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These days we not only need to protect our privacy from online hackers but from the federal government. The bulk data collection done by the National Security Agency unmasked earlier this year poses a threat to our civil liberties. National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds us that the government needs to honor our constitutional right to privacy.  It also reminds us that there are bad actors in the online world, and we need to take necessary precautions to protect our privacy. I have worked to limit the amount of bulk data the federal government can collect on American citizens and to require the government to destroy any information that it collected unlawfully. In a report released last week, the National

Each October, America celebrates National Manufacturing Month. This is an opportunity to reflect upon the rich history of American manufacturing and look at where it is headed. Two hundred years ago, immigrants from all over the world moved to America to work in factories during the Industrial Revolution, and today, American manufacturing is still a world leader. According to the Manufacturing Institute, “The U.S. manufacturing sector is so huge that if it were its own country, it would rank as the eighth-largest world economy.” Here in Missouri, manufacturing jobs employ 250,000 people, and make up more than 9 percent of the state’s private sector workforce (not including farming). The impact of American manufacturing is enormous, and every step of the

When I talk to individuals throughout the district, many have heard about the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to use 40-plus-year-old laws to close coal power plants, regulate puddles of water and restrict how children can help on family farms. This week, I am focusing on how another 40-year-old law, the Endangered Species Act, is increasingly used to erode private property rights, restrict how farmers use their land and water, and could destroy Missouri’s timber industry. Most everyone agrees there is value in preventing species from extinction. The problem with the Endangered Species Act is that it does not fulfill its mission of recovering species.  Since the law was enacted, more than 1,500 U.S. domestic species and sub-species have been listed

It has been more than SIX YEARS since backers of the Keystone XL Pipeline first submitted an application to the U.S. State Department to begin construction. This crucial project would build needed infrastructure while creating thousands of jobs and promoting energy independence. Congress demanded action; President Obama should not make us wait. In 2012, President Obama made it clear that he would rather please environmentalists than create jobs in America when he rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline. His decision effectively killed the 42,000 jobs that the project would create in the U.S. As a result, 42,000 families could not benefit from the certainty of a good paying job. Last week, I voted for legislation to authorize the full construction of the pipeline and

This week, the United States House of Representatives passed the “Jobs for America Act” to grow our economy and put Americans back to work. This package of bills included proposals to provide our farmers and small business owners with needed tax relief, and reduce unnecessary regulations. For the 2014 tax year, unless the “Jobs for America Act” or something like it passes, the amount of equipment that farmers and small businesses can expense like tractors, heavy machinery, or computer software, will be reduced by ninety-five percent. Section 179 of the tax code – the section that provides for the equipment deduction – expired on January first of this year. Unless it is renewed for 2014, folks will only be able