Each month I want to provide you with regular updates about what’s going on in our nation’s capital and throughout the 4th District of Kansas. Here’s what happened in February.
Budget Resolution
I n N o v e m b e r , Republicans were given a mandate – flipping a chamber and the White House giving Republicans a trifecta is a mandate – to restore and secure our nation, both physically and financially. Kansans and Americans are longing for change after four years of an open border, crippling inflation, massive federal spending and burdensome regulations. Additionally, we’re on the verge of increased taxes for families, workers and small businesses if we do nothing and let the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
To address these issues most efficiently and effectively we need to pass legislation to address all of these priorities. That is why I was proud to support the House budget resolution to start the process to pass one big, beautiful bill for America. The budget resolution the House passed in February sets spending and savings targets and gives instructions to relevant committees of jurisdiction to then set policy. So, even though the bill passed the House, the reconciliation process is only just getting started.
One priority the budget resolution paves the way for is an extension of the Trump Tax Cuts.
Here in the Sunflower State, Kansans will see an average increase of $2,200 in their taxes if we let these provisions expire. These aren’t just for millionaires and billionaires like some of my Democrat colleagues try and mislead – these are for everyday Americans. In fact, The New York Times reported that most middle-class Americans benefitted from TCJA, and the Washington Post wrote that “The tax bill has been in place for more than three years and it’s clear from the available data that the top 1 percent did not end up with most of the tax benefits.” And despite the wild claims from the left, revenues into the Treasury are up since we passed TCJA in 2017 – almost 50%.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have also made false claims that the budget resolution will cut Social Security. As the Chairman of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, I want to emphasize in the strongest terms possible that the budget resolution does not do a single thing to cut Social Security. In fact, Social Security cannot be amended through the reconciliation process since a technical rule, known as the Byrd Rule, prevents the consideration of any reconciliation measure in the Senate that changes the Social Security program.
Finally, I’ve heard from so many people throughout the 4th District that they are concerned about our ballooning national debt. The harsh reality is that our nation is more than $36.2 trillion in debt. We borrow about $70,000 a second, which is about $6 billion borrowed per day.
From 2017 to 2024, spending increased by 70%, far outpacing even Bidenflation. Last year, the government spent $6.75 trillion. With this increase in spending, have you noticed a 70% increase in services and benefits from the government in return? Unlikely.
The budget framework we passed takes important steps to address this outof- control debt crisis. This budget resolution sets a floor of $1.5 trillion in mandatory savings with a goal of $2 trillion over 10 years. This is almost 5 times as much as has ever been done - $400 billion is the most we’ve seen in mandatory savings from prior resolutions. It also reduces discretionary spending by $800 billion. It’s important to remember that this is just a framework, and now the committees will work to rightsize our federal budget. Republicans and President Trump are committed to rooting out waste, fraud and abuse so we can ensure programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are maintained for those who need them.
I’m looking forward to working with the Senate now to align our plans and move forward on implementing the America First policy agenda so many Kansans want to see.
Changes at the Border One of the primary concerns Americans had under the previous administration was the southern border and illegal immigration. Our country is a nation of immigrants and will continue to be one of the most welcoming countries in the world – many of us know the stories of our families who came to this country from all parts of the globe. While legal immigration is something that we can take pride in, we need to curb the flow of illegal immigration and drugs across the border that have made every state a border state.
For years, Republicans have argued that we have many good laws already in place, but it’s up to the president to enforce them. The Biden-Harris administration chose not to enforce some laws, but the Trump administration has done so since day one. Because of that, we’ve already seen an immense drop in daily border encounters – down 93%. Additionally, ICE arrests of criminals have doubled. That’s fewer dangerous criminals roaming streets across the country.
There’s still much work to be done, and it’s important for Congress to reinforce President Trump’s efforts with stronger laws – like the bipartisan Laken Riley Act that has already been passed and signed into law – to make sure that the travesty of the past four years of a porous border can’t happen again.
Midnight Rules Relief Act
Far too often, hardworking Kansas farmers, ranchers, innovators and others are crushed by the burdensome red tape
and regulations imposed by D.C. bureaucrats thousands of miles away. In 2024 alone, the Biden administration imposed more than $1.34 trillion in regulatory costs, and more than 1,500 rules just in Biden’s final six months in office. In February, the House took action to rein in some of this runaway rulemaking by passing the Midnight Rules Relief Act. I was proud to support this bill that will make Congress’ oversight of such activity more efficient by allowing us to review more than one rule at a time during the final year of a president’s term – when there is usually a significant increase in rulemaking.
Methane Gas CRA
Burdensome regulations hurt both our natural gas production and hamper the innovation that limit emissions, which is why the Biden administration’s methane rule, or natural gas tax, was so concerning. Finalized in November 2024, this rule would impose heavy burdens on operators across the energy supply chain, expand dependence on foreign energy sources, jeopardize energy reliability and even further raise prices for American families. That’s why I supported H.J. Res. 35, a Congressional Review Act to repeal this rule that would not only be damaging to our energy independence, but would put the majority of Kansas’ small producers out of business.
The resolution passed the House with bipartisan support and also cleared the Senate.
Connect with Me
Interested in receiving regular updates about what’s going on in Congress? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at estes.house.gov and please don’t hesitate to reach out to my District Office in Wichita at 316-262-8992 if you have questions, concerns or need help with a federal agency.
Ron Estes, one of only a handful of engineers in Congress, worked in the aerospace, energy and manufacturing sectors before representing Kansas’ 4th Congressional District since 2017. He is a fifth-generation Kansan, former state treasurer, and serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and Budget Committee.
