.The House overwhelmingly passed the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act by a vote of 295-127 recently. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, an estimated $100 to $135 billion in unemployment insurance benefits were stolen by fraudsters. Kansans alone lost $466 million from this fraud. This bill extends the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years so that the theft can continue to be prosecuted and taxpayer dollars can be recovered. I spoke in support of this bill on the House floor prior to the vote. You can watch my remarks below.

.I was pleased to reintroduce the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act on World Down Syndrome Day this past week. The legislation federally prohibits doctors from knowingly performing an abortion because of a baby’s prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. 

The Joint Economic Committee found that 60% to 90% of unborn children who receive a Down syndrome diagnosis are aborted. Comparatively, this statistic is disproportional to the 18% of all pregnancies that end in abortion. Individuals with Down syndrome are a blessing to our communities, and we must fight against the discrimination that they are facing in the womb.

The act also prohibits any person from coercing a woman to abort her child because of Down syndrome. It places responsibility on the doctors who perform the abortions, not on the women who receive them.

.The House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, has been working for more than a year to prepare for this year’s Trump tax cuts expiring. The expiring provisions include lower rates for all income brackets, the double standard deduction and expanded Child Tax Credit. It will be detrimental to all Kansans if these tax cuts expire. Not only that, but we’ve already seen some provisions expire, like immediate expensing of research and development that incentivizes R&D in the United States. Because a majority of R&D costs are on workers, the expiration of this tax provision has been a workforce issue.

That’s why I’ve been adamant about making sure we extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I’ve recently spoken with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation about R&D, the City of Wichita about the impact of federal taxes on their operations, New York Life on the adverse effect of tax increases on life insurance and their customers, Stanion Wholesale Distribution Warehouse in Wichita, and a Protect Prosperity rally hosted by Americans for Prosperity.

Congress can’t let taxes go up on hardworking Kansas families, workers and small businesses, but that’s exactly what would happen if the Trump tax cuts expire.

I know there are some Kansans who are actively against the TCJA extensions and the current administration, but I’m working to ensure their taxes don’t increase from TCJA expirations, too. The TCJA tax rates that are expiring at the end of this year aren’t for the most wealthy among us – every individual tax rate would increase regardless of income level. I’m also working to root out the waste, fraud and abuse that’s pulling our economy and federal budget down – and that includes supporting the DOGE efforts in the Trump administration. Without the fraudulent payments and absolute waste that even inspectors general in the Biden administration acknowledged, more money can be used to reduce our federal deficit, safeguard critical programs like defense, infrastructure, Social Security, and Medicare, and keep our country safe – all programs that the opponents would benefit from. With more than 700,000 Kansans in the 4th District, I’m working to ensure that the policies at the federal level reflect the majority of the district and improve our country's physical and financial security.

In addition to talking taxes, I also recently spoke at the launch of the Heroes MAKE America program at the Wichita Workforce Center. This program by The Manufacturing Institute helps our veterans enter the manufacturing industry after serving our country, which will help keep incredible men and women who serve at McConnell Air Force Base here in south central Kansas. Additionally, Tanganyika in Goddard hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for their new penguin and otter swimming exhibit. This new feature will add to the already impressive amount of hands-on learning experiences available in south central Kansas and help boost the quality of life and economic development for our region. I was honored to be part of the festivities.

.I was happy to see that Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, announced that his agency will review the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS). His announcement signals a shift to transparency and away from unnecessary bureaucratic involvement. For far too long, Kansas farmers and ranchers have dealt with burdensome regulations and rules imposed upon them by D.C. bureaucrats that don’t actually help preserve clean water and air for our residents. Kansas farmers and ranchers are good stewards of our natural resources, and having a federal bureaucracy micromanage puddles that only appear when we receive rain simply doesn’t make sense. I am grateful for the Trump administration’s efforts to restore common sense in our government.