Many informative constituent meetings made up the bulk of my week. Sprinkle in committee work and legislation on the House floor and you get a great sense of how the Spring unfolds in our nation’s capital.

The fine folks from Kingdom Telephone were in my office to discuss the importance of broadband access and ensuring our rural areas have the same opportunities as urban areas. Rural broadband is an issue that is of critical importance to many parts of the 3^rd District. Not only is it important for students and families but it is a resource that is needed for small business owners and employees, including farmers and ranchers. Farmers and ranchers need access to reliable Internet so they can be engaged with and competitive in the agriculture markets. In addition to access to reliable Internet, another issue that has been brought to my attention is in regards to rural telephone calls not going through. This lack of call completion disproportionately impacts rural areas and is a risk to the safety and well-being of many Americans that live in rural communities. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill that takes the first step in fixing this issue so consumers can expect a higher quality level of call quality and reliability.

I also met with individuals who were here on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association. Many families have been personally impacted by loved ones who have Alzheimer’s and who know how devastating it is. I have, and will continue to be, a staunch supporter of National Institute of Health (NIH) funding. With ground-breaking research facilities on the east, west, and central parts of Missouri – NIH dollars are spread extra far in our great state and can lead to tremendous breakthroughs in curing diseases.

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association came by to update me about what they are working on in the state. A common theme in many meetings is rolling back regulations that have stemmed from the actions of Washington bureaucrats. I greatly appreciate the hard-work these men and women put in each day and I want to thank them for taking the time to come to Washington to share their stories. Regulatory relief is critical and I’m pleased that the new administration is already working with Congress to get the bureaucracy under control.

In regards to my work on the House Financial Services Committee, the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee, which I chair, held its second hearing of the 115^th Congress and the topic was focused on the state of bank lending in America. My colleagues and I examined the state of our economy that we are in today and what we can do to get Washington out of the way so that entrepreneurs, small business employees, consumers, and our local communities have the opportunity to grow and prosper. This was another productive week in D.C. Make sure to check out my Facebook and Instagram pages to see a picture of me with one of the main stars from the television sitcom Cheers! We had a great discussion about bringing manufacturing back to our country. Plus, as a preview for next week’s bulletin: I am going to veer off to a different topic and discuss the background of the U.S. relationship with Japan and the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is part of the story. Have a great week.