luetkemeyer.house.gov

Luetkemeyer, Blaine

Washington, May 20, 2016 -

One of the great privileges of serving you is the opportunity to meet with constituents from all across eastern and central Missouri to listen to their concerns, hear their stories, and try to help them. While I travel back home to St. Elizabeth every weekend, and meet with lots of Missourians in the district throughout the year, spring time marks the time of year when the most Missourians visit Washington, and this week was no exception.

I met with families here on vacation, doctors attending conferences, and constituents who work in the steel pipe industry, just to name a few. One unique meeting was with Bill Maynard, a golf course superintendent in Franklin County. It was a great conversation. We discussed environmental issues impacting local golf courses and the great things the PGA is doing to give back to communities across the nation. With over 400 golf courses in the state of Missouri, it was great to sit down with Bill and learn more about the role of this industry and the impact that federal rules and regulations have on it.

On the House floor, I was proud to support passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill provides critical funding for core defense requirements such as personnel, training, and maintenance that will ensure our service men and women have the necessary support to fulfill their missions. In addition, this legislation maintains a longstanding prohibition on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainess to the United States and it includes an additional 14 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. This is the same program line that supports the EA-18G Growler which is not only important to our national security but also for the people of Missouri.

Not only did the House pass the NDAA bill but also passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. This legislation provides funding to support our troops, medical facilities, and defense infrastructure.

Also, an issue that has made national news the last couple of weeks has been a topic that I have heard about from many of you in the 3^rd District. Following the release of guidance from the Obama Administration on public school policies that pertain to transgender students, I held a conference call with the Department of Education Secretary to express that parents, educators, and local school boards should be in charge for making decisions on access to restrooms. Once again, the administration is overstepping its authorities and I will work with my House colleagues to ensure funds are not withheld from schools that don’t comply with these guidelines as the administration’s threats  are the very definition of extortion.

These four topics simply skim at the surface of the last few days. At any given time there is a lot happening in Congress, and it is impactful to every citizen in each corner of the country. If you have any additional questions about the topics in this week’s bulletin, please feel free to give my staff a call. We stand ready and willing to assist you.