 1,900 people ill. Regulators with the Food and Drug Administration are now implementing the law, the Food Safety Modernization Act. Earlier this year, the FDA issued draft rules for farmers who grow fruits and vegetables that are typically eaten raw or unprocessed, such as lettuce, apples, and tomatoes. The rules don’t apply to produce that’s typically cooked, such as potatoes, or that will be processed in a way that kills bacteria. The rules would also not apply to farms with less than $500,000 a year in sales. The FDA’s produce proposal, first issued in January, has sparked a backlash from farmers and Congress. Some smaller and organic farmers have been particularly vocal in their criticism, saying the rules could disproportionately affect operations that use more sustainable farming methods. Blunt is the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FDA. He joined a bipartisan coalition of 75 lawmakers who are now pressing the FDA to go back to the drawing board on the food safety rules. The issue has shattered traditional party lines, with Blunt and other conservatives joined by liberals such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. In a Nov. 25 letter, Blunt and the other lawmakers said the FDA’s proposal could impose a steep new burden on the agr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-hartzler-applauds-approval-vital-national-security-legislation | Congresswoman Hartzler applauds approval of vital national security legislation | 2013-12-13 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) is applauding approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 to defend our country and to adequately fund America’s men and women in uniform. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. “This important piece of legislation provides the needed resources for America to protect itself and to protect Americans in dangerous parts of the world by supporting and protecting this country’s warfighters and military families,” said Hartzler. “The NDAA not only protects America today, but prepares our nation for future threats, and does so by controlling costs and making wise choices. To that end, our legislation prohibits the Department of Defense from initiating another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). It also maintains the prohibition against transfer of suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States and the prohibition on construction of detention facilities for terrorists in the United States.” “I am pleased that the bill will provide Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force base with the resources they need to protect our country,” added Hartzler. “Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base, combined, will benefit from more than $100 million in military construction funds approved as part of the base bill.” Also included in the bill is a prohibition on making additional A-10 aircraft retirements before December 31, 2014. This proactive step will allow Congress time to conduct oversight and to consider what actions to take on any force structure changes the Air Force may propose in Fiscal Year 2015. “Premature divestment of the A-10 by the Air Force would create a dangerous close air support capability gap that could unnecessarily endanger American service members in future conflicts,” said Hartzler. Congresswoman Hartzler, whose district is home to Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood, serves on the House Armed Services Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/hartzler-and-house-take-step-right-direction-approval-budget | Hartzler and House take a step in the right direction with approval of budget | 2013-12-13 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) and the House have approved a budget that begins the task of reducing the federal deficit while safeguarding national security by reinstating some of the scheduled defense cuts. “This budget bill reduces the deficit by roughly $23 billion without raising taxes,” said Hartzler. “The agreement falls short of securing everything I would like to have in the budget, but with divided government in Washington, it is a step in the right direction.” In addition to reducing the deficit, this budget provides our national defense with $30 billion more over the next two years – reversing some of the sequester’s arbitrary across-the-board cuts that negatively impact our military,” continued Hartzler. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of our men and women in uniform, I am pleased that this budget safeguards our national defense, which is one of the primary responsibilities of the federal government.” “This agreement will provide certainty by averting a government shutdown in January,” added Hartzler. “This is good for all Americans as it breaks Washington’s pattern of lurching from crisis to crisis. It is not everything we want, but it strengthens our military readiness while cutting spending, and that’s good for America.” Congresswoman Hartzler serves on House Budget and Armed Services Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364060 | Blaine's Bulletin: Seeking Regulatory Reform | 2013-12-13 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | After spending 30 years in the financial services industry, I have seen many individuals achieve the American dream through hard work and dedication. These individuals weren’t alone through their journey; many also had the help of local financial institutions like community banks and credit unions. However, those hometown institutions are now being overwhelmed by increasingly burdensome regulations, many of which stem directly from passage of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. share: f t After spending 30 years in the financial services industry, I have seen many individuals achieve the American dream through hard work and dedication. These individuals weren’t alone through their journey; many also had the help of local financial institutions like community banks and credit unions. However, those hometown institutions are now being overwhelmed by increasingly burdensome regulations, many of which stem directly from passage of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. I hear often from these local institutions about how they are frustrated with this law. While these small institutions were not part of the financial problem, they have been roped into the solution by this law. As a result, Dodd-Frank is drowning them under hundreds of new rules and mandates, leaving them struggling to keep up. And this combination of endless new regulations and an increasingly hostile examination environment is lethal. Since January 2007, 484 banks in the United States have failed. The most recent data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission shows that the total number of banks in the nation has fallen below 7,000, the lowest number since at least 1934. Most of the institutions that are disappearing are our small community banks, those that serve neighborhoods and our small towns in every corner of the country. These are the institutions that make loans to families they’ve known for generations, that sponsor little league… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134459/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-december-9-13-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of December 9-13, 2013 | 2013-12-13 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, With Christmas just weeks away and Americans shopping for family and friends, Congress was at work, trying to complete some important legislation for the people of this country. First and foremost, Congress has approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 to defend our country and to adequately fund America’s men and women in uniform. The bill now goes to the Senate. This important piece of legislation provides the needed resources for America to protect itself and to protect Americans in dangerous parts of the world by supporting and protecting this country’s warfighters and military families. The NDAA not only protects America today, but prepares our nation for future threats, and does so by controlling costs and making wise choices. To that end, our legislation prohibits the Department of Defense from initiating another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). It also maintains the prohibition against transfer of suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States and the prohibition on construction of detention facilities for terrorists in the United States. I am pleased that the bill will provide Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force base with the resources they need to protect our country. Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base, combined, will benefit from more than $100 million in military construction funds approved as part of the base bill. Also included in the bill is a prohibition on making additional A-10 aircraft retirements before December 31, 2014. This proactive step will allow Congress time to conduct oversight and to consider what actions to take on any force structure changes the Air Force may propose in Fiscal Year 2015. Premature divestment of the A-10 by the Air Force would create a dangerous close air support capability gap that could unnecessarily endanger American service members in future conflicts. On another important matter, the House and Senate have agreed on a budget that begins the task of reducing the federal defici… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/event/benton-county-town-hall | Benton County Town Hall | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Hartzler to host town hall in Warsaw Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) will visit Warsaw on Thursday, December 19, 2013 to host a town hall forum to provide an update on legislative issues and to hear the concerns of Benton County citizens. What: Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler hosts town hall forum When: Thursday, December 19, 2013 – 9:45amCT Where: Harbor Village, 17571 North Dam Access Road, Warsaw, MO 65355 | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=470 | Long Statement on Budget Vote | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Billy Long | L000576 | long.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Rep. Billy Long issued the following statement after voting no on the budget legislation: “I could not support this budget because not only does it break the budget caps Congress agreed to in 2011, it promises spending cuts down the road that may not happen. While this budget agreement does contain some good reforms, such as targeting waste and fraud in some government programs, those good intentions were not enough to support the overall bill. As a former small business owner I understand the importance of budgeting, but our country can no longer afford to keep putting off the tough choices that need to be made to get our nation’s spending and debt under control. I will continue to fight for the hardworking taxpayers who are telling me Washington must get serious about addressing our nation’s fiscal mess. We need to make the tough decisions now to fix this mess for our children and grandchildren.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364242 | Luetkemeyer Statement on House Passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act: share: f t Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act: “While this agreement is not perfect, Chairman Ryan did the best job he could in a divided government. Though I would like to see more progress made on cutting spending and reforming government programs, the Bipartisan Budget Act contains approximately $23 billion in deficit reduction, does so without raising taxes on American families, and exchanges temporary cuts for permanent cuts. In addition, by cutting spending in a smarter way, we will prevent our men and women in uniform from bearing a disproportionate share of budget reductions in the next two years. On top of this, for the first time in years the federal government will finally operate not on a continuing resolution, but on an actual budget, just as Missourians do at home. A budget gives us the chance to cut, eliminate and reform specific programs and agencies while a continuing resolution lets the administration spend money on autopilot.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364294 | Luetkemeyer Backs Farm Bill Extension While Work Wraps Up on Comprehensive Plan | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Luetkemeyer Backs Farm Bill Extension While Work Wraps Up on Comprehensive Plan f t # e Washington, December 12, 2013 As part of his commitment to protecting American farmers, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today voted for a short-term Farm Bill extension which extends through January 31, 2014, most provisions of current farm policy until work is completed on a comprehensive Farm Bill. share: f t As part of his commitment to protecting American farmers, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today voted for a short-term Farm Bill extension which extends through January 31, 2014, most provisions of current farm policy until work is completed on a comprehensive Farm Bill. “As Congress continues to complete its work on a larger Farm Bill, I felt it was important that we pass this extension in order to provide a sense of continuity to American farmers and ranchers until a final agreement can be hammered out early next year, “ Luetkemeyer said. “We are much closer to finishing the Farm Bill than ever before but it’s important that we get it right while also ensuring that during tough economic times we don’t impose increased hardships on our farm communities.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364297 | Luetkemeyer Praises Boeing Decision to Bring Technology Center to Missouri, Creating Jobs | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today praised Boeing’s decision to establish a technology research center in Missouri that the company said would create 300-400 new jobs in the St. Louis area. The announcement is not related to Missouri’s efforts to land a production facility for the company’s 777X jetliner. share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today praised Boeing’s decision to establish a technology research center in Missouri that the company said would create 300-400 new jobs in the St. Louis area. The announcement is not related to Missouri’s efforts to land a production facility for the company’s 777X jetliner. The company said it will restructure its Boeing Research & Technology organization, the company's central research-and-development unit, through the establishment of research centers in Huntsville, Ala.; Southern California; St. Louis; North Charleston, S.C.; and Seattle. Boeing said the new research centers will consolidate technology development of strategic importance to Boeing over the long-term – up to 30 years into the future. They will be chartered to accelerate technical capability in specific fields and enhance and build networks of collaboration with university, industry and government research centers around the world. “I am extremely pleased that Boeing will be establishing a technology research center in St. Louis and by doing so will create 300 to 400 new jobs for Missourians,” Luetkemeyer said. “Missouri has a long partnership with Boeing and we look forward to building on that partnership with this new technology research center.” The Boeing announcement can be found at http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2013-12-12-Boeing-Realigns-Research-Technology-Unit-for-Growth-and-Productivity | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-the-passage-of-the-ryan-murray-budget-deal | Wagner Statement on the Passage of the Ryan-Murray Budget Deal | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO) today issued the following statement after the House passed, in bipartisan fashion, the Ryan-Murray budget deal: "While this deal is far from perfect, it is a small step in the right direction towards enacting the House Republican Budget which will balance our budget in ten years," said Rep. Ann Wagner. "This two-year budget will provide more certainty to the American people and prevents a government shutdown. It will also help restore our military readiness and modernization to defend the United States from threats around the world. Most importantly, this budget reduces the deficit, does not raise taxes, and locks in permanent mandatory spending reductions and reforms. It's time we stop governing from crisis to crisis and restore regular order to get the job done for the American people." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-the-passage-of-the-ryan-murray-budget-deal | Wagner Statement on the Passage of the Ryan-Murray Budget Deal | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO) today issued the following statement after the House passed, in bipartisan fashion, the Ryan-Murray budget deal: "While this deal is far from perfect, it is a small step in the right direction towards enacting the House Republican Budget which will balance our budget in ten years," said Rep. Ann Wagner. "This two-year budget will provide more certainty to the American people and prevents a government shutdown. It will also help restore our military readiness and modernization to defend the United States from threats around the world. Most importantly, this budget reduces the deficit, does not raise taxes, and locks in permanent mandatory spending reductions and reforms. It's time we stop governing from crisis to crisis and restore regular order to get the job done for the American people." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=059633d1-202f-4156-88b2-f5fbf0ea628e | Senate Committee Approves Blunt-Stabenow Plan To Improve Mental Health Care | 2013-12-12 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today approved the bipartisan “Excellence in Mental Health Act,” introduced by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) to expand access to community mental health services and strengthen the quality of care provided. “This is an important step forward as we work to fix America’s mental health policies,” said Blunt. “We’ve got a model that works to solve these important problems. It’s time for Congress to act.” The bill was included as an amendment to the so-called “doc fix” (SGR) bill that permanently reforms the way doctors are reimbursed by Medicare. The version of the Excellence in Mental Health Act voted for in committee today would establish pilot programs in 10 states to strengthen and improve access to care. “Strengthening mental health services isn’t partisan. It is an important issue that touches all of our families in some way,” said Stabenow. “Our bipartisan bill expands access to care and improves quality of care so people living with mental illness can get the treatment they need. Instead of merely talking about this issue in the wake of tragedies, it is time for Congress to finally take action.” Background Information: In February 2013, Blunt and Stabenow originally introduced the Excellence in Mental Health Act, to address the nation’s fragmented mental health system by offering current Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) a chance to obtain the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic designation. The bill establishes criteria for certified community behavioral health clinics to ensure the providers cover a broad range of mental health services - including 24-hour crisis care, increased integration of physical, mental and substance abuse treatment so they are treated simultaneously rather than separately, and expanded support for families of people living with mental health issues. In addition to Blunt and Stabenow, the Excellence in Mental Health Act is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of Senators including U.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=29f3f766-8000-400a-ad4a-47b409b64d69 | Senator Blunt, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Support Advocacy Centers For Child Abuse Victims | 2013-12-11 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Chris Coons (Del.), co-chairs of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, and U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday to reauthorize the “Victims of Child Abuse Act” (VOCAA), which provides funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers that serve child victims of violent crimes and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. Though the success of these federal-state and public-private partnerships have earned them broad bipartisan support, Congressional authorization for Children’s Advocacy Centers lapsed in 2005, and most recently the President’s proposed budgets for 2013 and 2014 have zeroed out federal funding. The VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 would restore funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers and strengthen oversight of this critical program. “There are 22 Child Advocacy Centers located in Missouri, which serve around 7,000 of our state’s most vulnerable children each year by coordinating the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases,” Blunt said. “This bill allows Child Advocacy Centers in Missouri and across the country to continue to provide a safe haven for child abuse victims and helps law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.” Background on the Bill: Children’s Advocacy Centers employ a multi-disciplinary team of trained professionals to conduct forensic interviews of children who have been victims of abuse. These interviews are designed to be admissible in court, preventing children from being re-traumatized by having to tell their stories multiple times. The VOCAA Reauthorization Act of 2013 would increase authorization levels for Children’s Advocacy Centers for the first time since the VOCAA was enacted in 1990. Acknowledging current fiscal constraints, this moderate increase, from $20 million to $22.5 million, is still below an amount that would keep pace with inflation and population growth. The reauthorization would also strengthen the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=c80a0a11-d09a-44ff-a75a-1a1a9ade921e | Springfield News-Leader: Management of Mark Twain forest concerns lawmakers | 2013-12-10 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | News-Leader Staff U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Strafford, and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, met with Kathleen Atkinson, the eastern regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, regarding concerns over controlled burns and timber management in the Mark Twain National Forest. “Forestry is an important economic engine in rural Missouri, and many families and local businesses rely on the Mark Twain National Forest for resources including timber, wood products, agriculture, and recreation,” Blunt said. “Congressman Smith and I are working with the forest service to ensure that timber harvest remains a management priority and that the utility of controlled burns is thoroughly examined, so the Mark Twain National Forest can continue to benefit our state.” Christian County contains 52,260 acres of land set aside for the Mark Twain National Forest. It is home to three campgrounds and recreation areas and an 80-mile trail system for ATVs, mountain biking and hiking. The forest service uses the burns to control growth of trees and vegetation in the expansive national forest, which stretches over hundreds of square miles in southern Missouri. The Mark Twain National Forest website listed nearly 56,000 acres scheduled for prescribed burns in fiscal 2013. Logging and timber industries in Missouri employ more than 32,000 people and contribute $5.7 billion each year to the state's economy, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The department’s website says Missouri is a national leader in the manufacture of forest products like charcoal, barrels, and red-cedar gift items. “Roy and I have both toured areas of the Mark Twain where ‘controlled burns’ have inadvertently destroyed harvestable timber,” Smith said. “We would like to see a management strategy from the forest service that prevents harvestable timber from being destroyed, and also ensures that local governments and school districts will continue to benefit as much as possible from timber sales.” Read more here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363769 | SEC Championship Game | 2013-12-07 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | SEC Championship Game f t # e Jefferson City, December 7, 2013 Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on the Missouri Tigers’ SEC Championship loss to the Auburn Tigers today in Atlanta: share: f t JEFFERSON CITY _ Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on the Missouri Tigers’ SEC Championship loss to the Auburn Tigers today in Atlanta: “Today, the Missouri Tigers lived up to being from the Show-Me State by showing the nation they are a team with a bright future after giving it their all against the Auburn Tigers. By winning the SEC Eastern Division in only their second year in the league, these Tigers have represented themselves, their school and their state with dignity and humility. I also would like to thank Coach Pinkel and his entire coaching staff for leading this team of young men to the championship game and I look forward to seeing what more they can accomplish in their yet-to-be determined bowl game. I would also like to congratulate the Auburn Tigers for their victory today as they prepare to represent the SEC in their final game of the season.” f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363641 | Blaine's Bulletin- Supporting Small Business | 2013-12-06 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States” – President Ronald Reagan President Reagan’s words reflect my own long-held belief as a former small businessman that small businesses are the backbone of our nation. Small businesses are where ideas and innovations are not only brought to life but are nurtured into American success stories that create jobs and economic opportunities. share: f t “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States” – President Ronald Reagan President Reagan’s words reflect my own long-held belief as a former small businessman that small businesses are the backbone of our nation. Small businesses are where ideas and innovations are not only brought to life but are nurtured into American success stories that create jobs and economic opportunities. And as Vice Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I remain concerned that in order to preserve the economic building blocks produced by small businesses we must ensure that burdensome regulations and job-killing taxes do not become walls to prosperity. As taxpayers, we all know the tax code is confusing. In fact, it’s so confusing that individuals and small businesses combined spend more than six billion hours and more than $100 billion every year trying to understand and comply with the tax code. With that in mind, the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this year announced they were going to take on the task of overhauling the tax code to make it simpler and fairer for hard-working Americans. While I fully support a reformed tax code, it was critical for me to bring to the committee’s attention how reform could affect small businesses in a very specific way. Last month, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and I sent a bipartisan letter to the committee urging committee members to consider the negative effects of proposed reforms that would … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363434 | Luetkemeyer Highlights Missouri’s Capabilities in Face-to-Face Meeting with Boeing CEO | 2013-12-04 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | In a face-to-face meeting today with Boeing CEO W. James McNerney, Jr., U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) had the opportunity to discuss many important issues to the St. Louis area and the state of Missouri including the potential for a new production facility for the company’s 777X jetliner. share: f t In a face-to-face meeting today with Boeing CEO W. James McNerney, Jr., U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) had the opportunity to discuss many important issues to the St. Louis area and the state of Missouri including the potential for a new production facility for the company’s 777X jetliner. “I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Mr. McNerney in my office today to discuss among other issues the many advantages of having the 777X jetliner built in St. Louis,” Luetkemeyer said, whose district includes hundreds of Boeing workers and related suppliers. “St. Louis has a strong work ethic, history as a home to Boeing, proximity to major transportation corridors, and the presence of more than 700 Boeing suppliers already in the region. Landing this project in St. Louis would create high-paying, high-quality jobs throughout the state and provide a significant economic boost. I am pleased that Boeing will be considering Missouri as the future home of this state-of-the-art aircraft.” In a separate letter to McNerney in support of a state-wide effort to bring the project to St. Louis, Luetkemeyer reiterated and made it clear - the region has a proven history of success when it comes to the state’s commitment to Boeing over the years. “The St. Louis area is home to men and women who embody the unparalleled Midwestern work ethic. Additionally, St. Louis has had the opportunity to serve as a faithful home to Boeing and Boeing precursors since James McDonnell incorporated the McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1939, and today is fortunate to count Boeing Defense, Space and Security as a hometown business,” Luetkemeyer wrote. “You undoubtedly recognize t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=a2249d73-6119-47e9-9f09-e25b4c9242e8 | Joplin Globe: Working web site won’t help ‘Obamacare,’ senator says | 2013-12-04 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | JOPLIN, Mo. — A working web site will not spell the end for problems with the federal Affordable Health Care Act, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt told a Joplin crowd on Wednesday. Speaking at a breakfast sponsored by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, the senator said he was surprised at the many problems encountered with the roll out of the web site for the program. “I didn’t expect the web site not to work — that’s the easy part,” Blunt said. He said the coverage will not succeed because he does not believe young, health people will buy in and because of elements cited as benefits by supporters, such as the coverage requirement for those with pre-existing medical conditions. “I’m sympathetic, but you have to be realistic. Allowing pre-existing conditions doesn’t make sense,” he said. “That’s like being able to buy homeowner’s insurance after your house is on fire. So costs have to cover expenses for people who are already sick.” He said that puts the price out of reach for young people who have no incentive to buy insurance when they are young and healthy, especially if they know they can get it when they’re sick. He said he is getting calls from constituents who are frustrated because they are learning — despite the administration’s claims — that they can’t keep their current insurance if they like it, and that they may not be able to keep their doctor. “In Missouri, the largest health network is through Barnes Jewish (Hospital in St. Louis) but coverage for treatment there isn’t available through the insurance company that’s providing most of the coverage in the state,” he said. Read more here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363240 | Luetkemeyer Leads Missouri River Delegation on Improving Management Efforts | 2013-12-03 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) and the Missouri delegation sent a letter to the House and Senate Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) conferees made up of House and Senate negotiators seeking to improve management of the Missouri River. share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) and the Missouri delegation sent a letter to the House and Senate Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) conferees made up of House and Senate negotiators seeking to improve management of the Missouri River. “In sending this letter to WRDA conferees, the entire Missouri delegation has united around three important concepts: we want a transparent, results-based strategy for mitigation on the Missouri; we want to uphold the ability of residents, business and municipalities to utilize Missouri River waters without being charged by the federal government; and we want to make sure the Corps is properly maintaining our vital navigation channel,” Luetkemeyer said. “WRDA is our primary opportunity to make these substantive changes to management of the Missouri River, and I am very pleased to be joined by the delegation in this important effort.” Earlier this year, Luetkemeyer and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), who is serving on the WRDA conference committee, successfully included language in the House version of WRDA regarding mitigation. The delegation letter to WRDA conferees seeks to maintain this language, while also expressing support for a concept championed by Senator John Hoeven (R-ND). Specifically, the House language would require the Corps to provide more information about its mitigation efforts on the Missouri River and also asks to provide an inventory of all conservation lands along the river. The Senate language would prohibit the Corps from charging residents, companies and municipalities for water out of the reservoirs upstream. NOTE: A copy of the letter that was sent to the WRDA conferees is attached. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/wagner-responds-to-president-obamas-speech-on-obamacare | Wagner Responds To President Obama's Speech on ObamaCare | 2013-12-03 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement in response to President Obama's speech on ObamaCare this afternoon: "After millions of Americans lost their health plans and millions more are getting ready to receive cancellation letters in the mail under ObamaCare - there is nothing the President can say to restore his credibility to the American people. Every day I hear from far too many hardworking families in the 2nd District who have seen their premiums skyrocket, their health insurance cancelled, who have been forced to change their doctors, and have seen their hours cut back at work. The simple truth is - there is no speech grand enough, no talking point clever enough, and no carefully staged campaign event big enough to make ObamaCare work for the American people." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-responds-to-president-obamas-speech-on-obamacare | Wagner Responds To President Obama's Speech on ObamaCare | 2013-12-03 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement in response to President Obama's speech on ObamaCare this afternoon: "After millions of Americans lost their health plans and millions more are getting ready to receive cancellation letters in the mail under ObamaCare - there is nothing the President can say to restore his credibility to the American people. Every day I hear from far too many hardworking families in the 2nd District who have seen their premiums skyrocket, their health insurance cancelled, who have been forced to change their doctors, and have seen their hours cut back at work. The simple truth is - there is no speech grand enough, no talking point clever enough, and no carefully staged campaign event big enough to make ObamaCare work for the American people." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=4c19d97c-d291-414d-8bbd-ca84e1de289c | Senator Blunt, Rep. Smith Fight To Protect The Mark Twain National Forest | 2013-12-03 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and U.S. Representative Jason Smith (Mo.) met with Kathleen Atkinson, the Eastern Regional Forester for the U.S. Forest Service, this week regarding concerns over controlled burns and timber management in the Mark Twain National Forest. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting. “Forestry is an important economic engine in rural Missouri, and many families and local businesses rely on the Mark Twain National Forest for resources including timber, wood products, agriculture, and recreation,” said Blunt. “Congressman Smith and I are working with the Forest Service to ensure that timber harvest remains a management priority and that the utility of controlled burns is thoroughly examined, so the Mark Twain National Forest can continue to benefit our state.” “Roy and I have both toured areas of the Mark Twain where ‘controlled burns’ have inadvertently destroyed harvestable timber,” said Smith. “We would like to see a management strategy from the Forest Service that prevents harvestable timber from being destroyed, and also ensures that local governments and school districts will continue to benefit as much as possible from timber sales.” # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=fdf25502-b23d-427f-a7e9-433cf630f02f | Senators Blunt, McCaskill Urge Boeing To Bring New Aircraft Project, Jobs To St. Louis | 2013-12-03 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) today sent a letter to The Boeing Company, urging them to consider the State of Missouri’s proposal for consideration to build the new 777X Airliner in St. Louis, Mo. In the letter, the Senators highlight several of Missouri’s positive attributes, including the state’s skilled workforce, “tremendous partnerships that exist between the business community and education entities,” and major transportation modes, which allow businesses to benefit from global access and remain competitive in the international marketplace. “The more than 15,000 Boeing employees already in the State of Missouri are a great example of the skill, commitment, innovation, and tremendous work ethic that exists in Missouri,” the Senators wrote. “… The Boeing Company already has a history and strong foundation to build upon in our state. We are confident that choosing Missouri for the 777X long-haul aircraft would be a strong, long-term investment for The Boeing Company,” the Senators continued. To view Blunt’s statement on Boeing’s 777X airliner project from November 21, 2013, please click here. To read the entire letter, please see below or click here. December 3, 2013 Mr. W. James McNerney, Jr. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer The Boeing Company 100 N. Riverside Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60606 Dear Mr. McNerney: We are pleased to know that The Boeing Company has requested the State of Missouri to submit a proposal for your consideration on where to build your 777X long-haul aircraft. Without a doubt, Missouri is the right location to select. The Boeing Company knows firsthand that Missouri has a dynamic and well-supported workforce. Missouri businesses benefit from the tremendous partnerships that exist between the business community and education entities. These partnerships result in a skilled workforce for today and tomorrow. The more than 15,000 Boeing employees already in the State of Missouri are a great example of the skill, comm… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=7756da04-cb96-4b0d-bdcb-243696136356 | Springfield News-Leader: In leadership, Sen. Blunt focuses on old ties, new tools | 2013-12-01 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Deirdre Shesgreen WASHINGTON — On Sept. 28, with three days to go before funding for the federal government dried up, the Senate was shuttered and quiet. But Sen. Roy Blunt made his way to the Capitol anyway. The Missouri Republican spent that Saturday shuttling from one House GOP office to another, meeting with his former colleagues and their aides to see whether there was some way to avert a government shutdown. He was trying to revive a moribund proposal — crafted by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., but rejected by tea party hard-liners — to combine a short-term spending bill with a second proposal to defund the Affordable Care Act. The Senate's Democratic majority could then decouple the two and send only the funding legislation to Obama for his signature — keeping the government open and keeping the health law funded. Blunt did not make much headway that day. But his efforts highlight his role in the Senate Republican leadership — that of a seasoned tactician who works behind the scenes. Two years ago, the freshman senator won a close race to become vice chairman of the Senate GOP conference, the No. 5 leadership slot. The job used to involve taking minutes at the Senate Republicans' weekly meetings, but that task is a relic of a different political era. Today, Blunt said, "you largely can define (the vice chair job) the way you want to and the way you think the members would like for you to." Blunt has picked two main venues to exert influence. One seems like a natural fit — using his 14 years in the House to improve coordination between that chamber's Republican majority and the Senate's GOP minority. His other focus is less obvious: The 63-year-old has become a social media maven, nudging his Republican colleagues to sign up for Twitter, start using Instagram, and update their Facebook pages. "Every (Republican) senator is now on Twitter, which wasn't the case two years ago," Blunt said proudly. Blunt regularly attends a weekly leadership news conference with Senate GOP… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-thanksgiving-message | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Thanksgiving message | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has issued the following Thanksgiving message: “On Thanksgiving Day, Americans join loved ones to celebrate and to thank our Creator for the blessings we enjoy living in the greatest nation on earth. Many of us learned, as children, that the first Thanksgiving was observed at Plymouth following the harvest of 1621. The Pilgrims had endured a perilous first year and were grateful for God’s provision and faithfulness. We also learned that the first Thanksgiving recognized by the U.S. government came during the Civil War when President Lincoln issued a proclamation in October of 1863, reminding all of us that our nation’s many blessings ‘should be solemnly reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.’ This year marks 150 years since he penned those words, yet their truth remains. We have been blessed with fruitful fields, industry and technology second to none, strong communities, caring neighbors, unparalleled opportunity, and the gift of freedom. A loving and Almighty God has blessed this nation and its people. As we gather this Thanksgiving Day with family and friends, let us give thanks to God for all He has given us. Let us also thank the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces whose sacrifices preserve our freedoms and allow us to enjoy God’s bounty.” Congresswoman Hartzler, who represents Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District, serves on the House Agriculture, Armed Services, and Budget Committees. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362909 | Luetkemeyer Bill Would Ensure Privacy of Students Under Threat from New Regulations | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | In an effort to strengthen federal student privacy policy and keep student records secure, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has introduced the Protecting Education Privacy Act (PEPA) which would enhance protections for students by rolling back regulatory changes made by the administration to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). share: f t In an effort to strengthen federal student privacy policy and keep student records secure, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has introduced the Protecting Education Privacy Act (PEPA) which would enhance protections for students by rolling back regulatory changes made by the administration to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). “During the past few years Americans have been overwhelmed with news about government agencies invading their personal information,” Luetkemeyer said. “My legislation will keep parents’ minds at ease because they will have the ultimate control over whether or not third parties can access their children’s information.” In December, 2011, the Department of Education made significant changes to regulations to FERPA that diminished the privacy protections of the law and opened up access to student records to new entities that were never intended to have access. These records include private information ranging from test scores, attendance records, social security numbers, and sensitive health information. Luetkemeyer’s legislation would empower parents by giving them more control over who has access to their child’s information; ensure that any entity deemed as an “Authorized Representative” of an education agency with access to student records must be under the direct control of the agency; and create a prohibition on the use of student records for commercial purposes. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362939 | Blaine's Bulletin- Keeping My Commitment to Becoming Energy Independent | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | There I was coming off the ladder after spending a few hours putting up the Christmas lights at home in St. Elizabeth when I took a moment to consider all the extra energy demands of the holiday season. Along with all the lights and displays that stretch our power grid, Americans across the country make thousands of extra trips this time of year, especially to visit relatives that may not be close by. But Americans are getting an early gift this year, with gas prices in Missouri are hovering at or slightly above $3 which is below the national average and news coming out of the International Energy Agency (IEA) about the future of American oil production. In fact, according to press reports, the IEA reported earlier in November that our country will surpass Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world’s top oil producer by 2015, and will be close to energy self-sufficiency in the next two decades, amid booming output from shale formations. The U.S. will overtake Russia, currently the biggest oil producer, in 2015 as it taps rock and shale layers in North Dakota and Texas with the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. This is good news because as American production goes up, so does our country’s economic fortunes including job creation and a variety of industries. One only has to look at the prosperity of a state like North Dakota to understand the significant impacts of energy production on local economies and beyond. This domestic energy production also insulates our nation somewhat from being at the mercy of those countries in the Middle East that don’t like us all that much but still sell us oil to help finance their own corrupt and anti-American regimes. As a supporter of an all-of-the-above energy policy, I believe that we must continue to build on these successes, despite the best attempts of the current administration to get in the way with burdensome regulations and waffling on important policy decisions. For example, why we are still waiting on a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline is beyond … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362977 | Luetkemeyer and House Colleagues Urge for Small Business Accounting Flexibility in Tax Reform Act | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has co-authored a bipartisan letter to the House Ways and Means Committee commending its members for their hard-work and dedication to tackling much needed tax reform and urging them to consider the negative effects of proposed changes that would limit accounting flexibility for small businesses and farmers across America. share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has co-authored a bipartisan letter to the House Ways and Means Committee commending its members for their hard-work and dedication to tackling much needed tax reform and urging them to consider the negative effects of proposed changes that would limit accounting flexibility for small businesses and farmers across America. “Cash accounting is critical for small businesses and our nation’s farmers and ranchers to manage their yearly tax burden,” Luetkemeyer said. “America is long overdue for a simpler and fairer tax code and I applaud the House Ways and Means Committee for taking on the task. It is very important to consider the proposed change of limiting the use of cash accounting and its effect it will have on small businesses that drive our local economies.” While the proposed Tax Reform Act of 2013 would expand the use of cash accounting from businesses with gross receipts that do not exceed $5 million to those with gross receipts that do not exceed $10 million, it would also limit the use of cash accounting for certain pass-through entities, farmers, and personal service corporations that have historically paid their taxes using the simple and appropriate manner of cash accounting. Pass-through entities account for more than 90 percent of all business entities in the United States. NOTE: Attached is the letter that Luetkemeyer and 70 other members of the House sent to the House Ways and Means Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=25bc7fc2-59c6-4772-9a3d-9b7d9cfe684e | St. Joseph News-Press: Blunt greets high-court decision to hear religious freedom case | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Ken Newton Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt hailed the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to hear a case regarding the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act. The high court granted a “writ of certiorari” in the case pitting Kathleen Sebelius, the cabinet secretary overseeing health-care reforms, and Hobby Lobby Stores, an Oklahoma-based company claiming provisions in the new law violate religious principles. Mr. Blunt has continually advocated the position that the Affordable Care Act forces some companies to act in ways contrary to their owners’ religious beliefs. Last year, he introduced the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, calling the mandates a violation of First Amendment rights of faith. The Republican lawmaker said Tuesday that the Senate’s failure to act on his and other legislation regarding religious freedom guaranteed that the Supreme Court would be called upon to decide the matter. “The (Health and Human Services) mandate is an enormous government overreach, and it violates Americans’ constitutional rights,” Mr. Blunt said in a statement. “Employers should not be forced to choose between giving up their business for their faith or giving up their faith for their business.” The federal agency appealed the case from the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which held that the private businesses could make claims under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and had established “a likelihood of success” in proving their rights had been burdened by the contraceptive-coverage requirement. Various interest groups staked out their own claims on learning of the high court’s granting of a hearing. “The choice about whether to use birth control should be between a woman and her doctor, and no boss should be able to interfere,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She added, “If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the corporations, the ruling will open the door to businesses denying coverage, based on their owners’ personal … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=3c330ff5-3cb8-490b-87ca-42a2dc7c590f | Senator Blunt’s Response To Supreme Court’s Decision To Take Up HHS Mandate | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the controversial Health and Human Services’ (HHS) health care mandate, which violates Americans’ religious freedoms: “By failing to protect religious freedom, the Senate guaranteed that the courtswould have to act. I'm pleased the Supreme Court has decided to hear thisimportant case. The HHS mandate is an enormous government overreach and it violates Americans' constitutional rights. Employers should not be forced to choose between giving up their business for their faith or giving up their faith for their business.” Today’s Supreme Court decision comes after new polling showed 59% of Americans oppose the mandate requiring religious individuals, faith-based institutions, and businesses cover services that violate their deeply-held religious beliefs. To read more about Senator Blunt’s work protecting religious freedom in health care, click here. # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221115518/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-november-25-29-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of November 25-29, 2013 | 2013-11-26 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, This Thanksgiving week, an in-district work week, gave me an opportunity to visit with constituents in Sedalia to listen to their concerns. A visit to Bothwell Regional Health Center gave me a chance to see the new Cancer and Cardiovascular Center and hear about the great new care options for people in our district. I was impressed and glad to see such a wonderful facility helping so many families in our area. Bothwell Regional Health Center is the second largest employer in Pettis County – providing valuable health care services to citizens of Pettis and neighboring counties. I am so pleased that this quality care is available to them. I also appreciated the opportunity to hear from health care professionals regarding some of the impact they are feeling and will continue to feel from the President’s health care law. Hospital administrators informed me they had estimated the Affordable Care Act would cost them $22 million over seven years. Renewed estimates now put that cost at approximately $35 million – much of it due to huge reductions in Medicare reimbursement under the new law. This will be a challenge for many hospitals to navigate unless the law can be changed, and is one of the reasons I believe this law needs to be repealed and replaced with a better system that lowers costs while increasing access for all. In the meantime, I commend all the dedicated professionals at Bothwell Regional and wish them much success with their new facility. My Sedalia visit gave me an opportunity to call on State Fair Community College’s (SFCC) President, Dr. Joanna Anderson. She comes with a wealth of experience in community college leadership and a heart for Missouri higher education as she is originally from Missouri. SFCC is a public, non-profit college that offers high quality education to more than 5,000 students – primarily at the Sedalia campus but also with classes offered in Boonville, Clinton, Lake of the Ozarks, Warsaw, Eldon, and at Whiteman Air Force Base. State Fair Community College has agreements w… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=dc2644e5-0dd6-4032-a786-5c022608d3b7 | Blunt, Colleagues Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Coalition Calling For Changes To FDA Proposed Rules | 2013-11-25 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (Conn.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.) and Annie Kuster (N.H.) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in requesting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issue a second draft of regulations for public comment before issuing final Food Safety Modernization rules. In a letter co-signed by 75 members of Congress, including 42 Republicans and 33 Democrats or Independents, the bipartisan coalition expressed concerns about the impact of proposed rules on farmers and businesses that an additional comment period could help alleviate. “Despite your agency’s efforts to engage with stakeholders during the rulemaking process, we remain concerned about the ambiguity surrounding many aspects of these proposed rules,” the letter said. The lawmakers continued, “We believe the rules as currently proposed would result in a multitude of unintended consequences that would be severely detrimental to national, regional and local agriculture. By seeking additional input through second proposed rules for public comment before final rules, we believe that producers’ concerns can be addressed and unintended consequences can be greatly mitigated.” The FDA recently issued two proposed rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a 2011 law that overhauled food safety laws to increase the safety of our food supply. The rules address preventative controls for human food and standards for the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption. As proposed, the 1,200-page rules have left food producers and processors across the country concerned about a number of issues surrounding facility compliance, environmental standards, among others. To read the entire letter, please see below or click here. November 22, 2013 The Honorable Margaret Hamburg, M.D. Commissioner U.S. Food and Drug Administration 10903 New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD 20993 Dear Commissioner Hamb… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362452 | Blaine's Bulletin- An Act of Kindness Out of Lincoln County | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Thanksgiving is a time to pause, reflect and be thankful for the many blessings in our lives; a country full of opportunities, a loving family and special friends. Over the course of my travels around the district, I am able to meet many wonderful people with inspirational and sometimes tragic stories to tell. The following story should be inspirational to all. share: f t Thanksgiving is a time to pause, reflect and be thankful for the many blessings in our lives; a country full of opportunities, a loving family and special friends. Over the course of my travels around the district, I am able to meet many wonderful people with inspirational and sometimes tragic stories to tell. The following story should be inspirational to all. Nathan, a 15-year-old from Elsberry, and his story came to my attention when I had the opportunity to meet with him and other Future Farmers of America (FFA) members from Elsberry. That was in August, so this story has stuck with me for quite some time. It is a story that begins with an awful tragedy and ends with an act of complete and utter kindness. It is also a story that shows how impactful a single selfless act can have on a community and the people in it. Jillian Ann Young was a National Merit Scholar and a cheerleader, but Nathan and Jillian had forged their friendship in the FFA, as so many young people do. But that friendship forever changed on March 4, 2013, when Jillian was killed in an automobile accident on her way to school. Following her passing, the Jillian Young Foundation was created to provide college scholarships to students from Elsberry with financial need displaying academic excellence, strong citizenship and character and a desire to make a meaningful contribution to society. And that’s where Nathan decided to make a difference, even though he wasn’t sure if he could. Nathan decided that at this year’s Lincoln County Fair, he’d donate every penny he earned from the auction of his hog to the Jilli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=179e90c0-519d-4207-840b-d02198b0875d | Washington Times (Blog): GOP Sen. Roy Blunt: I suspect Senate now changed 'in fundamental ways forever' | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | David Sherfinski Sen. Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican, said Democrats’ push to end filibusters for most presidential appointments is a bad precedent in a body that was supposed to serve as a model for the world as an example of how a democracy protects the rights of a minority. “They decided to change the rule,” Mr. Blunt said on MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown.” “I suspect that changes the Senate in fundamental ways forever.” “[W]hen one side decides they’re going to do whatever they want to do all by themselves, there is a usual long-term price to pay,” he added. He said that during his eight years serving as chief deputy whip or whip in the House, there were just two bills passed he could remember that some Democrats didn’t vote for. “One is we had little majorities, but two is we tried to look for ways that let this be something that everybody had to have some skin in the game, and it mattered whenever those things became law,” he said. Read more here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221065209/http://hartzler.house.gov/letter/bicameral-bipartisan-letter-secretary-defense-and-chairman-joint-chiefs-support-10-program | Bicameral, bipartisan letter to the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in support of the A-10 program | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Harrisonville 1909 North Commercial Street Harrisonville, MO 64701 Phone: 816-884-3411 Fax: 816-884-3163 Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Please call my Harrisonville office if you would like to arrange an appointment for another time. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221065248/http://hartzler.house.gov/letter/letter-secretary-air-force-and-air-force-chief-staff-defending-10-thunderbolt-which-based | Letter to the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff defending the A-10 Thunderbolt, which is based at Whiteman Air Force Base | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Harrisonville 1909 North Commercial Street Harrisonville, MO 64701 Phone: 816-884-3411 Fax: 816-884-3163 Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9:00am-5:00pm. Please call my Harrisonville office if you would like to arrange an appointment for another time. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134710/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-november-18-22-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of November 18-22, 2013 | 2013-11-22 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, This week, the U.S. House took important steps to secure America’s energy future, approving three common sense bills promoting widely shared energy policy goals. The Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Act - H.R. 1965 - combines several bills aimed at expanding offshore energy production as well as streamlining government roadblocks and bureaucratic red tape that block and delay American energy production and job creation. The bill would reform the leasing process for oil and natural gas projects on federal lands to eliminate unnecessary delays. Additionally, it would ensure funds are available for efficient wind and solar permitting. The Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act – H.R. 2728 – will help promote American jobs and energy creation by limiting regulations from the Administration on hydraulic fracturing, a process used to extract oil and natural gas. The legislation prohibits the Interior Department from enforcing hydraulic fracturing regulations in any state that already has regulations and recognizes states’ authority to regulate this type of activity. How important is this form of energy extraction? According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. holds more than half of the world’s oil shale resources – six times Saudi Arabia’s proven resources and enough to provide the United States with energy for the next 200 years. A 2012 report from the economic consulting firm HIS Global Insight found unconventional shale oil and gas alone support more than 1.7 million jobs, which is expected to increase to 3 million jobs as soon as 2020. The fact is that increased energy production will result in lower energy prices and cost savings through less expensive goods and services. The Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act – H.R. 1900 – is a bipartisan effort to expedite the federal review process for natural gas pipeline permit applications. It amends the Natural Gas Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny a permit application for a natur… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=bf725974-c3ff-45a0-b156-5ca70dea985f | Senator Blunt: St. Louis Ideally Situated For New Boeing 777x Project | 2013-11-21 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today after learning that Boeing could be considering St. Louis, Mo. as a possible location to open the assembly line for its new 777x Airliner: “The St. Louis region is home to a skilled workforce with deep roots in the aviation industry and is an ideal production site for Boeing’s new 777x aircraft project. I’m pleased that Boeing is considering St. Louis as a top contender for this initiative, and I’ll be working hard to make the case to our friends at Boeing that St. Louis is the best place to build this aircraft.” # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=469 | Long Promotes Stable Families with Adoption Promotion Act | 2013-11-20 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Billy Long | L000576 | long.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Billy Long believes all children deserve the opportunity to grow up in a loving and stable family and is leading this effort with his Adoption Promotion Act. “I support policies which encourage adoption and promote stable families. Each year women all across our country find themselves facing a decision about whether to carry their unborn child to term and how to provide for that child once the child has been born. We owe it to women in our nation, especially to those who are most vulnerable to make sure that they are truly receiving the information they need about all their options for their child. Women and their children deserve our support to help them find a chance at life, love, and an opportunity for a great future and that is what my legislation promotes,” Long said. Long’s Adoption Promotion Act, H.R. 3539, would ensure that all women who access family planning services provided with Title X funding are given pregnancy options counseling which includes professional adoption counseling. When a woman feels she is unable to care for her child, for whatever reason, it is vital that she knows she still has an option to provide her child with life and a good, loving future through adoption. The Adoption Promotion Act would also provide for the collection of data on the effectiveness of pregnancy options counseling and adoption counseling so that we can make sure that women are receiving the most effective counseling possible for their child. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362304 | Luetkemeyer Seeks Answers from FEMA about Flood Insurance Issues During Hearing | 2013-11-20 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing titled “Implementation of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act: Protecting Taxpayers and Homeowners”: share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing titled “Implementation of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act: Protecting Taxpayers and Homeowners”: “As Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and with hundreds of miles of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and the Lake of the Ozarks in the 3rd District, I welcomed the opportunity to hear from the witnesses, particularly Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate. I have heard from many of my constituents who are saddled with serious problems stemming from the National Flood Insurance Program. In light of that, I have requested that senior FEMA officials visit the 3rd District and to re-examine the Missouri floodplain maps. As a result of today’s hearing, Administrator Fugate has agreed to my request that he and FEMA leadership meet with representatives from the housing and insurance industries in an effort to improve communication and address the concerns that plague the program. It is my hope that, as a result of this hearing, and after talking with Administrator Fugate, there will soon be greater accountability in the program and solutions for those in the 3rd District.” NOTE: A video of Luetkemeyer during the hearing today is available on his YouTube page at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7cZg4UlwH4&feature=youtu.be. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=61d75b4c-93d8-438c-bfa2-997ddf745f7f | Senator Blunt Introduces National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Amendments | 2013-11-20 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) introduced a number of floor amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 this week. Blunt is currently one of three U.S. Senators to serve on both the defense appropriations and authorizing committees. “Our men and women in uniform and their families make tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedoms,” Blunt said. “I hope the Senate will have the opportunity to vote on these important amendments as we move forward with this bill and work to give our Armed Forces the resources they need to meet their critical mission of defending our nation.” Blunt introduced a number of amendments, including: Bannister Federal Complex, Kansas City, Mo. Land Transfer Amendment: Blunt’s amendment would authorize the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the General Services Agency (GSA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enter into an agreement regarding the conveyance of federal property located at Bannister Road in Kansas City, Mo. and allow for an eventual title transfer and redevelopment of the site. Amendment to Appoint a Special Envoy in Near East and South Central Asia: Blunt’s amendment would appoint a special envoy for the purpose of promoting religious freedom among religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. The envoy would hold the rank of ambassador and work in coordination with the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom to monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious minorities in these regions. In addition to working with foreign governments and relevant multilateral organizations, the envoy would coordinate these efforts with the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State. Small Business Contracting Amendment: Blunt’s amendment protects small businesses from overly burdensome regulations when they subcontract with the Department of Defense contracts by ensuring that the Small Business Act applies to all contracts awa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=a8520022-f532-4145-9ef8-7add68c2f1f4 | Blunt, Ayotte Introduce Measure To Ensure Troops Have Necessary Close Air Support | 2013-11-19 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) this week introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) aimed at preventing the U.S. Air Force from prematurely retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The Senators are concerned that a premature divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II by the Air Force would create a dangerous close air support capability gap that could unnecessarily endanger American service members in future conflicts. The 442nd Fighter Wing is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The amendment, which is also being co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Mike Crapo (Idaho), would prevent the Air Force from retiring any additional A-10s until the Air Force certifies that it has a sufficient number of fully operationally capable F-35As to replace the retiring A-10s and to meet combatant commander close air support requirements. The amendment also requires the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to verify the Air Force’s certification. “While the Air Force confronts difficult budget decisions, we believe the Air Force must protect programs that are central to our nation’s combat readiness, as well as the safety of our service members in harm’s way,” said Blunt, Ayotte, McCaskill, and Crapo in a joint statement. “When our ground forces call for help, our nation must be prepared to answer and to provide the best possible close air support. A premature divestment of the A-10 before its replacement has achieved full operational capability would put our troops at increased risk, and we are not prepared to accept increased risk for our soldiers and marines because of a potential misallocation of budget cuts.” The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) endorsed the Blunt-Ayotte amendment on Monday saying, “Senator Ayotte and Senator Blunt are right on target,” said retired Major General Gus Hargett, the NGAUS president. “For years, our ground troops have enjoyed the world's best clo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=74f27208-2c19-4563-83a8-b8d8eaca2a0e | Senators Blunt, Warner Introduce Legislation To Reduce Underutilized Federal Property | 2013-11-18 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.) introduced legislation to reduce the number of underutilized and excess federal properties, which could save taxpayers $9 billion over the next 10 years. Sens. Lindsay Graham (S.C.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Roger Wicker (Miss.) are also original co-sponsors of the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA). Representative Jeff Denham (Calif.) introduced companion CPRA legislation in the House earlier this year. “With limited resources, the federal government needs to explore opportunities for cost savings,” Blunt said. “This bipartisan legislation seizes on the opportunity to save billions of taxpayer dollars over the next decade by simply consolidating and maximizing the footprint and use of federal buildings and facilities.” "This proposal will require us to carefully review our federal real estate holdings and look for opportunities to downsize," Warner said. "By taking a businesslike approach to our current inventory, and aggressively looking for ways to consolidate and dispose of unneeded real property, we can sell properties we no longer need, and save taxpayer money by reducing maintenance and operations costs for years to come." The federal government is the largest property owner and manager in the U.S., with more than one million buildings, structures, and land parcels. Real property management has been on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) high-risk list since 2003, and GAO has estimated that the federal government could save billions through improvements. CPRA establishes an independent commission, comprised of real estate management experts, charged with reviewing the federal property portfolio and developing recommendations for consolidation or disposal. The commission will issue a report recommending individual leased or government owned properties that should be consolidated or disposed of to produce the best value for the taxpayer. Upon approval by the President, the recommendat… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221134745/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-november-11-15-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of November 11-15, 2013 | 2013-11-16 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, This week, the U.S. House approved H.R. 3350 – the Keep Your Health Plan Act – to provide Americans the option of keeping the health plans they currently have. This is needed because, after the Affordable Care Act went into effect, more than 3.5 million Americans, according to the Associated Press, received health plan cancellation notices. Studies estimate up to 15 million Americans could lose their coverage over the next year due to the new law. This is devastating to the hundreds of families in our district who no longer have health insurance. Clearly, the promise of “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it” has proven to be unfounded. Furthermore, the website, when it works, presents security risks for many users. And many of those who have been able to obtain quotes on replacement policies are getting ‘sticker shock’ as they learn the costs of their premiums will rise more than 100 percent in some cases. Many of the policy cancellations or exorbitant increases are due to the bill’s mandates that force consumers to purchase coverage they don’t need and don’t want. Our bill will allow plans currently available on the individual market to be offered next year. I urge the Senate to quickly follow the lead of the House in serving the American people by passing this critical piece of legislation and sending it to the President. The House also approved H.R. 2655, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2013, which would require courts to impose appropriate sanctions on attorneys, law firms, or parties filing frivolous lawsuits and to require them to compensate parties injured by these frivolous lawsuits. Under current law, courts may, but are not required to impose such sanctions. Too many family businesses are subjected to frivolous lawsuits that result in layoffs or company closings. No legitimate action would be prevented by this legislation, but it would help to limit the frivolous lawsuits that have the effect of greatly benefitting trial attorneys at the expense of job creators and American wo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=468 | Long Supports Bipartisan Effort to Help Americans Impacted by Broken Health Care Promise | 2013-11-15 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Billy Long | L000576 | long.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Billy Long voted today in support of the Keep Your Health Plan Act. “Millions of Americans are sadly finding out that President Obama’s repeated promise if you like your plan you can keep your plan is not true. This common sense legislation is about addressing the concerns hardworking Americans have with the president’s health care law and giving them choices when it comes to their health care options. President Obama should honor the promise he repeatedly made to the American people,” Long said. Long is an original cosponsor of the Keep Your Health Plan Act. The legislation simply allows for health care plans currently available on the individual market to continue next year, providing millions of Americans whose plans have been cancelled the opportunity to keep their policies in 2014. The legislation also ensures Americans keeping their plans would not face a penalty under the law’s individual mandate. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361516 | After Millions Lose Health Plans, Luetkemeyer Votes in Support of the Keep Your Health Plan Act | 2013-11-15 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | After Millions Lose Health Plans, Luetkemeyer Votes in Support of the Keep Your Health Plan Act f t # e Washington, November 15, 2013 Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on his support for the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 that allows health plans currently available on the individual market to continue next year, providing Americans the opportunity to continue to enroll in those plans they currently enjoy: share: f t Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) on his support for the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 that allows health plans currently available on the individual market to continue next year, providing Americans the opportunity to continue to enroll in those plans they currently enjoy: “The president spent nearly four years promising hard-working Americans they would be able to keep their health insurance under Obamacare and when that turned out not to be the case, I felt it was critical to vote for legislation that would allow health plans currently available on the individual market to continue next year. It is now apparent to most Americans that Obamacare is collapsing under its own weight and I remain hopeful that the Senate will bring this to the floor immediately and ultimately require the president to do the right thing and sign this into law.” f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361634 | Blaine's Bulletin- Americans Deserve More than Another Promise from the President | 2013-11-15 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | A lot has been said and written in recent weeks about the president’s 2009 speech to the American Medical Association in which he pledged that: “We will keep this promise to the American people. If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health-care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” share: f t A lot has been said and written in recent weeks about the president’s 2009 speech to the American Medical Association in which he pledged that: “We will keep this promise to the American people. If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health-care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” It’s a pledge the president repeatedly made when the bill became law in early 2010 and has been his calling card until recently when it became clear the promise to the American people was an empty one. Even as recently as Sept. 26, 2013, he said: “The first thing you need to know is this: If you already have health care, you don’t have to do anything.” Despite all the chatter about this broken promise, folks like you are demanding action and I am pleased to say that lawmakers, from both sides of the political aisle and in both chambers of Congress, are starting to finally get it. The House and Senate both have bills that would allow Americans to keep their health insurance policies in the face of Obamacare, no matter what. The president, under pressure from the American public and a growing number of his own supporters, sought to re-cast his comments about keeping your health insurance on Nov. 4, 2013 when he claimed: “If you had one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law and you really liked that plan, what we said was you can keep it – if it hasn't changed since the law passed." Again feeling the pressure, the president on Nov. 14 annou… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361369 | Luetkemeyer: Anemic Obamacare Enrollment Totals Show That Law is an Epic Failure | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Luetkemeyer: Anemic Obamacare Enrollment Totals Show That Law is an Epic Failure f t # e Washington, November 14, 2013 U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services released the latest Obamacare enrollment numbers: share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services released the latest Obamacare enrollment numbers: “The fact that fewer than 800 Missourians and fewer than 30,000 Americans have “selected” a health plan through the federal Obamacare health exchange makes it clear that the president’s signature piece of legislation is an epic and costly failure. I wouldn’t doubt that more pitches were thrown by the St. Louis Cardinals during the World Series than there are Missourians who have signed up for the federal exchange. This is about more than a broken website; it is about a broken law in which millions of Americans have lost their health coverage and millions more are losing access to their physicians. I look forward to voting on Friday in favor of legislation that would allow Americans to keep their health care coverage, something the president promised but failed to deliver. With leading Democrats fleeing Obamacare, it’s time for the president to admit that Obamacare is a failure and end this political charade.” f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361470 | Luetkemeyer Says President’s Administrative Fix Isn’t the Solution to Obamacare Failure | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Luetkemeyer Says President’s Administrative Fix Isn’t the Solution to Obamacare Failure f t # e Washington, November 14, 2013 U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the president today announced a so-called administrative fix to Obamacare: share: f t U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement after the president today announced a so-called administrative fix to Obamacare: “Four years after first promising hard-working Americans they would be able to keep their health care and their doctors, the president has offered an administrative fix that falls short of offering a long-term solution to the health care crisis confronting the nation. In order to repair the serious damage already inflicted by Obamacare, we must change this law through the legislative process, and that is why I plan to vote tomorrow for the Keep Your Health Plan Act. This bill would allow health plans currently available on the individual market to continue next year, providing Americans the opportunity to continue to enroll in the plans that they currently enjoy. We cannot count on another presidential promise to undo the damage to our health care system, but instead must allow the elected representatives of the American people to do that.” f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=eb5b0037-aceb-432e-b765-9974f7c6d8f4 | Jefferson City News-Tribune: Blunt rips ObamaCare Failure | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Olivia Ingle President Barack Obama said Thursday there’s no doubt that millions of Americans are frustrated about receiving cancellation notices from their health insurance companies, especially when the president promised they could keep their health insurance from the individual market if they liked it. “The bottom line is people had insurance that they thought met their needs and they could afford to pay for,” said U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. “Now they’re finding out that the insurance available to them (through the health insurance marketplace) is more expensive than they need, and in many cases has lots of elements to it that they know they don’t need.” Obama said the cancellation notices are currently one of two issues with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the other being making sure the marketplace website, healthcare.gov, works the ways it’s supposed to. “It’s fair to say that improvements will be noticeable,” Obama said. He said state insurance commissioners will continue to have the power to decide what plans can and can’t be sold in their states. Chris Cline, Missouri’s Insurance department spokesman, said the department is reviewing today’s announcement and the impact it will have on insurance companies and Missouri consumers. Blunt believes Obama’s solutions are “too little, too late,” and “will never be as easy as they sound.” “There’s lots of obstacles still in the way and even if you got over all those obstacles, you’d be back to the exact same problem a year from now,” Blunt said. He said he will continue to fight the Affordable Care Act, a law that he calls an “Obamacare train wreck.” “I still think there will be a point when the Administration looks back to the good ol’ days when the only problem they had was trying to explain why the website wouldn’t work, as opposed to trying to explain why this structure just simply won’t work,” he said. “When the president now decides that he’s going to redefine policies and try to make the law agree with what he over and over again… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=7acb1545-99b5-4969-9727-313ea989f8ae | Blunt, Murray, Franken, Grassley Lead 28 Colleagues Urging Administration To Support American Biodiesel Industry | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Al Franken (Minn.), and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) led 28 of their Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging the Obama Administration to support the American biodiesel industry in its upcoming 2014 regulatory proposal for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Current projections indicate that the industry will produce 1.7 billion gallons of biodiesel in 2014, continuing its pattern of exceeding annual RFS targets. In light of this production estimate, the Senators urged the Administration to carefully consider its 2014 biodiesel targets, which, if decreased or left stagnant at 2013 levels, could cost thousands of American jobs and significantly impact confidence in industry investments. “Biodiesel has exceeded RFS targets in each year and is clearly poised to do so again in 2013. The industry has had impressive growth, going far beyond initial expectations just five years ago, and is supporting 62,160 jobs and nearly $17 billion in total economic impact. Biodiesel is improving our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported petroleum diesel, diversifying fuel supplies and creating competition in the fuels market,” the Senators wrote. “Setting the 2014 biodiesel volume requirement at reduced levels could have severe impacts on the domestic biodiesel industry. Further, a continuation of 2013 levels paired with any reduction in advanced biofuels targets could similarly negatively impact the industry.” The following Senators also signed on to the letter: Senators Mark Pryor (Ark.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Angus King (Maine), Jack Reed (R.I.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Tom Harkin (Iowa), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=a2b527e3-93b8-40b6-8f7b-f13914ca928d | Senator Blunt: President Obama Is Doing The Least He Could Possibly Do To Help Americans | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after President Barack Obama delivered remarks on the Affordable Care Act: “Today’s announcement is literally the least the president could do in the wake of his broken promises. Unfortunately, millions of Americans will still find themselves facing fines without any realistic way to get health insurance as the president essentially shifts the blame to states and insurance companies. “Americans deserve better than the ObamaCare train wreck, which is why I'm still fighting to replace this disastrous law with a system that puts patients and doctors in charge of their own health care -- not Washington bureaucrats.” Yesterday, the Obama Administration released initial enrollment numbers for ObamaCare showing that fewer than 800 Missourians have successfully signed up for the president’s health care plan. Senator Blunt spoke on the Senate floor this week and last week to share stories from Missourians impacted by ObamaCare and losing their health care plans despite President Obama’s promise that if you like your plan you can keep it. # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=f438cf89-9c4f-4f0c-ab74-1ca2f2df30c7 | Ten Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Create Infrastructure Financing Authority | 2013-11-14 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan coalition of ten U.S. Senators introduced legislation today to establish a new infrastructure financing authority to help states and localities better leverage private funds to build and maintain the nation’s outdated infrastructure. The “Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment” (BRIDGE) Act, helps to address the nation’s alarming investment shortfall in maintaining and improving our transportation network, water and wastewater systems and energy infrastructure. The legislation would provide an additional financing tool for states and localities which can create new jobs here at home while also increasing our nation’s economic competitiveness. “Infrastructure has long been an integral part of our economy. Successful transportation systems connect people and communities, and businesses large and small, and the jobs they create, rely on a strong infrastructure network to connect with their customers,” Blunt said. “This bipartisan legislation will provide a new tool to help finance infrastructure projects, create jobs, and ensure America’s global competitiveness in the 21st century.” The BRIDGE Act, introduced by lead sponsors Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark R. Warner (Va.), is cosponsored by Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Chris Coons (Del.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.). America currently spends roughly two percent of its GDP on infrastructure -- about half what it did 50 years ago. By comparison, Europe spends around 5%, and China spends 9% of GDP on infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, the United States currently ranks 19th among 148 developed countries in overall infrastructure compared to our global competitors. To begin addressing this shortfall, the BRIDGE Act will establish an independent, nonpartisan financing authority to complement existing U.S. infrastructure funding. The authority … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-obamacare-enrollment-numbers-for-october | Wagner Statement on ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers for October | 2013-11-13 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement in response to the administration releasing data on October enrollments through the federal health insurance exchange: “Time and time again - President Obama promised the American people, ‘if you like your health care plan you can keep it.’ We now know this was a blatant falsehood to win an election, and the only victims are those millions of Americans that have lost their coverage through no fault of their own.” “Every day I hear from hardworking families around the 2nd District who have had their health insurance changed or cancelled, been forced to change their doctors, had their hours cut back at work, and have seen their premiums skyrocket. These hardworking families don’t care about partisan politics; they are simply concerned about how they are going to make it to the 15th and 30th each month and pay their bills on time. “While the Administration claims this is just a minor setback, these absurdly low enrollment numbers are emblematic of a much larger problem: ObamaCare is unworkable, unsustainable, and unaffordable for the American people. It is time we realize that no matter how many tech experts President Obama hires to fix his $600 million dollar plus taxpayer-paid website – it will never stop ObamaCare from hurting the American people. “As your Representative - I will never stop fighting until ObamaCare is replaced with free-market based solutions that expand access without destroying our economy and lowering the quality of our care.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-obamacare-enrollment-numbers-for-october | Wagner Statement on ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers for October | 2013-11-13 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement in response to the administration releasing data on October enrollments through the federal health insurance exchange: “Time and time again - President Obama promised the American people, ‘if you like your health care plan you can keep it.’ We now know this was a blatant falsehood to win an election, and the only victims are those millions of Americans that have lost their coverage through no fault of their own.” “Every day I hear from hardworking families around the 2nd District who have had their health insurance changed or cancelled, been forced to change their doctors, had their hours cut back at work, and have seen their premiums skyrocket. These hardworking families don’t care about partisan politics; they are simply concerned about how they are going to make it to the 15th and 30th each month and pay their bills on time. “While the Administration claims this is just a minor setback, these absurdly low enrollment numbers are emblematic of a much larger problem: ObamaCare is unworkable, unsustainable, and unaffordable for the American people. It is time we realize that no matter how many tech experts President Obama hires to fix his $600 million dollar plus taxpayer-paid website – it will never stop ObamaCare from hurting the American people. “As your Representative - I will never stop fighting until ObamaCare is replaced with free-market based solutions that expand access without destroying our economy and lowering the quality of our care.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=8282a996-3260-417f-ada7-0e5a463fed5d | Senator Blunt's Statement On ObamaCare Enrollments | 2013-11-13 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after the Obama Administration released initial enrollment numbers for ObamaCare: "Fewer than 800 Missourians have successfully signed up for the president's health care plan while millions of Americans are being forced to lose their current coverage. That's appalling, and it simply confirms what we already knew: ObamaCare is a train wreck. "President Obama should keep his promise to the American people and make the health care system work again – a system that for most people was working a year ago, and for a whole lot of people, won’t be working a year from now." Senator Blunt spoke on the Senate floor today and last week to share stories from Missourians losing their health care plans despite President Obama’s promise that if you like your health care plan you can keep it. At the Senate Republican Leadership Stakeout today, Blunt highlighted the story of a young Missourian with a pre-existing condition, who is one of many in the high risk pools that will be terminated under ObamaCare. # # # | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-hartzler-honors-americas-veterans-veterans-day | Congresswoman Hartzler honors America's veterans on Veterans Day | 2013-11-11 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has issued the following Veterans Day statement: “On this day America pays tribute to our men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much to keep this country free. Since its origins as Armistice Day marking the end of World War I, November 11th has been a day for Americans to honor their countrymen and women who have served at home and abroad. As the daughter of a U.S. Army Reservist, I learned at an early age of the importance of this day. Now, as a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I interact with our men and women in uniform and I couldn't be prouder if the valiant work they are doing for all of us. It is because of the selfless actions of our patriots in uniform that our country has remained free throughout the years. Today, Americans from all walks of life join to say ‘thank you’ to all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces and to their families who have shared many of the sacrifices. May God bless our veterans and may He continue to bless the United States of America.” Congresswoman Hartzler proudly serves on the House Armed Services Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360601 | Blaine's Bulletin- Recognizing National Women's Small Business Month | 2013-11-08 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | As vice chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I hear daily from folks struggling to navigate crippling federal regulations and other forms of government interference that are hampering small businesses’ success, growth, and hiring capabilities. In the wake of National Women’s Small Business Month in October, I wanted to take a moment to recognize those female small business owners that put in the long hours and hard work that it takes to make a business a success. share: f t As vice chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I hear daily from folks struggling to navigate crippling federal regulations and other forms of government interference that are hampering small businesses’ success, growth, and hiring capabilities. In the wake of National Women’s Small Business Month in October, I wanted to take a moment to recognize those female small business owners that put in the long hours and hard work that it takes to make a business a success. There are several enlightening facts regarding women and small businesses. First, the U.S. ranks among the top nations in the world when it comes to female entrepreneurship. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 Survey of Business Owners, women owned 7.8 million businesses and accounted for almost 30 percent of all businesses nationwide. And a study by the National Women’s Business Council found that patent and trademark ownership by women has increased by approximately 34.72 percent from 2009 to 2010. I have said time and again that America’s small businesses are the engines of job creation, employing about half of all private sector employees. From 1999-2000, small businesses accounted for 75 percent of all new jobs created and have generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years. In this economic climate, it is crucial that we support these businesses, which continue to create jobs and serve as the backbone of our economy, rather than place obstacles before them. I have … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=2027ab02-c09d-4d73-ab84-253ae9f5f72c | Jefferson City News-Tribune: Blunt: Changes needed for health care plan to work | 2013-11-08 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Bob Watson Never a fan of the federal health care law commonly called “Obamacare,” U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt told Missouri reporters again Thursday morning he thinks “the biggest enemy of Obamacare would be Obamacare.” During a telephone news conference, the Missouri Republican wondered if the continuing comments about problems with the national website, www.healthcare.gov, and the Obama administration’s sometimes faltering efforts to get it working correctly are “maybe, an indication of how many other unanticipated problems there are out there.” He noted many people are complaining that their current policies are being canceled, with much more expensive replacement coverage. “I’ve asked Missourians to visit our website, Blunt.Senate.gov, to share their stories,” Blunt said. “And, if their stories are good, I want them to share those, too. “If they’ve really found a plan that is a better plan for them, that saves money, I’d like to hear about it.” Some supporters of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) have said the insurance industry is responsible for the problems with canceled coverage and higher-cost replacements. But, Blunt said: “The regulation itself that actually was designed to implement the law set an unreasonable expectation. … It was a system that was designed to fail.” He said insurance companies shouldn’t be blamed or victimized. “The two fundamental flaws here are the idea that you just get your insurance from a regular carrier, irrespective of your current health situation,” Blunt said, “and that, somehow, that would be made up for by lots of young, healthy people buying insurance at higher rates than they’ve ever seen before — and a penalty that’s not high enough to, frankly, drive behavior.” From the beginning, President Barack Obama and the health care law’s supporters have said its chief goal is getting people insured who aren’t covered now. But Blunt and others have argued that Congress should have passed measures to improve the current health care system… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=9ebf11a2-9f45-4dbc-ad66-e0b9e7a47d8e | St. Joseph News-Press: Blunt says nation could see a manufacturing revival | 2013-11-08 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Ken Newton As part of their character, Americans like to make things, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt believes. And Congress can play a role in encouraging that attribute. The Missouri Republican, after touring a manufacturing facility in St. Joseph on Friday, said public policies related to energy, regulation, taxes, infrastructure and health care can lead to private-sector job creation. His home state stands to be a beneficiary, he added. “I think we’re on the edge of a real potential for a manufacturing revival in the country,” Mr. Blunt said. “Where we live, right here in the transportation hub of the country, can be a focal point of that.” The lawmaker visited with employees at Altec Industries, which markets its aerial lift trucks and other equipment to more than 100 countries. The privately held company employs more than 500 people locally. Mr. Blunt discussed with executives there the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, legislation he has introduced with Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat. Among other things, the bill looks to leverage private and public resources in a way that increases technical innovation. It also would provide a bridge between research and product development. According to the proposed law, manufacturing contributed $1.8 trillion to the American economy in 2011 and accounted for 47 percent of the nation’s exports. “All of us want to see an economy that has a strong manufacturing component,” the senator said. “It’s crazy to buy things from another economy if you can make them competitively in your economy.” The legislation also acknowledges the need for skilled production workers, scientists, researchers and engineers, noting that the United States, in one study, ranked 27th out of 29 developed countries in the percentage of students who get bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering. Mark Wegel, a spokesman for Altec, said this proves a concern for the company, which demonstrated for Mr. Blunt some of the robotics and laser technology being utili… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221115627/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-november-4-8-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of November 4-8, 2013 | 2013-11-08 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, This was an in-district work week for Members of the U.S. House – an opportunity for representatives of the people to spend time visiting citizens in their districts. I want to share a couple of my visits in Missouri’s Fourth District this week. I was invited to visit the Caterpillar High Performance Molded Products plant in Boonville and met with several of the good people who work there. The facility, which opened its doors in March of 1992, provides employment for citizens of Cooper County, employing more than 200 people. The skilled workers at this Caterpillar plant produce multiple product lines consisting of power transmission, suspension, vibration isolation, and sealing application components. Caterpillar is environmentally conscious, as well. The company is one of the world’s largest remanufacturers with its facilities recycling 97-99 percent of material that comes through the door. America’s manufacturing industry is crucial to kick-starting our economy. I am committed to helping companies like Caterpillar to cut through the burdensome government red tape that stifles businesses and to help reduce government obstacles that stand in the way of manufacturers and small businesses expanding their markets. The simple truth is that by opening new markets for American-made goods we help lower prices for consumers and create higher-paying jobs for American workers. This begins with addressing job-destroying government overregulation. I also visited Central Methodist University in Fayette to meet CMU President Dr. Roger Drake, who became the 26th President of Central Methodist in July of this year. Dr. Drake is committed to providing each CMU student with a quality learning experience. With Dr. Drake’s academic and business experience, I am confident Central Methodist and its faculty, staff, and students will be well served for years to come. Other education-related stops this week included a visit to Columbia College, where I met with Interim President Dr. Terry B. Smith to tour a new science facilit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-hartzlers-statement-transfer-iranian-american-pastor-saeed-more | Congresswoman Hartzler's statement on the transfer of Iranian-American Pastor Saeed to a more dangerous prison in Iran | 2013-11-05 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has released the following statement regarding Iran’s transfer of Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini to a more brutal and dangerous prison than the one he has been unjustly held in for more than a year: “It is deplorable for Iranian authorities to transfer Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen whose only crime is practicing his Christian faith, to a prison that houses violent inmates. It calls into question the claims of Iran’s President Rouhani that he wants to be more open to the West. If he does, indeed, wish to extend an olive branch to the West, President Rouhani could demonstrate this by removing Pastor Saeed from this dangerous prison, dropping the trumped up charges, and setting him free. I urge President Obama to use his influence with the new Iranian regime to call for the safe return of this man who has now been placed in a life-threatening situation. I continue to pray for Pastor Saeed’s safety and release.” Congresswoman Hartzler serves on the Agriculture, House Armed Services, and Budget Committees. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/hartzler-public-statement-epa%E2%80%99s-proposed-rule-source-performance-standards-new-power | Hartzler Public Statement - EPA’s Proposed Rule on Source Performance Standards for New Power Plants | 2013-11-05 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | “Missouri is a unique and diverse state, and the economy has been built on hard work, proper use of the state’s natural resources, and affordable, reliable energy. The EPA’s proposed rule on source performance standards for new power plants has raised serious concerns among ratepayers, utilities, and small businesses in my district. My main concern with these proposed regulations remains focused on Missouri’s need to produce affordable and reliable electricity. “As we continue on the path toward economic recovery, I am very concerned these regulations, would create a de facto ban on building any new coal fired power plants in the U.S. by requiring the use of Carbon Capture and Storage technology. This technology has not been commercially proven in any state, and the small pilot projects that have taken place are in states and parts of the world with drastically different geological formations than the state of Missouri. It is crucial for the EPA to set realistic expectations and standards that can be met by all states in a way that is not economically damaging to local ratepayers and small businesses. “Missouri utilities and electric cooperatives have remained committed to working with the EPA, local stakeholders, and university researchers to decrease sulfur and other air pollutant emissions, diversify renewable energy sources, and invest heavily in energy efficiency upgrades on the supply and demand side of the business. For example, the Missouri Electric Cooperatives has recently brought online 600 megawatts of wind energy and will add another 150 megawatts by the end of 2014; Ameren UE has been working to earn a DOE grant with various stakeholders to develop commercially viable Small Modular Nuclear Reactors by 2025; and the University of Missouri recently installed the largest 100 percent biomass-fired boiler on a university campus in the U.S., which reduced the University’s fossil fuel use by more than 25 percent. “While Missouri utilities continue to diversify their energy portfolios to include more… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=b7275b34-8923-4c15-a2b5-776b2f7ada38 | St. Joseph News-Press: Missouri senators introduce bill addressing sexual assault cases | 2013-11-05 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Ken Newton A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including both of those from Missouri, has taken a new tack in addressing the issue of sexual assaults in the military. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, a Democrat and a Republican, put their names Tuesday on the Article 32 Reform Act. The title refers to an information-gathering provision of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The change in the law would limit Article 32 probes to questions of probable cause, aiming to prevent abusive treatment of military sexual assault survivors before their cases go to trial. “These aggressive, commonsense reforms will ensure that the process does not discourage survivors from coming forward, and that survivors’ rights are also strengthened and solidified," said Ms. McCaskill, a former county prosecutor who has been a Senate leader in addressing issues of military sexual assaults. The Democrat previously introduced legislation to offer protections for assault victims and to strip commanding officers of their authority to dismiss court-martial convictions of sexual offenders. This legislation speaks specifically to the Article 32 process. She thanked her Missouri colleague for joining the list of sponsors, which also includes Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. “Sexual assault in the military is simply intolerable, and there’s no reason these victims should be re-victimized during pre-trial investigations,” Mr. Blunt said, adding that the proposed law's provisions would keep assault victims from becoming "the target of unwarranted and abusive questioning.” The legislation arises in the aftermath of reports this fall that a female attending the U.S. Naval Academy had been questioned for about 30 hours after she accused three fellow midshipmen of raping her. The questions, part of an Article 32 process, centered on her previous sexual history, reports said. “It is time to abolish the practice of allowi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=78fc5f9b-9f16-4ba3-b416-9ffc9960d110 | Blunt, McCaskill Open New Front in Battle Against Military Sexual Assaults | 2013-11-05 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON – Missouri U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would open a new front in the battle to curb sexual assaults in the U.S. military. “Sexual assault in the military is simply intolerable, and there’s no reason these victims should be re-victimized during pre-trial investigations,” Blunt said. “This bipartisan legislation will help to ensure that Article 32 hearings focus on determining whether there is probable cause as originally intended, while protecting alleged sexual assault victims from becoming the target of unwarranted and abusive questioning.” “Everyone who’s looked at the Article 32 process agreed that it’s unnecessarily harsh for survivors and that it has become an overly broad tool that has expanded beyond its original function.” said McCaskill, a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes. “These aggressive, commonsense reforms will ensure that the process does not discourage survivors from coming forward, and that survivors’ rights are also strengthened and solidified. I’m delighted to have Senator Blunt’s help as we move to institute these historic reforms.” “Article 32 preliminary hearings should not subject victims to hours of questioning in an attempt to degrade, humiliate and discredit them,” said Anu Bhagwati, Service Women's Action Network executive director and former Marine Corps captain. “It is time to abolish the practice of allowing defense attorneys to conduct a mini-trial before they ever get to a court-martial,” said Nancy Parrish, President of Protect Our Defenders, “We need to reign in the Article 32 process and restore it to its appropriate role as a hearing to determine whether there is probable cause to recommend proceeding to General Courts-Martial.” The Senators’ legislation—cosponsored by colleagues including Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)—would amend Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to help prevent abusive treatmen… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/event/columbia-open-house | Columbia Open House | 2013-11-04 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) announces a 4th Congressional District Open House has been scheduled for Boone County in Columbia. Each Open House is hosted by members of Congresswoman Hartzler’s staff and is intended to provide citizens the opportunity to discuss matters of importance to them. Hartzler staff members will meet with constituents and report back to the Congresswoman. All citizens are invited to attend. What: Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler Open House Where: Columbia District Office, 2415 Carter Ln., Ste. 4, Columbia, MO 65201 When: Thursday, November 14, 2013 from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm For further information, contact Congresswoman Hartzler’s Columbia office at (573) 442-9311. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=359975 | Luetkemeyer Announces Veterans Benefits Workshop to Assist with VA Claims Process | 2013-11-04 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | For the second time this year, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) will host a Veterans Benefits Workshop to better help 3rd Congressional District residents who have served our country better understand requirements for filing service-related claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). share: f t For the second time this year, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) will host a Veterans Benefits Workshop to better help 3rd Congressional District residents who have served our country better understand requirements for filing service-related claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The workshop, at which Luetkemeyer will lead a discussion and staff will be on hand to assist veterans, will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, November 25, at the Troy City Hall Municipal Center, 800 Cap Au Gris, in Troy, Mo. Entrance for parking will be at Cap Au Gris. The workshop will provide free advice and guidance for those that need assistance when filing their veterans claims applications, completing necessary documents as well as understanding how the VA processes claims. A variety of veterans’ service organizations will be on hand including representatives from the following groups: American Legion; Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Missouri Veterans Commission, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW); Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center – St. Louis; and lawyers from the Missouri Bar Association. “We have had great success serving veterans with these workshops in the past and we are looking forward to meeting with another group of folks to ensure that they have the information they need to receive the service they deserve from the VA,” Luetkemeyer said. The workshop is the third overall hosted by Luetkemeyer, with the first held in Washington, Mo., in 2012 while the second was held in Jefferson City earlier this year. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=edea6af8-6c5b-4be2-b630-b1654319ec9e | Missourinet: Blunt introduces cyber security measure | 2013-11-02 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Jessica Machetta U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says recent cyber attacks by criminals, foreign intelligence and military services, as well as terrorists have shown the need for the United States to implement new reporting requirements. Blunt has partnered with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to introduce the Cyber Security Public Awareness Act, a bill Blunt says would improve public awareness of cyber security threats. The new reporting requirements would apply to federal agencies charged with monitoring and responding to cyber threats. Blunt says cyber attacks have increased in frequency and efficacy, resulting in billions of dollars of intellectual property lost, millions of Americans’ identities stolen, increased vulnerability of critical infrastructure to sabotage, and intrusions into sensitive government networks. But, he says, reliable information about cyber attacks and cyber risks remains largely unavailable to consumers, businesses, and policy makers. “Cyber breaches are a serious and growing threat to our country’s security, and this bill will give us a greater understanding of the number of threats and the tools available to repel them,” Blunt said. “I’m pleased to partner with Senator Whitehouse as we work to improve awareness of the danger of cyber attacks on our nation’s government and private sector networks.” “The cyber threat posed to American corporate and government networks and to individual users of the internet is enormous and unrelenting,” said Whitehouse, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. “Yet too many Americans remain in the dark about the severity and nature of this threat. This legislation will allow us to better arm ourselves with the basic knowledge needed to protect our nation’s vital assets and our privacy. I particularly thank my lead cosponsor Senator Blunt for his assistance.” Graham agrees, saying Congress has failed to forge a workable cyber security framework to p… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=357090 | Blaine's Bulletin- Honoring Our Men and Women on Veterans Day | 2013-11-01 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Among the most moving events I’ve had the privilege and honor of attending as your representative in Congress have been those associated with our veterans. As we prepare to observe Veterans Day on November 11, I am reminded how deeply moving these events are and that they provide me with added inspiration when I return to Washington to work on veterans’ issues. share: f t Among the most moving events I’ve had the privilege and honor of attending as your representative in Congress have been those associated with our veterans. As we prepare to observe Veterans Day on November 11, I am reminded how deeply moving these events are and that they provide me with added inspiration when I return to Washington to work on veterans’ issues. Our district offices in Missouri have dealt with a total of 77 cases related to veterans since January, 2013 on a variety of topics including benefits, aid and attendance claims, obtaining medical records and the awarding of previously earned medals. And I am extremely proud to say our staff has had great success in helping to resolve these various issues on behalf of our 3rd Congressional District veterans. Additionally, we have already held one Veterans Workshop in Jefferson City earlier this year and will be in Troy, Mo., this November 25 for another in which we make resources available to help folks navigate the often confusing federal system. These Veterans Workshops, which we began last year, have proven to be extremely successful, both in terms of the number of veterans who attend and by the number of veterans’ organizations that participate. To be sure, I am very troubled by recent reports that show two-thirds of all pending disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been waiting more than 125 days. Even more troubling, these reports come among others that indicate the VA has not met internal benchmarks towards its goal of eliminating the backlog by 2015. I recently voted for H.R. 2189 that establ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=883d9962-f966-4926-8113-90be93e1c35b | Senators Introduce Legislation To Promote Public Awareness Of Cyber Security | 2013-11-01 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced the Cyber Security Public Awareness Act of 2013. The bill would improve public awareness of cyber security threats by instituting new reporting requirements for federal agencies charged with monitoring and responding to cyber threats. In recent years, cyber attacks by criminals, foreign intelligence and military services, and terrorists have increased in frequency and efficacy. These incursions have resulted in billions of dollars of intellectual property lost, millions of Americans’ identities stolen, increased vulnerability of critical infrastructure to sabotage, and intrusions into sensitive government networks. However, reliable information about cyber attacks and cyber risks remains largely unavailable to consumers, businesses, and policy makers. “Cyber breaches are a serious and growing threat to our country's security, and this bill will give us a greater understanding of the number of threats and the tools available to repel them,” Blunt said. “I’m pleased to partner with Senator Whitehouse as we work to improve awareness of the danger of cyber attacks on our nation’s government and private sector networks.” “The cyber threat posed to American corporate and government networks and to individual users of the internet is enormous and unrelenting,” said Whitehouse, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. “Yet too many Americans remain in the dark about the severity and nature of this threat. This legislation will allow us to better arm ourselves with the basic knowledge needed to protect our nation’s vital assets and our privacy. I particularly thank my lead cosponsor Senator Blunt for his assistance.” “So far Congress has failed to forge a workable cyber security framework to protect the United States against a fast-growing national security and economic threat,” said Graham. “Our cyber-networks remain dangerously vulnerab… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://web.archive.org/web/20140221135009/http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/view-capitol-congresswoman-vicky-hartzlers-newsletter-week-october-28-november-1-2013 | View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of October 28-November 1, 2013 | 2013-11-01 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | web.archive.org | legacy | Good Day, America lost a true patriot this week with the passing of my predecessor and respected friend, former Congressman Ike Skelton. I have appreciated our conversations over the past two and a half years and the commitment we shared to see Missouri's 4th District prosper. I am thankful for Ike's tireless efforts on behalf of our men and women in uniform and know our country is safer as a result of his unwavering leadership. The day following Ike’s passing, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon best summed up how Ike, who had previously chaired the committee, was viewed by military men and women. Buck said: “It was always difficult to have a conversation with Ike in public because our troops were always stopping him to thank him, to have their picture taken with him, or to let him know how his service had made theirs better. Ike was always humble when he met them. There is no tribute we can offer that can ever match the gratitude of those men and women.” My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. I am thankful for the opportunity to have known him and know the country is safer as a result of his efforts. On a related note, the House approved several pieces of legislation this week that will benefit veterans. H.R. 2189 establishes a commission or task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is a problem I have been focusing on since my time began in the House. Many veterans in Missouri's 4th District have been waiting far too long for determination on their claims. This task force will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of those claims at the VA and give priority in the claims process to veterans who are older than 70, are terminally ill, have a life-threatening illness, are homeless, were awarded the Medal of Honor, or who are former prisoners of war. I am hopeful this will help address this long-standing issue. The House also approved H.R. 2011 - the Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act, rea… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=61b33c1d-fc90-4b77-adec-ed2c92c2bb7b | St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Op-Ed): Preserve St. Louis-built fighter jet innovations for our troops | 2013-10-31 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator Roy Blunt Since World War II, the United States military has maintained the most powerful force the world has ever seen. This unprecedented military power kept us safe during the Cold War and eventually brought the Soviet Union to its knees; it is enabling us to track down and defeat terrorists halfway around the globe, and it keeps the peace today by forcing rogue regimes to think twice before they make a single move. We owe our troops a debt of gratitude for preserving this peace through strength each and every day. But we also owe them something else: a commitment to provide them with the tools they need to execute their critical mission defending America. For years, America’s aerospace industry has kept our military force on the cutting edge, armed with technologies no other nation can match. Today, we are forced to make difficult federal budget decisions. However, those decisions should not put Washington at risk of breaching this sacred promise. In an environment where cost and schedule overruns are too common, the F/A-18 is a model defense program; delivered on-cost and ahead of schedule, it has the lowest per-hour operating cost of any aircraft in the Department of Defense’s inventory and continues to evolve to defeat threats and incorporate innovative capabilities. The latest proposed evolution, the Advanced Super Hornet, will affordably meet the full spectrum of current and future threats. Unfortunately, without additional orders from the Pentagon, Super Hornet production may end in 2016. This decision would guarantee a production gap for at least three years, when the Navy’s new Joint Strike fighter is set to begin production at a full rate. This is more than just a disturbing bit of military trivia. It could lead to a shortfall in Navy fighter jets, leaving many American aircraft carriers without combat aircraft — like a bow without arrows. Headquartered in Berkeley and as one of the largest employers in the St. Louis area with 15,000 workers, Boeing’s Defense, Space… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=b08a34dd-8d22-4b7e-abdc-59b43b98f03a | Senators Blunt, Stabenow Call For Action On Bipartisan Mental Health Bill On 50th Anniversary Of JFK’s ‘Community Mental Health Act’ | 2013-10-31 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), lead sponsors of the bipartisan “Excellence in Mental Health Act,” today issued the following statement marking the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the “Community Mental Health Act,” the last bill he signed before his assassination: “The Community Mental Health Act, and President Kennedy’s vision that those living with mental illness should have access to humane and effective treatment in their communities, changed our country’s mental health services forever. While we have come a long way, there is still much work to be done to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure that people living with mental illness have access to quality treatment. Our bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act continues President Kennedy’s vision and expands access to treatment while strengthening mental health services. On today’s 50th Anniversary of the Community Mental Health Act, we again call on Congress to act to strengthen America’s mental health services.” In February 2013, Blunt and Stabenow introduced the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which addresses the nation’s fragmented mental health system by offering current Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) a chance to obtain the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic designation. President Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act on October 31, 1963. The bill established community mental health centers as an alternative to the institutionalization of people living with mental illness. The legislation revolutionized the nation’s mental health care services. However, community mental health has faced deep cuts and many people living with mental illness still do not have access to the care they need. One-third of those with mood disorders do not receive treatment of any kind in a given year, and fewer than half of those with severe mental disorders receive any treatment. Twenty-two veterans commit suicide every day. With at least 25 percent of veterans re… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/weekly-column?ContentRecord_id=9f4a37d4-e28f-4020-b20b-eebb3aa3b83f | St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Preserve St. Louis-built fighter jet innovations for our troops | 2013-10-31 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator Roy Blunt Since World War II, the United States military has maintained the most powerful force the world has ever seen. This unprecedented military power kept us safe during the Cold War and eventually brought the Soviet Union to its knees; it is enabling us to track down and defeat terrorists halfway around the globe, and it keeps the peace today by forcing rogue regimes to think twice before they make a single move. We owe our troops a debt of gratitude for preserving this peace through strength each and every day. But we also owe them something else: a commitment to provide them with the tools they need to execute their critical mission defending America. For years, America’s aerospace industry has kept our military force on the cutting edge, armed with technologies no other nation can match. Today, we are forced to make difficult federal budget decisions. However, those decisions should not put Washington at risk of breaching this sacred promise. In an environment where cost and schedule overruns are too common, the F/A-18 is a model defense program; delivered on-cost and ahead of schedule, it has the lowest per-hour operating cost of any aircraft in the Department of Defense’s inventory and continues to evolve to defeat threats and incorporate innovative capabilities. The latest proposed evolution, the Advanced Super Hornet, will affordably meet the full spectrum of current and future threats. Unfortunately, without additional orders from the Pentagon, Super Hornet production may end in 2016. This decision would guarantee a production gap for at least three years, when the Navy’s new Joint Strike fighter is set to begin production at a full rate. This is more than just a disturbing bit of military trivia. It could lead to a shortfall in Navy fighter jets, leaving many American aircraft carriers without combat aircraft — like a bow without arrows. Headquartered in Berkeley and as one of the largest employers in the St. Louis area with 15,000 workers, Boeing’s Defense, Space… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=357082 | Luetkemeyer Statement on Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ Testimony on Obamacare Failure | 2013-10-30 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | Luetkemeyer Statement on Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ Testimony on Obamacare Failure f t # e Washington, October 30, 2013 A week after joining more than 30 House colleagues calling for her resignation in a letter to President Obama, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement following Sebelius’ testimony today before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: share: f t A week after joining more than 30 House colleagues calling for her resignation in a letter to President Obama, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) issued the following statement following Sebelius’ testimony today before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: “Secretary Sebelius did absolutely nothing to ease Americans’ concerns about this program’s myriad failures since it was launched on Oct. 1 which raises further concern about continued implementation of the law. Secretary Sebelius’ carefully choreographed testimony insults the intelligence of the American people, and the Administration’s announcement of a six-week delay in the requirement to purchase health-care coverage before incurring a penalty is unfair and way too little, way too late. I again call on the president to request Secretary Sebelius’ immediate resignation. It is my intention to continue to support a full repeal of this law or, at the very least, a one-year delay of it for the individuals and families who are being held to a different standard than businesses by the Administration.” f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://hartzler.house.gov/press-release/congresswoman-vicky-hartzler-comments-passing-former-congressman-ike-skelton | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler comments on the passing of former Congressman Ike Skelton | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Vicky Hartzler | H001053 | hartzler.house.gov | legacy | Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has offered the following statement on the passing of former Congressman Ike Skelton: “I am deeply saddened at the passing of my predecessor and respected friend, Ike Skelton. I have appreciated our conversations over the past two and a half years and the commitment we shared to see Missouri's 4th District prosper. I am thankful for Ike's tireless efforts on behalf of our men and women in uniform and know our country is safer as a result of his unwavering leadership. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=467 | Long Legislation Seeks Fairness for Americans Already Impacted by Health Care Law, Delays Individual Mandate | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Billy Long | L000576 | long.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Billy Long is leading the effort to ensure those already hurt by the president’s health care law are given a one year break from the law’s individual mandate. “President Obama promised if you like your current health care plan you could keep it, but many people are finding out this is simply not true. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people are beginning to receive notices from their health insurance carriers that the coverage they currently enjoy will be terminated at the end of their current plan year because of the president’s health care law. These same people will be penalized if they do not find new coverage. This is simply not fair, and my legislation would give individuals and families whose health insurance is being terminated a one-year break from the law’s individual mandate. It is becoming clear that portions of the president’s health care law are harming consumers nationwide. My legislation is about providing fairness for individuals and families, giving them the same break the Obama administration gave to big business,” Long said. Long’s Fairness for Lost Coverage Act would simply grant a one-year exemption from the law’s individual mandate to those whose individual or employer-sponsored coverage is being terminated. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=356928 | Luetkemeyer Votes to Address Veterans Administration Case Backlog | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | L000569 | luetkemeyer.house.gov | legacy | As part of his ongoing efforts to serve our veterans, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has supported a series of bills including a measure empowering a task force to examine the growing backlog of disability claims waiting to be processed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). share: f t As part of his ongoing efforts to serve our veterans, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has supported a series of bills including a measure empowering a task force to examine the growing backlog of disability claims waiting to be processed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “It is troubling that the men and women who serve our country are facing a bureaucratic backlog that is denying them access to the benefits they deserve, and that is why we must restore accountability and efficiency into the process,” Luetkemeyer said. “With Veterans Day right around the corner, there is no better time than now for Congress to pass these important, bipartisan bills for our nation’s heroes. The House passed a total of four veterans related bills this week. The three other pieces of legislation are: H.R. 2481, which would establish a Veterans Economic Opportunity Administration within the VA and would enable the department to focus on veterans transition to civilian life; H.R. 1405, which would require the VA Secretary to provide an appeals form along with any benefits denial notification; and H.R. 2011, which would extend the term of a special veteran students advisory committee for two years. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-passage-of-the-retail-investor-protection-act-0 | Wagner Statement on passage of the Retail Investor Protection Act | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | The United States House of Representatives today approved Congresswoman Ann Wagner’s (MO-2) the Retailer Investor Protection Act in strong bipartisan fashion. Congresswoman Wagner issued the following statement after the passage of this legislation: “I am pleased that the United States House of Representatives approved the Retail Investor Protection Act today with a strong bipartisan vote. “This legislation will preserve and increase lower and middle income Americans' access to affordable investments. It will also ensure that retail investors – families and individuals around the country – are not harmed by misguided regulations coming out of Washington. Today’s vote is an important step in that direction, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation in the Senate.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-the-passing-of-chairman-ike-skelton | Wagner Statement On The Passing Of Chairman Ike Skelton | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement upon learning of the passing of former Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO): “I am truly saddened to learn of the passing of a great Missourian, Ike Skelton. He was a true giant of Missouri history, tireless defender of Veterans and a man of great integrity who was a consistent voice for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. “His service and commitment to serving others will never be forgotten, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.” ## | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-passage-of-the-retail-investor-protection-act-0 | Wagner Statement on passage of the Retail Investor Protection Act | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | The United States House of Representatives today approved Congresswoman Ann Wagner’s (MO-2) the Retailer Investor Protection Act in strong bipartisan fashion. Congresswoman Wagner issued the following statement after the passage of this legislation: “I am pleased that the United States House of Representatives approved the Retail Investor Protection Act today with a strong bipartisan vote. “This legislation will preserve and increase lower and middle income Americans' access to affordable investments. It will also ensure that retail investors – families and individuals around the country – are not harmed by misguided regulations coming out of Washington. Today’s vote is an important step in that direction, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation in the Senate.” | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-statement-on-the-passing-of-chairman-ike-skelton | Wagner Statement On The Passing Of Chairman Ike Skelton | 2013-10-29 | 2013 | 2013-10 | Republican | House | MO | Ann Wagner | W000812 | wagner.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement upon learning of the passing of former Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO): “I am truly saddened to learn of the passing of a great Missourian, Ike Skelton. He was a true giant of Missouri history, tireless defender of Veterans and a man of great integrity who was a consistent voice for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. “His service and commitment to serving others will never be forgotten, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.” ## | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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