The past two weeks have been a district work period and I’ve had very productive travel days around the district. It has been great traveling to the new parts of the Third District and meeting with new constituents as we get further into the 118th Congress. Meeting with constituents, businesses, and everything in between is the most important aspect of my job and allows me to bring your perspective back to Capitol Hill. It’s especially important with the new district to ensure all voices are heard and I’ve enjoyed meeting many new faces, along with many familiar ones! Here are a few highlights from my district travels.

One of my visits was to McGinnis Wood Products, a family run business in Cuba, MO. This business began as a small operation making wood staves and cooperages for barrels in 1968, but now has become an international manufacturer of top-quality white oak barrels for wine, spirits and whiskey. While McGinnis Wood Products’ reach has broadened and its customer base has expanded, it has been able to maintain the family values and service we know and love from a small business, especially one that is family owned and operated. Businesses like this one are what make Missouri towns and communities great, and it was great to see what the McGinnis family is doing for our district.

In Potosi, I was proud to be asked to cut the ribbon for a new AT&T wireless tower that will improve connectivity in our area. The pandemic unfortunately put a spotlight on the digital divide here in our state and in rural areas across the country. I’m hopeful we’ll never face another situation where school and many jobs have to operate online, but the silver lining from that situation is we are closing the gap in connectivity. Broadband is infrastructure, and while my colleagues and I in Congress are working to improve it, we can’t do it without help from American businesses like AT&T. This event was held at the Potosi Fire Department because along with improved access to broadband, this tower will also increase accessibility to FirstNet, the nationwide network for first responders. Getting the necessary information to our first responders as quickly as possible is the first step in making our communities the safest they can be. This new tower will help do that along with providing more accessible and reliable connectivity for Missouri families and businesses.

I also had some very productive meetings with the Washington County Ambulance District and Washington County Memorial Hospital about rural healthcare and how we can improve access to quality care for Missourians in our area. The Washington County Ambulance District has implemented an innovative new model, the Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH), that allows patients to be given primary care in non-clinic settings, for example in-home through Community Paramedics and follow-up via telehealth. If program is able to continue and grow, it could change the way Missourians receive healthcare. I had a similar conversation with the Washington County Memorial Hospital about how we can help this hospital best serve Missourians in our area. Receiving quality healthcare should not be dependent on a person’s zip code, and we are working to find even more ways to provide increased access to health services for the Third District.

And I had a great visit to the Mizzou campus in Columbia to speak with a political science class full of bright students. We had a productive discussion about both state and federal governments and I was glad to offer my insight as a former member of the Missouri State House of Representatives and current member of the U.S. House of Representatives. While they sound similar in name, it’s always interesting to discuss how different they really are. And getting the next generation’s take on politics in our country provides a fresh perspective and gives me good insight on how our nation’s college students feel about the issues.

This has been a very busy district work period and there were too many stops to include in one bulletin, which is a good problem to have. Thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy days to meet with me and share your thoughts about our home state. It's been a great two weeks seeing many of you, and I look forward to the next district work period to meet more of you and hear your concerns. It helps me do my job that much better.