Lynn Jenkins - Southeast Kansas

Don’t Like “Business as Usual” in Washington? Tell me How You’d Like to Change it
Folks around the nation feel like Washington simply is not listening. The American people want one thing, but Congress does another. It’s time for that to change. This week, my Republican colleagues in the House and I introduced “America Speaking Out,” a project to engage people across the nation from all party affiliations and give them a voice in creating a new agenda for the nation.

Over the course of the next few months, I invite you to join me to chart a new path forward. You can start by attending the town hall meetings that I will host over the Memorial Day district work period to listen to Kansans’ ideas. Instead of a traditional town hall where you ask the questions and I do most of the talking, I want you to do most of the talking while I listen to your ideas. Next week, I’ll be hosting townhalls in Parsons and Topeka.

Parsons
Municipal Auditorium
Tuesday, June 1, at 5:00 p.m. CST

Topeka
Topeka and Shawnee County Library
Monday, June 7, at 9:00 a.m. CST

If you cannot make it out to the town hall meetings, I hope you will visit the America Speaking Out website at www.AmericaSpeakingOut.com to submit your policy solutions, debate the ideas posted by others and share the debate with friends and neighbors. For more information about America Speaking Out, click here to visit a special page on my website.

The genius of America does not lie in Washington. So, rather than continuing down a path dictated by special interests and Washington politicians, America Speaking Out will give you a new opportunity to lend your ideas to the creation of a new national policy agenda. I hope you will join me in this new project, and I look forward to hearing from you as we work to move our state and nation forward.

As Debt Hovers Near $13 Trillion, Nancy Pelosi Refuses to Even Discuss a Budget
The national debt is hovering near a staggering $13 trillion. And despite a warning from University of Maryland Economist Carmen Reinhart who communicated this week that “fiscal austerity” is needed now, leaders in Washington decided to continue spending your money and refused to even discuss a budget. Every year since the Congressional Budget Act became law in 1974, the House has completed its budget, but it appears this year Nancy Pelosi will break that streak.

When families, small businesses and farmers and ranchers face economic challenges, they are forced to tighten their belts and to sit down and develop a strict budget to live within. Yet, as the federal government of the United States of America is facing an astronomical $13 trillion debt, Democrat leaders have punted their own responsibility to develop a budget. That is unacceptable. Click here to watch my remarks at a press conference with Republican leaders earlier this week.

You can also help restore fiscal responsibility in Congress by participating in the YouCut project and telling Congress what wasteful government spending you would like to see eliminated. Speaker Pelosi appears set in her spending ways, but this week Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told the Democrat committee chairmen to “find something to cut.” I am hopeful this means the Democrat majority is serious about getting our nation’s fiscal house in order because the longer the tough decisions are ignored, the worse the consequences will be. That’s why it is so imperative that the House develop a responsible budget that gets our debt and deficits under control and stops the out of control spending.

Honoring our Nation’s Heroes on Memorial Day
On Monday, we will have the opportunity to give thanks and remember all of the brave men and women who have fought bravely and have made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation. From the Revolutionary War to the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we owe the men and women who have fought to defend our freedom a debt of gratitude.

I am deeply honored to be attending 124th Memorial Day Ceremony at the Leavenworth National Cemetery and also attending the dedication of the USS Arizona Memorial in Atchison. Whether you are in Pittsburg, Hiawatha, Lawrence or Iola, I hope as you enjoy this holiday weekend that you will take time to reflect and give thanks to the men and women in the military who risk their lives protecting our freedoms.

Spending Time in Kansas
In addition to honoring our nation’s veterans on Memorial Day in Atchison and Leavenworth, I look forward to spending time with Kansans next week. On Tuesday morning, I am heading to Baxter Springs to tour Wolkar Drug with Brian Caswell. Later Tuesday, I am going to speak with the Rotary chapter in Pittsburg before heading to Parsons to host my first America Speaking Out town hall meeting. Thursday, I am heading back to Atchison to spend some time talking with the Atchison Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Development Board.

Kansas Visitors in Washington
Earlier this week, I was so glad to spend some time with Cheryl Brown-Henderson. She was recently appointed Superintendent of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka. Alan MacDonald, Connie Pressley, Jason Lanning, Cindi Bodine, Melissa Chavez and Bryan Neal with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association stopped by this week to discuss issues affecting them in Kansas. Mike Crow from Topeka, Wendy Harm from Topeka, Kip Spray from Great Bend, Bob and Nick Totten from Topeka, Brian Hansen from El Dorado, Steve Sloan from Pittsburg and Woody Moses from Topeka stopped by with the Kansas Contractors Association to talk about transportation issues.

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