By Congressman Tracey Mann (KS-01)
Last week, I completed my fourth annual 60-county Mann Listening Tour. Each year that I have served in Congress, I have hosted at least one town hall in every county of the Big First District. If an issue matters to Kansan, it matters to me, and those of you who show up to my town halls give me valuable insights to best serve you in Congress.
Over the past eight months I have consistently heard Kansans’ concerns about passing a fiscally conservative Farm Bill, reining in the weaponization of our federal government, cutting our reckless government spending, protecting the integrity of our nation’s elections, and securing America’s wide-open borders. These concerns have been a guide to how I develop solutions in Congress, and they will continue to be my pilot light in Washington, D.C.
As I concluded my annual listening tour last week, I could not help but to think about how our nation’s capital could benefit from more Kansas values.
Senator Bob Dole once told me about the “Kansas approach”—honesty, hard work, respect for your roots, common sense, service, simplicity, and genuine, thoughtful care for people. That is the Kansas spirit that so many of our fellow Kansans want to see more of in the nation’s capital. Sadly, that approach has dwindled and been forgotten by too many over the years.
Since the Biden-Harris Administration was sworn in, more than 12 million illegal immigrants have illegally entered the country. America begged Congress to come up with a solution, so House Republicans drafted H.R. 2, the strongest border security legislation passed in decades. Rather than coming to the table and finding commonsense solutions, Senate Majority Leader Schumer buried the bill in his legislative graveyard and refused to work with House Republicans to develop a solution.
When Americans rightly expressed their concerns about illegal immigrants voting in our national elections, House Republicans passed the SAVE Act, which requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. 198 of my Democrat colleagues voted against this commonsense legislation, and President Biden and Vice President Harris came out against it.
The House Agriculture Committee heard the demands from farm country for a fiscally conservative Farm Bill that provides certainty as they work to feed, fuel, and clothe world. We passed the Food, Farm, and National Security Act of 2024 out of committee with bipartisan support, and again, our Senate Democrat colleagues have responded with silence and failed to develop their own Farm Bill.
When President Biden was sworn in, he inherited a strong economy from the Trump Administration. However, President Biden was hyper-focused on massive government spending and expansion. For the first two years, Washington Democrats shoved their partisan, reckless tax-and-spend packages through Congress, which ultimately led to skyrocketing inflation and a declining U.S. economy. They senselessly taxed hardworking Americans and spent those dollars in an irresponsible manner. They have ignored the financial burden this spending put on American families, all while implementing burdensome regulations that handcuff hardworking Americans and drive-up costs even further.
Rather than resolving these issues, the Biden-Harris Administration spent more time using the federal government as a weapon against its political opponents. From using federal agencies to register voters at official events to attacking former President Trump in our federal courts, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been more committed to abusing their power than serving the American people.
Meanwhile, Kansans are just asking for some sort of commonsense policy solutions that bring them a degree of relief from the hardships of the past four years.
Ad Astra per Aspera, “to the stars through difficulty”. This isn’t just our state motto – it’s our way of life. Since our state’s founding, Kansans have endured and embraced hardships as we reached for the stars. We work hard to solve difficult problems, we keep our word, and we take pride in being a loyal and dedicated people. Our government would be a lot more productive and efficient if our nation’s capital embraced these values.
When I laid out my Commitment to the Big First District at the beginning of the 118th Congress, I promised Kansans to fight for an economy that’s strong, a future that’s built on freedom, a nation that’s safe, and a government that is accountable. Throughout my town halls it was clear – Kansans want me to continue that fight and to get our nation back on track.
I do not serve in Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America- I serve to fight and work to make it stronger. I will not give up on bringing our conservative Kansas values to our nation’s capital or believing our brightest days are yet to come.
Tracey Mann, R-Salina, is the Kansas First District Congressman.