Media

The American people are facing a crisis at our southern border. It seems that we hear of a new “record amount” of illegal crossings at the border nearly every month. In October alone, there were 240,988 illegal immigrant encounters at the border, a 235% increase from October 2020. This was the 32nd straight month where illegal immigrant encounters had been higher than the month before. Since President Biden took office there have been over 6.4 million illegal crossings at our southern border, including 279 individuals on the terrorist watch list.

For decades, Iran has been a threat to peace and freedom around the globe. The radical Islamic regime in Tehran has continually trained, directed, and armed terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah that are responsible for the senseless slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians. Their support has directly fueled the recent Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

Over 400 years ago, during the autumn of 1621, 52 English settlers were joined by members of the Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth, Massachusetts to celebrate a successful harvest. Although the term “Thanksgiving” wasn’t coined until later, this celebration would become known as the first Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was first celebrated as an American holiday on November 26, 1789, after President Washington issued a proclamation.

Opening weekend of deer season has come and gone and many folks across North Missouri enjoyed successful hunts. 90,334 deer were harvested in the first weekend alone this year and over 300,000 deer are typically harvested each year across the state. Missouri offers incredible opportunities for hunters to put food on the table, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the outdoors. It also reminds us of the importance of sharing these traditions with the next generation. 

It’s no secret that our rural roads and bridges need attention. For years, they were neglected, left to fall into disrepair, leaving places like North Missouri behind. While there’s much work left to be done, I’m glad to report we have made some headway.

The House is back in business. We elected Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the 56th Speaker of the House this week.

I’ve known Mike for several years and appreciate his deliberative, calm demeaner, which I think will lend itself well to our current climate. He’s a strong conservative who stands by his convictions and I think he’ll do a great job. I’m pleased that we finally have a Speaker but with that said, it’s time to get back to work.