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 April.
House Passes Budget Resolution The House passed the Senate amendment to the House’s budget resolution, meaning it has now passed both chambers and we can move forward with the next step of the budget reconciliation process.
As a reminder, the budget reconciliation process begins with a budget resolution passed by both chambers. It is the framework that instructs each committee of jurisdiction to write their portion of a budget reconciliation bill, which must then pass both chambers. It needs a simple majority in both the House and the Senate before heading to the president’s desk for his signature.
The version of the resolution we passed did not go as far as I would have liked – it did not have the needed and common sense spending reductions that were in the House version. However, it unlocks the next step of the process, and I’m committed to ensuring we reduce wasteful spending as we work through the actual writing of the reconciliation bill.
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security, and some health care, our top priority is extending the pro-family, pro-worker, pro-growth policies of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If we don’t, the average Kansan will see a tax increase of about $2,200 per year. That’s because the double Child Tax Credit, increased standard deduction and lower rates for middle-class families will be gone.
Additionally, Republicans and the president have made it clear that no American will be denied the Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits they deserve. We will root out waste, fraud and abuse. And as I reminded my colleagues in a Joint Economic Committee hearing in April, every dollar that is saved by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse is a dollar that can go toward paying benefits to those who have earned them.
We’ve been working for more than a year preparing to deliver America First policies for the American people, and now we’ve passed the first milestone of the process.
Reining in Rogue Judges The House passed H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA), by a vote of 219 to 213 in April. The act limits the nationwide injunctions issued by U.S. district court judges to apply to only the parties involved in each case. I voted in favor of this act to restore the separation of powers in America.
Over the past few months, we have seen rogue, activist district judges abusing the power of the judiciary by halting President Trump’s executive orders. Policy decisions should be left up to the elected branches of government – not unelected lower court judges. When activist judges are siding with criminals in this country illegally, it’s imperative to stand with the American people and limit the overreach of unelected judges in district courts.
The Supreme Court is the proper venue for nationwide rulings, and House Republicans are voting to ensure that the power belongs to the highest court.
Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act The House passed H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to ensure that America’s elections remain secure. The bill requires proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. I supported the act because American citizens should be the only ones who vote in American elections.
Millions of illegal immigrants were released into the United States under President Biden. Depending on the state, they were sometimes eligible to receive driver’s licenses and provided the opportunity to illegally register to vote. The SAVE Act mandates that states remove noncitizens from their voter rolls.
Furthermore, Democrats have falsely claimed that the bill prevents women from registering to vote. The truth is, the bill protects women’s right to vote and provides more than six types of acceptable identification.
I know that election security is important to Kansans throughout the 4th District. That’s why I’m working to protect the constitutional right to vote and restore confidence in elections.
Trade Hearing
In April, the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on President Trump’s trade policy agenda. We welcomed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who spoke about the Trump administration’s efforts to level the playing field for American workers and producers.
In recent years, foreign nations have imposed unfair tariffs and enacted trade barriers against American exports, negatively impacting American manufacturing and ag producers. In Kansas, non-reciprocal trade policies hurt farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and workers.
The President is using the tools at his disposal to level the playing field so that Americans can compete fairly across the globe. What I want to see is more opportunities for Kansas aviation manufacturers, ag producers and workers to be able to sell their products throughout the world. I’m encouraging the administration to use the tools carefully to accomplish the goal of opening markets and establishing more free and fair trade while not harming our producers and manufacturers.
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.
