February 17, 2017
Dear Friend,
Hardworking Mississippians and all Americans should be in control of their healthcare. Six years after passage of the current healthcare law, we are watching it collapse. Families live with the uncertainty that their monthly rates will increase or their insurance company will pull out of the market. Premiums and deductibles are out of control. Many worry they will soon have to choose between food and housing or healthcare. Employers who try to offer health coverage have also watched premiums continue to rise. In the coming weeks, we will repair the law and replace it with a plan that offers affordable, patient-centered healthcare that is more portable. Our House Republican plan hands the control back to you in the following ways:
| committee action |
This week, the House Committee on Agriculture held its first full hearing to begin laying the groundwork for the next farm bill. This comes at a time when our farmers in the First District and across the nation are experiencing tough times. Net farm income has dropped by 45 percent over the last three years. It is a top priority to make sure our farmers have the support they need to not just survive, but to thrive.
Brad Judson, a West Point native, is one of 37,000 farm operators in Mississippi. Farmers like him are counting on the next farm bill to address the challenges they are facing. The costs to cultivate land are rising as yield prices continue to drop. Increased federal regulations over the years have placed more burdens on farmers.
As your voice on the House Committee on Agriculture, I am working to ensure that my colleagues and other decision makers understand the conditions farmers like Brad and others in rural America are facing. As Mississippi's top industry, agriculture isn't just helping farmers support their families, but feeding and clothing the nation and the world.
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ACTIONS IN THE HOUSE
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Unemployment Insurance Drug Testing Rule
In 2012, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act was signed into law, allowing states to test unemployment insurance (UI) applicants for illegal drugs. The Department of Labor (DOL) has taken over four years to write the regulations to implement this law. At the end of the last year, DOL issued a final rule that severely restricted state discretion in drug testing UI applicants. This executive overreach runs counter to what Congress intended. On Wednesday, the House passed, with my support, H.J. Res. 42, to repeal this rule by a vote of 236-189.
The Title X Abortion Funding Rule
Title X dollars go directly from the federal government to states and nongovernmental organizations who then distribute them to healthcare providers. Many states have decided to exercise discretion in which entities receive this money, and the State of Mississippi has chosen to disallow Planned Parenthood from being eligible for these funds. However, under the Obama Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a rule limiting state choices in Title X funding. I was proud to be an original cosponsor of Rep. Diane Black's (R-TN) bill that would disapprove and nullify this rule. H.J. Res. 43, passed the house, with my support, on Thursday by a bipartisan vote of 230-188. Stopping organizations like Planned Parenthood may not end abortions in this country, but it is a start.
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| Houston Solar Car Race Team |
The Houston High School Solar Race Car Team continues to make all of us in the First District and throughout the state of Mississippi proud. Every year, students build a solar car called Sundancer and compete in solar car races in Dallas. They have also traveled to Australia twice to compete in the World Solar Challenge. Their original solar car is on exhibit at the Smithsonian.
I was proud to meet with team sponsors and students during their visit to Washington, D.C. this week. In the picture above are: Donna and Billy Turman, Anita Ellison, Keith Reese, Hunter Moore and Andrew Mitchell. Great job!
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a week in pictures
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For more photos from a week in pictures, please visit my Facebook page.
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Regions Area President Arthur DuCote
and Jennifer Bain with Regions Bank MS |
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USA Rice Federation
MS Delegation representatives
Marvin Cochran, Curtis Berry,
Bree Pettigo, Kirk Satterfield and Chip Morgan |
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Hunter Carpenter with Agricultural Retailers
Association and Dwayne Young with
Helena Chemical Company |
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Mississippi Southern District Public Service
Commissioner Sam Britton with staff members
Jade Ferguson
and Daniel Forde |
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| Blake Carr tours the U.S. Capitol |
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| CSM (USMC Ret.) Carlton Kent |
For more photos from a week in pictures, please visit my Facebook page.
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STAY IN TOUCH
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Let me know if there is anything my office can do to assist you. You can keep up with the latest news by signing up for my newsletter and following me on Facebook and Twitter.
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Thanks for reading,
Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01)
Member of Congress
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