Representative Ron Estes

.The Sunflower State is blessed with numerous natural resources and beauty, including the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge has announced the return of grazing opportunity that will include a five-year Cooperative Grazing Agreement for interested ranchers. There will be approximately 10,000 acres and will be managed under a rotational grazing system. Each cooperator will be authorized to graze up to 2,000 acres annually within one of three designated management units.

The opportunity will be posted on the National Cooperative Agriculture website and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge website. Applications must be received by March 12, 2026, and can be submitted by email to quivira@fws.gov, in person, or by mail to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Grazing Application, 1434 NE 80th St., Stafford, KS 67578.

.Each year, the president addresses a joint session of Congress to lay out his agenda and provide an assessment of the state of our nation. In the past year, Republicans have produced a great deal of results, and we will continue to put America first. The president is confident in our country due to our legislative results – in July we passed the Working Families Tax Cuts, providing savings for hard-working Americans and preventing the largest tax hike in history.

It was an honor to listen to President Trump talk about all of the accomplishments we have produced so far by putting America First. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we will continue to advance pro-growth, pro-family policies. This year marks the United States’ 250th birthday – which is a huge celebration for our nation and a reminder of how far we have come. I’m proud of what we have done for the Sunflower State and will continue to fight for Kansans.

.This week, I voted in favor of the ROTOR Act, a critical piece of safety legislation following the tragic mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger aircraft that originated in Wichita on January 29, 2025.

This tragedy has left our community devastated, and I am heartbroken for the Kansans that were among the victims. Families should never have to endure this heartbreak. There are 50 recommendations from the NTSB in their final report, and many findings that warrant legislative consideration.

The ROTOR Act is a step in the right direction, and while it didn’t pass this week, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure tragedies like this never happen again, and making sure our skies are the safest in the world.