E-Newsletters

Private property rights continue to be attacked by President Obama. In just the past year, we have seen introduction of the Waters of the United States rule, which gives Washington control over standing water on private farms and residences. Then, it was a push to regulate grills in our backyards.

Now, the Obama administration is out with an Executive Order that will completely change how the federal government manages floodplains. I would like to update you on my efforts to fight the President's latest executive overreach.

From granting amnesty to illegal immigrants, to trying to weaken the Second Amendment through executive order, the Obama administration has shown time and again its disdain for the Constitution. Unfortunately for the President, he cannot simply regulate what Congress has refused to legislate.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been one of the worst offenders of executive overreach under this administration. Most recently, I am hearing from people who are rightly concerned about the agency's "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule.

This Wednesday was the deadline for federal tax filing. As another April 15 passes with our tax code as confusing as it's ever been, Washington must use this opportunity to highlight our desperate need for tax simplification.

The security of the United States and the world are of paramount importance to me, which is why I am so concerned about the current negotiations over Iran's nuclear development program.

A budget is a fiscal blueprint of the future. It is an outline of one's priorities that tells you what they consider important, and also what they view as unimportant.

Last week, my colleagues and I released the Fiscal Year 2016 House Budget resolution. This legislation immediately repeals Obamacare, balances our budget in less than 10 years without raising taxes, and cuts government waste.

There are some who believe that the United States government has an endless supply of money to spend. I am not one of those people. I believe that budgets are about priorities. These are the kinds of decisions that Missourians make every day in their own lives.

For instance, you may want a new television, but you might have to delay that purchase until next year because your washing machine needs to be repaired. In the same regard, the federal government has to decide which of our needs get the limited amount of resources that we have each year.

Our Second Amendment states that "A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." In 1789, this and the other original amendments were drafted by James Madison. Known as the Bill of Rights, they were ratified 1791 and still hold true today.

Every day that the threat posed by Islamic militants goes unchecked, the world becomes a more dangerous place. It is imperative that we use every tool at our disposal to protect our people, defend the homeland, and preserve our interests abroad.