Weekly Column
Eight days. That's how many working days the U.S. House of Representatives has left this year to pass major legislation.
Eight days to pass a budget and eight days to finalize the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). For context, President Trump finalized the USMCA trade agreement with our allies on November 30, 2018 – a year ago.
Am I surprised it's taken over a year for Congress to act on a trade agreement that would add $68 billion to our nation's GDP and more than 176,000 jobs? I hate to admit it, but no.
Since I joined the U.S. House of Representatives in January, I've done my best to steer clear of the political circus we see on a daily basis in Washington. Instead I've worked successfully with my colleagues to pass legislation preventing child abuse and making it easier for Americans to save for school and retirement. I've been laser focused on passing the United States Mexico and Canada Trade Agreement, moving forward welfare reform, and implementing the 2018 Farm Bill.
When you read "Nationally Recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS)," do you think of South Dakota? Well, you should. In Madison, South Dakota, you'll find one of the nation's top-ranked cybersecurity programs within the walls of Dakota State University (DSU).
This won't be new news to you, but Congress sure has a hard time sticking to a budget. Let me back up – Congress has a hard time even creating a budget and many hardworking Americans, including our nation's military, could end up paying the price.
Nearly seven million Americans in the United States are adopted. In 2015, more than six-hundred seventy thousand children spent time in our foster care system. One out of every twenty-five families with children have an adoptive child. Families adopt for a number of reasons, but whatever the reason, it is a beautiful and selfless decision.