url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3342,We Will Object,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, theaction will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votessubmitted by each state from this past November'selection - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certificationof electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abidingMissourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballotin that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast yourvote in elections is a sacred privilegeafforded to us as Americans because of the sacrificesof the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibilityof upholding the Constitutionseriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projectedto lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=476,We Will Object,2020-12-31,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Billy Long,L000576,long.house.gov,,,legacy,"Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, theaction will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votessubmitted by each state from this past November'selection - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certificationof electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abidingMissourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballotin that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast yourvote in elections is a sacred privilegeafforded to us as Americans because of the sacrificesof the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibilityof upholding the Constitutionseriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projectedto lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/sen-hawley-will-object-during-electoral-college-certification-process-jan-6,Sen. Hawley Will Object During Electoral College Certification Process On Jan 6,2020-12-30,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he will object during the Electoral College certification process on January 6, 2021. Senator Hawley will object to highlight the failure of some states, including notably Pennsylvania, to follow their own election laws as well as the unprecedented interference of Big Tech monopolies in the election. He will call for Congress to launch a full investigation of potential fraud and election irregularities and enact election integrity measures. Democrats have previously objected during the certification process for the 2004 and 2016 Presidential elections. Senator Hawley said,""Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity. They were praised by Democratic leadership and the media when they did. And they were entitled to do so. But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same. I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act. For these reasons, I will follow the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues."" Background On Previous Objections to Electoral College Vote Certification In 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones Objected to the Electoral College Votes from Ohio. Stephanie Tubs-Jones Said, I Raise This Objection Because I Am Convinced That We As A Body Must Conduct A Formal And Legitimate Debate About Election Irregularities.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 3:10-3:20) Boxer views her 2005 objection as her proudest moment on the Senate floor, according to CNN.(CNN, 12/27/2020) In January 2005, 31 Congressional Democrats Voted To Reject Ohio's Electoral Votes.(CNN, 1/6/05) Nancy Pelosi Praised The 2005 Objections, Saying Democrats Were Speaking Up For Their Aggrieved Constituents During Their Only Opportunity To Have This Debate While The Country Is Listening"" Nancy Pelosi Said We Are Witnessing Democracy At Work And This Debate Is Fundamental To Our Democracy.""""[T]oday we are witnessing democracy at work. This is not, as some of our Republican colleagues have referred to it, sadly, frivolous. This debate is fundamental to our democracy.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 32:49-33:08) Pelosi Said Democrats Were Speaking Up For Their Aggrieved Constituents, Many Of Whom May Have Been Disenfranchised In This Process.""""The Members of Congress who have brought this challenge are speaking up for their aggrieved constituents, many of whom may have been disenfranchised in this process. This is their only opportunity to have this debate while the country is listening, and it is appropriate to do so. If there were other venues of this caliber, we would have taken that opportunity. But this is the opportunity. We have a responsibility to take advantage of it.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 34:14-34:45) Pelosi Said This Is Their Only Opportunity To Have This Debate While The Country Is Listening And We Have A Responsibility To Take Advantage Of It.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 34:14-34:45) Pelosi Said Do Not Talk About This As A Conspiracy Theory.'""""[P]lease do not talk about this as a conspiracy theory.' It is not about that. It is not about conspiracy; it is about the Constitution of the United States.""(C-SPAN, 1/6/05, 39:50-40:03) In 2017, At Least Seven House Democrats Sought To Object To Electoral Votes In Favor Of President Trump: Jim McGovern Said The Electors Were Not Lawfully Certified, Especially Given The Confirmed And Illegal Activities Engaged By The Government Of Russia.""(CNN, 1/6/17) Raul Grijalva Objected After North Carolina's Tally.(CNN, 1/6/17) Pramila Jayapal Objected To Georgia's Vote Certificate.(CNN, 1/6/17) Jamie Raskin Objected To 10 Of Florida's 29 Electoral Votes, Saying They Violated Florida's Prohibition Against Dual Office Holders.""(CNN, 1/6/17) Maxine Waters Objected.(CNN, 1/6/17)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-covid-relief-provisions-benefiting-missouri-small-businesses,Blunt Highlights COVID Relief Provisions Benefiting Missouri Small Businesses,2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) highlighted some of the small business provisions in the COVID relief package, which was signed into law this week, that he led or cosponsored to help support local Missouri businesses. Small businesses create the majority of new jobs in our country and shape the character of the communities they serve, said Blunt. Small business owners have done their part to keep people safe during the pandemic. We need to do our part to ensure they have the support they need to stay afloat, keep their employees on the payroll, and come back stronger than ever. I was proud to lead legislation reducing the tax and regulatory burden on Missouri's craft beverage industry, which supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes billions to our state's economy. As home to thousands of world-class live entertainment venues and museums, I was also proud to support dedicated funding for independent venues that have been particularly hard hit and are at risk of permanently closing. The COVID relief package also extends and improves the Paycheck Protection Program, which has saved millions of jobs nationwide. I'm glad another round of relief is on its way to our state, and I will continue talking with small business owners to ensure they are getting the help they need. Paycheck Protection Program: The COVID relief package includes $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and focuses relief on the hardest hit businesses. The package expands the number of allowable and forgivable costs paid with PPP loans to provide businesses with more flexibility. The package also incorporates provisions from the Small Business Expense Protection Act, which Blunt cosponsored, to ensure business expenses paid using forgiven PPP funds are tax deductible, as well as the Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act, which Blunt cosponsored, providing for simplified loan forgiveness for PPP loans up to $150,000. The package also includes a Blunt-backed provision to expand PPP eligibility for local newspapers, TV and radio stations, and public broadcasters that produce and distribute local news and emergency information. Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act: The package includes provisions from the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which Blunt introduced, to permanently reduce taxes and modernize regulations for brewers, cider makers, vintners and distillers. Missouri's wine industry supports nearly 30,000 jobs and contributes $3.2 billion each year to the state's economy. Missouri's beer industry is responsible for more than 57,000 direct and indirect jobs and nearly $3 billion in wages and benefits. Missouri's spirit industry is responsible for nearly 30,000 jobs and contributes $1.9 billion to the economy. Save Our Stages Act: The package includes $15 billion for independent venues, including live entertainment venues, movie theaters, museums, and zoos. The National Independent Venue Alliance estimated that 90% of all independent venues would close without additional funding.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-wont-consent-ndaa-vote-without-vote-2000-direct-assistance,"Hawley Wont Consent to NDAA Vote Without Vote on $2,000 Direct Assistance",2020-12-29,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Tuesday, December 29, 2020 Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)announcedhe will not consent to a vote on the NDAA unless the Senate votes on $2,000 in direct assistance for working Americans. I will not consent to a vote on the bad defense bill - which should stay vetoed - unless the Senate votes on $2k #covid relief for working people Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 29, 2020 Issues",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3335,2020 Review,2020-12-24,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"2020 has been a year none of us will ever forget. With a number of highs, but plenty of lows, it is important that we take a quick pause to look at some of the historic moments of the last year which reminded us that America is the greatest place to live on the face of the earth. Despite constant obstruction, delays and politics fromNancy Pelosi, President Trump was still able to deliver huge accomplishments for American families and workers. Under President Trump's leadership, and in the face of a worldwide pandemic, our nation experienced record setting economic growth -- median household incomes hit the highest level ever seen, manufacturing jobs grew at the fastest rate in three decades, and unemployment was down at record lows. Apart from liberal lockdown states, our economy is now bouncing back faster than anyone could have imagined from the Coronavirus pandemic. And the reason is simple, jobs, wages, families, and small business were all thriving because of the tax and regulatory relief delivered under President Trump in his first 3 years in office. Things like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which resulted in the lowest tax rate on small businesses in more than 80 years and more take home pay for middle and low income workers, joined with unprecedented regulatory relief that saved families thousands of dollars finally has American families growing their own pockets instead of Washington's. We also saw huge wins on the global stage this year. From renegotiating bad trade deals that hurt American workers, to holding China accountable for stealing American intellectual property - thePresident has consistently shown that he is willing to go to bat for the American worker. He has also delivered for our allies the Abraham Accords negotiated by President Trump this year marked the largest breakthrough in Israeli-Arab relations in generations. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco is a massive step towards lasting peace in the Middle East that cannot be overstated. For this accomplishment, President Trump received three separate Nobel Peace Prize nominations. It should come asno surprise the mainstream media has declined to report on that. The President has also fulfilled his commitment to continue to keep Americans safe. Earlier this year, the White House announced that over four hundred miles of border wall have now been constructed. Additionally, the President has refused the left's radical calls to defund the police, he has stood up to those who wanted to try and physically tear down giants of American history and he has successfully rebuilt our military by giving our men and women in uniform the largest pay increases seen in a generation, while also giving them the resources to safely do their job. There is no doubt that aspects of this year have also been tough for many Americans, but President Trump has risen to the challenge and fought this COVID virus without decimating our economy like so many called for. Despite the naysayers in the media, Operation Warp Speed has delivered a safe and effective vaccine faster than anyone believed possible. As we distribute millions of doses of vaccines every week to the most vulnerable, thanks to President Trump, I believe more strongly than ever that the rest of America needs to join us here in Missouri where we have been open for business since the Spring. It's time to end the blue state lock downs, shutdowns and mandates, and asking Missourians to foot the bill - neither is the American way. While it might not seem like it at first, 2020 has given us so much to be thankful for. And when we all hear and see with our own two eyes the widespread instances of voter fraud, intimidation, manipulation, machine error and lack of signature verification which plagued last month's elections, we know there is more to the story. Just this week I let President Trump know of my support for him to appoint a special counsel to get to the bottom of what really took place. I will continue to fight for the truth to ensure this election was transparent, fair, and most importantly, accurate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-cardin-secure-long-term-extension-of-job-creating-new-markets-tax-credit-program,"Blunt, Cardin Secure Long-Term Extension of Job-Creating New Markets Tax Credit Program",2020-12-22,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Ben Cardin (Md.) announced the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program has been extended for five years with a $5 billion annual authorization. The NMTC program promotes investment in underserved communities by providing a 39 percent federal tax credit over seven years for businesses or economic development projects in areas with poverty rates of at least 20 percent, or median incomes at or below 80 percent. The NMTC extension was included as part of the FY21 government funding bill. The New Markets Tax Credit program has a proven record of creating jobs and spurring economic growth in communities where it's needed most, said Blunt. In Missouri, NMTC has supported over 400 businesses and economic revitalization projects, bringing in a total of $4.3 billion in new investments. The NMTC program has helped build new affordable housing and childcare facilities, created thousands of jobs, and expanded access to social services. I'm glad we were able to secure a long-term extension for this bipartisan program, which will support economic development and create new jobs in underserved communities. The New Markets Tax Credit has broad bipartisan support in Congress because of its demonstrated ability to drive investment in some of the most vulnerable communities in the country. In Maryland, the program has been integral to many community development projects from an affordable housing project in Baltimore to a multicultural center for low-income families in Langley Park, said Cardin. With a new five-year extension, the NMTC will continue to spur investment and economic development in underserved communities for years to come. In December 2019, Blunt and Cardin secured a one-year extension with a $1.5 billion allocation increase for the NMTC program, which was originally authorized in 2000 as part of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act. According to the Treasury Department, every $1 in NMTC tax credits leverages $8 in private-sector investment. Direct NMTC investments have generated more than 1,000,000 jobs and $90 billion in capital from other sources, all of which was invested in communities with high poverty and unemployment rates.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-votes-favor-covid-relief-small-businesses-and-hospitals,Graves Votes in Favor of COVID Relief for Small Businesses and Hospitals,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) released the following statement after the House passed the Bipartisan-Bicameral Omnibus & COVID Relief Deal: ""While the Paycheck Protection Program expired back in August, the COVID-19 pandemic clearly hasn't ended. In some ways, things have become even more difficult for many Americans,"" said Graves. ""This relief bill is desperately needed right now, providing targeted assistance to struggling small businesses and working families while speeding up vaccine distribution and the development of more treatment options. Simply put, it gets help where we need it now and sets America up for a faster return to normal, to get businesses back open and folks back to work."" The Bipartisan-Bicameral Omnibus & COVID Relief Deal does the following: Reopens the highly successful Paycheck Protection Program for a second round of applications and provides $284 billion in additional funding for struggling small businesses Makes eligible 501c6s, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), housing cooperatives, newspapers, broadcasters, and radio stations Repeals the CARES Act provision that requires PPP borrowers to deduct their EIDL Advance from their PPP loan forgiveness amount Codifies federal rules that ensure churches and faith-based organizations are eligible for PPP loans Provides $20 billion dollars to restart and extend the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance Grant for small businesses in low-income communities Creates a process for existing EIDL Advance grantees that received less than $10,000 dollars to reapply for the difference between what they received and the maximum EIDL Advance Grant of $10,000 dollars Provides a $600 one-time economic impact payment to qualifying adults and children with safeguards to prohibit illegal aliens from receiving payment Temporarily extends a number of unemployment programs created by CARES Act that expire Dec. 31, 2020 Provide unemployed individuals an additional $300 per week for 10 weeks from December 26, 2020-March 14, 2021 Extends and phases-out Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which is a temporary federal program covering self-employed and gig workers, to March 14 through April 5, 2021 Extends the tax credit through March 2021 for employers that continue to offer paid sick and family leave to their employees Provides billions to speed up vaccine distribution, increase COVID-19 testing, help out our health care providers, and expand telehealth services Helps save rural hospitals by letting them become a new Rural Emergency Hospital, which gives them the Medicare funding and flexibility to offer health care services their community needs. More specifically, the policy creates a new, voluntary Medicare payment designation that allows struggling Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) or small, rural hospitals with less than 50 beds to convert to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). This would preserve beneficiary access to emergency medical care in rural areas that would otherwise be left with nothing if their CAH or rural hospital closed. Extends the time period, from December 30, 2020 to December 31, 2021, in which State and local recipients of the existing U.S. Treasury distributed CARES Act Sec. 5001 Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) can make eligible pandemic expenses. This allows more of the already distributed $150 billion in CARES Act funds to be utilized. Gives colleges and schools $82 billion to assist with reopening for in-person learning Provides additional money for grants to childcare centers to help providers safely reopen Helps farmers with $13 billion for direct payments, purchases, and loans to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic $7 billion for increasing broadband internet access, including $300 million for building out rural broadband The bill also funded the government through the next year and included the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA), a bill initially introduced by Graves earlier this year. The bill also includes $1.375 billion in new funding for building the wall and for additional border security and enforcement.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/21/2020/blunt-announces-missouri-ag-infrastructure-priorities-in-fy2021-legislative-package,"Blunt Announces Missouri Ag, Infrastructure Priorities in FY2021 Legislative Package",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Appropriations Committee, announced that several Missouri priorities were included in the following FY2021 funding bills: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The bills are part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to consider shortly. As a national transportation hub, the investments we make today to modernize Missouri's roads, bridges, rail networks, and waterways will save taxpayer dollars and provide a stronger foundation for economic growth for years to come, said Blunt. Missouri's deteriorating roads and bridges cost drivers about $8 billion a year, according to a recent study. This bill provides resources for programs that have funded critical infrastructure projects, whether it's building a new bridge along I-70, updating inland waterway locks and dams, or bringing broadband to families, farmers, and businesses in rural communities. The legislation also prioritizes funding for programs that help strengthen Missouri's role as a leader in ag production and research. I will continue advocating for programs and policies that will position our state to take advantage of the great economic opportunities that lie ahead. Following are the Missouri priorities included in the legislation: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies: Agricultural Research:The bill provides $3.3 billion to support agricultural research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). This investment will support research, education, and extension activities at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Lincoln University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ARS facility in Columbia, Mo. o Agriculture and Food Research Initiative: The bill includes $435 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, a $10 million increase over FY2020. o Policy Research Centers: The legislation provides $8 million for policy research cooperative agreements. This investment will assist with the analysis of national and international projections of agricultural markets and the rural economy. o Livestock Genetic Research: The bill includes over $1.5 million for ARS to conduct livestock genetic research. o Missouri River Research: The bill includes resources for ARS to initiate Missouri River Basin Water Resource Management Research. Farm Service Agency (FSA):The legislation includes nearly $1.16 billion for various farm, conservation, and emergency loan programs that Missouri farmers and ranchers rely upon, an increase of $21 million above the FY2020 enacted level. The bill also prohibits the closure of FSA county offices. Natural Resources Conservation Service:The bill provides $833 million for conservation operations and technical assistance to help farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land. o Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program: The measure includes $175 million for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program. Additionally, the bill includes $10 million for the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project.Blunt has led efforts to secure funding for the East Locust Creek Project to address severe water shortages in North Central Missouri. The East Locust Creek Reservoir service area includes Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, Grundy, Sullivan, Adair, Livingston, Linn, Macon, and Chariton counties. Rural Development:The legislation provides over $3.2 billion for Rural Development programs and activities, including infrastructure, community development, rural housing, and water programs. o Rural Broadband: The bill includes $635 million for the ReConnect Pilot Program. The program targets areas that currently lack access to broadband and includes provisions that prevent overbuilding existing infrastructure. Over the past two years, Missouri has received nearly $200 million in funding through theBlunt-backed program, amounting to about 20% of all the support provided nationwide. The bill also includes $65 million for Distance Learning/Telemedicine and Broadband grants that will help expand access to modern, high-speed internet services in rural areas. Blunt has led efforts to end the digital divide that has left about one-third of rural Missourians without access to broadband. o Water and Electric Infrastructure: The measure includes nearly $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans, $463 million for water and waste grants, and over $1 billion in grants and loans for rural business and industry programs that promote small business growth in rural areas. o Goodfellow Relocation: The bill includes $45.8 million to support the Goodfellow facility relocation in St. Louis, Missouri. Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies: Federal Highway Administration:The legislation includes $48 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, including $1.1 billion for roads, tunnels, and bridges through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, which has funded critical infrastructure projects in Missouri including theRocheport Bridge. U.S. Maritime Administration:The legislation includes $11 million for the Marine Highway Grant Program, which helps states like Missouri maximize the efficiency of waterborne transportation. The bill also includes language allowing inland ports to be eligible for the Port Infrastructure Development Program. BUILD Grants:The measure includes $1 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants, previously known as TIGER Grants. This program has also funded critical infrastructure projects in Missouri, including the Rocheport Bridge, the Buck O'Neil Bridge in Kansas City, the port loop track terminal at the SEMOPort, the South Main Corridor Improvement Project in Maryville, the new rail industrial park in Sedalia, a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path in Springfield, the Kansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension project, the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project, the Bella Vista Bypass in McDonald County, the replacement of the Champ Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River in Louisiana, Mo., and the replacement of the Route 47 Bridge over the Missouri River in Washington, Mo. Contract Towers: The measure fully funds the contract tower program at $172.8 million. There are five airports in the state that depend on the contract tower program, including Joplin, Columbia, Branson, Jefferson City, and St. Joseph. In October, Blunt commended the U.S. Department of Transportation after it announced that the Jefferson City Memorial Airport will be eligible to receive a 100% federal subsidy to cover the costs of operating the contract tower program. Essential Air Service: The bill fully funds the Essential Air Service program at $141.7 million. The Essential Air Service program provides resources to small and rural airports to ensure that travelers can connect with larger airports. The Essential Air Service provides support for airports in Cape Girardeau, Waynesville-St. Robert, Joplin, and Kirksville. Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:The legislation provides more than $7.7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is $145 million above the FY2020 enacted level. The funding will support vital flood control and navigation projects across Missouri and the nation. Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP):The bill includes language that advances the NESP, which authorizes the modernization of seven locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River. Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Program:The legislation provides $9.4 million for operation and maintenance work activities, including critical structure maintenance for navigation. Lower Missouri River: The bill includes language that urges the Corps to work with state and federal agencies and stakeholders to identify authorities and opportunities for the development of a more comprehensive, system-wide plan for flood control in the Lower Missouri River Basin. Blunt has also introduced legislation, cosponsored by all of the senators from the lower Missouri River basin states, that would overhaul the Corps' process for managing projects along the lower Missouri River system. Inland Waterways Trust Fund:The bill makes full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund revenues. The bill also ensures the resources inland navigation operators put into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund are used for construction and modernization of our nation's locks and dams. Mississippi River and Tributaries Project:The legislation includes $380 million for the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, providing vital funding for the Corps to fulfill its flood control and navigation missions. Delta Regional Authority (DRA):The bill provides $30 million for the DRA with a focus on infrastructure development in rural areas, including $15 million for flood control, public infrastructure, and transportation improvements. The DRA provides infrastructure, health care, and economic development assistance to 29 counties in Southeast Missouri. Small Ports:The legislation includes $65 million for the dredging of small ports, including those in Missouri located on the Mississippi River. Kansas City National Security Campus:The bill provides more than $4 billion for the Infrastructure and Operations account at the National Nuclear Security Administration. This funding is essential to the operation of the Kansas City National Security Campus, and will help ensure the safety, security, reliability, and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: National Park Service (NPS):The measure provides nearly $2.68 billion for the operation of the National Park System, which is almost $111 million above the FY2020 enacted level. In addition, the bill includes more than $8.3 million in dedicated funding for new responsibilities at existing parks and newly authorized park units in the NPS, including the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.The bill also provides funding for land acquisition for the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park through the Land & Water Conservation Fund. Blunt helped lead efforts in Congress to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, which became a part of the NPS this year. Blunt participated in the ceremony celebrating the establishment of the park in November. Water Infrastructure:The bill includes more than $2.76 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan funds, which help states and localities improve water infrastructure. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS):The legislation provides more than $1.5 billion for the FWS.The bill includes funding for important programs including $46 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, $25 million for combatting invasive species like Asian Carp, and a $9 million increase for the Recovery Challenge Grant Program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-announces-missouri-priorities-included-in-defense-military-construction-and-va-funding-bills,"Blunt Announces Missouri Priorities Included in Defense, Military Construction & VA Funding Bills",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today announced that several key Missouri and national priorities were included in the FY2021 Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bills. The bills are part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to consider shortly. Congress has an obligation to ensure our nation's service members have the support they need to carry out their missions and keep Americans safe, said Blunt. This bill prioritizes resources to support the important role that Missouri's defense installations play in our national security, including funding for the B-21 that will be based at Whiteman Air Force Base, further construction of the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters in St. Louis, and additional funding for the new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood. The bill also begins a new program to establish partnerships between the Department of Veterans Affairs and public research universities to further the discovery and application of precision medicine therapies. I'm hopeful that the University of Missouri's NextGen Precision Health Initiative will become part of that program. From keeping our promises to America's veterans, to maintaining the U.S. military's strategic edge, to responding to the evolving threats we face, this bill directs resources to where they are critically needed and I look forward to getting it to the president's desk. Following Are Key Blunt-Backed Missouri and National Priorities Included in the Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Legislation: Military Pay Raise: The legislation provides a military pay raise of 3%. Fort Leonard Wood: The bill includes: o $40 million in additional funding for further construction of a new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, which will replace the current General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. In June 2020, Blunt celebrated the groundbreaking for the new hospital. (these two will be sub-bullets, but it's too difficult to do in this format) o $10 million in additional research funding for advanced technology for maneuver support and protection to directly benefit the training at Fort Leonard Wood. o $1.3 million in additional funding for operational energy research that will be conducted at Fort Leonard Wood. NGA St. Louis: The bill provides full funding of $119 million for further construction of the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West headquarters in North St. Louis. The bill also provides $10 million that can be used to support the rapidly evolving geospatial intelligence mission in St. Louis. In November 2019, Blunt attended the groundbreaking ceremony and has long led efforts to ensure the resources are in place to complete the construction of the NGA West headquarters. Rosecrans Air National Guard Base: The legislation provides nearly $265.6 million in funding for C-130H modernization, such as propellers and engines, to meet Air National Guard intra-theater airlift mobility requirements. Rosecrans Air National Guard Base is the nation's premier Air National Guard training center for Advanced Airlift Tactical Training. Whiteman Air Force Base: The measure provides robust resources for the B-2 program and the A-10 wing replacement program. In addition, the bill provides nearly $2.85 billion in research funding for the B-21, a next generation Air Force bomber that is currently under development. In March 2019, the U.S. Air Force announced that Whiteman Air Force Base will be the second base to receive the B-21 bomber, which will replace the B-2 beginning in the mid-2030's. Innovative Veteran Research: The legislation includes language to establish a five-year, $50 million Department of Veterans Affairs research partnership program with public research universities to further the discovery and application of precision medicine therapies. The University of Missouri's NextGen Precision Health Initiative will be eligible to apply for the program. F-15EX: The bill includes funding for 12 F-15EX aircraft, which are manufactured in St. Louis, Mo., to meet the U.S. Air Force's air superiority needs. Super Hornets: The legislation provides funding for 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, which are manufactured in St. Louis, to meet the U.S. Navy's tactical aviation shortfall. The legislation also includes $137 million in additional funding to fulfill one of the U.S. Navy's top unfunded requests for Super Hornet spare engines to improve mission readiness. Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP): The measure includes $60 million in funding for DCIP infrastructure projects. Fort Leonard Wood has previously benefited from the DCIP program, which aims to improve the quality of life for service members and their families. Lake City Army Ammunition Plant: The measure includes increased funding for Army industrial facilities. Blunt has long championed additional funding, including over $177 million in additional funding in the past, to provide critical support to modernize facilities like Lake City Army Ammunition Plant near Independence, Mo. U.S. Navy MQ-25: The bill provides robust funding for the U.S. Navy MQ-25 program. In 2018, the U.S. Navy awarded Boeing the contract for the MQ-25, an unmanned aircraft that would embark on a carrier to conduct aerial refueling. Boeing subsequently announced that the MQ-25 will be built in St. Louis. U.S. Air Force T-7: The legislation includes strong funding for the U.S. Air Force T-7 program. The T-7 trainer, which was designed in St. Louis and will be built there, is a two-seat trainer aircraft that would replace the decades-old T-38 trainer currently in use by the U.S. Air Force. Munitions and Defense Equipment: The bill includes additional procurement funding for critical defense needs, such as F-35 battery development and modernized body armor, along with broad support for munition requests, such as JDAMs, Small Diameter Bombs, and Tomahawk missiles, all of which have production operations in Missouri. Research Investments: The measure provides research funding for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense. This funding will support research and development initiatives at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University, and among defense industry leaders across the state. The bill also provides increased funding to continue groundbreaking medical research, which will save lives, reduce disability, and decrease the economic burden of traumatic injury. Impact Aid: The bill includes $70 million in additional funding for Impact Aid assistance to benefit Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood area schools. Department of Defense Supplemental Impact Aid Assistance is critical to local school districts impacted by the presence of federally-owned land.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-critical-investments-in-fy2021-labor-health-and-human-services-and-education-funding-bill,"Blunt Highlights Critical Investments in FY2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Funding Bill",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced key priorities that were included in the fiscal year 2021 Labor/HHS funding bill. The bill is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and is part of the larger government funding bill Congress will consider shortly. This bill provides resources for critical programs that impact the lives of nearly every American from educating students and providing workforce development opportunities to improving health care and paving the way for new treatments and cures, said Blunt. This bill includes the sixth consecutive significant increase for the National Institutes of Health. As we have seen first-hand this year, medical research is key to responding to diseases we have fought for years, like cancer and Alzheimer's disease, as well as novel viruses like COVID-19. The bill continues our commitment to fighting the opioid and stimulant epidemic, which is unfortunately on the rise during the pandemic. The bill provides funding for education and early childhood programs, from helping hardworking families afford high-quality early childcare, to investing in Career and Technical Education, to making college more affordable. Finally, as our economy continues its recovery, the bill focuses investment in workforce programs, like the apprenticeship program, to ensure Americans can compete in a global economy. In addition to funding a range of health, education, and workforce programs, the bill includes resources to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and improper payments in the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Since becoming chairman, over the last six years Blunt has led the effort to reprioritize funding within the Labor/HHS bill, including eliminating 30 programs representing over $1 billion in annual savings. Key Priorities Funded in the Bill: Supporting Groundbreaking Medical Research and Expanding Access to Health Care Services, Including Mental and Behavioral Health Care: National Institutes of Health (NIH): The bill includes a $1.25 billion increase for NIH. Since Blunt became chairman of the Labor/HHS subcommittee in 2015, NIH funding has increased by $12.85 billion, or nearly 43%. According to data from United for Medical Research, NIH funding supported nearly 476,000 jobs and more than $81 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY2019. In Missouri, NIH funding supported $1.6 billion in new economic activity and more than 9,000 jobs. Through December 1, 2020, Missouri institutions received $670.8 million in NIH funding for 1,351 grants. From 2015-December 1, 2020, NIH funding to Missouri institutions increased by $199.2 million or 42.2%. Ending the HIV Epidemic: $443.3 million, an increase of $132.3 million, to support the president's HIV initiative and other high priority HIV efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 90% in 10 years. The majority of these resources will be targeted to 48 counties and seven states, including Missouri, for prevention, diagnoses, research, and response activities. Missouri received over $4.5 million in fiscal year 2020 for these efforts. Opioid Epidemic: $4 billion, an increase of $85 million, to combat the opioid epidemic. Funds are targeted toward improving treatment and prevention efforts; finding alternative pain medications; workforce needs, especially in our rural communities; and treating behavioral health. Importantly, the bill gives states flexibility to use opioid response funds on stimulants across multiple government programs. Preliminary 2020 numbers show that the challenges of this year are likely to increase the number of opioid-involved deaths, emphasizing the need to continue these critical investments. Under Blunt's leadership, funding for health-related opioid programs has increased by $3.7 billion. Mental Health: As a critical part of both combating opioid abuse and ensuring safety in our schools and communities, the bill provides $4 billion, a $188 million increase, for mental health research, treatment, and prevention, including: o Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $250 million, an increase of $50 million, for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. In 2018, Blunt targeted funding to community clinics that provide a comprehensive approach to mental health care treatment. To date, Missouri clinics have received $26 million in funds from this program. Blunt has led efforts to expand access to mental health care, including through his Excellence In Mental Health Act, which created a pilot program in Missouri and seven other states to advance progress toward treating mental health like all other health. The bill also extends the Excellence program for three years. The program was extended and expanded to two additional states in the Blunt-backed CARES Act; o Mental Health Block Grant Crisis Set-Aside: $35 million for a new mental health block grant set-aside which will support state efforts to build much needed crisis systems to address the needs of individuals in mental health crisis in a high quality, expeditious manner. The development of these services will promote 24/7 access to well-trained mental health professionals in the time of acute mental health crisis; o Project AWARE: $107 million, a $5 million increase, for the Project AWARE program that supports coordination between schools and state mental health agencies to increase awareness of mental health among school-aged kids, train school personnel on detecting and responding to mental health issues, and connect school-aged kids and their families with needed services. Within this funding, the bill provides $12.5 million, an increase of $2.5 million, to address areas that have experienced civil unrest; o Mental Health Awareness Training: $24 million, an increase of $1 million, for Mental Health Awareness Training in which Missouri was one of the first adopters; o Suicide Programs: $102 million, an increase of $12 million. This increase provides support to the suicide lifeline and grants to help identify and help those at risk of suicide; o Behavioral Health Workforce: $150 million, an increase of $11 million, to support Behavioral Health Education and Workforce Training programs and Mental and Behavioral Health programs. Funding includes $29.7 million for the Mental and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Training Demonstration for grants to train professionals to provide SUD and mental health treatment; o Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants: $10 million for Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants to expand access to behavioral health services in pediatric primary care settings; and o National Institute of Mental Health: $2.1 billion for mental health research at NIH, an increase of $60.7 million. Public Health Preparedness: $4.1 billion, a $58 million increase, for programs that help America's communities and hospitals prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health and medical disasters and emergencies. These events include natural disasters, pandemic diseases, and man-made threats. This includes $6 million to support the pediatric pandemic network to prepare for and respond to global health threats. Since FY2015, the committee has increased public health preparedness funding by $1.3 billion, or 46%. Alzheimer's Research and Care: The bill increases investments in groundbreaking Alzheimer's research and caregiver support for one of America's most costly and prevalent diseases. The cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is expected to increase from $305 billion this year to $1.1 trillion by 2050, with Medicare and Medicaid paying roughly 70% of the total cost. The bill provides: o $3.1 billion for Alzheimer's disease research, an increase of $300 million. Under Blunt's chairmanship, there has been nearly a five-fold funding increase for Alzheimer's research; o $15 million, an increase of $5 million, for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act to create a national public health infrastructure to increase early detection and diagnosis and support prevention efforts; and o $27.5 million, an increase of $1 million, for expanding direct services through the Alzheimer's disease program at the Administration for Community Living. Community Health Centers: $1.68 billion for Community Health Centers, an increase of $57.3 million. The bill also reauthorizes funding for CHCs for three years. As co-chair of the Community Health Center caucus, Blunt previously introduced legislation to reauthorize and increase mandatory funding for the program. There are more than 300 sites in Missouri, with Missouri health centers receiving over $115 million in federal grant funding to serve a total of more than 606,000 patients a year. Medical Student Education: $50 million for Medical Student Education for states with the highest projected primary care physician shortages in 2025. Funding will provide supplemental grants to both the University of Missouri and University of Missouri-Kansas City. Pediatric Pandemic Network: $10 million for a new regional pediatric network made up of children's hospitals to prepare for and respond to global health threats. Rural Health: $329.5 million for Rural Health Care programs, an increase of $11.2 million. The obstacles faced by patients and providers in rural communities are unique and often significantly different from those in urban areas. Funding for rural health care programs has more than doubled under Blunt's chairmanship. o Delta States Network Rural Development Network Grant: $24 million, an increase of $2 million, to continue a program to help underserved rural communities in the Delta identify and better address their health care needs. This includes $12 million for the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program, which started under Blunt's chairmanship, to help small rural hospitals improve their financial and operational stability. Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital in Hayti, Mo., and Iron County Hospital in Pilot Knob, Mo., have participated in the DRCHSD program since December 2017 and Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. has participated since October 2019. Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME): $350 million, a $10 million increase, for the CHGME program, which protects children's access to high quality medical care by providing freestanding children's hospitals with funding to support the training of pediatric providers. In Missouri, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and St. Louis Children's Hospital received more than $13 million last year in combined funding from this program. This funding level represents an increase of $85 million for CHGME under Blunt's chairmanship, or 32%. Promoting State and Local Flexibility in Education, From Birth Through College and Career: Head Start: $10.7 billion, an increase of $135 million, to help all Head Start programs keep up with rising costs, maintain enrollment, and continue to provide high-quality services for children and families. Missouri Head Start programs receive more than $167 million annually and provide high-quality early childhood services to 15,000 children and their families. Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): $5.9 billion, an increase of $85 million. Over the last three years, funding for CCDBG has more than doubled, which has helped improve the safety and quality of child care programs, including increasing provider payment rates, and expand working families' access to high-quality child care. Missouri receives over $106 million from the CCDBG annually. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): $13.8 billion, an increase of $181 million, to support the educational needs of students with disabilities, which includes an increase of $3.5 million for preschool grants and an increase of $4.9 million for grants for infants and families. Missouri received approximately $262 million from these programs for this school year. Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies: $16.5 billion, an increase of $227 million, for grants to school districts to help all children meet challenging state academic standards. Missouri received approximately $260 million in Title I funding for this school year to support schools with a significant number or percentage of low-income students. Impact Aid: $1.5 billion, an increase of $15 million. Missouri school districts receive approximately $28 million to help compensate for the presence of federal activities and land, including lost revenue. STEM and Computer Science Education (CSE): $67 million, an increase of $2 million, in targeted STEM education funding, including specifically prioritizing CSE. 21st Century Community Learning Centers: $1.3 billion, an increase of $10 million, for before- and after-school programs. Career and Technical Education State Grants: $1.3 billion, an increase of $52 million. Missouri received approximately $25 million to support CTE programs across the state this school year. Charter Schools Program: $440 million, the same as the FY2020 level, to help support the creation, replication, and expansion of high-quality charter schools. Pell Grants: For the fourth year in a row, the bill increases the maximum Pell Grant award, an increase of $150, or 2.4%, for the 2021-22 school year, from $6,345 to $6,495. Approximately 90,000 students receive over $350 million in Pell Grant funding to attend Missouri colleges and universities. The bill continues support for year-round Pell Grants, which help students complete post-secondary education programs faster and enter or re-enter the workforce sooner. Blunt successfully led efforts to restore eligibility for year-round Pell Grants in the FY2017 omnibus appropriations bill. TRIO: $1.1 billion, an increase of $7 million, to help low-income and first generation students get into college and succeed when they are there. Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSI): Includes an increase of $32 million for programs specifically targeted at strengthening HBCUs and MSIs. Preparing America's Workforce: Career Pathways: $10 million to continue an initiative at the Department of Labor to improve career pathways for students that can lead to the full-range of post-secondary college and career options. Rural Postsecondary Education and Economic Development Program: $10 million for a new initiative to improve postsecondary access and completion among rural students by providing services for students from middle school through college, and promoting partnerships between school districts, institutions of higher education, and regional economic development organizations. Apprenticeship Opportunities: $185 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Apprenticeship Program to expand flexible and effective workforce training opportunities. Veterans' Employment and Training (VETS) Programs: $316 million, an increase of $5 million, for VETS programs. Funding supports veterans in the transition assistance program as they move into the civilian workforce and helps homeless veterans attain skills for meaningful employment. o The bill continues to provide the Department of Labor with the necessary resources to carry out Blunt's HIRE Vets Act, which established a tiered recognition program within the Department of Labor to award employers based on their contributions to veteran employment. Seven employers in Missouri received a HIRE Vets Medallion in 2019, and seven employers were recognized in 2020. Rural Workforce Training Initiative: $35 million, an increase of $5 million, to continue the Workforce Opportunity in Rural Communities program started in 2018 under Blunt's chairmanship to provide reemployment and training assistance in the Delta and Appalachian regions. This year, Blunt recognized three Missouri grant recipients for their awards totaling more than $3.5 million. Workforce Training Programs: $2.85 billion, an increase of $25.5 million, for state workforce training programs. These funds are distributed by formula to states and localities to meet each state's unique job training and reemployment needs. Missouri received $35.6 million for training and employment services grants in 2020. Youth Workforce Training Programs: The bill increased funding for programs that provide at-risk youth with the opportunity to gain educational and occupational skills: o Youth Training Grants to States: $921 million, an increase of $8 million; o Job Corps: $1.75 billion, an increase of $5 million. Missouri has three Job Corps centers located in Excelsior Springs, Puxico, and St. Louis; and o YouthBuild: $96.5 million, an increase of $2 million. Missouri has four current YouthBuild grantees located in Columbia, St. Joseph, and St. Louis. Reducing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars: Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments: $200 million to conduct enhanced, in-person assessments to accelerate the reemployment of Unemployment Compensation recipients to reduce the duration of their time receiving benefits and the likelihood of exhausting benefit coverage. These actions also help protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund by reducing improper payments. This program has been shown to save $2.60 for every $1.00 spent. Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC): $807 million, an increase of $21 million, is provided by utilizing the cap adjustment in the Budget Control Act. For every $1.00 spent on HCFAC, $2.00 is recovered by the U.S. Treasury. This will create over $10.2 billion in savings to the Treasury over 10 years. Preventing Social Security Disability Fraud, Abuse, and Improper Payments: $1.6 billion is provided to support periodic reviews to ensure that individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits are still eligible under program rules. This funding is estimated to save approximately $9 billion over 10 years for the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Other highlights of the bill include: Adoption Opportunities: $44 million, an increase of $2 million, to help remove barriers to adoption and find permanent homes for children, particularly children with special needs. AmeriCorps: $455 million, an increase of $27 million, for AmeriCorps State and National grants and $225 million, an increase of $4 million, for AmeriCorps Seniors programs. Last year, more than 1,300 AmeriCorps and 3,500 Senior Corps members helped address local needs in schools and communities across Missouri, including responding to natural disasters. Blunt has also cosponsored legislation to expand national service programs to help the nation respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: $61 million, an increase of $5 million, to support community-based efforts to prevent child abuse. Family Violence and Prevention Services: $182.5 million, an increase of $7.5 million, to provide services and temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence, and $13 million, an increase of $1 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): $3.75 million, an increase of $10 million, to help low-income households with home heating and cooling costs. Runaway and Homeless Youth Program: $137 million, an increase of $4.4 million, for services and temporary shelter for homeless youth.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-missouri-law-enforcement-first-responder-priorities-in-fy2021-funding-bill,"Blunt Highlights Missouri Law Enforcement, First Responder Priorities in FY2021 Funding Bill",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, announced several Missouri priorities he worked to include in the following FY2021 funding bills: Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies; and Financial Services and General Government. The bills are part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to consider shortly. The pandemic has shined an even brighter spotlight on the incredible, life-saving work our first responders do every day, said Blunt. This bill invests in programs and policies to support police and fire departments, including grant programs that help departments purchase equipment, conduct training, and hire personnel. The bill maintains our focus on the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. It supports improved coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement to better combat major drug-trafficking organizations. And, in addition to our continued support for the drug-free communities programs and drug-court programs, the bill makes a new investment in an initiative to help address the root causes of recidivism. In a tight fiscal environment, these are all areas where smart, targeted federal investment goes a long way toward supporting state and local agencies and the important work they do to make our communities stronger and safer. Following are the Missouri priorities included in the funding bills: Homeland Security: Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG): The bill provides $360 million each for the SAFER and AFG programs, $5 million above FY2020 levels. The SAFER program provides funding to hire firefighters, and the AFG program provides equipment to firefighters. Both programs help Missouri first responders fill gaps to provide firefighters with resources to support their communities. This year, and in previous years, Blunt sent a letter to the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee advocating for the SAFER and AFG programs. Nonprofit Security Grant Program: The legislation provides $90 million for Urban Area Security Initiative grants, a $40 million increase above FY2020 levels. The bill also includes $90 million for nonprofit organizations, a $50 million increase above FY2020 levels. Blunt is a longtime supporter of the Nonprofit Security Grant program, which provides financial support to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack, such as religious and cultural centers, for physical security enhancements. Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies: Victims of Child Abuse Program: The legislation provides $30 million for the Victims of Child Abuse program, a $3 million increase over FY2020. Blunt's bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) was signed into law in 2018. The bill provides funding for children's advocacy centers that serve child abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. Missouri children's advocacy centers served over 9,000 children in 2019. John R. Justice (JRJ) Program: The legislation provides $2 million for the JRJ program, which provides loan repayment assistance for state public defenders and state prosecutors who agree to remain employed as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years. The JRJ program eases the financial burden facing new attorneys who want to pursue careers in public service. Reducing Recidivism: The legislation provides $4 million to fund grants to academic partners who can design and test models to expedite judicial review for technical violations of supervision, while linking individuals who commit technical violations to evidence-based services that address the root causes of recidivism. A successful study in St. Louis County, Mo., showed that it is possible to reduce unnecessary delay in reinstatement of probation after technical violations and thus the social and economic costs of that delay. Regional Innovation (RI) Program: The bill provides $38 million, a $5 million increase from last year's level, for the RI program, which provides operational support for local innovators and entrepreneurs to commercialize new ideas and technologies. The grants, administered by the Economic Development Administration, help translate innovative ideas into local job growth. Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP): The bill provides $150 million, a $4 million increase over FY2020, for MEP. MEP is a public-private partnership operated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in collaboration with centers in all 50 states. MEP serves as a bridge to other organizations and federal research labs focused on enhancing the manufacturing community. Missouri Enterprise in Rolla is part of the MEP program. Financial Services and General Government: Drug-Free Communities Program: The legislation provides $102 million for the Drug-Free Communities Program, an increase over FY2020. This program helps fund community-based coalitions that work to prevent youth substance use. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA): The bill includes $290 million for the Blunt-backed HIDTA program, a $5 million increase over FY2020. HIDTA is an effective and innovative initiative that provides critical assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in combatting major drug-trafficking organizations across the country. Midwest HIDTA is located in Kansas City, Mo., and supports HIDTA law enforcement initiatives in six states. Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation: The legislation provides $2 million for the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation, an increase over FY2020. The Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the sole federal memorial to President Truman supporting graduate education for young people committed to careers in public service. Washington University in St. Louis is one of seven schools with more than one 2020 Truman Scholar. In addition, Missouri is one of 10 states with more than one 2020 Truman Scholar.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-led-funding-bill-provides-6th-consecutive-increase-for-life-saving-cost-saving-nih-research,"Blunt-Led Funding Bill Provides 6th Consecutive Increase for Life-Saving, Cost-Saving NIH Research",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has received $42.9 billion in the fiscal year 2021 Labor/HHS appropriations bill, a $1.25 billion increase over last year's level. The bill is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and is expected to be considered by Congress shortly. This year has reinforced the importance of a federal investment in the National Institutes of Health, said Blunt. As we have faced a global health pandemic, NIH and its framework of 476,000 researchers across the country have been a critical part of our response efforts. At the same time, these scientists have had to continue with their day jobs working on research to prevent cancer, fight other infectious diseases, and identify ways to detect disease at its early stages. NIH-funded research continues to benefit the lives of all Americans. Blunt previously secured five consecutive funding increases for NIH, bringing the six-year total increase to $12.85 billion, or 42.7%, under Blunt's subcommittee chairmanship. Blunt continued, In my home state of Missouri, several institutions are working on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tests. Missouri researchers continue to be at the forefront of our most important discoveries, from working to combat the COVID-19 global pandemic, to developing a blood test for Alzheimer's disease, to discovering a potential new treatment for liver cancer. As we have seen firsthand this year, fundamental research and having the infrastructure and scientists in place is a critical component to our health response. That starts with sustained, predictable increases in NIH funding. It is one of the most important investments the federal government can make. According to data from United for Medical Research, NIH funding supported nearly 476,000 jobs and more than $81 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY2019. In Missouri, NIH funding supported $1.6 billion in new economic activity and more than 9,000 jobs. Through December 1, 2020, Missouri institutions received $670.8 million in NIH funding for 1,351 grants. From 2015- 2020, NIH funding to Missouri institutions increased by $199.2 million or 42.2%. Following Are Several of the Key NIH Investments Included in the Labor/HHS Bill: $3.1 Billion for Alzheimer's Disease Research: The bill includes $3.1 billion for Alzheimer's disease research, a $300 million increase from last year's level. Currently, Medicare and Medicaid spend $195 billion caring for those with Alzheimer's, making it the most expensive disease in America. Since Blunt became subcommittee chair five years ago, Alzheimer's disease research funding has nearly quadrupled, increasing from $631 million to $3.1 billion. $6.56 Billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI): The bill includes $6.56 billion for NCI, an increase of $119.4 million above FY2020. Within NCI funding, the bill provides: o $50 million in continued funding for the President's Childhood Cancer Data program to connect and integrate multiple childhood cancer data sources; o $30 million for the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act, which Blunt cosponsored. The STAR Act is a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that expands opportunities for childhood cancer research, improves efforts to identify and track incidence of childhood cancer, and enhances the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors; o $250 million, an increase of $37.5 million, to prioritize competing grants in cancer research and sustain commitments to continuing grants. Grant applications to the National Cancer Institute have increased by approximately 50% since 2013, with requests for cancer research ten-fold greater than other institutes. $560 Million for the BRAIN Initiative: The measure increases funding for the BRAIN initiative by $60 million above FY2020. The bill also restores the $40 million loss of Cures Act funding to the BRAIN Initiative in FY2021. The BRAIN Initiative is developing a more complete understanding of brain function, which could help millions of people who suffer from a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. $500 Million for the All of Us Precision Medicine Initiative: The measure includes $500 million to fund the All of Us precision medicine study, restoring the $40 million loss of Cures Act funding. This study will enroll one million Americans to take into account differences in biology, lifestyle, and environment to discover new paths towards delivering individualized precision medicine. In October, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) received an enrollment grant as part of the Precision Medicine Initiative. $586.8 Million for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA): The measure includes $586.8 million, an increase of $8.7 million, for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences' CTSA program. WashU's CTSA is part of the national program aimed at accelerating discoveries toward better health. $2.1 Billion for Mental Health Research: The bill includes $2.1 billion, an increase of $60.7 million, for mental health research at the National Institute of Mental Health. $220 Million for Research on the Universal Flu Vaccine: The bill provides an increase of $20 million in targeted funding to advance progress toward a universal flu vaccine. Under Blunt's leadership, funding for a universal flu vaccine has more than quadrupled in the last four years. Saint Louis University is part of NIH's Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units working on a universal flu vaccine. $943.7 Million for Opioid & Pain-Related Research: The bill includes $943.7 million for research on opioid addiction, development of opioids alternatives, pain management, and addiction treatment. If patients with acute or chronic pain do not have reasonable access to non-addictive pain medications or alternative treatments, it will be difficult to get the opioid crisis under control. This includes $500 million in dedicated funding provided to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The bill also provides NIH flexibility to use the dedicated $500 million in opioid funding for stimulant research. $425 Million for Infrastructure Improvements on NIH's Campus: The bill provides a $225 million increase to support NIH's Bethesda Campus, including a 200-bed research hospital, numerous laboratories, outpatient clinics, and administrative and facilities space. The funding increase follows a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report stating there is a $1.3 billion backlog in facilities maintenance on the campus. More than 72% of the facilities in Bethesda are over 20 years old and the average condition index is in the poor range. $10 Million for Premature Birth Research: The bill includes new, dedicated funding for research aimed at enhancing the survival and health development of preterm infants. These studies may include research efforts to identify and understand the causes of preterm birth, and the development of evidence-based strategies to address the short- and long-term complications in children born preterm, including children with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. $10 Million for Gene Vector Research: The bill recognizes the importance and promise of gene therapy in developing new treatments for a number of diseases and conditions and provides $10 million in new, dedicated funding to expand ongoing gene vector initiatives. The creation of a Consortium for Innovation in Large-Scale Gene Vector Production can address specific translational roadblocks to vector production to increase the efficiency of vector production, therapeutic effects, and clinical trial design, with the goal of maximizing the number of patients who benefit from gene therapy. $10 Million for Lyme and Related Tick-borne Diseases Research: The bill includes, for the first time, dedicated funding for Lyme disease and related tick-borne disease research. This funding will bring the total funding in FY2021 to $81 million. $5 Million to Combat Foreign Threats to Research: The bill includes $5 million for NIH to continue its work with HHS' Office of the Inspector General to combat foreign threats to the research infrastructure. Blunt discussed this issue at a Labor/HHS subcommittee hearing in April 2019, particularly China's Thousand Talents program aimed at recruiting NIH-funded researchers to steal intellectual property, cheat the peer-review system, establish shadow laboratories in China, and help the Chinese government obtain confidential information about NIH research grants. $12.6 Million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act: The Gabriella Miller Kids First Act, which was signed into law in 2014, created a dedicated fund for pediatric medical research. The bill provides the resources authorized under the law, and prioritizes funding for pediatric cancer research. In addition, the bill provides increases to every NIH Institute and Center to continue investments in innovative research that will advance fundamental knowledge and speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventive measures to improve the health of all Americans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/latest-round-of-covid-19-relief-includes-blunt-backed-funding-for-critical-health-and-education-programs,Latest Round of COVID-19 Relief Includes Blunt-Backed Funding for Critical Health and Education Programs,2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced that the COVID relief package includes several investments in key health and education programs. The agreement is the product of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and is expected to be considered by the House and Senate shortly. This year has been one of the most difficult years for our nation in a generation, said Blunt. As I have said many times in the past several months, I believe it is critical to pass a bill with additional resources for COVID-19-related programs. It is unfortunate that our Democrat colleagues spent months standing in the way of a relief package, but I'm glad we have reached a bipartisan agreement that reflects our most urgent COVID-response priorities. This bill provides funding to continue the development, production, purchase, and distribution of vaccines; funding to reopen schools and child care facilities and keep them safe; and resources targeted to those whose mental health and substance use disorders have been exacerbated by the pandemic. This package deserves the support of the full Senate and I look forward to quickly getting it to the president's desk. Following Are Some of the Key Health and Education Priorities Included in the Latest Round of COVID-19 Relief: Vaccine and Therapeutic Development, Production, and Purchase: $19.695 billion to continue supporting critical efforts to ensure Americans receive vaccines and therapeutics in record time. Blunt recently highlighted the success Operation Warp Speed has had in accelerating the development of safe and effective vaccines. Vaccine Distribution: $8.75 billion provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to promote, distribute, administer, monitor, and track coronavirus vaccines to ensure broad-based distribution, access, and vaccine coverage to all Americans. Blunt held a Labor/HHS hearing in September where he pressed top HHS officials on preparations for vaccine distribution. Testing and Contact Tracing: $22.4 billion is provided to states, localities, territories, and tribes for testing, contact tracing, containment, and mitigation to monitor and suppress the coronavirus. This funding will help ensure Americans can continue to get tests when and where they need them, and that test results are made available as quickly as possible. Strategic National Stockpile: $3.25 billion is provided to secure PPE and other supplies to support availability of these critical supplies during the pandemic. Provider Relief Fund: $3 billion is provided. Language is included directing 85% of unobligated balances or funds recovered to be for future distributions based on applications that consider financial losses and changes in operating expenses occurring in the third or fourth quarter of calendar year 2020, or the first quarter of calendar year 2021. Language is also included clarifying the definition of lost revenue for hospitals and allowing hospital systems to transfer COVID funds among hospitals in their system. National Institutes of Health Research: $1.25 billion, with $1.15 billion for research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 and $100 million to support the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics program that Blunt started with U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) to speed the development and commercialization of COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first in-home COVID-19 test, which was supported by the RADx program. Blunt previously announced that RADx-UP funding was awarded to the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Washington University in St. Louis to improve testing among underserved and vulnerable communities. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration: $4.25 billion for substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention. This includes robust investments in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention block grants. The bill also invests in suicide prevention, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and targets funding to individual behavioral health providers. Child Care: $10 billion to provide additional assistance to working families, and support child care providers experiencing increased operating expenses and decreased revenue related to COVID-19. Head Start: $250 million to help Head Start programs with additional costs related to COVID-19 so they can continue to provide high-quality early childhood education to children and families. Education: $82 billion to support students, teachers, schools, and families with additional education needs related to COVID, including: o Elementary and Secondary Education: $54.3 billion to help elementary and secondary schools safely re-open or remain open, and help begin to address the effects this school year has had on student learning, including $2.75 billion in dedicated funding for private schools and their students; o Higher Education: $22.7 billion to support both students and institutions of higher education to address additional needs and costs related to COVID-19; and o Governors Fund: $4.1 billion in flexible funding for states to address the educational needs of students, from early childhood through college and career.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-votes-favor-covid-relief-direct-assistance-working-americans,"Senator Hawley Votes in Favor of Covid Relief, Direct Assistance for Working Americans",2020-12-21,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voted in favor of Covid relief legislation only because it contains direct assistance for working Americans. Senator Hawley said that the assistance was a fraction of what it should be but is desperately needed for millions of Americans. Senator Hawleyled the pushto include direct assistance in the bill andcriticized negotiatorsfor giving billions of dollars to bureaucrats and corporations while ignoring working Americans. I will vote yes on #covid relief bill for one reason and one reason only: it contains direct assistance to working families. That assistance is not nearly enough, fraction of what it should be. But it is something, & for millions of working Americans, it's help desperately needed Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 22, 2020",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-speaks-continued-need-direct-relief-working-americans,Hawley Speaks on Continued Need for Direct Relief for Working Americans,2020-12-20,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor regarding proposed direct payments of $600 per person and $600 per child in Congress's proposed Covid relief package, which he called hardly adequate. Senator Hawley criticized plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on things like the World Health Organization and the Export-Import Bank before giving anything to working Americans. Senator Hawley said,""So, the work that we're going to do todayand I hope to see a vote on this floor yet today on this reliefit is a step, a step in the right direction, but it is only a step. And I hope that it will be the beginning, Mr. President, of a better approach. The beginning of actually putting working Americans first, putting their needs, putting their independence, putting their strength, their families, their communities first. That ought to be the economic policy of this nation. That ought to be the economic policy of this body. And I can assure you that is the foundation on which economic recovery will be built, because it's the working people of this nation who powered the American economy.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3324,Smith Introduces Bill to Expand Telehealth in Rural Areas,2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Congressman Jason Smith introduced the Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act, which would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) to continue reimbursing Medicare providers for certain audio-only telehealth visits. At the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, Congressman Smith held a call with 50 health care providers, doctors, and other medical professionals from around southern Missouri to hear from them about what resources they need and how he could help. On the call, Smith heard how Medicare's strict telehealth requirements, which mandate video communication, create barriers to healthcare for rural patients. Congressman Smith subsequently requested the Trump Administration update Medicare guidance to permit health care providers to evaluate seniors over the telephone instead of in person or requiring a video conference. Following Smith's request, and at President Trump's direction, CMS took historic and unprecedented steps to do just that - creating a lifeline for patients in rural areas who may lack access to broadband or video technology. Specifically, Smith's legislation would require CMS continue reimbursing providers for audio-only telehealth evaluation and management services and mental and behavioral health services. Additionally, the bill would remove geographic restrictions to allow Medicare beneficiaries' homes to be telehealth originating sites for audio-only telehealth services. One of the lasting impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic is the rapid expansion and increase in the utilization of telehealth services. Smith continued, For rural and underserved areas who struggle with access to broadband and technology, none have had a greater impact than audio-only telehealth visits. ""The American Psychological Association commends Reps. Jason Smith and Tony Cardenas for their bipartisan leadership on telehealth legislation that will increase access to essential mental health care for Medicare beneficiaries beyond the pandemic,"" said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. ""Allowing patients to receive mental health services by audio-only telephone is a matter of health equity for underserved populations, and APA applauds this important equalizer. This bill will allow patients to receive services at home no matter where they live whether in rural, urban or suburban communities. Telehealth is here to stay, and Congressman Smith's audio-only telehealth bill offers a welcome reminder that not everyone who needs to talk to a doctor or nurse remotely has a smartphone and internet connection. Indeed, nearly one-third of all Medicare telehealth visits during the current pandemic have been delivered by audio-only telephone. Audio-only access is essential, especially for lower-income households, and should be a permanent feature of modern medicine alongside other forms of telehealth, including store-and-forward and remote monitoring tools.- Americans for Prosperity Mary R. Grealy, President of Healthcare Leadership Council, stated, No one should lose access to healthcare options in the midst of a pandemic because of a lack of broadband access. The provision in this legislation that would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the ability to permanently cover audio-only telehealth services is critical for the continued success in treating populations experiencing heightened health challenges during this time. She continued, It is important that the progress made in expanding care delivery to these populations is not rolled back at the end of the pandemic. Audio-only access is imperative in ensuring access to urgently needed mental and behavioral health services, especially for marginalized groups. The pandemic has laid bare the major disparities in health across the nation. Eliminating these disparities must be one of our highest priorities. Making audio-only telehealth permanently available is one of the key mechanisms for advancing this priority. - Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH, Deputy Director of Programs, National Association of Social Workers Rep. Smith was joined by his Democratic colleague, Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) who said, As COVID-19 cases continue rising everywhere, Americans are adapting to a new reality of social distancing, remote working, and telecommunicating. Millions of at-risk Americans, including seniors, are shifting to telehealth consultation and services. It is imperative that our laws reflect the changes of this time. This commonsense legislation will help save American lives by making it easier for our seniors and at-risk citizens to access these services from the safety of their homes. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3325,"Faith, Family, and Freedom",2020-12-18,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"This Christmas and holiday season we celebrate our faith, our family, and our freedom. We are lucky that our forefathers saw fit to build a country founded upon the belief that all men and women have a God given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In the United States, that guarantee of liberty means we all have the choice to spend our holidays as we choose. For many, the holidays are a time when life slows down a bit. It gives all of us a chance to reflect and be thankful for our many blessings, and for my family, to celebrate the birth of Christ with our treasured holiday traditions. We are lucky, as a country, to have a President that values family and takes steps to ensure we are all able to spend more time with the people we cherish. Earlier this month, President Trump made Christmas Eve a federal holiday, which means more Americans will have the opportunity to enjoy their holiday at home with loved ones. As for myself, I will be celebrating as I always do, with family enjoying delicious food and each other's company. All of our families have our own special holiday traditions they enjoy, whether it be caroling with friends, strolls around the neighborhood to see all the sparkling Christmas lights, baking holiday cookies for Santa and the reindeer, or just spending quality time with loved ones. My family, like yours, has our own traditions to celebrate the season. Growing up my family didn't have a lot, but Christmas was always a special time of year. As a kid, my whole family aunts, uncles, and cousins would gather at my grandparents' house to celebrate Christmas. We would exchange gifts, play games (spoons was my favorite), but my fondest memory is the giant peppermint candy canes that my grandmother would give to each of the cousins every year. It wasn't until I was older that I realized those candy canes were the only gift my grandparents could afford to give all of their grandchildren, which made them even more special to me. To this day when I see those candy canes in stores I think of my grandmother and I continue the tradition, sharing giant candy canes with my family and friends and telling them my childhood story. During this time of year, it is important for us to all be thankful for the good in this world. Some people might deter you and others from visiting family and friends, and tell you to stay in and keep to yourself. Remember, it is your choice as to how you spend your holidays. With 2020 drawing to a close and we look towards 2021, we must hold our families tight, be kind to our neighbors, and remember the blessings we are fortunate to enjoy as Americans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-presents-angels-adoption-award-991-joyfm,Wagner Presents Angels in Adoption Award to 99.1 JOYFM,2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (MO-02) released the following statement after she presented the 2020 Angels in Adoption Award to Sandi Brown, President of 99.1 JOYFM, who accepted on behalf of the radio station. ""I was thrilled to present Sandi Brown, President of 99.1 JOYFM, with the 2020 Angel in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. It was my pleasure to recommend 99.1 JOYFM for this well-deserved recognition of their ongoing support for foster and adoptive care agencies and families. The radio station has consistently shared the need for more foster and adoptive families in the region and provided resources for listeners who want to get involved. I appreciate all they have done and I know they will continue to change lives and bring hope and love to those needing a forever family in the St. Louis area. Sandi is herself an adoptive parent so this ministry outreach has personal meaning.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-applauds-court-ruling-ordering-compensation-for-missouri-river-flood-victims,Blunt Applauds Court Ruling Ordering Compensation for Missouri River Flood Victims,2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today applauding a ruling by the U.S Court of Federal Claims ordering the federal government to compensate property owners along the Missouri River who sustained flood damage due to mismanagement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): The families, farmers, and business owners who were hurt by the Army Corps of Engineers' mismanagement of the Missouri River deserve to be compensated immediately. The court has made clear that the Corps is responsible for historic flooding that occurred along the river for several years. Their continued efforts to deny victims the compensation they deserve is completely unacceptable. The Corps needs to acknowledge they are at fault and settle the claims that should have been resolved years ago so property owners can put this chapter behind them. Moving forward, I again call on the Corps to prioritize flood control infrastructure along the lower Missouri River and the protection of lives and property in its river management plans. In 2018, Blunt commended the U.S. Court of Federal Claims decision finding the USACE liable for historic flood damage that occurred in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014. Last month, Blunt joined U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (Kan.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Ben Sasse (Neb.) and Pat Roberts (Kan.) in sending a letter to Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy urging the USACE to abide by the 2018 ruling and resolve claims promptly and fairly. In March, Blunt introduced legislation to overhaul the USACE's process for managing water resource projects along the lower Missouri River system. The Lower Missouri River Flood Prevention Program Act, cosponsored by all of the senators from the lower Missouri River basin states, would establish a new program that would require the USACE to implement a system-wide approach to water development projects to reduce flood risk and improve flood protection along the lower Missouri River.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-senate-floor-tomorrow-ask-vote-1200-direct-payment-americans,"Hawley to Senate Floor Tomorrow to Ask for Vote on $1,200 Direct Payment for Americans",2020-12-17,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced he would demand an up-or-down vote tomorrow onhis stand-alone legislationto provide direct relief to working Americans. Senator Hawley's bill would provide a one-time payment of $1,200 to individuals, $2,400 to couples filing jointly, and $500 per child. Tomorrow I will go to the Senate floor to ask for an up or down vote on my bill to provide a direct payment of $1200 to working Americans, $2400 for couples, $500 for kids. This is the #covid relief working families need Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 17, 2020",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-announces-2nd-district-congressional-app-challenge-winners,Wagner Announces 2nd District Congressional App Challenge Winners,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (MO-02), Chair of the House Suburban Caucus, today announced the winners for the 2020 Congressional App Challenge in Missouri's 2nd District. ""I am so excited to announce that Kat Crawford and Megan Campbell from Kirkwood have won this year's Congressional App Challenge for Missouri's 2nd District. Their In BeTeen Jobs app is specifically designed to help teens access jobs and volunteering activities in their neighborhoods that fit their education, skill sets, and knowledge base. The app matches users with an appropriate job and directs them straight to the application page. Kat and Megan have demonstrated a strong desire to help their peers find jobs, and they have done so in a way that highlights their own unique skillsets. ""The team of judges from LaunchCode chose the In BeTeen Jobs app from 12 impressive entries based on concept, design, and skill. Congratulations, Kat and Megan!"" Click here to learn more about the In BeTeen Jobs app. The Congressional App Challenge is a national competition highlighting the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. Established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, the Congressional App Challenge allows students from across the country to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application, or ""app,"" for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-secures-victory-department-labor-fiduciary-final-rule,Wagner Secures Victory in Department of Labor Fiduciary Final Rule,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the Fiduciary Final Rule entitled Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02, Improving Investment Advice for Workers and Retirees: ""I welcome this news that will help American families looking for sound and transparent financial advice. I am proud to have played a part in this big win for Main Street investors and retirees and will continue advocating for their needs in Congress. ""Since first being elected, I have advocated for a standard of conduct for broker-dealers and investment advisers that protects investors while maintaining their access to the financial products they need to achieve retirement security. Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Labor (DOL) proceeded with a misguided fiduciary rule that would have negatively impacted low and middle-income Americans who are saving for retirement. I fought for years against the investor rule, and introduced legislation that passed the House twice to repeal it. ""The Trump Administration's DOL, in close coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has completed our common goal of establishing a fiduciary framework that minimizes complexity and confusion for investors, and avoids placing costly, burdensome requirements on industry and the retail investors it serves. Most importantly, it maintains investment choice, access, and affordability that America's Main Street investors deserve.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-msu-to-receive-4-million-department-of-education-grant-to-improve-stem-education-in-rural-schools,Blunt: MSU to Receive $4 Million Department of Education Grant to Improve STEM Education in Rural Schools,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), announced that the Department of Education has awarded a nearly $4 million grant to Missouri State University (MSU) to expand and improve computer science education programs in grades 3-8 at schools in rural areas. Computer science is increasingly becoming a foundational part of a student's education, but too few students, especially in rural areas, have access to high-quality computer science education, said Blunt. This program will provide the tools, curriculum, and technology to support 150 teachers and 13,500 students in rural areas, while building the evidence-base of what works in order to expand computer science education opportunities for rural students more broadly. This project will not only teach important STEM skills but inspire young minds. This grant will enable our faculty members to share computer science expertise and resources with communities in southern Missouri that need them the most, said MSU President Clif Smart. We want to get young students excited about computer science through hands-on learning, so they can envision the possibilities of a STEM-related career. As chairman, Blunt led the effort to include $65 million for STEM education, with a specific priority for computer science education and programs operating in rural areas, within the Education Innovation and Research program in the FY2020 Labor/HHS bill.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-demands-covid-relief-package-includes-immediate-direct-relief-working-families,Hawley Demands Covid Relief Package Includes Immediate Direct Relief for Working Families,2020-12-16,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Wednesday, December 16, 2020 Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor demanding that any Covid relief package Congress passes include immediate direct relief to working families. Senator Hawley highlighted stories from Missourians in need and said Congress should not leave Washington until direct assistance is on the way. Issues",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3305,The Fight Isn't Over,2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"This week, I filed a brief before the United States Supreme Court challenging the election procedures in the states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This lawsuit, which was filed by the State of Texas, outlined how the governors and state election officials in the four states mentioned above decided to abuse their power and go against the words of the U.S. Constitution to implement widespread mail-in-voting schemes and water down fraud safeguards such as signature verification processes. This is a blatant violation of election procedures as laid out in the U.S. Constitution. It is for state legislatures to decide how to conduct their elections, not rogue governors and state election officials. I also believe the widespread voter fraud that occurred during this election was enabled by the very processes this case highlighted. Americans have lost trust in our institutions because liberal politicians used a pandemic to strong-arm their citizens into accepting election procedures that were ripe for abuse, and the citizens of this country are now right to question the outcome. Voter identification, signature verification, and poll observing rights are all integral to trust in our elections. In the absence of those things we find ourselves questioning what they had to hide. This is all without mentioning the fact that Joe Biden is reported by the mainstream media to have won the most votes in the history of the United States, while at the same time winning fewer individual counties than President Obama in 2012. The logic and math behind that fact do not add up. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been concerned leftist politicians would use the coronavirus to erode safeguards meant to protect the integrity of our elections. That is why in August I introduced the Integrity of Our Elections Act to require states to implement more robust safeguards to combat voter fraud. Speaker Pelosi refused to listen because she had her own biased agenda, which was to defeat President Trump by any means necessary. As I feared, the day after the election we began to hear reports of voter fraud, including voter intimidation, voter impersonation, and the illegal discarding of ballots. I immediately wrote to United States Attorney General William Barr demanding investigations into every allegation. Following specific reports of suitcases of ballots in Georgia, I once again called upon Attorney General Barr to investigate and demanded answers. The Department of Justice has thus far failed to adequately address my concerns. To add insult to injury, it has come to light that the Department of Justice covered up the ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden's tax irregularities. I find myself wondering if President Trump's children would have been given the same treatment. At the end of the day, the logic of the left is simple: voter suppression is rampant, but voter fraud cannot occur. They would like you to believe President Trump won more votes than he did in 2016, yet still lost the presidency. I believe we must investigate every single instance of voter fraud that occurred during this election. And then we should investigate them again. I will not give up on President Trump and will ensure no stone is left unturned. Rest assured, the fight isn't over.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-blunt-coons-and-reps-fitzpatrick-castro-celebrate-passage-of-global-child-thrive-act,"Sens. Blunt, Coons & Reps. Fitzpatrick, Castro Celebrate Passage of Global Child Thrive Act",2020-12-11,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Chris Coons (Del.), along with U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Joaquin Castro (Texas), celebrated the passage of the Global Child Thrive Act, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The bipartisan legislation strengthens the implementation of policies that advance early childhood development internationally, which includes learning and physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development for children younger than eight years old. Children who experience poverty and hunger in their earliest years face developmental challenges that could shape their entire lives, said Blunt. This bill would strengthen our country's childhood development policies across the world, especially those affecting the most vulnerable children. I've been proud to work with Senator Coons and Representatives Fitzpatrick and Castro on this bill, and I appreciate our colleagues' support on this critical issue. With nearly 250 million children in low- and middle-income countries suffering from poor development due to poverty and stunting alone, it's critical that that we do everything possible to support children in meeting their developmental milestones, said Coons. I'm pleased that the Senate passed the bipartisan Global Child Thrive Act, which I have been proud to champion with Senator Blunt. Together, we understand the value of investing in the reduction of preventable child deaths worldwide and ensuring the healthy development of future generations. I am thrilled to see our bipartisan and bicameral Global Child Thrive Act in this year's NDAA. One of my greatest concerns has always been the welfare of children, not just children in the United States but children across the globe, said Fitzpatrick. I would like to thank Rep. Castro, Sen. Coons, and Sen. Blunt for their partnership on getting our legislation over the finish line. It is of the utmost importance that we help other countries help their children. As we all know, focusing on children is focusing on our future. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children are more vulnerable than ever before. This bipartisan legislation is a robust measure to elevate, educate, and empower vulnerable children around the world, said Castro. I appreciate the leadership of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who co-wrote this important legislation, and thank Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Chris Coons of Delaware for partnering with the House on this bill. ""It was an honor to work with Senators Blunt and Coons and their staff on the Global Child Thrive Act. Thank you Senator Blunt for your life-long dedication to the well-being of children and Senator Coons for your passion for Africa, especially for its children. We at CRS are grateful to you both for your bipartisan leadership, which will ensure hundreds of thousands of the world's most vulnerable children reach their God-given potential-- an outcome that benefits us all,"" said Bill O'Keefe, EVP of Mission Mobilization and Advocacy at Catholic Relief Services. The Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 created the U.S. Government Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, who is tasked with coordinating all U.S. assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children among U.S. departments and agencies, among other responsibilities. The Global Child Thrive Act builds upon that foundation by strengthening the implementation of policies that advance early childhood development internationally. The bill expands the number of agencies over which the Special Advisor has explicit authority to coordinate early childhood development policies. It also directs the U.S. Agency for International Development to engage relevant executive agencies to incorporate early childhood development into current programming over the next five years. To incorporate early childhood development into current programming, the agencies would: build on the evidence and priorities outlined in Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Adversity: A U.S. Government Strategy for International Assistance 2019-2023';identify evidence-based strategic priorities, indicators, outcomes, and targets to support inclusive early childhood development;support the design, implementation, and evaluation of pilot projects in partner countries, with the goal of taking them to scale;support bureaus, working groups, and task forces implementing relevant sector strategies and public laws; andfocus on improving coordination with foreign governments and international and regional organizations with respect to official country policies and plans for early childhood development.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=475,Over $346 Million to Rural Broadband Improvement/Deployment in Missouri,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Billy Long,L000576,long.house.gov,,,legacy,"County Bidder Locations Support Barry Barry Technology Services, LLC 26 $14,502 Barry Windstream Services LLC, Debtor-In-Possession 100 $480,302 Greene LTD Broadband LLC 1 $282 Jasper LTD Broadband LLC 498 $2,208,594 Jasper Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium 153 $446,266 Lawrence LTD Broadband LLC 66 $734,492 McDonald Windstream Services LLC, Debtor-In-Possession 238 $1,138,230 Newton LTD Broadband LLC 15 $135,402 Newton Windstream Services LLC, Debtor-In-Possession 12 $47,592 Polk LTD Broadband LLC 394 $1,021,422 Polk Mercury Wireless, Inc. 114 $136,260 Polk Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium 1 $6,978 Polk Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium 222 $502,941 Taney LTD Broadband LLC 1,916 $5,211,690 Taney Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium 8 $25,020",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bill-provide-immediate-direct-relief-all-individuals-and-families,Hawley Introduces Bill to Provide Immediate Direct Relief to All Individuals and Families,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced the introduction of the Emergency Direct Payments for Families and Workers Act to provide a second round of stimulus checks to qualifying Americans. Senator Hawley's bill would provide a one-time payment of $1,200 to individuals, $2,400 to couples filing jointly, and $500 per child. Eligibility standards and income thresholds are exactly the same as the CARES Act passed in March. ""Americans need direct payments now. Families are struggling. Unemployment claims are rising and food lines are growing. It's time Congress finally acts. Direct payments should be at the center of any Covid relief legislation that Congress passes. If Congress doesn't pass relief legislation with direct payments in it by next week, I will go to the Senate floor to demand a vote on my legislation."" Senator Josh Hawley Senator Hawley was a leading advocate of including direct payments in Congress's previous relief packages.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-sanders-introduce-1200-direct-payments-amendment-end-year-legislation,"Hawley, Sanders Introduce $1,200 Direct Payments Amendment to End-of-Year Legislation",2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced a bipartisan amendment to must-pass legislation to be considered by Congress providing immediate direct payments to working-class Americans. Like the CARES Act, whichpassed Congress unanimously and was signed into law by President Trump, the amendment would provide a $1,200 direct payment for all adults and $500 per child. ""It would be a dereliction of duty if Congress adjourns for Christmas without having a vote on providing working families with direct payments. Working people are struggling. And they should be the first people given relief, not last. The crisis of rising unemployment claims, ever-expanding food lines, evictions, and growing credit card debt has been staring us in the face for months. It's time we do something about it and provide emergency relief to Americans."" Senator Josh Hawley Senator Sanders said,""In the midst of this terrible pandemic and economic crisis, this amendment would make certain that working families get the urgent, direct support they need to survive. A direct payment of $1,200 for adults and $500 for kids would help desperate families pay rent and heating bills, put food on the table, and be able to go to the doctor. In the midst of so much economic desperation, Congress cannot go on recess without providing this $1,200 emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need. I look forward to working across the aisle with Senator Hawley to ensure that the United States Senate passes this amendment."" Read the text of the amendment here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawleys-bipartisan-duck-boat-safety-enhancement-act-passes-senate-unanimously,Hawleys Bipartisan Duck Boat Safety Enhancement Act Passes Senate Unanimously,2020-12-10,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor regarding the unanimous passage of hisbipartisan legislationto improve the safety of duck boats following the 2018 tragedy on Table Rock Lake. Sen. Hawley's legislation, introduced in April 2019, would authorize previously-outlined National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations and is cosponsored by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3302,House Passes Smith Bill to Improve Medicare Access,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Jason Smith's legislation, H.R. 5534, the Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Act. This legislation ensures thousands of kidney transplant recipients continue to have access to the drugs they need to remain healthy and saves the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars in the process. Specifically, this legislation would extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients who have no other coverage. These medications are essential to ensuring kidney transplant recipients do not go through organ rejection and a return to dialysis treatment, which is painful, time-consuming, and far more expensive for the Medicare program. Smith said, We should not allow such unnecessary waste and suffering to occur. Ensuring transplants are successful is more cost-effective and extending Medicare coverage of these drugs ensures transplant patients do not lose their transplanted kidney. He continued, These Americans should not have to worry about how they will afford the cost of the medications that allow them to remain healthy and live a completely normal life. Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient said, After many years of tireless advocacy on behalf of kidney patients, NKF is proud that the US House of Representatives has extended coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for the life of a kidney transplant. This bill will ensure that kidney patients do not need to choose between rent, food, and keeping their kidney, and will help ensure increased availability of organs for others in need of a transplant. This is a great day for the kidney community, and we are thankful to our Congressional champions for their support and prioritization of this critical legislation, The House of Representatives passed H.R. 5534 as part of H.R. 2477, the BENES Act. It now heads to the United States Senate for further consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-statement-on-the-passing-of-james-tatum,Blunt Statement on the Passing of James Tatum,2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement on the passing of James Tatum: Jim Tatum was one of the most effective advocates for community college education. He was not only instrumental in founding Crowder College, but also became a nationally recognized expert on how community colleges could and should benefit both their students and the community.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-calls-unwind-facebook-mergers-instagram-whatsapp,"Hawley Calls to Unwind Facebook Mergers with Instagram, WhatsApp",2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) voiced his support for the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) announcement that it will launch an antitrust lawsuit against Facebook to seek the divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp from the powerful tech giant. This comes as 46 state attorneys general announced today that they are launching a similar lawsuit of their own. This is a necessity. The @instagram and WhatsApp mergers with @Facebook were anti-competitive, they were meant to be anti-competitive, and they should be broken up https://t.co/bt9ByuSvMt Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 9, 2020 In September 2019, Senator Hawley challenged Mark Zuckerberg to sell Instagram and WhatsApp during a private meeting.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-empowering-victims-porn-industry-exploitation-sue-host,"Hawley, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill Empowering Victims of Porn Industry Exploitation to Sue Host Websites",2020-12-09,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Survivors of Human Trafficking Fight Back Act to create a private cause of action allowing victims of rape and sex trafficking, as well as individuals whose intimate images are distributed without their consent, to sue pornographic websites that profit off their exploitation. Senator Hawley's bill is cosponsored by Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). ""Sites like Pornhub routinely escape responsibility for facilitating abuse, trafficking, and exploitation, making millions for themselves in the process. Meanwhile, the victims of this abuse have little recourse against these powerful companies, who thrive on spreading depraved content. Serious criminal penalties are needed to crack down on these tech executives who think they are above the law."" Senator Josh Hawley Senator Hassan said, ""We shouldn't have to pass a law to keep companies from profiting by sharing, without consent, intimate images. But we do. The harm that these companies cause is extraordinary, lasts a lifetime, and should be unthinkable. This bipartisan bill helps give more power to those whose privacy and dignity have been violated by making it easier to take down images that have been non-consensually shared, and providing recourse for individuals to hold companies accountable for their wrongdoing."" Senator Ernst said, ""In recent years, we've seen an uptick in human trafficking through pornography. Host websites that allow perpetrators to disseminate photos and video of sexual assaults or coerced sex acts on their platforms are evading the law while profiting directly from trafficking. This bill will help empower victims of human trafficking to seek justice and put an end to the complex and heartbreaking cycle of exploitation."" Senator Tillis said, ""Pornographic websites routinely post videos of woman who are the victims of abuse or exploitation, and it is past time these companies are held accountable for posting this disgusting content. I am proud to co-introduce this legislation with Senator Hawley that would allow the victims of these videos to sue pornographic websites for distributing and profiting from videos that are posted without consent."" Background The Survivors of Human Trafficking Fight Back Act would: Criminalize the knowing distribution of visual depictions of forced or coerced sex acts. Criminalize the knowing, nonconsensual distribution of depictions of sex acts (revenge porn), as well as privacy-invading locker-room images. Require all websites hosting pornography to create notice and takedown procedures ensuring that victims of coerced or privacy-invading videos can promptly have their images removed from the internet. Allow victims to sue websites that knowingly host depictions of forced sex acts or that distribute privacy-invading images and videos.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-legislation-improve-flood-protection-inland-waterways-other-water,"House Passes Legislation to Improve Flood Protection, Inland Waterways & Other Water Resources Infrastructure",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, after negotiations between the House and Senate were completed, the final Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) (S. 1811) was approved by the House of Representatives. S. 1811 represents an agreement between House and Senate committees on final WRDA language, based in part on H.R. 7575, which passed the House by voice vote in July 2020 and was introduced by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (MO-06) and his colleagues on the Committee. The bill is critical for flood control, navigation, ports, locks, dams, and other water resources infrastructure. ""North Missouri's inland waterways are dependent on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Ensuring that timely flood control and navigation improvements continue to occur is a centerpiece of this bill,"" said Ranking Member Graves. ""Lives and livelihoods depend on the important reforms in WRDA and I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan bill so we can help reduce the disastrous flooding we've seen over the years and improve the navigability of our rivers. This bill is the product of a bipartisan effort and it's the perfect example of the way things should work around here."" The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded. Graves speaking about WRDA on the House floor The final bill contains many important provisions to North Missouri including expanding work on a Lower Missouri River Basin Flood Risk and Resiliency Plan, expedited completion of maintenance and repair activities for Federally operated and maintained levee systems in the Lower Missouri River Basin, changes to the PL 84-99 non-federal levee program to enhance flood protection, further prohibition of Interception-Rearing Complex's (IRC's), changes to the Inland Waterways Trust Fund cost-share which would help make repairs and upgrades to locks and dams on the Mississippi River, and continuation of work on the Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Flood Control Plan, along with several other provisions critical to flood control and navigation. You can view Graves' remarks on the House floor regarding WRDA here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-introduces-trade-legislation-protect-american-jobs-remove-special-treatment-nations,"Senator Hawley Introduces Trade Legislation to Protect American Jobs, Remove Special Treatment for Nations with Slave Labor",2020-12-08,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Trade Preference Reform and Worker Protection Act to prioritize American workers by halting nonreciprocal trade benefits until the unemployment rate in the United States is below four percent. Senator Hawley's bill will also prevent nations from receiving special trade benefits if they are suspected of exporting goods produced by slave labor. ""Trade programs should protect American workers and help their families to prosper, not benefit foreign nations or mega-corporations. Yet, for decades our trade policy has decimated millions of American jobs. It's time to put workers at the center of our trade policy."" Senator Josh Hawley Background In the Trade Act of 1974, Congress authorized the creation of a trade preference program, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which offers tariff-free access to the American market on imports from designated developing nations, to help spur their economic development. In 2018, nearly $24 billion worth of imports arrived in the United States duty-free under this program, while American producers received no comparable trade benefit in return. The Trade Preference Reform and Worker Protection Act would: Extend trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences only if the unemployment rate in the United States is below four percent Automatically suspend trade benefits under the GSP if the unemployment rate rises above four percent Exclude any nation from receiving benefits that has been designated by the Department of Labor as suspected of exporting goods produced by forced labor or child labor",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-announces-more-than-346-million-fcc-investment-to-expand-rural-broadband-in-missouri,Blunt Announces More Than $346 Million FCC Investment to Expand Rural Broadband in Missouri,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has awarded 17 Missouri broadband providers a total of more than $346 million to expand high speed internet in rural areas. The resources were awarded through the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how essential connectivity is for everything from child care and education, to telehealth, to farming and local business, said Blunt. While we've made meaningful progress toward ending the digital divide, nearly one-third of rural Missourians still don't have access to broadband. This investment will get us another step closer to bringing high-speed internet to unserved areas in our state. I will continue working to ensure the federal government does its part to expand broadband and provide a foundation for more jobs, better education, and stronger economic growth in our rural communities. Blunt has led efforts in Congress to expand high speed internet in Missouri. In October, Blunt commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture for investing an additional $91.5 million in broadband grant funding through the ReConnect Pilot Program. Over the past two years, Missouri has received nearly $200 million in funding through the Blunt-backed program, amounting to about 20% of all the support provided nationwide. In addition, in 2018, the FCC Connect America Fund Phase-II auction awarded $255 million in broadband funding to communities across the state. Missouri received about 17% of the total amount allocated nationwide. Following are the recipients of the grant funding announced today, according to the FCC: Awardee Amount Aptitude Internet, LLC $24,655,295 Barry Technology Services, LLC $14,502 CCO Holdings, LLC $48,392,327 CenturyLink, Inc. $275,208 Chariton Valley Communications Corporation $8,070,272 LTD Broadband, LLC $158,793,688 Mercury Wireless, Inc. $4,254,918 NRTC Phase I RDOF Consortium $1,682,687 NexTier Consortium $2,108,576 Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Company $60,126 Rural American Broadband Consortium $4,525,266 Rural Electric Cooperative Consortium $88,238,706 Socket Telecom, LLC $232,768 Windstream Services, LLC $3,078,402 Wisper-CABO 904 Consortium $1,159,205 Worldwide Technologies, Inc. $700,874 yondoo Broadband, LLC $54,833",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-commends-hhs-for-awarding-an-additional-19-million-in-coronavirus-aid-to-missouri-nursing-homes,Blunt Commends HHS for Awarding an Additional $19 Million in Coronavirus Aid to Missouri Nursing Homes,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, commended the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for awarding more than $19 million in coronavirus relief funding to 243 nursing homes in Missouri. COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on nursing home facilities in Missouri and across the nation, said Blunt. With Missouri preparing to distribute vaccines soon, I'm glad this funding will help keep patients, health care professionals, and staff at nursing homes safe as we get closer to finishing the fight against the pandemic. With today's announcement, Missouri nursing homes have received about $281 million in HHS coronavirus aid. The Blunt-backed CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act together provided a total of $175 billion for hospitals and health care providers nationwide.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-congratulates-newly-elected-missouri-farm-bureau-president-garrett-hawkins,Blunt Congratulates Newly-Elected Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins,2020-12-07,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today congratulating Garrett Hawkins, who has been elected as the 15th Missouri Farm Bureau President: Garrett Hawkins' background as a family farmer and experience in the Missouri Farm Bureau and Missouri Department of Agriculture will be a tremendous asset to the organization. I've always appreciated Garrett's input when it comes to policies affecting Missouri farmers and look forward to his continued advice. The Missouri Farm Bureau had three really good candidates to choose from. Our state is a global ag leader thanks to them and all of the Farm Bureau members who work tirelessly to feed and fuel the world. I appreciate their partnership in ensuring we have the right policies in place to support continued growth and innovation in the ag industry.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3295,Cannabis and Cats,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"This week many Americans rightfully expected the House of Representatives to be completely focused on relief to small businesses, but that's not what Speaker Pelosi had in mind. Instead, she held votes on bills to subsidize recreational marijuana and sided with animal rights activists to protect exotic cats. Pot dealers and Carole Baskin won the day in the People's House while working Americans continue to suffer. With this legislative lineup, Nancy Pelosi and liberal Democrats continue to show the American people where theirpriorities are. As liberal mayors and governors continue to issue unrealistic and ineffective lock downs and show that their own rules don't apply to them, small businesses across the country have been left hanging. These stay-at-home orders only serve to benefit large corporations and elites while strangling Main Street. Countless small business owners are fighting to keep their doors open and many Americans are trying to get back to work. Yet, liberal Democrats continue to make it more difficult for working Americans to earn a living all while taking no action to relieve the pain they have helped cause. Recent data shows that up to 1,500 small businesses closed every day between February and September of this year. Similar research showed that 60 percent of these closures are now permanent.This is devastating and could have been avoided. Nancy Pelosi has blocked Republican efforts to bring targeted COVID relief to the House floor for a vote on 40 different occasions. Instead of helping the American people she has authored multi-trillion-dollar bills filled with liberal fantasies and called them serious proposals while rejecting offers from President Trumpto extend lifelines to small businesses. Real relief has been dead on arrival in Nancy Pelosi's House. Worst of all, just today Speaker Pelosi signaled she would now be willing to talk about relief for small businesses. This change of tone all but admits she's held out on helping struggling Americans in a shameless effort to hurt President Trump's re-election. It's clear that Nancy Pelosi is only interested in playing political games while holding working American's livelihoods hostage. The House of Representatives still has much work to do on behalf of the American people before the end of the year. For example, we have yet to fulfill our basic duty of funding the government, just one more example of the failures of Democrat leadership. To make matters worse, Nancy Pelosi showed us this week she has no intention of getting anything done in the next Congress either. The House of Representatives legislative calendar for 2021 includes the fewest legislative workdays in modern history. Nancy Pelosi and elected Democrats need to stop wasting the American peoples' time with political games. They need to stop bringing legislation to the floor that only serves to satisfy the radical left. The priorities of working Americans should be our first and last concern. Bills on cannabis and cats are not going to get the job done. It's time for House Democrats to join Republicans and get to work.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduce-right-sue-legislation-victims-trafficked-pornography-sites,Hawley to Introduce Right to Sue Legislation for Victims Trafficked by Pornography Sites,2020-12-04,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Friday, December 4, 2020 U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)announcedhe will introduce legislation to create a federal right to sue for every person trafficked or exploited by pornography websites like PornHub. Tremendous reporting by @NickKristof on the exploitation that occurs on sites like Pornhub. It's time for it to end. I will introduce legislation to create a federal right to sue for every person coerced or trafficked or exploited by sites like Pornhub https://t.co/tOynnIILOx Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 4, 2020",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/sam-graves-selected-return-republican-leader-ti-committee,Sam Graves Selected to Return as Republican Leader of the T&I Committee,2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Sam Graves (MO-06) has been selected once again by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as the Committee's Republican leader in the next Congress. ""I am humbled by the trust my Republican colleagues have placed in me, and I am honored to continue serving as the Republican leader of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,"" Graves said. ""America's infrastructure underpins the entire economy and we clearly see that in North Missouri as we work to repair our aging roads and bridges, upgrade our locks and dams and ensure that those along our rivers are better protected from future flooding. ""Next Congress, we need to find consensus-driven, realistic solutions for an overdue long-term reauthorization of programs to fix our roads, bridges, and other surface transportation infrastructure. We need to continue investing in our ports, waterways, flood control, and other water resources improvements. We need to reauthorize the lapsed federal pipeline safety program, and more. We all expect infrastructure to be a major issue again next year, but if many of the same failed partisan policies of the recent past are simply dusted off and rammed through the House again, they won't be any more successful in the 117th Congress than they were in the 116th. ""I look forward to working together with my colleagues in the House and Senate to improve our infrastructure and support American jobs throughout our transportation sector. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:42:23Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-klobuchar-commend-unanimous-senate-passage-of-resolution-marking-november-as-national-adoption-month,"Blunt, Klobuchar Commend Unanimous Senate Passage of Resolution Marking November as National Adoption Month",2020-12-03,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), today announced that their resolution marking November as National Adoption Month passed the Senate with unanimous support. As co-chairs of the bipartisan CCA, Blunt and Klobuchar work to engage Members of Congress on issues pertaining to children in need of permanent homes, children in the foster care system, and domestic and international child welfare. There are more than 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system and millions of children around the world without a safe, stable home, said Blunt. As a proud adoptive parent, I hope that bringing awareness to issues around adoption will encourage more families to consider opening their home to a child in need. I'll continue advocating for policies to improve the adoption process, support adoptive families, and get us closer to our goal of seeing every child in the permanent, loving home they deserve. This is the sixth consecutive year that Blunt and Klobuchar have led legislation to recognize November as National Adoption Month and to mark National Adoption Day. National Adoption Month is an opportunity to bring attention to, and support, adoptive families who open their hearts and homes to deserving children, said Klobuchar. As Senate co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Senator Blunt and I continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help make the adoption process better for children and families across our country. It's important to increase awareness about children in need of loving homes and to honor the hard work of these nurturing adoptive families. Blunt and Klobuchar have been leaders in the fight to give every child a permanent home. Last month, legislation they helped introduce - the Intercountry Adoption Information Act of 2019 - was signed into law. The bipartisan bill provides updated, quality information to Americans trying to adopt children from other countries. Also last month, Blunt and Klobuchar sent a letter encouraging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of State (DOS) to take action to raise awareness of the importance of adoption and foster care during National Adoption Month. In October, they led a letter urging DOS to prioritize policies to promote intercountry adoption as the department searches for new accrediting entities for intercountry adoption service providers. In April, they led a letter asking DOS to use all available resources to ensure that intercountry adoptions proceed in a safe and timely manner during the coronavirus pandemic and that American families stranded abroad while completing these adoptions return home safely. Blunt and Klobuchar also requested information on the steps DOS is taking to issue visas for intercountry adoptions that have been finalized as well as how DOS is providing detailed and consistent communications to families attempting to complete an intercountry adoption. In May 2019, they introduced the Supporting Adoptive Families Act to help ensure adoptive families have access to pre- and post- adoption services, including mental and behavioral health treatment. In February 2019, they introduced legislation to improve the intercountry adoption process. The bipartisan Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act would provide Secretary of State the authority to establish an Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee within the Bureau of Consular Affairs to focus on coordinating the development, refinement, and implementation of policy and programs on intercountry adoption. The full text of the resolution is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3291,Rep. Smith Named Republican Leader of Budget Committee,2020-12-02,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO) has been elected to serve as the Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee. Upon the selection, Smith made the following remarks: Missourians know the importance of having a budget and sticking to it. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi does not. The fiscal challenges facing our country are great, we spent 5 times more last year paying interest on our country's debt than we did to provide benefits to our veterans, that's not right. Right now millions of Americans are facing tough financial choices in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi and her squad continue to run up the national debt and waste American tax dollars on a big government agenda of control the American voters rejected. As our debt grows, the people who will feel the pain are not the wealthy, but the working class. The United States needs a budget that will get back to our foundational beliefs, focused on helping working families and putting them first. As the top Republican on the Budget Committee, Rep. Smith vows to fight for a budget for all Americans, that starts with focusing on security. Economic security, allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks; community security, ensuring that the small towns, communities, and cities where Americans raise their families are kept safe and secure; and educational security, empowering families to make their own decisions about when and where their kids go back to school and not forcing a one size fits all Washington standard on them. Additionally, Smith is committed to holding China financially accountable for its involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic and the $1 trillion in damages to our economy. Speaker Pelosi has said that a budget is a statement of vales, Smith added. Yet Congressional Democrats have spent over 700 days in the Majority without a budget. Democrats are afraid to put on paper their budget which rewards both their progressive base and their wealthy donor class. Their priorites have become things like the Green New Deal, Defunding the Police, rewarding big tech and tax breaks for the coastal elite. They want to control the lives of every American and grow government. They have failed in their fundamental duty to the American people. As the Republican Leader of the Budget Committee I will shine a light on Democrat failures while promoting a vision of freedom and security which unifies all Americans. Smith formally takes over the role as Budget Committee Republican Leader at the start of the 117th Congress next month. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-encouraging-results-of-excellence-in-mental-health-program,Blunt Highlights Encouraging Results of Excellence in Mental Health Program,2020-12-01,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) welcomed a new report from the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare which found that Missouri Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) have significantly expanded access to and improved the quality of mental health services. CCBHCs were established in Blunt and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow's (Mich.) 2014 Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act, which put community mental health centers on an equal footing with other health centers by improving quality standards and offering patients increased services. According to the report, CCBHCs in Missouri increased patient access to care by 23% and served nearly 3,000 veterans over the last three years. Over the same period, CCBHCs also reduced hospitalizations by 20% and ER visits by 36%. Over the last three years we've seen incredible progress in improving and expanding mental health services in our state, said Blunt. Nearly one in five Americans has a diagnosable, and almost always treatable, mental health issue, but many are unable to get the help they need. The coronavirus pandemic has created even more challenges, with substance abuse on the rise and more Americans struggling with issues like anxiety, grief, and depression. This report is encouraging, but it is more important than ever to make mental and behavioral health services available to more Americans. I have worked with Senator Stabenow to extend and expand the Excellence in Mental Health program to build on the progress that's been made, and it will continue to be a priority. Missouri was among the original eight states selected to participate in the Excellence in Mental Health demonstration program. In March, Blunt announced that the CARES Act expanded the program to two additional states and continued funding for CCBHCs in Missouri. CCBHCs provide a wide range of services, including 24/7/365 crisis services, screenings, risk assessments, and diagnoses. They provide outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment services, as well as coordination of care and partnerships with emergency rooms, law enforcement, and veterans groups. At a press conference earlier this year, Blunt highlighted a report released by the National Council for Behavioral Health, which found that 78% of CCBHCs can offer an appointment within a week or less. Blunt also shared examples of how the Excellence program in Missouri is aiding law enforcement and helping people get mental health and addiction services faster and closer to home.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-blasts-mckinsey-proposed-bounties-opioid-overdoses,Hawley Blasts McKinsey for Proposed Bounties on Opioid Overdoses,2020-12-01,2020,2020-12,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to McKinsey & Company Global Managing Partner, Kevin Sneader, blasting the company for their proposal to ensure sales of Purdue Pharma's OxyContin by paying pharmacies bounties for opioid overdoses. Senator Hawley says that McKinsey may have committed federal crimes as a co-conspirator of Purdue and by possibly destroying evidence relevant to potential government investigations. McKinsey's abhorrent conduct also demands that Congress consider broader action. McKinsey earns billions of dollars from contracts with the federal government. No firm that proposes paying kickbacks for overdose deaths should receive a single cent from U.S. taxpayers. In light of McKinsey's possible active role in driving the opioid crisis, Congress must consider whether to impose obligations on consulting firms to report criminal activity or specific criminal penalties for consultants playing a role in federal crimes. Senator Josh Hawley Senator Hawley requested that, by December 15, McKinsey state whether personnel discussed destroying evidence related to their work with Purdue, whether any evidence was in fact destroyed, and any disciplinary action taken against McKinsey personnel for their role in the project. Senator Hawleyhas previously called for the federal government to provide additional resources to combat the overdose crisis in Missouri and, as Missouri Attorney General, filed suit against opioid manufacturersincluding Purduefor violating consumer protection laws. Read the full letter here or below. December 1, 2020 Mr. Kevin Sneader Global Managing Partner McKinsey & Company 3 World Trade Center 175 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10007 Dear Mr. Sneader: I read with disgust the recent New York Times article McKinsey Proposed Paying Pharmacy Companies Rebates for OxyContin Overdoses. The opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and destroyed countless families and communities. Fighting the scourge of opioid addiction and death has been among my top priorities as an elected official. As Missouri Attorney General, I sued the leading opioid manufacturersincluding Purdue Pharmafor their role in creating and profiting from this crisis. The Times reports that McKinsey recommended paying a $14,810 bounty to pharmacies for each opioid addiction or overdose (what your consultants called an event) to ensure that pharmacies would not stand in the way of Purdue's quest to turbocharge its sales of the lethal drug. The Times further reports that once McKinsey learned of government investigations into Purdue's misconduct, two senior McKinsey consultantsMartin Elling and Arnab Ghatakdiscussed destroying evidence of McKinsey's consulting work in an effort to avoid government scrutiny. If this reporting is accurate, McKinsey has engaged in startlingly unethical conduct. Such conduct would also appear to constitute federal crimes. From the recently filed settlement agreement between the Government and Purdue Pharma, there are serious questions about whether McKinsey is guilty of the federal crimes to which Purdue recently pled guilty, either as a co-conspirator or by aiding and abetting those crimes. Moreover, allegations that Mr. Elling and Mr. Ghatak discussed destroying evidence relevant to pending government investigations raises the prospect that McKinsey may also have engaged in obstruction of justice. These issues must be reviewed by the appropriate law enforcement authorities, and they also fall within the jurisdiction of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, of which I am the Chairman. McKinsey's abhorrent conduct also demands that Congress consider broader action. McKinsey earns billions of dollars from contracts with the federal government. No firm that proposes paying kickbacks for overdose deaths should receive a single cent from U.S. taxpayers. In light of McKinsey's possible active role in driving the opioid crisis, Congress must consider whether to impose obligations on consulting firms to report criminal activity or specific criminal penalties for consultants playing a role in federal crimes. McKinsey's apparent efforts to destroy evidence of its conduct suggests that Congress must impose additional recordkeeping and document-retention obligations on consulting firms to ensure that they do not facilitate illegal activity. To aid Congress in assessing the need for immediate legislative action, please provide the following information on or before December 15, 2020. State whether McKinsey personnel proposed paying rebates based on overdose deaths or the development of opioid use disorder, as alleged in the New York Times article. State whether McKinsey personnel discussed destroying evidence relating to McKinsey's consulting work for Purdue Pharma, as alleged in the New York Times article. If so, produce all internal correspondence reflecting such discussions. State whether McKinsey personnel in fact destroyed any evidence relating to McKinsey's consulting work for Purdue Pharma. If so, identify and describe all documents and other data that were destroyed. Identify all McKinsey personnel involved in the firm's consulting work for Purdue Pharma. State the total amount of money that McKinsey earned from its consulting work for Purdue Pharma. State the total amount of money that McKinsey earned from its consulting work with any firm, in the United States, China, or elsewhere, involved in the development, manufacture, distribution, or sale of opioids. Describe all disciplinary action taken against any McKinsey personnelincluding but not limited to Mr. Elling and Mr. Ghatakfor their role in actively advancing the opioid crisis and/or obstructing government investigations relating to Purdue Pharma or the opioid crisis. Describe all internal policies that are intended to prevent McKinsey from facilitating or participating in unlawful activity, and explain in detail why those policies did not prevent the conduct described in the New York Times article. It is high time that McKinsey took responsibility for the immense harm that it has caused and enable Congress to prevent similarly tragic consequences in the future. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-missouri-workforce-development-programs-to-receive-additional-grant-funding,Blunt: Missouri Workforce Development Programs to Receive Additional Grant Funding,2020-11-30,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today announced that two Missouri entities will receive an additional $280,000 in grant funding from the Delta Regional Authority's (DRA) Delta Workforce Program to support their Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) projects funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. As Labor/HHS chairman, Blunt started the WORC initiative in 2018 and has worked to include funding for the program in subsequent Labor/HHS appropriations bills. Our nation is making tremendous progress in the fight against the virus, but we need to ensure we're also doing all we can to overcome the significant economic challenges facing Americans, said Blunt. I'm glad these two workforce development initiatives will help hardworking Missourians gain the skills they need to create a better future for themselves and their families. I appreciate the Delta Regional Authority for investing in these programs, which will help Missourians get ahead and aid our state's economic recovery. Following are the details of the grant funding: Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation: DRA Investment: $150,000: The Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation in Portageville, Mo., will use DRA funding to provide apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and agricultural entrepreneurial opportunities to meet the identified workforce needs of the agribusiness and agriculture-adjacent industries. The investment is projected to train up to 50 individuals throughout six counties in Southeast Missouri. In September, the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation received $1,209,301 in WORC grant funding. Missouri State University West Plains: DRA Investment: $130,000: Missouri State University West Plains will use the DRA funding to purchase needed equipment for advanced workforce training in robotics. The investment is projected to train 50-75 individuals, including dislocated workers, new entrants in the workforce, incumbent workers, and underrepresented groups such as women, veterans, minority groups, and individuals with disabilities. In September, Missouri State University West Plains received $960,000 in WORC grant funding. Updated on December 4, 2020 to reflect corrected funding information from DRA",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3281,Light at the End of the Tunnel,2020-11-27,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Once again, American ingenuity, determination, and grit are on full display for the world to see. In the history of modern medicine, a vaccine has never taken less than four years to develop. In fact, on average, the development timeline for a vaccine is between eight to ten years. Thanks to President Trump's leadership Americans will soon have access to three novel coronavirus vaccines in less than a single year. This is truly a historic moment and the significance of this development cannot be understated. However, I am not surprised. President Trump has been telling us for months a vaccine was on the way. The radical Left opposed him at every turn, casting doubt on his timeline and undermining public trust in any vaccine approved by his Administration. This is textbook Trump derangement syndrome. Each of these vaccines are more than ninety percent effective, compared to the Flu vaccine which averages between forty and sixty percent effectiveness. Not one of the three COVID-19 vaccines have reported a single safety concern. Unlike the fearmongers on the radical Left, I trust the Administration's approval process and know that a safe and effective vaccine is on the way. Millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine are being produced as we speak, and President Trump's Administration has ensured all Americans will have access to them free of charge. As soon as April, every single American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one. With all of this data in mind, there is no denying the American vaccine project was unequaled anywhere else in the world. We have President Trump's Administration to thank for that. The vaccine is just one example of where President Trump's Administration has succeeded in the fight against this virus. The United States made critical investments early on in the pandemic in therapeutics, including remdesivir, that have reduced the mortality rate of the virus by eighty five percent. However, there is more work to be done. The COVID-19 pandemic underlined serious vulnerabilities in our medical supply chain. We are far too reliant upon China to supply active pharmaceutical ingredients, generic drugs, antibiotics, and medical devices. Make no mistake this dependency could be weaponized against us. Studies have shown that more than ninety percent of U.S. antibiotics come from China. This is a national security risk that we cannot allow to continue. For that reason, in October Iintroduced the Secure America's Medicine Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to begin procuring critical medications the Federal Government should ensure are readily available for the American public in the event of another national health crisis. This legislation builds off a previous amendment introduced by me that passed the U.S. House of Representatives requiring HHS to compile a list of those critical medications for procurement. Additionally, Senator Hawley has introduced a bill, the Medical Supply Chain Security Act, which would require manufacturers to report imminent or forecasted shortages of life-saving or life-sustaining medical devices to the FDA. We must know where our vulnerabilities exist to better understand how to address them. My legislation would do just that and I will continue to demand Speaker Pelosi give this legislation a vote on the House Floor. But now is the time to begin the process of moving forward. It is time to cease the calls for endless lockdowns and to get our economy growing again. It is time for Americans to back to work and to go back out into our communities without fear. There is light at the end of the tunnel.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-continues-press-facebook-twitter-answers-coordinated-censorship-user-tracking,"Senator Hawley Continues to Press Facebook, Twitter for Answers on Coordinated Censorship, User Tracking",2020-11-24,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) submitted questions to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for the Senate Committee on the Judiciary record following their hearing last week. In his questions, Senator Hawley continues to press both CEOs on their companies practices of coordinated censorship and tracking of users all across the web. Mr. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) How many entries in Facebook's Tasks tool pertain to content moderation and reference contacts at Google? How many entries in Facebook's Tasks tool pertain to content moderation and reference contacts at Twitter? How many entries in Facebook's Tasks tool pertain to content moderation and reference contacts or information from the Southern Poverty Law Center? Please provide a list of all hashtags, URLs, and real-world individuals that Facebook has banned across its platform, along with notations of whether the impetus for the ban stemmed from contacts with employees at Twitter, Google, or the Southern Poverty Law Center. How many accounts in the United States has Facebook surveilled or shut down using the Centra tool? When a Facebook employee accesses a Facebook user's private messages, that access is allegedly tracked and audited. How many such audits were conducted by Facebook during fiscal year 2019? A November 23 article in the Financial Times, entitled Facebook plans charm offensive for Joe Biden reported that [c]ompany executives are planning a major push to encourage users to take a coronavirus vaccine, as well as incentivising people to share content related to the Paris climate agreement, which Joe Biden has promised to rejoin, in the hopes of winning favour in Washington. Please describe all steps Facebook intends to take to encourage users to share content related to the Paris climate agreement. Please explain how any advocacy by Facebook for rejoining the Paris climate agreement would be consistent with Facebook's self-description as a platform and not a publisher."" Mr. Jack Dorsey (Twitter) Does Twitter have a policy prohibiting its employees from coordinating content moderation decisions with outside companies such as Facebook or Google, where such moderation is not strictly required by law? Please provide a list of all hashtags, URLs, and real-world individuals that Twitter has banned across its platform.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/umkc-washu-awarded-grant-funding-from-blunt-led-covid-19-testing-initiative-to-expand-outreach-to-underserved-communities,"UMKC, WashU Awarded Grant Funding from Blunt-Led COVID-19 Testing Initiative to Expand Outreach to Underserved Communities",2020-11-23,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today welcomed the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) announcement that two Missouri institutions, Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) and the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) have been selected to receive grant funding through the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program. WashU will receive $2.28 million and UMKC will receive $1.9 million to improve COVID-19 testing among underserved and vulnerable communities. The RADx-UP program is part of the RADx initiative, which Blunt and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) proposed and Congress created in April. While we are seeing encouraging news on the COVID-19 vaccine front, testing will continue to be a critical part of getting people back to school, work, child care, and daily life, said Blunt. The RADx initiative is bringing new testing technologies to market faster so we can vastly increase our nationwide testing capacity. The RADx-UP grants will take those efforts a step further by making sure testing is available and utilized where it's needed most, especially among underserved and vulnerable populations. From the outset of this pandemic, we have worked to ensure funding was available to respond to the unique needs local communities face. That will continue to be a priority in our response efforts. Under the $2.5 billion Shark Tank-style RADx program, NIH, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and private industry are working together to develop new ways to produce tens of millions of COVID-19 diagnostic tests that are capable of providing quick, inexpensive results. The RADx initiative is currently supporting 22 companies with manufacturing expansion contracts, which are expected to add 2.7 million tests per day by the end of the year. More information on the RADx-UP grants for WashU and UMKC is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3274,"Lockdowns for Thee, Not for Me",2020-11-20,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Every holiday season, Americans across the country look forward to celebrating cherished holiday traditions. As we take time out of our busy lives to spend time with loved ones and reflect on our blessings, we are reminded that even during what has been a very difficult year as a result of COVID-19 and ineffective lockdowns, we still have much to be thankful for. We've come so far since the beginning of the pandemic. Over the last several months groundbreaking therapeutics to combat the virus have been deployed saving countless lives, and thanks to American innovation and the leadership of President Trump, we have at least two new vaccines on the horizon, developed in record time. This on top of the early aggressive mitigation efforts by President Trump to close our borders to heavily infected areas, the end of this pandemic will soon be in sight. What we cannot do now is shut our country down for a second time. Over the past few months, the U.S. has regained more than half of the jobs lost due to the pandemic, and we have experienced the fastest economic recovery in our nation's history. In fact, we are recovering at a rate that is four times faster than the recovery after the 2008-2009 recession. Unfortunately, liberal politicians want to crush this economic rally by enacting more lockdowns. Leftist mayors and governors across the country have issued extreme lockdown orders telling people to cancel their Thanksgiving plans, even going so far as to tell people how many guests they may have in their homes. What's worse is that these same liberal mayors and governors do not practice what they preach. They use the force of law to prevent Americans from seeing their loved ones while hypocritically making no such sacrifices of their own. Earlier this month, the Democrat governor of California was photographed at an opulent dinner with a large group of people, including leaders of the California Medical Association. This event was in violation of his own restrictions on social gatherings. Earlier, the Democrat mayor of D.C. was seen partying with her staff in Delaware at a post-election event which she later designated as essential travel. This was in order to cover up the fact that she had violated her own travel restrictions. Meanwhile, the mayor of Chicago was seen gathering in the city streets with thousands of strangers. wearing no mask. This is all while issuing restrictions telling residents to cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans. And of course, who could forget the video footage of Speaker Pelosi walking around a high-end California salon maskless while businesses across the country remained closed. If the recent election results tell us one thing, it's that the American people are fed up with this hypocrisy. They are not interested in eastern-European socialism or oppressive government mandates that tell them how to live their lives. The vote of 75 million Americans has charged Republicans to fight in favor of personal liberty and against socialism and tyranny. Every year at this time, we as Americans give thanks for our many blessings and for our great nation. We remember that the pilgrims first came to this country seeking freedom. It is not for Democrat-socialist politicians to tell the American people how to live their lives, each individual decides how to worship, how to speak and how to live. Americans have always rejected socialism and embraced freedom, it's time for the new leaders of the Democrat party to start listening.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawleys-bipartisan-duck-boat-safety-enhancement-act-passes-senate-commerce-committee,Senator Hawleys Bipartisan Duck Boat Safety Enhancement Act Passes Senate Commerce Committee,2020-11-19,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley's (R-Mo.) bipartisan legislation toimprove the safety of duck boatsfollowing the 2018 tragedy on Table Rock Lake passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. ""For too long, Congress has failed to take action to help stop these tragedies like the one that killed so many at Table Rock Lake. With my bipartisan bill clearing the Commerce Committee today, we're one step closer. This legislation is about enacting commonsense safety recommendations that the NTSB has been making for years, like requiring life jackets and better equipping duck boats in case of emergency flooding. I hope the Senate will take this bill up with the urgency it deserves."" Senator Josh Hawley ""We must do everything we can to ensure an incident like the Duck Boat tragedy on Table Rock Lake, which claimed the lives of 17 victims and left their loved ones grieving their loss, never happens again,""Senator Blunt said.""This bill requires commonsense safety measures that are long overdue and should be put into effect immediately. I was proud to partner with Senator Hawley on this bill and support it in the Commerce Committee. With the bill now ready for consideration by the full Senate, I urge all of our colleagues to support our effort to keep people safe."" ""The sinking of a duck boat in 2018 was a tragedy that should never happen again,""Senator Cotton said.""Our bill will introduce new guidelines to help ensure that duck boat tours are a safe, reliable recreation activity for families around the country."" ""I'm pleased to see our bipartisan legislation reported favorably by the Senate Commerce Committee today, Senator Duckworth said.We've already seen too many tragedies involving these vessels, and I'm glad that we're finally one step closer to ensuring that necessary oversight and safety precautions are implemented to prevent unnecessary accidents in the future."" Sen. Hawley'sDuck Boat Safety Enhancement Actwould authorize previously-outlined National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations, including commonsense provisions to require the use of life jackets and equipping all operating duck boats to be more buoyant in the case of emergency flooding. Amendments were made to the bill during the committee process. Those amendments include requirements to log various safety actions, mandatory annual safety trainings for crew, and consideration of safety recommendations in previous incident reports. Other amendments would require the Commandant of the Coast Guard to provide a report to Congress regarding the status of implementation of the regulations and various technical changes. Thebipartisan list of co-sponsors, to-date, includes Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Background Amphibious Passenger Vehicles (APVs) are passenger vehicles viable on both land and on water. The most common APVs are amphibious tour buses or DUKWs (commonly referred to as duck boats). On July 19,2018, 17 people died and 11 others were injured when a duck boat capsized on Table Rock Lake during a thunderstorm near Branson, Missouri, in one of the deadliest boating accidents in U.S. history. This tragedy could have been avoided. TheDuck Boat Safety Enhancment Actimplements reasonable safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that would have prevented the tragedy on Table Rock Lake and will preserve both safety and fun for future duck boat riders. On Wednesday, Nov. 18, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation unanimously reported the bill as amended. Amendments to theDuck Boat Safety Enhancement Actinclude: Requirement to Log ActionsOperator of amphibious passenger vehicles must check and notate in the vessel's logbook the National Weather Service forecast before getting underway and periodically while underway and log that they informed and visually checked that seatbelts are not worn during waterborne operations. Mandatory Annual TrainingOperators and crew of amphibious passenger vehicles must complete annual training in several areas, including personal flotation and seat belt requirements, verifying the integrity of the vessel, identifying water hazards, use of National Weather Services resources, and responding to emergency situations. Consideration of Recommendations from ReportsIn addition to the recommendations following the incident in Table Rock, Missouri, the bill requires the Coast Guard to address recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard Marine Investigation Board reports on incidents in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Seattle, Washington. Reports and Technical ChangesThe amended text incorporates several technical changes and a requirement that the Commandant of the Coast Guard provide a report to Congress regarding the status of implementation of the regulations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-bill-stop-fema-clawbacks-assistance-passes-house,Graves Bill to Stop FEMA Clawbacks of Assistance Passes House,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Sam Graves' (MO-06) bipartisan bill to stop the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from clawing back assistance mistakenly awarded to disaster victims that applied for it in good faith. The Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act (H.R. 5953) updates current law by requiring FEMA to waive the debt of someone who received FEMA assistance, in cases where no fraud has been committed, after the agency later determines it mistakenly granted the assistance. Under the current process, FEMA can come back weeks, months, or even years later to seek repayment of funds it awarded victims, even when the agency made the initial error. ""Revictimizing those who have already been devastated is unthinkable and this bill puts a stop to it,"" said Rep.Graves. ""If FEMA makes a mistake, the disaster victims that they are supposed to be helping should not have to pay for it. It happened last year in North Missouri, but this bill ensures it doesn't happen again. We owe this certainty to disaster victims, and I'm thrilled that the Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act passed the House today."" Graves introduced the bill after a Holt County resident, who lost his family home to the 2019 flooding, was mistakenly provided over $12,000 in FEMA Individual Assistance money to help him get back on his feet, only to be told later he didn't qualify and would have to pay it back. The bill also ensures that FEMA reports to Congress on the number of mistakes it makes in individual assistance award determinations and the agency's efforts to minimize similar errors in the future. Click here to see Rep Graves' remarks on the bill on the House floor. Click here to read the original bill.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:39:51Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-kaine-cleaver-and-stivers-negro-leagues-baseball-centennial-commemorative-coin-act-heads-to-presidents-desk,"Blunt, Kaine, Cleaver, & Stivers’ Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act Heads to President’s Desk",2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Tim Kaine (Va.), along with U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (Mo.) and Steve Stivers (Ohio), announced that the Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act passed the Senate and is on its way to the President's desk. The bipartisan legislation directs the U.S. Treasury to mint a coin to commemorate the Centennial of Negro Leagues Baseball. The incredible ability, excitement, and sportsmanship that baseball icons like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and Buck O'Neil brought to the game helped break down the barriers of segregation, said Blunt. This commemorative coin will honor the leagues' players and support the National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's great work to preserve the legacy of African-American baseball and its impact on our nation's history. I'm glad we were able to get this bill through Congress and to the President's desk as we mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the leagues. For forty years, the Negro Leagues offered people the chance to see some of the country's greatest ballplayers at a time when African-American and Hispanic players were barred from Major League teams, including Virginia-born stars and Baseball Hall of Famers Ray Dandridge, Leon Day, Pete Hill, and Jud Wilson, said Kaine. I'm proud these players and teams will be honored for their historic contributions both on the field and to our country. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Negro Leagues, I'm ecstatic we were able to get this bill safely across home plate and on its way to the President's desk, said Cleaver. Not only will this honor the legends of the Negro Leaguessome of the greatest ballplayers to ever step on a fieldbut it will also raise significant funding for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City so that future generations can learn about the players, the history of the Negro Leagues, and their significance to the civil rights movement in America. I am glad this legislation is headed to the President's desk, sending an important message that the athletes' courageous efforts to end systematic racism undeniably bettered our nation, said Stivers. These Americans created a lasting impact in the fight for equality. Their unwavering commitment to making sure all Americans have equal opportunities, on and off the field, will continue to make a difference for generations to come. The Negro National League was created in 1920 during a meeting of team owners at a YMCA in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to 1920, teams barnstormed around the country playing whomever they could. The creation of the league brought some structure to the playing schedule, and other regional leagues were soon formed. The coin comes at no cost to taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury will be reimbursed for the costs of issuing the coins. After the U.S. Treasury has recouped all of its costs for designing and minting the coins, funds will be distributed to the National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which was founded in 1990 in Kansas City. In addition to Blunt and Kaine, the Senate bill is cosponsored by 77 senators. In addition to Cleaver and Stivers, the House bill is cosponsored by 300 representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-praises-president-trumps-plan-bring-troops-home-afghanistan,Hawley Praises President Trumps Plan to Bring Troops Home from Afghanistan,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO.) sent a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller expressing his support for President Trump's plan to promptly withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. Senator Hawley writes that the original U.S. counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan has given way to nation-building, the costs of which are borne overwhelmingly by working Americans. For these reasons, majorities of Americans, including veterans of the war itself, have long called for an end to the war in Afghanistan. Yet most of our nation's policymakers have ignored them. They are certainly entitled to keep advocating nation-building, but they have no right to force working Americans to pay the price for their agenda. The American people deserve an end to this war. They deserve to know their sons and daughters will not be put in harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary. And they deserve to see their tax dollars actually being used to defend them from Chinese domination, above all or reinvested at home, in their families and communities. Senator Josh Hawley Senator Hawley has previously spoken on the need to rethink America's foreign policy consensus of endless wars. Read the full letter here or below. November 17, 2020 The Honorable Christopher Miller Acting Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301 Dear Acting Secretary Miller, I write to express my support for President Trump's plan for the prompt withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. As President Trump has noted, and as you know better than most, Americans have been fighting in Afghanistan for more than 19 years. That makes the war in Afghanistan the longest war in our nation's history. Sons and daughters are now patrolling their parents' old routes, and many of the U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan were not even born when the 9/11 attacks occurred. There was a time for war in Afghanistan, and there were very compelling reasons. In the aftermath of 9/11, it was imperative that we destroyed al Qaeda and punished the Taliban. But those objectives have long since given way to a broader nation-building mission in the region. This is a mistake. We have built a worldwide counterterrorism enterprise that allows us to disrupt, degrade, and destroy terrorist organizations far more effectively than ever before. So long as we stay focused on our counterterrorism objectives, maintain our ability to identify and strike targets as needed, and coordinate our withdrawal appropriately, we can prevent groups in Afghanistan from launching attacks on the United States without keeping thousands of American troops on the ground. Meanwhile, the costs of the war in Afghanistan continue to mount, and they are borne disproportionately by working Americans. It is overwhelmingly their sons and daughters who are sent into harm's way and make the ultimate sacrifice. It is their families and communities that have been hurt most as policymakers in Washington sent hundreds of billions if not trillions of their hard-earned tax dollars to Afghanistan, instead of investing that money here at home. And it is they who will suffer most if we keep investing in Afghanistan at the expense of our ability to deal with other adversaries, especially China, which seeks to dominate the world including the United States and is rapidly building a military to do just that. For these reasons, majorities of Americans, including veterans of the war itself, have long called for an end to the war in Afghanistan. Yet most of our nation's policymakers have ignored them. They are certainly entitled to keep advocating nation-building, but they have no right to force working Americans to pay the price for their agenda. The American people deserve an end to this war. They deserve to know their sons and daughters will not be put in harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary. And they deserve to see their tax dollars actually being used to defend them from Chinese domination, above all or reinvested at home, in their families and communities. You wrote recently, All wars must end. Acting Secretary Miller, the time has come to end the war in Afghanistan. I urge you to stand with President Trump and bring our troops home as expeditiously as possible. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-reveals-existence-coordination-tool-used-big-tech-firms-censor-users-facebook-tool-covertly,Hawley Reveals Existence of Coordination Tool Used By Big Tech Firms to Censor Users & Facebook Tool to Covertly Track Users Across Internet,2020-11-17,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"In a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing today with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg,Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) revealed an internal tool used by Facebook, Google and Twitter to coordinate the censorship of users. Senator Hawley also revealed an internal tool used by Facebook totrack the actions of usersacross the internet that was previously believed to be private.The use of the internal tools was disclosed to Senator Hawley by a whistleblower from Facebook. At the hearing, Senator Hawley outlined the use of Tasks, a tool Facebook uses to improve the workflow of Facebook employees, but is also used by Facebook employees to collaborate with Google and Twitter in censoring users across platforms, and a second tool called Centra that Facebook uses to track users even when they think they are anonymous. Senator Hawley questioned the CEOs on whether Facebook used the Tasks platform to coordinate in their censorship of users. Senator Hawley also questioned Zuckerberg on how many accounts in the U.S. have been subject to a shutdown through Centra, whether Facebook makes a record of instances in which employees access users' private data without their consent, and whether doing so triggers an audit.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-announces-25-million-usda-investment-in-east-locust-creek-reservoir-project,Blunt Announces $25 Million USDA Investment in East Locust Creek Reservoir Project,2020-11-16,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested an additional $25 million in the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project. This investment in the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project is great news for families, farmers, and local businesses, said Blunt. These additional resources will get us one step closer to finishing the project and bringing an end to the severe water shortages that have disrupted businesses and daily life in the area. Improving water infrastructure and reliability will, in turn, create a stronger foundation for economic development in the years to come. I am committed to ensuring that the federal government continues to make this project a priority. The East Locust Creek Reservoir service area includes Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, Grundy, Sullivan, Adair, Livingston, Linn, Macon, and Chariton counties. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Blunt has led efforts to secure resources for the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project in the FY2016, FY2017, FY2018, FY2019, and FY2020 government funding bills. The recently-released FY2021 Senate agriculture appropriations bill includes $12 million in additional funding. In October, Blunt commended USDA Rural Development for awarding a $3 million grant and $5 million loan to modernize equipment at the East Locust Creek water treatment plant. Blunt was in Milan last year when USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that the project received an additional $5.6 million, which was included in the Blunt-backed FY2019 funding bill. Following Blunt's advocacy, the Department of Transportation awarded a $13.5 million BUILD Grant to the East Locust Creek Reservoir Project in November 2019. In August 2018, Blunt announced that the USDA invested $20million in the project to prepare the dam's site, access corridors, and other key infrastructure for the next phase of construction.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3262,"Law, Order, and Investigations",2020-11-13,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"In the United States, every living citizen over the age of eighteen has the right to vote. This is one of the most fundamental pillars of our constitutional republic and we must protect it at all costs. If the criteria for voter eligibility are not being met, public trust in our elections and our government will inevitably erode. That's why the American people should question the outcome of this election based on the allegations of voter fraud that occurred. From reports of deceased individuals casting ballots in Georgia, to ballot tampering in Pennsylvania the list goes on and on. I have the upmost faith and respect for our institutions and consider protecting them one of my most sacred responsibilities, but these allegations raise serious questions regarding the way this election has been conducted. Getting to the bottom of these fraud claims should not be a partisan issue both Democrats and Republicans should strive above all else to protect the integrity of our elections. That's why President Trump is absolutely right to file court challenges in states across the country to ensure every legal ballot and only legal ballots are counted, and I am proud the State of Missouri is acting as a leader in supporting the president. While these court proceedings are far from over, the President notched a win this week when an appellate court in Pennsylvania ruled to disqualify a number of ballots cast by voters who were unable to confirm their identity by November 9th. In addition to these court challenges, we must demand investigations into every allegation of voter fraud to restore American's trust in our elections. There is no other way. It seems like every day we hear of another instance of potential fraud, including discrepancies in data collected from electronic voting machines. For that reason, last week, I sent a letter to Attorney General Barr requesting he open investigations into credible allegations of voter fraud. Subsequently, Barr announced the Department of Justice would do just that. However, I would be remiss if I did not say this could have been prevented. In August, I introduced legislation, the Integrity of Our Elections Act, to ensure only U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote receive a ballot for a federal election. Specifically, the chief state election official of each state would have been required to certify that recipients of mail-in or absentee ballots are living, citizens, and eligible to vote. This seems common sense, but Nancy Pelosi refused to give the legislation a vote on the House Floor. Instead, she introduced legislation that would federalize U.S. elections and require states to allow early voting, limit ID requirements, allow same-day registration, and the list goes on. These are the exact polices that have undermined the integrity of this election and led people to question the outcome. Please know, I will continue to monitor investigations being conducted by the Department of Justice to ensure we get to the bottom of any wrongdoing that occurred during this year's presidential election. The President and the American people are right to demand to know the way this election was conducted was transparent and the outcome is accurate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/11/10/2020/blunt-commends-missouri-hire-vets-award-recipients-for-their-commitment-to-veteran-employment,Blunt Commends Missouri HIRE Vets Award Recipients For Their Commitment To Veteran Employment,2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) and a member of the Veterans Jobs Caucus, today commended the seven Missouri employers that were recognized by the Department of Labor's (DOL) HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program for their contributions to veteran employment. The program was created under Blunt's bipartisan Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Act, which established a tiered recognition program within DOL to award employers that make veterans hiring, retention, and career development a priority. Veterans have experience and skills that make them an ideal candidate for employers, but finding the right opportunity can be challenging as they transition from active duty to civilian life, said Blunt. The goal of this program is to highlight companies that provide benefits to help veterans succeed and recognize the advantages their military service brings to the workplace. As we prepare to mark Veterans Day, I'll continue supporting legislation and programs, like HIRE Vets, that help us keep our promises to those who have served. Missouri recipients of the 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Award include: C2C LLC, Chesterfield, Mo.;Connectria LLC, St. Louis, Mo.;Arnold Defense & Electronics LLC, Arnold, Mo.;AME Construction LLC, Cottleville, Mo.;Veterans of Foreign Wars, Kansas City, Mo.;On Target Solutions Inc.; Belton, Mo.; andPod-Grown LLC, Wentzville, Mo. The award is given to employers that meet certain criteria, including: the percentage of new hires, or the overall workforce, that is made up of veterans; the types of training and leadership development opportunities that are made available; other benefits and resources that are offered, such as tuition assistance; and other factors that demonstrate a commitment to supporting veterans throughout their post-military careers. As Labor/HHS chairman, Blunt included resources for the program in the FY2021 funding bill released earlier today.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-releases-fy2021-labor-health-and-human-services-and-education-funding-bill,"Blunt Releases FY2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Funding Bill",2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), today released the fiscal year 2021 Labor/HHS funding bill. This year's bill targets funding toward some of the most important programs affecting the lives of nearly every American educating our students, improving health care and paving the way for new treatments and cures, and providing workforce development opportunities, said Blunt. This bill includes the sixth consecutive increase for the National Institutes of Health. As we have seen first-hand this year, medical research is key to responding to diseases we have fought for years, like cancer and Alzheimer's disease, as well as novel viruses like COVID-19. The bill continues our commitment to fighting the opioid and stimulant epidemic, which is unfortunately on the rise during the pandemic. The bill provides funding for education and early childhood programs, from helping hardworking families afford high-quality early childcare, to investing in Career and Technical Education, to making college more affordable. Finally, as our economy continues its recovery, the bill focuses investment in workforce programs, like the apprenticeship program, to ensure Americans can compete in a global economy. In addition to funding a range of health, education, and workforce programs, the bill includes resources to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and improper payments in the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Blunt continued, This bill puts resources behind programs that have been, and should continue to be, a bipartisan priority. But to prioritize limited resources, we have to look at areas where we can eliminate duplicative or unnecessary spending. That means we need to continue efforts to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse, and this bill does so. At the same time, the programs funded will help maintain U.S. competitiveness and support economic growth to improve our fiscal outlook over the long term. Since becoming chairman, over the last five years, Blunt has led the effort to reprioritize funding within the Labor/HHS bill, including eliminating approximately 30 programs representing over $1 billion in annual savings. This bill continues that effort, and eliminates an additional eight programs totaling $115 million to reprioritize that funding for programs that work and to address pressing needs. Key Missouri Priorities Funded in the Bill: Supporting Groundbreaking Medical Research and Expanding Access to Health Care Services, Including Mental and Behavioral Health Care: National Institutes of Health (NIH): The bill includes a $2 billion increase for NIH. Since Blunt became chairman of the Labor/HHS subcommittee in 2015, NIH funding has increased by $13.6 billion, or 45%. According to data from United for Medical Research, NIH funding supported nearly 476,000 jobs and more than $81 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY2019. In Missouri, NIH funding supported $1.6 billion in new economic activity and more than 9,000 jobs. Missouri institutions received $655.6 million in NIH funding for 1,321 grants in 2019. From 2015-2019, NIH funding to Missouri institutions increased by $184 million or 38%. Ending the HIV Epidemic: $518 million, an increase of $207 million, to support the president's HIV initiative and other high priority HIV efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 90% in 10 years. The majority of these resources will be targeted to 48 counties and seven states, including Missouri, for prevention, diagnoses, research, and response activities. Missouri received over $3.5 million in fiscal year 2020 for these efforts. Opioid Epidemic: $3.9 billion, an increase of $88 million, to combat the opioid epidemic. Funds are targeted toward improving treatment and prevention efforts; finding alternative pain medications; workforce needs, especially in our rural communities; and treating behavioral health. Importantly, the bill gives states flexibility to use opioid response funds on stimulants across multiple government programs. Preliminary 2020 numbers show that the challenges of this year are likely to increase the number of opioid-involved deaths, emphasizing the need to continue these critical investments. Under Blunt's leadership, funding for health-related opioid programs has increased by $3.6 billion. Mental Health: As a critical part of both combating opioid abuse and ensuring safety in our schools and communities, the bill provides $4 billion, a $194 million increase, for mental health research, treatment, and prevention, including: o Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $250 million, an increase of $50 million, for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. In 2018, Blunt targeted funding to community clinics that provide a comprehensive approach to mental health care treatment. To date, Missouri clinics have received $26 million in funds from this program. Blunt has led efforts to expand access to mental health care, including through his Excellence In Mental Health Act, which created a pilot program in Missouri and seven other states to advance progress toward treating mental health like all other health. The program was extended and expanded to two additional states in the Blunt-backed CARES Act; o Project AWARE: $121 million, a $19 million increase, for the Project AWARE program that supports coordination between schools and state mental health agencies to increase awareness of mental health among school-aged kids, train school personnel on detecting and responding to mental health issues, and connecting school-aged kids and their families with needed services. Within this funding, the bill provides $15 million, an increase of $5 million, to address areas that have experienced civil unrest; o Mental Health Awareness Training: $24 million, an increase of $1 million, for Mental Health Awareness Training in which Missouri was one of the first adopters; o Suicide Programs: $103 million, an increase of $13 million. This increase provides support to the suicide lifeline and grants to help identify and help those at risk of suicide; o Behavioral Health Workforce Education & Training: $138.9 million to support workforce training programs, including up to $29.5 million for the Mental and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Training Demonstration for grants to train professionals to provide SUD and mental health treatment; o Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants: $10 million for Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants to expand access to behavioral health services in pediatric primary care settings; and o National Institute of Mental Health: $2.14 billion for mental health research at NIH, an increase of $96.5 million. Public Health Preparedness: $4.2 billion, an increase of $161 million, for HHS programs that help America's communities and hospitals prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health and medical disasters and emergencies. These events include natural disasters, pandemic diseases, and man-made threats. Since fiscal year 2015, the committee has increased public health preparedness funding by $1.4 billion, or nearly 50%. Alzheimer's Research and Care: The bill increases investments in groundbreaking Alzheimer's research and caregiver support for one of America's most costly and prevalent diseases. The cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is expected to increase from $305 billion this year to $1.1 trillion by 2050, with Medicare and Medicaid paying roughly 70% of the total cost: o $3.17 billion for Alzheimer's disease research, an increase of $354 million. Under Blunt's chairmanship, there has been more than a five-fold funding increase for Alzheimer's research; o $15 million, an increase of $5 million, for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act to create a national public health infrastructure to increase early detection and diagnosis and support prevention efforts; and o $27.5 million, an increase of $1 million, for expanding direct services through the Alzheimer's disease program at the Administration for Community Living. Community Health Centers: $1.71 billion for Community Health Centers, an increase of $87 million. As co-chair of the Community Health Center caucus, Blunt has introduced legislation to reauthorize and increase mandatory funding for the program. There are more than 300 sites in Missouri, with Missouri health centers receiving over $115 million in federal grant funding to serve a total of more than 606,000 patients a year. Medical Student Education: $50 million for Medical Student Education funding for states with the highest projected primary care physician shortages in 2025. Funding will provide supplemental grants to 2019 and 2020 grantees, including both the University of Missouri and University of Missouri-Kansas City. Rural Health: $325.4 million for Rural Health Care programs, an increase of $7 million. The obstacles faced by patients and providers in rural communities are unique and often significantly different from those in urban areas. Funding for rural health care programs has more than doubled under Blunt's chairmanship. o Delta States Network Rural Development Network Grant: $27 million, an increase of $5 million, to continue a program to help underserved rural communities in the Delta identify and better address their health care needs. This includes $15 million for the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program, which started under Blunt's chairmanship, to help small rural hospitals improve their financial and operational stability. Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital in Hayti, Mo., and Iron County Hospital in Pilot Knob, Mo., have participated in the DRCHSD program since December 2017 and Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. has participated since October 2019. Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME): $355 million, a $15 million increase, for the CHGME program, which protects children's access to high quality medical care by providing freestanding children's hospitals with funding to support the training of pediatric providers. In Missouri, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and St. Louis Children's Hospital received more than $13 million last year in combined funding from this program. This funding level represents an increase of $90 million for CHGME under Blunt's chairmanship, or 34%. Promoting State and Local Flexibility in Education, including Early Childhood Education: Head Start: $10.7 billion, an increase of $100 million, to help all Head Start programs keep up with rising costs, maintain enrollment, and continue to provide high-quality services for children and families. Missouri Head Start programs receive more than $167 million annually and provide high-quality early childhood services to 15,000 children and their families. Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): $5.9 billion, an increase of $50 million. Over the last three years funding for CCDBG has more than doubled, which has helped improve the safety and quality of child care programs, including increasing provider payment rates, and expand working families' access to high-quality child care. Missouri receives over $106 million from the CCDBG annually. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): $13.8 billion, an increase of $125 million, to support the educational needs of students with disabilities, which includes an increase of $7.5 million for preschool grants and an increase of $7.5 million for grants for infants and families. Missouri received approximately $262 million from these programs for this school year. Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies: $16.4 billion, an increase of $125 million, for grants to school districts to help all children meet challenging state academic standards. Missouri received approximately $260 million in Title I funding for this school year to support schools with a significant number or percentage of low-income students. Impact Aid: $1.5 billion, an increase of $20 million. Missouri school districts receive approximately $28 million to help compensate for the presence of federal activities and land, including lost revenue. STEM and Computer Science Education (CSE): $75 million, an increase of $10 million, in targeted STEM education funding, including specifically prioritizing CSE. Career and Technical Education State Grants: $1.4 billion, an increase of $75 million. Missouri received approximately $25 million to support CTE programs across the state this school year. Charter Schools Program: $450 million, an increase of $10 million, to help support the creation, replication, and expansion of high-quality charter schools. Pell Grants: For the fourth year in a row, the bill increases the maximum Pell Grant award, an increase of $150, or 2.4%, for the 2021-22 school year, from $6,345 to $6,495. Approximately 90,000 students receive over $350 million in Pell Grant funding to attend Missouri colleges and universities. The bill continues support for year-round Pell Grants, which help students complete post-secondary education programs faster and enter or re-enter the workforce sooner. Blunt successfully led efforts to restore eligibility for year-round Pell Grants in the FY2017 omnibus appropriations bill. Preparing America's Workforce: Career Pathways: $10 million for an initiative at the Department of Labor to improve career pathways for students that can lead to the full-range of post-secondary college and career options. Rural Postsecondary Education and Economic Development Program: $10 million for a new initiative to improve postsecondary access and completion among rural students by providing services for students from middle school through college and promoting partnerships between school districts, institutions of higher education, and regional economic development organizations. Apprenticeship Opportunities: $195 million, an increase of $20 million, for the Apprenticeship Program to expand flexible and effective workforce training opportunities. Within this amount, $10 million is for Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). Apprenticeship Missouri is one of the nation's first IRAP standards recognition entities, responsible for ensuring high-quality standards for apprenticeships expanding to new industries, such as health care and information technology. Veterans' Employment and Training (VETS) Programs: $316 million, an increase of $5 million, for VETS programs. Funding supports veterans in the transition assistance program as they move into the civilian workforce and helps homeless veterans attain skills for meaningful employment. o The bill continues to provide the Department of Labor with the necessary resources to carry out Blunt's HIRE Vets Act, which established a tiered recognition program within the Department of Labor to award employers based on their contributions to veteran employment. Seven employers in Missouri received a HIRE Vets Medallion in 2019. Rural Workforce Training Initiative: $40 million, an increase of $10 million, to continue the Workforce Opportunity in Rural Communities program started in 2018 under Blunt's chairmanship to provide reemployment and training assistance in the Delta and Appalachian regions. This year, Blunt recognized three Missouri grant recipients for their awards totaling more than $3.5 million. Workforce Training Programs: $2.8 billion for state workforce training programs. These funds are distributed by formula to states and localities to meet each state's unique job training and reemployment needs. Missouri received $35.6 million for training and employment services grants in 2020. Youth Workforce Training Programs: The bill continues funding for programs that provide at-risk youth with the opportunity to gain educational and occupational skills: o Job Corps: $1.7 billion. Missouri has three Job Corps centers located in Excelsior Springs, Puxico, and St. Louis. o YouthBuild: $94.5 million. Missouri has four current YouthBuild grantees located in Columbia, St. Joseph, and St. Louis. Reducing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars: Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments: $200 million to conduct enhanced, in-person assessments to accelerate the reemployment of Unemployment Compensation recipients in order to reduce the duration of their time receiving benefits and the likelihood of exhausting benefit coverage. These actions would also help protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund by reducing improper payments. This program has been shown to save $2.60 for every $1.00 spent. Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC): $807 million, an increase of $21 million, is provided by utilizing the cap adjustment in the Budget Control Act. For every $1.00 spent on HCFAC, $2.00 is recovered by the U.S. Treasury. This will create over $10.2 billion in savings to the Treasury over 10 years. Preventing Social Security Disability Fraud, Abuse, and Improper Payments: $1.6 billion is provided to support periodic reviews to ensure that individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits are still eligible under program rules. This funding is estimated to save approximately $9 billion over 10 years for the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Other highlights of the bill include: Adoption Opportunities: $46 million, an increase of $4 million, to help remove barriers to adoption and find permanent homes for children, particularly children with special needs. Corporation for National and Community Service: $1.15 billion, an increase of $50 million, including an increase of $32 million for AmeriCorps and $8 million for Senior Corps programs. Last year, more than 1,300 AmeriCorps and 3,500 Senior Corps members helped address local needs in schools and communities across Missouri, including responding to natural disasters. Blunt has also cosponsored legislation to expand national service programs to help the nation respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Program Eliminations: The bill focuses funding on programs that are efficient, cost-effective, and have proven outcomes. The committee recommendation includes eight program eliminations, equating to $114.9 million in spending reductions.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-unanimously-re-elected-to-senate-leadership-post,Blunt Unanimously Re-elected to Senate Leadership Post,2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today after he was unanimously re-elected to serve as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee: I'm grateful to my colleagues for the opportunity to continue serving in Senate Republican leadership. The American people made their voices heard in the election and there was clearly no mandate for a return to misguided policies that will hurt our economy. If there is one message from this election, it's that the American people expect us to work together to address the challenges we're facing as a nation. I look forward to being a part of that effort as Republican Policy Committee chairman, focusing on policies that will help expand opportunity, strengthen the economy, and increase security in our communities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-introduces-bill-ban-ballot-harvesting-protect-election-integrity,"Hawley Introduces Bill to Ban Ballot Harvesting, Protect Election Integrity",2020-11-10,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a new bill to ban ballot harvesting in federal elections and protect election integrity in response to disputes during the 2020 presidential election. Senator Hawley's bill would improve the ability of campaigns to observe vote counting operations, require mail-in or absentee ballots to be counted and recorded immediately, and require that ballot counting, once begun, continue until completed. ""The debacle of the 2020 election has made clear that serious reforms are needed to protect the integrity of our elections. The American people deserve transparencythat means banning ballot harvesting, empowering poll watchers, and taking steps to ensure that all legally cast ballots are accounted for. The confusion and controversy of this past week is not acceptable, Congress must take action."" Senator Josh Hawley Background Senator Hawley's bill would: Ban ballot harvesting in federal elections and incentivize states to do the same. Require that at least two representatives of each campaign be permitted to observe polls and vote counting operations. Require mail-in or absentee ballots to be counted and recorded immediately upon receipt, with no results to be disclosed until after the closure of polling places on the date of an election. Require that ballot counting, once begun, continue until completedno delays or pauses except in the event of imminent emergency. Require states to maintain round-the-clock video surveillance monitoring of absentee ballot drop boxes, with unedited footage to be made available upon request to members of the public at no charge. Impose requirements, adapted from existing Florida law, that mandate the auditing of voting systems and the reporting in advance of preparations made for upcoming general elections.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3249,Defying the Odds,2020-11-06,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"How many times do they have to get it wrong? For months, the media and pollsters have downplayed President Trump's path to victory, and he has shown them time and again not to underestimate hard-working Americans. The President walked away election night having won Florida by three times his margin of victory in 2016. The polls in many swing states were off by up to ten percentage points. We defied the odds by picking up seats in the House of Representatives and keeping the United States Senate. At what point do the media, Washington pollsters, and leaders of the Democrat party wake up and realize they are seriously out of touch with the American people? At what point do they realize that we want all legal ballots counted so President Trump has a fair election? We want our streets free from riots and violence, we want law and order, and we want a government that stays off the backs of hardworking Americans. From the day he took office, liberal democrats started laying the groundwork to delegitimize our President and it did not stop on election day. Regardless of the final outcome of this election, President Trump has accomplished one thing; the Republican Party is changed for the better. Thanks to President Trump, the American working class has a political party that will put their interests first - the GOP. Meanwhile, wealthy elites, globalists, and big business are fleeing to Nancy Pelosi and her out of touch Democrat party. This realignment in American politics will define our generation, and Washington Democrats would do well to recognize that spending hundreds of millions of dollars of Wall Street's money in an attempt to unseat Republican candidates does not work anymore. The working class recognizes the Republican party puts the interests of Americans first. The data backs it up, too. In Stark County, Texas, where the per-capita income is $7,000, Hillary Clinton won by sixty points, compared to Biden who won the county by five points. The GOP is now the party of the working class and not just the white working class as the left would like you to think. In one of the highest turn-out elections in a century, this year, the GOP won the most non-white voters it has since 1960 after months of people trying to brand Trump as a racist. Their opposition to the radical left's agenda to defund the police and stoke racial tensions could not be clearer. Americans of all backgrounds want law and order. The American people have also shown they reject the radical socialist agenda being pushed by progressive Democrats. Cuban Americans, whose parents and grandparents fled a socialist government, voted for President Trump in overwhelming numbers. These Americans know our country is a land of opportunity and that embracing handouts doesn't lift people out of poverty, and I thank them for it. All those who seek equal opportunity and the American dream will always have a home in the Republican party. But it's not just the Republican base that has grown more diverse, the GOP coalition in Congress is now more diverse than it has ever been. Every single candidate that flipped a Democrat House seat is a minority, a woman, or a veteran. A remarkable achievement for a party of supposed racists. However, the most remarkable thing about President Trump and the Republican Party's performance in the 2020 election is not how much we surpassed the expectations of the Washington elite, it's how we did it in spite of constant sabotage from the Swamp at every turn. Nancy Pelosi has been working to delegitimize President Trump since before he took office. When she could not succeed in impeaching him based on sham accusations, she resorted to attempts to undermine our elections process. Now, leftist Democrats are seeking to derail our election. Counting only legal votes should not be a partisan issue. More elections safeguards are clearly needed. Now, in terms of the outcome of this presidential election, we must wait for the courts to decide. A lot of questions remain unanswered, and President Trump is right to question whether fraud has occurred. Voters are right to raise their eyebrows at the vote dumps in Michigan and Wisconsin during the early hours of Wednesday morning that showed 100% of those votes going for Biden. I find it hard to believe that out of those 138,338 votes in Michigan that President Trump did not receive a single solitary vote. I have faith in our institutions, but this election raises questions about how our country should handle future elections, especially where absentee and mail-in ballots are concerned. As Justice Kavanaugh noted in a recent opinion, states with Election Day Deadlines, want to avoid the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue if thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election. Justice Kavanaugh's opinion ominously foreshadowed the position our nation finds itself in today. We should not be counting ballots for days or weeks following Election Day. All legal ballots that arrive by election day should be counted, those that arrive after should not be - plain and simple. Our nation has an Election DAY for a reason. But, if nothing else, this election shows us that the Republican Party led by President Trump and made up of hardworking Americans is larger and more energetic than ever before.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3254,Smith Demands Investigations Into Election Fraud,2020-11-06,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Congressman Jason Smith called upon the United States Department of Justice to open investigations into incidences of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. In a separate letter to state election officials, Smith also outlined his concerns with their actions and issued a reminder that the election is not over. Smith said, President Trump is right to demand transparency and accuracy in the ballot counting process. We must count every legal vote, but only legal votes. The American people deserve fair and transparent elections regardless of who they vote for. Smith continued, It is the Department of Justice's responsibility to ensure the integrity of our elections if state election officials will not. Earlier this year, Smith introduced the Integrity of Our Elections Act to require the chief state election official of each state to certify that recipients of mail-in or absentee ballots are living, U.S. citizens, and eligible to vote prior to mailing a ballot for a federal election. Speaker Pelosi refused to give this legislation a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. You can read the full letter to Attorney General Barr here and the full letter to state election officials here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-last-24-hours-make-clear-us-needs-new-election-integrity-laws,Hawley: Last 24 Hours Make Clear U.S. Needs New Election Integrity Laws,2020-11-05,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Thursday, November 5, 2020 Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)announcedhe will introduce legislation to create new election integrity laws. Issues General",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-backed-bill-to-improve-intercountry-adoption-information-signed-into-law,Blunt-Backed Bill to Improve Intercountry Adoption Information Signed Into Law,2020-11-02,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, today announced that legislation he cosponsored - the Intercountry Adoption Information Act of 2019 - was signed into law. The bipartisan bill provides updated, quality information to Americans trying to adopt children from other countries. There are millions of children around the world without a loving, safe home, said Blunt. This bill will ensure parents have more information to navigate the intercountry adoption process, which can be a major challenge when trying to adopt a child from a country with restrictive adoption policies. As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I'll continue working to ensure we have policies in place that better support families who are eager to open their homes to a child in need. The bill was led by U.S. Senator Richard Burr (N.C.) and, in addition to Blunt, cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (Md.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), and Sherrod Brown (Ohio). The Intercountry Adoption Information Act amends the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to require the U.S. State Department to provide additional information on the following: Countries that have enacted policies to prevent or prohibit adoptions to the United States;Actions taken by the State Department that have prevented adoptions to the United States; andThe ways in which the State Department has worked to encourage resuming adoptions in both cases. This information is critical for American families to adopt from countries that have established barriers to adoption, such as Russia or Ethiopia, or other areas where the State Department has suspended intercountry adoption, such as abandoned children in Nepal. As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Blunt has helped lead efforts to give every child a permanent home. Last week, Blunt led a letter urging the State Department to prioritize policies to promote intercountry adoption as the department searches for new accrediting entities for intercountry adoption service providers. In May, Blunt helped introduce legislation to improve access to mental health services for children in the foster care system. Blunt and Klobuchar, who is also a co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, in April led a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking the Department of State to ensure intercountry adoptions proceed in a safe and timely manner during the coronavirus pandemic. In November 2019, Blunt and Klobuchar encouraged the administration to raise awareness for National Adoption Month. In May 2019, they introduced the Supporting Adoptive Families Act to support adoptive families and to help provide pre- and post- adoption support services, including mental health treatment, to help adoptive families stay strong. In April 2019, they led a letter to the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State regarding the administration's decision to close the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services international offices and expressed concern over the potential negative impact these closures would have on processing intercountry adoptions. In February 2019, they introduced legislation to improve the intercountry adoption process.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-blunt-attends-ste-genevieve-national-historical-park-ceremony,PHOTOS: Blunt Attends Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park Ceremony,2020-11-02,2020,2020-11,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Click Here for More Photos WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) attended the ceremony celebrating the establishment of the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, Missouri's first National Historical Park and the 422nd park to become part of the National Park System. Blunt joined Missouri State Representative Dale Wright, Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Carol Comer, National Park Service Midwest Region Director Bert Frost, and Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park Superintendent Chris Collins in unveiling the official sign for the park. It was great to be back in Ste. Genevieve today to celebrate Missouri's first National Historical Park and the newest addition to the National Park System, said Blunt. This was an effort years in the making, and is another example of how we can leverage a successful public-private partnership model to make sure our nation's most important places are preserved for generations to come. Every historic building in Ste. Genevieve has a story to tell and I'm incredibly grateful to all of the people in the community who have dedicated their time and energy to telling those stories. I'm thrilled that more Americans will now have the opportunity to come and experience this unique part of our history. BACKGROUND: Blunt helped lead efforts in Congress to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. Blunt and U.S. Representative Jason Smith (Mo.) first introduced legislation to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park and designate it as a unit of the National Park System in 2016. Blunt testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks in support of the legislation that year. Blunt and Smith reintroduced their bill in 2017 and it was subsequently signed into law in March 2018. Blunt met with community leaders in Ste. Genevieve for a roundtable discussion and toured the historic Amoureux House and Bequette-Ribault House in July 2018. The following month, Blunt and Smith attended a ceremonial signing of the cooperative agreements that ensure Ste. Genevieve historic properties are preserved. This marked the final statutory step needed to establish Ste. Genevieve as a national park. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Blunt announced in February 2019 that the FY2019 funding bill included dedicated resources for new units in the National Park System, including the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. In February 2019, Blunt successfully included a measure in the Natural Resources Management Act to authorize the National Park Service to acquire land for a modern visitor center space at the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. At a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing in May 2019, Blunt questioned Secretary Bernhardt about the agency's progress in acquiring historic properties and a building for the visitors center at Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3237,Your Right. Your Voice.,2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Take a breath. Election day is finally here. This is not political persuasion. I am not here to ask you for your vote. On November 3rd, I am simply asking you TO VOTE. This will no doubt be a historic election, in fact, it already is. In 2016, 140 million Americans cast their ballot for President of the United States, so far in 2020 over 84 million Americans have already used early voting to vote for their chosen candidate. While we know turnout will be high this election, it's important we recognize that there are still so many of us who find an excuse every four years on that first Tuesday in November to not make it to the polls. In 2016, only 55.5% of the voting age population cast a vote slightly higher than the 54.9% turnout 4 years earlier, but it is clear there is room to improve. It seems like everyone today has some sort of political opinion or hot take' they are ready to give on social media, but when it comes to actually climbing out from behind the keyboard and into the voting booth, we struggle to get close to full participation from our citizenry. Since 1900, turnout percentages have fluctuated between lows of 49% and highs of 70% with the election of Richard Nixon in 1968 being the last time we broke 60% turnout. We know how high the stakes are for this election and we know what it will mean for the direction of our country for the next 50 years. It is clear there are two vastly different visions for America on the ballot this week. Every vote matters, and your voice can't be heard if you don't participate. Don't expect others to carry the responsibility of voting for you it's your right as an American to express your will at the voting booth. And we know your vote makes a difference, we don't have to look past 2016 to see it. In 2016, the 16 electoral votes of Michigan were decided by 0.3% or roughly 13,000 votes out of almost 5 million cast. New Hampshire, and its 4 electoral votes were decided by 0.4% or 2,700 of 740,000 votes cast. Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes were decided by 27,000 votes of 3 million total ballots turned in. Pennsylvania, Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, the list goes on and on. Heck, we need look no further than here in Missouri where our race for U.S. Senator in 2016 was decided by 78,000 votes of over 2.8 million cast. In 2018, Democrats flipped 24 U.S. House seats by a combined total of 100,000 votes to deliver Nancy Pelosi the Speakership. In my first election to the Missouri General Assembly, I won one of our southern Missouri counties by a single vote. Every.Vote.Matters. Study the candidates who are on the ballot this week. Learn their positions, asks questions and see who most aligns with your beliefs and morals, and then cast your vote. In Missouri, there are multiple options to vote early, and our polling locations open at 6am on election day and remain open till 7pm, allowing anyone in line at that time to vote. If you need more information about how to vote, what type of identification is needed, where to vote, or voter assistance, contact our Secretary of State's office at (573) 751-4936 or visit: https://www.sos.mo.gov/ No other country in the world has the history with democracy founded in liberty like we do. No other county has the history with free, fair, and open elections like we do. It is your right to vote, exercise it!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3246,Smith Leads Missouri Delegation in Fight to Return Fairness to Meat Markets,2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Congressman Jason Smith (R-MO), joined by Missouri Reps. Graves, Luetkemeyer, Hartzler, Long, and Wagner introduced theFeed America by Incentivizing Rural (FAIR) Meat Packing Actto ensure a level playing field for Missouri cattlemen and to return to fair prices for both cattlemen and families. The FAIR Meat Packing Act creates two incentives to facilitate the formation of small and mid-sized meat processing facilities allowing cattle producers to compete for better prices in the marketplace. Our cattle producers are some of the hardest working men and women in the countrySaid Rep. SmithThey deserve access to fair markets. Unfortunately, if the big meat packers continue to control the prices this will never be the case. This legislation gives cattle producers the tools they need to form their own processing facilities and take on the big packers. Ultimately this will help producers get better value for their cattle and bring down prices for end consumers who were being gouged at the meat counter by the larger producers. It became beyond apparent this year that the bottlenecks in the food supply negatively impacted both consumers and producers. We must maintain our smaller processors to ensure we minimize supply disruptions especially during black swan events.Said Charlie Besher, Missouri Cattlemen Association Region 3 Vice President from Patton.I want to thank Congressman Smith for always putting Missouri farmers and ranchers first. Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, during one of the most difficult and uncertain times for producers and consumers alike, the price of meat soared in grocery stores across the country. Meanwhile, during that same time, producers saw the price of cattle fall to historic lows. Already struggling with a collapsing supply chain, this phenomenon pushed many producers to the brink of survival. To combat these trends, Rep. Smith introduced legislation, supported by a President Trump Executive Order, to hold accountable those who intentionally manipulate the supply of goods and services deemed vital and necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of others. He also pushed for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the large beef packers and has worked closely with the Trump Administration to fully investigate cattle market manipulation. As a fourth-generation family farm owner, Rep. Smith understands the challenges that Missouri producers face every day to stay in business. This summer, during his annual agriculture stops throughout Southern Missouri, Rep. Smith met and spoke directly with cattle producers to hear their ideas and concerns.Rep. Smith also visited the Joplin Regional Stockyards with Reps. Hartzler and Long to better understand the crucial links in the food supply chain.The consistent message Rep. Smith heard from cattlemen was that the playing field has to be leveled. Missouri cattlemen produce the finest beef in the world, but without competition in the marketplace, they'll never get the prices they deserve. Rep. Smith's bill would ensure that competition exists. I want to thank Reps. Graves, Luetkemeyer, Hartzler, Long, and Wagner for joining me in this effort. A thriving agriculture economy is essential for the success of farmers, ranchers and small businesses across Missouri.Said Rep. SmithThis bill will give Missouri cattle producers the tools to ensure the long-term growth and prosperity of this essential industry. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-smith-announce-establishment-of-ste-genevieve-national-historical-park,"Blunt, Smith Announce Establishment of Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park",2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and U.S. Representative Jason Smith (Mo.) today announced that U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt has completed the final step to formally establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park. Blunt and Smith led the legislation, which was signed into law in March 2018, to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park and designate it as a unit of the National Park System. This is the first National Historical Park to be established in Missouri. Today, Ste. Genevieve is taking its rightful place among our nation's most historically and culturally significant destinations, said Blunt. Establishing Ste. Genevieve as part of the National Park System has been a years-long effort and we owe this success to all of the local residents who have worked tirelessly to preserve and share this unique part of our state and nation's history. I've been proud to champion this effort in the Senate and I appreciate Secretary Bernhardt's support for getting this done. I hope more Americans will be encouraged to visit our nation's newest national park and experience firsthand what life was like in French colonial America. So many people have worked so hard on this project for so long, said Smith. It was my great pleasure to lead the efforts in Congress along with Senator Blunt to establish this historic national park. I applaud the good folks of Ste. Genevieve for their vision to share their city's rich history. Ste. Genevieve is a jewel in the 8th Congressional District and now, the world will surely come to know why as visitors discover its roots and the thriving community it is today. The new Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park is another example of President Trump's dedication to preserving our important national history for the benefit of present and future generations, said Secretary Bernhardt. This pre-Revolutionary War settlement along the banks of the Mississippi River provides a rich story of early French colonization, the increased British presence after the Louisiana Purchase and, later, German American settlers carving out a hard life on the American frontier. Blunt and Smith first introduced legislation to make Ste. Genevieve a national park in 2016. The NPS released its final Ste. Genevieve Special Resource Study in May 2016, which found that portions of the Ste. Genevieve historic district met the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System. Blunt and Smith reintroduced the legislation in June 2017. It passed the House in February 2018 and the Senate in March 2018. In May of this year, Missouri State Representative Dale Wright led the state legislative effort, along with State Senator Wayne Wallingford, to authorize state-owned historical homes in Ste. Genevieve to be placed under the direction of the National Park Service. The village of Ste. Genevieve dates back to the early 1700s, making it Missouri's oldest town. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960, also making it one of the oldest National Historic Landmark districts in the country. It is known for its centuries-old homes featuring unique French vertical log architecture.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-joined-mo-ks-delegation-members-urges-kci-reject-proposed-sale-ccp-backed-enterprise,"Hawley, Joined By MO & KS Delegation Members, Urges KCI to Reject Proposed Sale from CCP-Backed Enterprise",2020-10-30,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined his colleagues in urging the Kansas City Aviation Department to reject any proposed sale of passenger boarding bridges to Kansas City International Airport (KCI) by CIMC-Tianda, a Chinese state-backed company. The lawmakers warn that CIMC-Tianda's passenger bridges may allow the Chinese government to access the personal data of airport employees or to disrupt communications between ground control and aircraft. The letter reads,This poses a serious risk to American national security. The Chinese government has long used state-backed enterprises like CIMC-Tianda to advance its strategic interests. Beijing also recognizes the critical role U.S. transportation infrastructure including our airports plays not just in our citizens' lives, but also in the functioning of our economy and, in times of crisis, the mobilization of our nation's resources to protect American citizens. That is why Beijing has repeatedly targeted that infrastructure for disruption or interference using cyber and other means."" CIMC-Tianda has a long history of illegal activity in the U.S., including industrial espionage, and was previously banned from selling passenger bridges by a U.S. district court in Houston. Senator Hawley was joined by Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). Read the full letterhereor below. October 30, 2020 Patrick Klein Director of Aviation Kansas City Aviation Department 601 Brasilia Avenue Kansas City, MO 64153 Dear Mr. Klein: We understand the Kansas City International Airport (KCI) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to purchase passenger boarding bridges. We understand as well that CIMC-Tianda, a Chinese state-backed enterprise, may respond to that RFP. We urge you to reject any proposal from CIMC-Tianda in order to prevent the Chinese government from harming our nation's aviation infrastructure and those who rely on it. CIMC-Tianda has a long history of illegal activity in the United States. In 1998, a U.S. district court in Houston found the company guilty of industrial espionage and subsequently prohibited it from selling passenger bridges not of its own independent design until 2006. That prohibition has expired, however, and CIMC-Tianda is now trying to underbid competitors and reenter the American passenger bridge market. This poses a serious risk to American national security. The Chinese government has long used state-backed enterprises like CIMC-Tianda to advance its strategic interests. Beijing also recognizes the critical role U.S. transportation infrastructure including our airports plays not just in our citizens' lives, but also in the functioning of our economy and, in times of crisis, the mobilization of our nation's resources to protect American citizens. That is why Beijing has repeatedly targeted that infrastructure for disruption or interference using cyber and other means. With regard to KCI specifically, purchasing CIMC-Tianda passenger bridges could significantly enhance the Chinese government's ability to harm Missourians, Kansans, and the nation, more broadly, by interfering with KCI's operations. That is because new passenger bridges like those sold by CIMC-Tianda can be integrated with and potentially used to access a variety of critical systems. Chinese cyber operators might, for instance, be able to use access points provided by CIMC-Tianda bridges to steal financial and other sensitive records, including airport employees' or others' personal data, trigger airport alarms, or even disrupt links between ground control stations and the aircraft and passengers who depend on them. Congress has already responded to Chinese threats to American transportation infrastructure by prohibiting the use of federal transit funds to purchase vehicles from Chinese state-owned and other state-supported companies. Congress is currently considering additional measures, including legislation prohibiting Chinese state-backed enterprises that have been found guilty of intellectual property theft from competing for Aircraft Improvement Program-funded projects. We hope you will consider the risks described above and support efforts by Congress and others to protect Missourians, Kansans, and their fellow Americans from the threats posed by CIMC- Tianda, including by rejecting any proposal by CIMC-Tianda to sell passenger bridges to KCI. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator Jerry Moran United States Senator Vicki Hartzler Member of Congress Ron Estes Member of Congress Sam Graves Member of Congress Roger Marshall, M.D. Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-commends-hhs-for-awarding-nearly-13-million-in-covid-19-aid-to-296-missouri-nursing-homes,Blunt Commends HHS for Awarding Nearly $13 Million in COVID-19 Aid to 296 Missouri Nursing Homes,2020-10-29,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing nearly $13 million in coronavirus relief funding to 296 nursing homes in Missouri. This pandemic has taken the lives of more than 60,000 nursing home residents across the country, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, said Blunt. We need to make sure nursing homes have more support to not only protect patients, but also the health care providers and staff who they rely on for care and other services. I appreciate the administration for releasing this funding that will help keep Missourians and their loved ones safe as our nation continues the fight against this pandemic. Blunt commended HHS for providing nearly $84 million in August and nearly $165.4 million in May in coronavirus relief funding to nursing facilities in Missouri. The Blunt-backed CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act together provided a total of $175 billion for hospitals and health care providers nationwide.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-klobuchar-and-colleagues-urge-state-department-to-prioritize-policies-to-support-intercountry-adoption-in-search-for-new-accrediting-entities,"Blunt, Klobuchar and Colleagues Urge State Department to Prioritize Policies to Support Intercountry Adoption in Search for New Accrediting Entities",2020-10-29,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, along with U.S. Senators Richard Burr (N.C.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), James Inhofe (Okla.), James Lankford (Okla.), Mike Lee (Utah), and Roger Wicker (Miss.), sent a letter urging the State Department to prioritize policies to promote intercountry adoption as the department searches for new accrediting entities for intercountry adoption service providers. We urge the Department to use this search as an opportunity to recommit to one of the purposes of the Intercountry Adoption Act, to improve the ability of the Federal Government to assist' families seeking to adopt children from other countries, the senators wrote. Since the designation of the first accrediting entities in 2006, it has become clear that the intercountry adoption process can be influenced as much by the policies and procedures of an accrediting entity as the laws or regulations that govern intercountry adoption. The selection of a new accrediting entity or entitieswith the right priorities in mindcan play an important role in ensuring that the federal government will facilitate rather than encumber the ability of a child in need to have a family willing to provide a stable and loving home. In the letter, the senators ask the State Department to look specifically at the fee schedule for accrediting entities to ensure they do not impose undue financial burdens on families seeking to adopt internationally, especially low-income families, families seeking to adopt sibling groups, or families seeking to adopt children with disabilities. The senators also ask the State Department to provide additional information regarding changes to the Substantial Compliance System, citing feedback they have received from intercountry adoption stakeholders that the updates increase demand for compliance in some existing measures without increasing flexibility in others. Read the full text of the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://long.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=474,Rep. Long Announces $3 Million USDA Investment for Critical Community Services in Rural Areas,2020-10-28,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Billy Long,L000576,long.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Long Announces $3 Million USDA Grant for Critical Community Services in Rural Areas Washington, October 28, 2020 Today, the Trump Administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $871 million to improve critical community resources in rural areas. The USDA has awarded Willard, MO $3 million to purchase land and build a state of the art Physicians' Clinic in a prime location that will employ two full-time family practice physicians, four mid-level providers, and two mental health providers, as well as rotating specialists in the clinic. President Trump has gone to great lengths to improve our communities, and the USDA's latest investment will ensure Southwest Missourians will have access to the critical services they need, said Rep. Long. President Trump and Secretary Perdue have been strong allies of rural communities across the country, and their efforts will provide essential healthcare services to Willard, MO and the surrounding areas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-sikeston-r-6-school-district-awarded-over-1-million-in-grant-funding-to-build-community-safe-room,Blunt: Sikeston R-6 School District Awarded Over $1 Million in Grant Funding to Build Community Safe Room,2020-10-27,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) announced that the Sikeston R-6 School District is receiving a more than $1 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to build a community safe room. Safe rooms are a lifeline for Missourians who live in areas that are often hit by severe storms and tornadoes, said Blunt. This project has been a years-long priority for the Sikeston community, and I'm glad they will have the funding they need to build this life-saving facility. The grant will fund the construction of a new community safe room at the Sikeston R-6 School District - Kindergarten Center Campus in Sikeston. The school safe room will have a maximum occupancy of 492 and will also serve as a performing arts center/multi-purpose space.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-blunt-and-durbin-reps-smith_bustos-lead-bipartisan-bicameral-call-for-corps-to-fund-upper-mississippi-water-infrastructure-projects,"Sens. Blunt & Durbin, Reps. Smith & Bustos Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Call for Corps to Fund Upper Mississippi Water Infrastructure Projects",2020-10-27,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.), along with U.S. Representatives Jason Smith (Mo.) and Cheri Bustos (Ill.), led a bipartisan, bicameral call for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include construction funding for the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) in the Fiscal Year 2021 Work Plan. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James and Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon, the lawmakers urged the Corps to take this next step toward lock modernization and ecosystem restoration to strengthen water infrastructure along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The lawmakers wrote, Our nation's water infrastructure plays a critical role in maintaining our competitiveness in the global economy by ensuring the safest, least expensive, most environmentally-friendly, and most efficient movement of goods to market, but the current backlog of outstanding water infrastructure projects pending before the Corps is putting that competitiveness at risk. NESP, which was authorized in Title VIII of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, would modernize and expand seven outdated locks and restore ecosystems. Including construction funding for NESP in the FY 2021 Work Plan would build on the $4.5 million investment in preconstruction engineering and design for the projects in FY2020. The lawmakers continued, As this infrastructure continues to age (currently well past its intended lifetime) the risk of catastrophic failure grows. It is imperative that we address this issue before not after such a failure occurs. This window in time, with a new construction start available, is the best opportunity to begin the long-awaited NESP program. Waterways Council, Inc. and its members greatly appreciate the leadership from Congresswoman Bustos, Congressman Smith, Senator Blunt, Senator Durbin and all who co-signed onto this letter, advocating for this critical program for the entire nation, said Tracy Zea, President and CEO of Waterways Council, Inc. America's farmers, our manufacturing base, and our construction trades need NESP to begin now. The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) commends Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Dick Durbin, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Congressman Jason Smith for this bipartisan letter which will continue to build momentum for the urgently needed Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), said Bobby Frederick, Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy for the National Grain and Feed Association. NESP will make American Agriculture more competitive through the construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway. This additional capacity will reduce potential commercial barge traffic disruptions, help discipline rail rates and alleviate highway congestion, all while transporting commodities via the most environmentally friendly mode. With over fifty percent of all corn for export being transported on the inland waterway system, corn farmers rely heavily on efficient and reliable infrastructure of locks and dams, said John Linder, President of the National Corn Growers Association. We're thankful for Congresswoman Bustos, Congressman Smith, Senator Durbin, and Senator Blunt bringing attention to this important issue to ensure our growers are able to move their product efficiently and stay competitive. As America's #1 export crop with an average export value of more than $16 billion, we rely on U.S. inland waterways infrastructure to stay competitive in dynamic global markets, said Bill Gordon, President of the American Soybean Association and soy farmer from Worthington, Minnesota. The American Soybean Association appreciates the Corps' previous allocation of funds through NESP to improve locks along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers, and we again look to the Corps to assure these vital improvements come to fruition through the FY2021 Work Plan. As America's soybean farmers are harvesting the 2020 crop this fall, the timeliness of these water infrastructure projects is all the more evidentand pressingfor our continued economic success. Text of the letter can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-applauds-inclusion-northeast-missouri-ports-new-port-statistical-area,Graves Applauds Inclusion of Northeast Missouri Ports in new Port Statistical Area,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, applauded the recent announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved the Mid-America Port Commission Port Statistical Area and several Port Authorities along the Mississippi River in Northeast Missouri will be included. ""The Mississippi River plays a major role in getting our goods to market. Federally recognizing these ports is critical to their success and existence. The new Port Statistical Area will go a long way towards ensuring that we have an accurate assessment of what is being shipped out of Northeast Missouri, potentially opening the door to more economic development. Congratulations to the folks who have worked hard to establish these ports over the years and to everyone involved in getting this PSA approved by the Corps of Engineers,"" said Graves. North Missouri public ports in the Mid-America Port Commission Port Statistical Area will include the Lewis County Port Authority, Marion/Ralls County Port Authority, and the Pike/Lincoln County Port Authority. A port statistical area helps the Corps of Engineers gather shipping data and rank ports based on that data.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:34:36Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-celebrates-agency-approvals-little-otter-creek-lake-project,Graves Celebrates Agency Approvals for Little Otter Creek Lake Project,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Kansas City, MO – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today celebrated the announcement that all agencies involved have lent their approval to the Little Otter Creek Lake Project so it can begin construction. The project has been in the works for nearly 25 years. ""This is great news for Northwest Missouri. Droughts in recent years made it more clear than ever that this water supply is desperately needed. Folks have put in countless hours of work to see this come to fruition and I'm glad it has finally gotten through the bureaucratic hurdles so they can start construction. Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to move this project forward and I look forward to seeing the lake completed,"" said Graves. Graves has worked to help get the federal government to commit over 16 million dollars to the project, in addition to pushing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with local officials and contractors to move the project along. Once completed, Little Otter Creek Lake will provide a source of drinking water to communities in Caldwell County and surrounding areas, with the secondary purpose of providing flood control and recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, biking, and the enjoyment of nature. Construction is expected to begin next Summer.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:34:36Z https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases/graves-joins-bipartisan-bicameral-call-corps-prioritize-upper-mississippi,"Graves joins bipartisan, bicameral call for Corps to prioritize Upper Mississippi Water Infrastructure Projects",2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Sam Graves,G000546,graves.house.gov,graves,https://graves.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined a bipartisan, bicameral call for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include construction funding for the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) in the Fiscal Year 2021 Work Plan. In a letter, the lawmakers urged the Corps to take this next step toward lock modernization and ecosystem restoration to strengthen water infrastructure along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The inland waterway system is critical to the transportation of a number of American products and plays a key role in the agriculture economy. NESP, which was authorized in Title VIII of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, would modernize and expand seven outdated locks and restore ecosystems. Including construction funding for NESP would build on the $4.5 million investment in preconstruction engineering and design (PED) for the projects in FY20. ""NESP is a critically important multi-purpose program that allows the Corps to address both navigation and ecosystem restoration in an integrated approach that construct new locks at seven existing sites, thereby opening the river up to two-way traffic,"" the lawmakers wrote. ""Our nation's water infrastructure plays a critical role in maintaining our competitiveness in the global economy by ensuring the safest, least expensive, most environmentally-friendly, and most efficient movement of goods to market, but the current backlog of outstanding water infrastructure projects pending before the Corps is putting that competitiveness at risk."" Text of the letter is below and can be found here. October 26, 2020 The Honorable R.D. James Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 108 Army Pentagon Washington DC, 20310 Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon Chief of Engineers and Commanding General U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 441 G Street NW Washington, DC 20314-1000 Dear Assistant Secretary James and Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellmon: As you prepare the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Civil Works, we urge you to include a new start for a construction project through the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP). We appreciate that the Corps included $4.5 million for preconstruction engineering and design (PED) of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System projects in the FY20 Work Plan. A new start will allow the momentum of this work to continue; it is our understanding that, with a new start, the Corps would be ready for a construction award worth several million dollars for a project under NESP. Authorized in 2007, NESP is a critically important multi-purpose program that allows the Corps to address both navigation and ecosystem restoration in an integrated approach that construct new locks at seven existing sites, thereby opening the river up to two-way traffic. Additionally, NESP provides a comprehensive ecosystem restoration for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Our nation's water infrastructure plays a critical role in maintaining our competitiveness in the global economy by ensuring the safest, least expensive, most environmentally-friendly, and most efficient movement of goods to market, but the current backlog of outstanding water infrastructure projects pending before the Corps is putting that competitiveness at risk. As this infrastructure continues to age (currently well past its intended lifetime) the risk of catastrophic failure grows. It is imperative that we address this issue before – not after – such a failure occurs. NESP maintains broad, bipartisan support in Congress, and, in recent fiscal years, both the House and Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bills and reports have included continued funding for PED and called for the Corps to advance projects authorized in Title VIII of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (PL 110-114). We urge the Corps to move forward with a new construction start for NESP in the FY21 Work Plan. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important request.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:34:36Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-votes-to-confirm-judge-amy-coney-barrett-to-the-supreme-court,Blunt Votes to Confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement after voting to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court: Throughout this confirmation process, Judge Amy Coney Barrett proved time and again why she will make a tremendous addition to the Supreme Court. She clearly understands that the role of a judge is to interpret and apply the law and the Constitution as they are written, not as she wishes they were written. She is a brilliant jurist with the right temperament to serve on the nation's highest court. The effusive praise she received from colleagues, students, and even those who disagreed with her judicial philosophy spoke not only to her professional credentials, but also her personal character. I was proud to have the opportunity to support Judge Barrett's confirmation and look forward to seeing her sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Last week, Blunt met with Judge Barrett [PHOTOS, VIDEO] and delivered remarks on the Senate floor [VIDEO] in support of her confirmation. In a Meet the Press interview the day after President Trump announced Judge Barrett's nomination, Blunt said he was eager to vote for her confirmation and made clear that the confirmation process was in line with well-established historical precedent.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-praises-upcoming-confirmation-amy-coney-barrett-us-supreme-court,Hawley Praises Upcoming Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to U.S. Supreme Court,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor in support of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate is scheduled to vote on final confirmation of Judge Barrett this evening. Senator Hawley said,The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is truly historic. This is the most openly pro-life judicial nominee to the Supreme Court in my lifetime. This is an individual who has been open in her criticism of that illegitimate decisionRoe v. Wade. This is a nominee who has been open about her faith and her faith commitments and the way she and her husband live their lives immersed in their Catholic faith and raise their children in their Catholic faith and want others to have the freedom to be able to do the same."" ""And her nomination, and I anticipate her confirmation, tonight, in just a few hours on this floor, will show that there's nothing wrong with any of that. In fact, people of faith should be welcome on the Supreme Court of the United States. People of Judge Barrett's convictions should be welcome on the Supreme Court of the United States, and in just a few hours, in the vote of this body, we will confirm that that is indeed the case.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-senate-confirms-openly-pro-life-justice,Hawley: Senate Confirms Openly Pro-Life Justice,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)pledged in Julythat he would only support nominees for the Supreme Court whose record demonstrated that they understood Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. Judge Amy Coney Barrett met this standard and earned his vote for her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Senator Hawley released the following statement after the Senate vote: ""History has been made with the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. She is the most openly pro-life Supreme Court nominee to be confirmed in my lifetime. Despite being the subject of vicious attacks by the left for years, she refused to give in to the unconstitutional religious tests that Democrats sought to impose against her. This religious bigotry failed and must never be repeated. ""Judge Barrett is a stellar intellect and a fair and impartial jurist. With this confirmation, our nation's highest Court is now more committed than ever to the rule of law and to upholding our fundamental constitutional rights. President Trump and Senate Republicans were elected to put strong constitutionalists on the Supreme Court, and that is exactly what we have in Justice Barrett."" Senator Hawley spoke about Judge Barrett's faith and pro-life views on the Senate floor this afternoon ahead of the vote.Watch his full remarks here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-welcomes-usda-announcement-authorize-additional-500-million-quality-food,Senator Hawley Welcomes USDA Announcement to Authorize Additional $500 Million for Quality Food Distribution During the Pandemic,2020-10-26,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"After Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue calling for an additional round of contracts for the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, USDA announced the authorization of $500 million to the quality food distribution program.Senator Hawley applauds the timely announcement to begin the deliveries of quality food boxes on November 1 through December 31, 2020. The Farmers to Families Food Box program has been a critical lifeline for thousands of families across Missouri throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,""Senator Hawley said. I applaud the USDA for authorizing additional funding to this program tohelpensure households have food on the tablein themonths to come."" Hawley sent this letter after hearing reports that food banks across Missouri have seen significant declines in recent weeks in the supply and quality of food made available to them through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. In May 2020, Senator Hawley, along with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), urged Secretary Purdue to strengthen the Farmers to Families Food Box program by approving the participation of Convoy of Hope. As of September 2020, Convoy of Hope has distributedover 150 million meals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3233,And Then There Were Nine,2020-10-23,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation as the 9th Justice on a now full Supreme Court represents the culmination of a process begun over one month ago. Her nomination, subsequent vetting and hearing before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and confirmation on the Floor of the United States Senate highlights a process in which she answered two straight 10 hour days of countless questioning as well as answers she provided in writing to an additional 430 questions submitted by Senators. She was subjected to the Left's effort to cast her as someone who had brokered some sort of back room deal' with President Trump to dismantle Americans' healthcare protections, and they even went so far as to throw religious bigotry her way for putting her Catholic faith at the center of her life. But in the end, our Constitution, as it always does, provided the pathway for a process of an appropriate length of hearing, questioning, advice, consent and confirmation of Judge Barrett. Through the first three days of confirmation hearings, we watched as Democrat Senators lifted the talking points of the Left and reiterated outrageous claims about some sort of hidden agenda Coney Barrett simply must have. The clamored about her desire to end pre-existing conditions (untrue), they complained about not having enough time to appropriately vet her (untrue) but then wasted their entire questioning time with campaign style speeches attacking President Trump, while not actually asking Judge Barrett any questions. They protested about her honoring Supreme Court nominee precedent and not indicating how she would rule on hypothetical cases or provide criticisms of past court rulings. In the end, they refused to even do their Senatorial duty and walked out of the vote to advance her nomination to the full U.S. Senate body. On the final day of hearings, we learned more about Amy Coney Barrett the person, not the judge. In remarkable testimony from Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to clerk at the Supreme Court, we heard about how Barrett helped guide and mentor her while she was enrolled at Notre Dame's Law School. Laura talked about struggling during her first semester of Law School; how technological limitations were holding her back from succeeding and how she was having to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with things like navigating the grocery store on her own in a new area, to figuring out how to get the equipment she needed to keep up with her studies and that she was falling behind, and fearing failing out. She talked about being assigned to one of Judge Barrett's classes and when confiding in Judge Barrett her struggles, she shared the now famous response from Judge Barrett: Laura, this is no longer your problem. It's my problem. The investment Judge Barrett made in her had a direct impact it helped her succeed as a law student and become a clerk on the Supreme Court. In the end, what has been a respected and historical confirmation process which honored tradition, precedent and dignity (a stark contrast to the confirmation hearings of Justice Kavanaugh in 2018), a process which had even Democrat Ranking Senator Dianne Feinstein thanking the Chair, Senator Lindsey Graham and saying, This has been one of the best set of hearings that I've participated in., is now being met with calls from the insatiable leftist base of the Democrat Party to drastically expand the number of Supreme Court Justices. In their scheme, their chosen Presidential Candidate, Joe Biden, is so moldable with no backbone, that he will listen to their demands to expand the size of the Supreme Court and add 4 or more new Liberal Judges to the highest court in the land. Never mind that nine has been the historical precedent for over 150 years of our Supreme Court, the Left wants to see the courts numbers stand at 11, 13, or even more. The term, called packing the court has been renounced by numerous scholars, judges and even the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself who said Nine seems to be a good number. It's been that way for a long timeI think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court. Her, nor her wishes, matter to the Left, just their agenda to radically tear down the America you and I love. This topic alone represents one of the most important issues facing voters, yet when asked about it, both Senator Harris and Vice President Biden have either refused to directly answer their plans for the Supreme Court, or given non sensical answers about how President Trump is packing the courts. That doesn't even make sense. Just because President Trump has been successful in nominating and confirming close to 250 federal judges across the country, including now multiple Supreme Court Justices, doesn't mean he is packing the court; it means he has been successful in nominating extremely qualified jurists to our nation's courts with records of upholding law, not legislating from the bench and reading the Constitution as written. It means he has been successful in working with all branches of government, but especially the United States Senate in using his lifelong negotiating skills to get confirmation votes on those he nominates. Most importantly, lets not forget, it was the Democrat controlled Senate in 2013 under Senator Harry Reid who changed the rules to allow judge confirmations to advance on a simple majority vote versus the 60 vote filibuster threshold while Democrats may be mad now how those circumstances have played out, they have no one to blame but themselves. Judge Barrett proved herself to be qualified and up to the task of serving on our nation's highest bench. She skillfully handled the attacks from the Left and has instantly become a role model for so many young women out there entering the field of Law. Anyone actually watching those hearings could draw no other conclusion. But that's not what this is about. She was going to be torn down regardless of the type of judge, teacher, mentor, and mother she is, simply because the Left hates the President who nominated her. 150 years of precedent thrown away because of the Leadership of one party's refusal to say no to those taking over their political party that's the reality and it's a shame. Their calls now to pack the court' in response to Judge Barrett's confirmation are as ridiculous as their attacks on her character. The only thing more ridiculous than those plans is Vice President Biden's actual refusal to denounce them.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-klobuchar-introduce-bill-to-drive-tourism-growth-across-nation-in-wake-of-coronavirus-pandemic,"Blunt, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Drive Tourism Growth Across Nation in Wake of Coronavirus Pandemic",2020-10-23,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, introduced legislation that will help improve tourism across the country by studying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry and identifying policy recommendations to assist the hard-hit industry. The Protecting Tourism in the United States Act directs the U.S. Department of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and the heads of other relevant federal agencies, to study the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different sectors of the travel and tourism industry. The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to consult with representatives from a range of travel and tourism sectors and provide policy recommendations for promoting and assisting the travel and tourism industry. To facilitate action on policies that provide immediate relief to the industry, the bill requires completion of an interim study within three months of the bill being enacted. The House companion legislation, led by U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (Fla.) and Fred Upton (Mich.), passed the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce in September. The coronavirus pandemic has been particularly devastating for hardworking Missourians whose livelihoods depend on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries, said Blunt. Having a full understanding of the pandemic's impact on jobs and the economy will help us ensure we have the right policies in place to support a full recovery in this critical sector. It's especially important for a state like ours with all of our incredible parks, attractions, restaurants, and hotels that make Missouri a top travel destination. From Lake Superior to the Mall of America, Minnesota is home to exceptional tourist destinationsbut as travel has been limited during the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism industry has been hit particularly hard, said Klobuchar. This bipartisan legislation will help support the travel and tourism industry, which will boost local economies throughout Minnesota and across the country. As members of the Senate Commerce Committee and co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, Blunt and Klobuchar have long championed efforts to support tourism in the U.S. as a way to drive economic growth. In July, Blunt and Klobuchar, along with U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Kevin Cramer (N.D.), introduced bipartisan legislation to provide economic support for organizations involved in promoting and hosting tourism, travel, or other special events. The Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID19 Pandemic (STEP) Act would modify existing Economic Development Administration grant programs to provide direct support to the hard-hit tourism and travel industry to promote economic recovery and help increase public confidence as these industries look to reopen safely in the future. Last year, Blunt and Klobuchar helped secure the reauthorization of Brand USA through 2027. Brand USA is a public-private partnership that enhances tourism and job creation across the country. The program, which was established under the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act of 2009, brings in millions of additional international visitors to the U.S. each year at zero cost to taxpayers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-calls-usda-ensure-distribution-quality-food-throughout-missouri-during-pandemic,Hawley Calls on USDA to Ensure Distribution of Quality Food Throughout Missouri During Pandemic,2020-10-23,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on the agency to provide an additional round of contracts for the Farmers to Families Food Box program ahead of its impending end date on October 31 and to ensure the continued distribution of quality food throughout Missouri during the pandemic. Hawley calls attention to reports that food banks across Missouri have seen a significant declineinthe supply and quality of food from the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which has been a critical lifeline for thousands of Missourians during the pandemic. With millions out of work, businesses fighting to stay afloat, and hundreds of thousands of people joining the unemployment rolls on a weekly basis, federal nutrition programs will continue to play an essential role in helping families weather this crisis. The Farmers to Families Food Box program is a key part of the federal relief framework and should be prioritized. Senator Josh Hawley In May 2020, Senator Hawley, along with Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), urged Secretary Purdue to strengthen the Farmers to Families Food Box program by approving the participation of Convoy of Hope. As of September 2020, Convoy of Hopehas distributedover 150 million meals. Read the full letter here or below. October 23, 2020 The Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture 11400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250 Dear Secretary Perdue, It has come to my attention that food banks across my home state of Missouri have seen a significant decline in recent weeks in the supply of food made available to them through the Farmers to Families Food Box program. Several stakeholders have also told me of a drop in food quality associated with the program, as contracts with out-of-state producers have complicated the distribution process. The Farmers to Families Food Box program has been a critical lifeline for thousands of needy families across my state throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Missouri foodbanks and other emergency nutrition providers have seen dramatic increases in demand in recent months as desperate families look for any way to make ends meet. [1] Reducing the amount and quality of food available through the program at this juncture is a serious cause for concern. With millions out of work, businesses fighting to stay afloat, and hundreds of thousands of people joining the unemployment rolls on a weekly basis, federal nutrition programs will continue to play an essential role in helping families weather this crisis. The Farmers to Food Box program is a key part of the federal relief framework and should be prioritized. Given the impending end to the program on October 31, 2020, and no announcement of additional rounds of contracts, [2] I ask for a response to the following questions: What amount of CARES Act funding has been allocated to the Farmers to Families Food Box program? Does the USDA plan to offer an additional round of contracts for the Farmers to Families Food Box program? If so, how much money will be made available for the next round, and when can the public expect an announcement in this regard? What plans has the USDA put in place to avoid a stark end to program operations on October 31, 2020? And what communications has the USDA had with producers, distributors, and state leaders to safeguard against this? Does the USDA have the resources available, either through CARES Act appropriations or in general USDA funds, to continue the program until at least the end of 2020? If not, what additional resources would be needed from Congress to do so? Program dollars are distributed by formula based on county population and unemployment levels. What accountability measures are in place to ensure that poorly managed states do not get a disproportionate amount of aid to the detriment of others? How are the additional distribution challenges and costs presented by rural areas being taken into account in funding allocation decisions? What quality control and oversight measures has the USDA taken to ensure that the highest quality foods available are being delivered in a timely manner through the Farmers to Families Food Box program? Has USDA considered what funding level would be required to expand the program in the coming months to meet the full demand of hunger and nutrition needs? Thank you for your attention to this important issue, and I look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-start-of-new-construction-at-former-bannister-federal-complex-an-exciting-milestone,Blunt: Start of New Construction at Former Bannister Federal Complex an Exciting Milestone,2020-10-22,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) delivers remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bannister Federal Complex redevelopment project in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, October 22, 2020. WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement after participating remotely in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bannister Federal Complex redevelopment project in Kansas City, Mo.: The start of new construction at the former Bannister Federal Complex is an exciting milestone years in the making, said Blunt. This project is transforming a historic site into a modernized manufacturing and distribution hub, which will support new permanent jobs and encourage additional economic development in the Kansas City region. I appreciate the great work Bannister Transformation & Development, and all of their dedicated employees, have done to reach this point. I was proud to support this project and I will continue working with local, state, and federal officials as the redevelopment moves forward. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Blunt has led efforts in Congress to secure federal support for the redevelopment project. Blunt worked to include $200 million in the FY2017 funding bill for the Bannister Road Disposition, the final appropriation needed to allow the site to move forward on transfer, demolition, and remediation. In 2013, Congress passed and the president signed into law Blunt's amendment that cleared the way for the redevelopment process. Blunt visited the site in 2019 and 2018 to receive updates on the project. On July 4th, 1942, Senator Harry S. Truman broke ground on the Pratt and Whitney Plant, a manufacturing site for aircraft engines during World War II. The site later became the Bannister Federal Complex, which supported U.S. national security efforts for more than 70 years. The project to restore the historic site to a productive part of the Kansas City region was a collaborative effort between federal and state agencies and private development.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-welcomes-usdas-915-million-investment-to-expand-broadband-in-rural-missouri,Blunt Welcomes USDA’s $91.5 Million Investment to Expand Broadband in Rural Missouri,2020-10-22,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement that it is investing an additional $91.5 million in grant funding through the ReConnect Pilot Program to expand rural broadband in Missouri. The Blunt-backed FY2020 government funding bill included $550 million for the program, which targets areas that currently lack access to broadband and includes provisions that prevent overbuilding existing infrastructure. The pandemic has brought even more attention to how critical connectivity is to education, health care, and jobs, said Blunt. Ending the digital divide will level the playing field for people in rural areas who haven't had the same opportunities to compete and succeed. I'll continue working to ensure we have the policies and resources in place to address one of the most important economic and quality of life issues facing our rural areas. In Missouri and across the country, technology and innovation are vital to agricultural production, said USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce. Our commitment to invest in rural America cannot be achieved without addressing the digital divide our rural communities face because of a lack of high-speed broadband internet. Missouri received nearly 20 percent of the total nationwide allocation for this grant cycle. With today's announcement, Missouri has received nearly $200 million in funding through the program over the past two years, including: $3 million in August 2020; $60.9 million in January 2020; and $41.6 million in November 2019. Blunt supported the creation of the ReConnect Pilot Program in the FY2018 government funding bill, and supported additional funding for the program in the FY2019 and FY2020 funding bills. Following are the details of the awardees announced today, according to USDA: The Stoutland Telephone Company, doing business as (DBA) Missouricom, will use a $4.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which connect 2,390 people, 78 farms and 12 businesses to high-speed broadband internet in Dallas, Camden and Laclede counties.Marshall Municipal Utilities will use a $7.5 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network, which will connect 3,890 people, 433 farms, 63 businesses, two public schools, a fire station and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Saline County.Steelville Telephone Exchange, DBA STE Communications, will use a $14.8 million ReConnect grant and a $14.8 million ReConnect loan. As a result, STE Communications will deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 4,756 people, 314 farms, 55 businesses, two fire stations and a post office to high-speed broadband internet in Iron, Dent, Crawford and Washington counties.Total Highspeed LLC was awarded a $24.9 million ReConnect grant and a $24.9 million ReConnect loan. These funds will provide a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 26,077 people, 720 farms, 417 businesses, nine fire stations and five public schools to high-speed broadband internet in Christian, Greene, Lawrence, Stone, and Webster counties.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-colleagues-introduce-resolution-condemning-ccp-forced-labor-tibet,"Hawley, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Condemning CCP Forced Labor In Tibet",2020-10-22,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)introduced a resolutioncondemning the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) use of forced labor inTibetand demanding that American companies divest of suppliers who useTibetan or other forced labor. The resolution also calls for an investigation into the CCP's forced labor program, so the world can see the full extent of Beijing's latest assault on religious freedom inTibet. ""Beijing is using modern slavery to punishTibetans for practicing their religious faith. This is just the latest example of the lengths to which the CCP is willing to go to impose its will on others. We must hold Beijing accountable and that starts with ending American corporations' complicity in Chinese forced labor."" Senator Josh Hawley Senator Hawley's resolution is a response torecentevidencethat the CCP is removingTibetans from their homes and forcing them to work at state-assigned jobs, often far from their families and communities. The resolutioniscosponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.). Senator Hawley has previouslyintroduced legislationto hold American companies accountable for slave labor in their supply chains.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wagner-introduces-legislation-protect-victims-trafficking-child,"Wagner Introduces Legislation to Protect Victims of Trafficking, Child Exploitation, Identity Theft, Financial Crimes",2020-10-21,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Ann Wagner,W000812,wagner.house.gov,wagner,https://wagner.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Act to codify and expand the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Victim Assistance Program (VAP) to ensure victims of federal crimes have access to the assistance and support they need. In January 2020, the Department of Homeland Security issued the ""Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, and Child Sexual Exploitation."" Acting Secretary Chad Wolf called for the expansion of the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program as a core part of implementing this strategy and putting victims first. ""I'm proud to introduce the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Act to improve support of victims of crimes investigated by DHS's Homeland Security Investigations, including human trafficking, child exploitation, identity theft, human rights violations, and financial crimes,"" said Congresswoman Wagner. ""This bill would formally establish the Victim Assistance Program and fund trained victim assistance specialists so that HSI offices in Missouri and throughout the country have experts on hand to support victims. We must make sure victims of federal crime have their rights protected and are referred to support services as they move through the investigation and prosecution process."" ""Human trafficking and exploitation have no place in our society. As we work to fight against these heinous acts, we must also protect and support the thousands of men, women and children who fall victim each year,"" said Congressman Cuellar. ""This bipartisan legislation will expand community and victim services to survivors so they are able to rebuild their lives. As the Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, I will continue to fund programs that support the needs of victims and survivors of these horrible crimes. I look forward to working Congresswoman Wagner in passing this important legislation.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-06-28T00:34:36Z https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-meets-with-judge-amy-coney-barrett,Blunt Meets with Judge Amy Coney Barrett,2020-10-21,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Roy Blunt,B000575,www.blunt.senate.gov,,,legacy,"CLICK HEREFor Photos WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) met with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Blunt previously supported her confirmation to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and will vote in favor of her confirmation to the Supreme Court. Following Are Blunt's Remarks at the Meeting: Judge Barrett's been on my short list for the Supreme Court since the time she was confirmed as a circuit judge. Everything that happened in the hearing only intensified my belief that she'll be a great justice on the Supreme Court and I look forward to supporting her next week and seeing her sworn in shortly after that.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3226,Congressman Smith Introduces Legislation to Secure Drug Supply,2020-10-20,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congressman Jason Smith(R-MO) introduced the Secure America's Medicine Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to begin procuring critical medications the Federal Government should ensure are readily available for the American public in the event of another national health emergency. According to Congressman Smith, one of the lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic is that it has shown us our overreliance upon foreign drug manufacturing clearly puts American lives at risk. Earlier this year, Congressman Smith had his amendment pass the U.S. House of Representatives requiring HHS to compile a list of those critical medications for procurement. This legislation takes the next step in now requiring HHS to begin the process of securing and building our own domestic stockpile of those medications. The Strategic National Stockpile would be required to maintain specific inventory levels of designated critical medications or their key ingredients in specified domestic locations. We know we can no longer rely on adversarial nations for the life-sustaining medications Americans need,said Congressman Smith. Hostile authoritarian regimeslike the Chinese Communist Partyshould never have the ability to decide which drugs the American people have access to. We cannot allow China to hold American lives in its hands. My legislation will ensure our National Strategic Stockpile has the critical drugs that Americans need in the event of another public health emergency,Smith continued. More importantly, this legislation will show us where the vulnerabilities in our supply chain exist to serve as a blueprint to put the American people back in control of our medical supply chain. Bringing pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States is one of President Trump's top priorities, and this legislation will accomplish exactly that."" Rep. Smith was joined by his Democratic colleague, Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL), who said, COVID-19 has laid bare that our supply chains need to be more robust and resilient. A good first step is creating a list of critical drugs we know we will need in an emergency, and then working to ensure those drug supplies never run dry. I appreciate my colleague Jason Smith's work on this issue, and look forward to getting the Secure America's Medicine Act of 2020 signed into law. The U.S. House of Representatives previously passed Rep. Smith's amendment to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a list of critical medications on July 30, 2020. This legislation expands upon that amendment to also require the procurement of those medications. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-statement-doj-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google,Senator Hawley Statement on DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google,2020-10-20,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statement after the Department of Justice announced an antitrust lawsuit against Google: ""Today's lawsuit is the most important antitrust case in a generation. Google and its fellow Big Tech monopolists exercise unprecedented power over the lives of ordinary Americans, controlling everything from the news we read to the security of our most personal information. And Google in particular has gathered and maintained that power through illegal means. That is why I launched a sweeping antitrust investigation of Google when I was Missouri Attorney General, and that's why I stand behind the Department of Justice's actions today. But to be clear - this is just a first step, and I will continue to fight for the legislative solutions needed to end the tyranny of Big Tech.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://jasonsmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3225,Censored & Banned,2020-10-16,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Jason Smith,S001195,jasonsmith.house.gov,,,legacy,"What do White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Republican Judiciary Committee leader Jim Jordan and President Trump's Campaign all have in common? Each one of them had their social media accounts temporarily banned this week for sharing the New York Post's story about Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden and emails showing he leveraged his father's roll as Vice President in his international business dealings. You aren't missing anything, this is exactly what it looks like companies such as Twitter and Facebook using their ability to control and censor the news, messages, and information seen by their hundreds of millions of users here in the United States to impact the outcome of the 2020 elections. Last week, I raised alarms about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Megan Markle, using titles bestowed upon them by a foreign government to interfere with our elections. This week it is just a different type of elitists, Silicon Valley, trying to meddle in the Presidential elections to benefit theirchosen candidate, Joe Biden. As a result of their actions, the Federal Elections Commission should immediately investigate these companies for providing undisclosed and potentially illegal campaign support to Joe Biden. In this case, Twitter and Facebook hid behind a thinly veiled argument of not allowing the posting of hacked materials. If that was the case, why did they not ban stories about hacked tax information of President Trump? The truth is, this is just the latest in the most blatant examples of left leaning coastal tech types who hate republicans, hate President Trump, and hate middle America trying to do everything they can to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections. The double standard is absurd. Twitter and Facebook let stand wild conspiracy theories and made up fake negative news hits about President Trump, but they immediately take down and ban the circulation of news the American people deserve to know, but under their calculous is too damaging for Joe Biden to let stand. Stories from The New York Times, Washington Post and others later proven false, they let be circulated amongst millions and trend' on their platforms, but when it comes to anything critical of Joe Biden, they immediately take it down. The censoring of conservative thought and speech is not something new on many of these social media platforms, it is something which has been going on for months and years, but this close to the most important election of our lifetime is a true abuse of power. Our own Senator, Josh Hawley, has been leading the fight in raising these concerns. I support his legislation which would remove the immunity granted to these social media companies which is currently preventing them from being held liable for their censoring of political speech. I am glad he has called a number of the executives from both Twitter and Facebook to come before the Senate to testify under oath to explain their actions. I am also pleased the Federal Communications Chairman has announced he will begin the process of reviewing and removing any special protections these social media platforms have which inhibit their ability to be held accountable by the American public for blocking citizens ability to express their political views. Facebook, Twitter and others serve as important sources of news for millions of Americans. And that news should be open and accessible for all, free of bias from the underlying tech provider. When those companies overstep and let their own agenda directly impact the information and news put in front of Americans, then Congress not only has the right, but the responsibility to step in and level the playing field. Given their size, these companies play an ever-growing role in the dissemination of information. For me, I know one of the best ways to get this weekly column to many in rural parts of our district is to post these same words to my own Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is my hope you will be able to find them there this week, but given the topic, I'm not sure you will.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-hawley-blasts-facebook-rejecting-ads-pro-life-groups,Senator Hawley Blasts Facebook for Rejecting Ads from Pro-Life Groups,2020-10-16,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg questioning the company's suspension of advertising privileges for pro-life groups, including Susan B. Anthony List and Missouri-based Choose Life Marketing. The Susan B. Anthony List ads were rejected from Facebook on the basis of a draft ""fact check"" from the anti-Trump news site The Dispatch, while Choose Life Marketing had its ad distribution privileges abruptly suspended with no policy explanation from Facebook. Senator Hawley wrote, ""Facebook's censors have apparently been busy this week. Your company's decision to restrict the spread of a story reporting on corruption allegations surrounding Hunter Biden is now a matter of national news and the subject of congressional inquiries. That makes it all the more inexplicableor, perhaps, all the more frustratingly predictablethat Facebook would choose this same week to target pro-life content on its platform."" This week Senator Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, called on Facebook and Twitter CEOs to testify on potential violations of federal election law in their censorship of the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden. Read the full letter here or below. October 16, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg Chief Executive Officer Facebook, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg: Facebook's censors have apparently been busy this week. Your company's decision to restrict the spread of a story reporting on corruption allegations surrounding Hunter Biden is now a matter of national news and the subject of congressional inquiries. That makes it all the more inexplicableor, perhaps, all the more frustratingly predictablethat Facebook would choose this same week to target pro-life content on its platform. First, Choose Life Marketinga Missouri-based advertising agency doing business with crisis pregnancy centers throughout the countrysaw its ad distribution privileges abruptly suspended, without any explanation for what Facebook policy had allegedly been violated. When Choose Life Marketing sought to appeal that decision, they were informed that it might take weeks before Facebook could provide an explanation. Given the centrality of online advertising to businesses trying to make ends meet during the pandemic, Facebook's insouciance is unacceptable: a weeks-long blackout risks having a crippling impact on both Choose Life Marketing and its clients. Second, the Susan B. Anthony Listone of the nation's most prominent pro-life groupshad its ads rejected by Facebook on the basis of a draft fact check from the anti-Trump news site The Dispatch. These ads described Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as supporting abortion up until the moment of birth, at taxpayer expense.[1] But the draft fact check used to discredit the ads acknowledged that Biden's views on abortion have evolved throughout the years, culminating in a 2012 denial of any governmental right to tell other people that . . . they can't control their body, and that Harris backed legislation that would remove state restrictions on abortions.[2] Additionally, the fact check observed that both Biden and Harris support repealing the Hyde Amendment, which presently bars federal funding for abortions.[3] The Susan B. Anthony List ads, in other words, are not falseas The Dispatch itself noted when it backtracked on its own fact check.[4] Voters may disagree about the specific implications of Biden and Harris's remarks on abortionbut Facebook has no business intervening in that political debate by privileging one interpretation over others. All of this, no doubt, is part of an increasingly troubling pattern: it has become abundantly clear that Facebook is targeting voices that dissent from the national media's progressive consensus. Suppressing distribution of the New York Post's reporting on the Hunter Biden corruption allegations, it appears, was just the beginning. I look forward to learning more from you in the coming weeks, when you are under oath in a congressional hearing, about how these advertising takedown decisions were made. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/following-potential-campaign-finance-violation-hawley-call-facebook-twitter-ceos-testify-regarding,"Following Potential Campaign Finance Violation, Hawley to Call Facebook & Twitter CEOS to Testify Regarding Censorship of NY Post Story",2020-10-15,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, announced he would call Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify on potential violations of federal election law in their censorship of the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden. Senator Hawley has also called on the Federal Election Commission to open an investigation in the matter. .@Twitter @jack this is not nearly good enough. In fact, it's a joke. It's downright insulting. I will ask you - and @Facebook - to give an explanation UNDER OATH to the Senate subcommittee I chair. These are potential violations of election law, and that's a crime https://t.co/Rylva8UJv9 Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 15, 2020",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/sen-hawley-formally-invites-facebook-and-twitter-testify-regarding-censorship-new-york-post,Sen. Hawley Formally Invites Facebook and Twitter to Testify Regarding Censorship of New York Post & Potential Campaign Finance Violation,2020-10-15,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) formally invited Facebook and Twitter to testify regarding their censorship of the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden. Senator Hawley said that the companies have violated campaign finance law by offering an in-kind contribution to the Biden campaign. Senator Hawley's letter to Facebook can be found here and his letter to Twitter can be found here. October 15, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg Chief Executive Officer Facebook, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 By Email Dear Mr. Zuckerberg: I invite you to testify, on a date to be determined before the election, at the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing entitled Digital Platforms and Election Interference. As your company is no doubt aware, corporations are forbidden from contributing anything of valuefinancial or otherwiseto support the election of candidates for public office. Accordingly, this hearing will consider potential campaign law violations arising from your company's decision, on October 14, 2020, to support the presidential campaign of Joe Biden by suppressing the distribution of a New York Post article entitled Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad."" Committee rules require that you provide your testimony and curriculum vitae for distribution to members of the Committee and the press at least 24 hours before the hearing is scheduled to begin. Please send an electronic copy of your testimony and curriculum vitae to Jason_Covey@judiciary-rep.senate.gov. Please contact Jason Covey at (202) 224-5225 with any questions. We look forward to your testimony. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator October 15, 2020 Jack Dorsey Chief Executive Officer Twitter, Inc. 1355 Market Street, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94103 By Email Dear Mr. Dorsey: I invite you to testify, on a date to be determined before the election, at the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing entitled Digital Platforms and Election Interference. As your company is no doubt aware, corporations are forbidden from contributing anything of valuefinancial or otherwiseto support the election of candidates for public office. This hearing will consider potential campaign law violations arising from your company's decision, on October 14, 2020, to support the presidential campaign of Joe Biden by asymmetrically applying its terms of service and restricting the distribution of a New York Post article entitled Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad, as well as by suspending the official account of the presidential campaign of Donald Trump for discussing this story. It will also consider your company's decision to double down on that potential violation by, on October 15, 2020, suppressing the Post's follow-up story. Committee rules require that you provide your testimony and curriculum vitae for distribution to members of the Committee and the press at least 24 hours before the hearing is scheduled to begin. Please send an electronic copy of your testimony and curriculum vitae to Jason_Covey@judiciary-rep.senate.gov. Please contact Jason Covey at (202) 224-5225 with any questions. We look forward to your testimony. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-calls-fec-investigation-potential-kind-contributions-twitter-and-facebook-biden-campaign,Hawley Calls for FEC Investigation of Potential In-Kind Contributions from Twitter and Facebook to Biden Campaign,2020-10-14,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote a letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) General Counsel expressing serious concerns about the possibility of campaign finance violations benefitting the Biden campaign in Twitter and Facebook's suppression of the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden. Senator Hawley writes that, as the Biden campaign derives value from the suppression of the story, the companies may have therefore made in-kind contributions to the campaign. Senator Hawley writes, These possible campaign-finance violations by two of the most powerful corporations in America comes only weeks before Election Day, and while millions of Americans are in the midst of voting. I ask that the FEC take immediate action to investigate these potential violations and, if appropriate, take remedial action to prevent further interference with the 2020 Presidential election. Senator Hawley has also today written letters to Facebook and Twitter demanding answers regarding their censorship of the story. Read the full letter here or below. October 14, 2020 Lisa J. Stevenson Acting General Counsel Federal Election Commission Office of General Counsel 1050 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20463 Dear Ms. Stevenson: I write to express serious concern about the possibility that egregious campaign-finance violations benefitting the Biden campaign may be playing out in real time, just weeks before the presidential election. Earlier today, the New York Post published a bombshell report that Hunter Biden facilitated a meeting between a Ukrainian energy executive and his father, who was then Vice President. The Post article cites evidence that would directly contradict Joe Biden's claim that he has never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings."" The Post's reporting has understandably attracted substantial public discussion. And countless Americans have sought to discuss and debate that article via the forums in which so much of our political speech occurs: on social media. But two social-media platforms have engaged in unprecedented suppression of public discussion of the article. Twitter is blocking all tweets and direct messages that contain the URL for the Post article. Facebook has stated that it is reducing [the story's] distribution on our platform, though the specifics of how Facebook will implement this remain opaque. This conduct does not merely censor the core political speech of ordinary Americans, though it certainly does that. Twitter's and Facebook's conduct also appears to constitute a clear violation of federal campaign-finance law. Federal law prohibits any corporation from making a contribution to a federal candidate for office. 52 U.S.C. 30118(a). Twitter and Facebook are both corporations. A contribution includes anything of value . . . for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office. 52 U.S.C. 30101(8)(A)(i). Twitter's and Facebook's active suppression of public speech about the New York Post article appears to constitute contributions under federal law. There can be no serious doubt that the Biden campaign derives extraordinary value from depriving voters access to information that, if true, would link the former Vice President to corrupt Ukrainian oligarchs. And this censorship manifestly will influence the presidential election. These possible campaign-finance violations by two of the most powerful corporations in America comes only weeks before Election Day, and while millions of Americans are in the midst of voting. I ask that the FEC take immediate action to investigate these potential violations and, if appropriate, take remedial action to prevent further interference with the 2020 presidential election. Sincerely, Josh Hawley United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-demands-answers-facebook-over-censorship-hunter-biden-article,Hawley Demands Answers from Facebook Over Censorship of Hunter Biden Article,2020-10-14,2020,2020-10,Republican,House,MO,Joshua Hawley,H001089,www.hawley.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the company's decision to censor a story regarding Hunter Biden's contacts with Ukrainian energy executives. Senator Hawley asked Facebook whether it is normal policy to reduce distribution of articles before they have been fact-checked, if they have any evidence the story contains disinformation, and whether any member of the Biden-Harris campaign encouraged or requested Facebook suppress the story. Read the full letter here or below. October 14, 2020 Mark Zuckerberg Chief Executive Officer Facebook, Inc. 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg: Today, the New York Post released a story revealing that Hunter Biden facilitated a meeting with a Ukrainian energy executive and his father, who was then serving as Vice President. In it, the Post offers evidence that directly contradicts the claims of the Democratic nominee for president, who had previously stated that he has never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings. Yet it has come to my attention that this news reportone clearly relevant to the public interesthas been censored on Facebook. A representative from your company has publicly stated that Facebook will be reducing [the story's] distribution on our platform while a third-party fact-check takes place. The seemingly selective nature of this public intervention suggests partiality on the part of Facebook. And your efforts to suppress the distribution of content revealing potentially unethical activity by a candidate for president raises a number of additional questions, to which I expect responses immediately. Is it your normal policy to reduce the distribution of stories on your platform before they have been fact-checked? If so, what is your specific policy and where is such policy stated? If you have evidence that this news story contains disinformation or have otherwise determined that there are inaccuracies with the reporting, will you disclose them to the public so that they can assess your findings? Why did you endeavor to publicly state that such a story was subject to a fact-check? Isn't such a public intervention itself a reflection of Facebook's assessment of a news report's credibility? Did any member of the Biden-Harris presidential campaign team or any person representing themselves as a representative of the campaign's interests ask, encourage, or direct Facebook to suppress the New York Post story? The New York Post previously reported that employees of the six largest Silicon Valley tech firms including Facebook have donated nearly $5 million to the Biden-Harris campaign, compared to just $239,000 to President Trump's campaign. What steps has Facebook taken to ensure that your employees political preferences don't influence decisions to suppress content? Thank you for your attention to this matter important to fairness and impartiality in our presidential election process. Sincerely, Josh Hawley U.S. Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z