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On January 3, 2023, a new conservative majority will take control of the House of Representatives. We're going to have our work cut out for us.

The American people have spoken. We're sick of rising prices, fed up with the red tape holding our economy back, and tired of getting hammered at the gas pump because we're relying on oil from foreign countries.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, with roots that stretch back further than the founding of our nation.

In September of 1620, a group of English puritans, persecuted for their religious beliefs, set sail for the new world in search of a brighter future and the freedom to practice their religion as they saw fit. The group, which later became known as the Pilgrims, had been living in exile in Holland for several years prior to their voyage, but knew they needed a new home.

On January 20th, 2021, a gallon of diesel fuel cost about $2.70 a gallon. Today, a gallon of diesel will set you back more than $5.

Why? Because the United States today has less diesel fuel on hand than we’ve had heading into winter in the last 70 years. And, in 1951, demand for diesel fuel was one-quarter of what it is today.

That means fuel costs for farmers, truckers, shippers, and railroads have all increased 85 percent. Whether you like it or not, our entire economy runs on diesel fuel. When those prices go up, we all feel the pain at the grocery store.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns fell silent on the Western Front. The year was 1918 and the deadliest war the world had ever seen was over. The official end of World War I wouldn’t come until June of 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles, but it was November 11th the world would remember as the end of the “war to end all wars.”

I’m often asked what I think the most important part of my job is representing the people of North Missouri. Some people seem to think it’s talking about the issues of the day on cable news—it’s not. Others think it’s working across the aisle to get bipartisan bills passed that make things better for American families. That’s closer to the truth, but it still isn’t quite right.

I was shelling corn the other night when I looked down at my monitor—322 bushels per acre it read. My jaw just about hit the floor. But they say not to count your chickens before they hatch. They should also tell you not to count your bushels before you get to the elevator.