View from the Capitol

This was another in district work week with visits to the two military installations in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District and other locations.

Around Our District

At Fort Leonard Wood, I met with Major General Kent Savre, the Commanding General of the post and discussed the high quality level of recruits arriving at the post which is one of the country’s finest basic training installations. General Savre informed me the new soldiers are determined to learn and eager to serve. It was inspiring to meet these young soldiers and hear their reasons for serving their country. We are blessed to have them willing to serve all of us. I am proud to represent them in Congress and serve all our active duty service men and women on the Armed Services Committee.

Vicky, with Major General Savre (right), visits with soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood

While there, I also toured the new dental clinic which serves all incoming soldiers going through basic training and active duty personnel. This state-of-the-art clinic provides exceptional care enabling our soldiers to be healthy and meet any challenge without concern for dental emergencies.

While in Pulaski County, I met with several mayors and other county officials to listen to the concerns on their minds and to discuss ways I might help address those concerns. Among the topics was the difficulty local authorities have had dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since the flash flooding of August, 2013 that claimed the lives of a Waynesville woman and her child.

Vicky with Pulaski County mayors and county officials

This incident was heartbreaking for the community and the failure of FEMA to communicate adequately with individuals and emergency officials only made a very sad situation more difficult. We discussed my language that was included in the FEMA Reform Act to deal with future communication breakdowns and to create a situation in which FEMA officials keep local authorities and citizens in the loop regarding rescue operations and other functions during times of trouble. These mayors join me in hoping this bill becomes law as quickly as possible.

Before leaving Pulaski County I visited Richland Tri-County Head Start to read to students. As a former teacher, one of my greatest pleasures is seeing today’s youth grow and encouraging them to pick up books and read. I want to offer a special note of thanks to the staff of this fine facility which is part of Missouri Ozarks Community Action.

During a visit to Whiteman Air Force Base, I received an Operations Briefing from the 509th Bomb Wing.  While there, I was also able to tour the Whiteman Air Force Base Fire Department, fitness facilities, and Early Child Development Center.

Gettin’ Down to Business

I am always eager to visit small businesses in our district and stopped at two in Cass County.

HSC Industrial Coatings in Pleasant Hill is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of fine liquid coatings. It began as a one-man paint manufacturing shop in 1980 and now operates out of four three facilities. I enjoyed meeting with Gene Land, and his sons Ryan, Sean, and Preston – all of whom contribute greatly to HSC’s success.

Vicky chats with Preston, Gene, and Ryan Land at HSC in Pleasant Hill

Vicky with Steve Hill and Jeff Clement of PolySource in Pleasant Hill

Also in Pleasant Hill, I visited PolySource, a resin distribution company. PolySource not only provides resin products and service in the U.S., but in countries around the world - from right here in MO-4. It gives me great pleasure to see our small businesses in the Fourth District succeed and grow to the point they become important players on the world stage of business.

Hearing from You

I have seen a lot of great places and I have heard from so many of your stories and ideas as I have traveled around our great district the past two weeks, but I am not able to visit all of the great places in our district in such a short span of time. But I want to hear from you!

I will be hosting a live telephone town hall this coming Wednesday, April 13 at 6:35 p.m. CT. A telephone town hall is a live, toll-free town hall meeting over the phone in order to give you an opportunity to ask me questions about issues in Congress and the federal government.

If you would like to participate in this telephone town hall and have the opportunity to ask me a question, click here and pre-register to take part. Or you can sign up on my website to register for every telephone town hall I host.

Introducing: The People’s Choice Award

Finally, as you may know, each year a nation-wide high school art competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.

This year we have 22 fantastic entries from talented young artists from all over Missouri's Fourth, and I want to know which one you like the most. In addition to our traditional First, Second, and Third Place finishers, this year we will be adding a fourth award: The People's Choice Award. 

Voting is now open and will run through 2:00 p.m. CT on April 22, 2016. The People's Choice Winner will have their artwork hung in my Washington, DC office for the next year! So take a moment, check out some of the amazing young talent we have in our district, and vote for your favorite by clicking here.