Representative Ron Estes

.Last Monday, I hosted a roundtable with Senate President Ty Masterson and Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson about Trump Accounts, Kansas ABLE Accounts, and 529 education savings accounts. Trump Accounts were created by Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts and give children an early foundation for saving and investing, including $1,000 that every child born after Jan. 1, 2025 will receive in their account. Thanks to philanthropists, there is another opportunity for additional funding for children under 10 born before 2025. Families can sign up and find more information at TrumpAccounts.gov.

Every Kansan, including Kansans with disabilities, should have the opportunity to save, build wealth, and pursue the American dream. After the roundtable, I toured the Andover YMCA and saw the building’s new additions made after the devastating 2022 Andover tornado directly hit the gym.

.As a Member of Congress, I look forward to nominating exceptional young men and women from Kansas’ 4th District to U.S. Service Academies every year. Recently I visited the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to meet with cadets I nominated. I enjoyed having lunch with them and touring the Academy. Their service to our nation is admirable, and it’s incredible to see young cadets from across the country learning and preparing to defend our country.

The deadline to apply to a service academy is Oct. 1, 2026. If you know any young people who might be interested in serving in the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, please share this opportunity with them. More information can be found on my website at estes.house.gov/service.

.I enjoy coming home to Kansas every weekend when Congress is in session, and it’s been nice to have extra time in Kansas while the House has been out during August. It was great to travel around the district and talk with Kansans about the issues that are most important to them. Recently I was in the western part of our district in Pratt and Greensburg, and further west outside of the district.

Cross Manufacturing in Pratt produces adapters and component parts for the fluid power industry. It has a rich history in the district with their main production facility in Lewis and another division in Hays. I enjoyed touring their facility and seeing how they manufacture these parts for the hydraulics industry.

Stanion Wholesale Electric in Pratt is a distributor of electric goods that serves Kansas and neighboring areas. Stanion is headquartered in Pratt, and since its founding in 1961, it has expanded to have locations in Wichita, McPherson, Great Bend, Salina, and more. It was great to tour their Pratt location and learn more about what they produce.

In Greensburg, I talked with Alliance Ag & Grain about the farm and ranch industry here in Kansas and their impressive new 5,400-ton dry fertilizer shed they are constructing. Despite some rain in the morning, I was able to visit the construction site on this massive project that will provide an economic boost for the community. Kansas ag feeds and fuels our country, and it is critical to our state economy.

Also in Greensburg, I toured a home under construction that’s part of a housing program expanding housing opportunities in the city. The city administrator showcased the need for more housing in the community and how the program is making sure affordable housing is available.

Brookover Feed Yard is a commercial cattle feeder with three locations in the Sunflower State. Brookover has the capacity to feed 100,000 head in Kansas. I enjoyed touring their feed yard in Garden City and talking with them about the cattle feeding industry.

I was happy to join a Kansas Bankers Association congressional panel, alongside Congressmen Mann and Schmidt recently. We talked about the most recent updates from Congress, including the Farm Bill, antifraud legislation, and more.