Dear Friend,

This week, I’ll be back in Washington for another week of votes. All eyes are on the Senate this week as they consider the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court, but there is much to watch on the House side, too—and I’m not just talking about finally being able to play the Congressional Hockey Challenge on Thursday. We have some exciting projects in the works, and I'll keep you informed every step of the way. 

Read on to hear about my work in Washington and the Sixth District this week…

Recognizing National Gold Star Spouses Day

Today marks National Gold Star Spouses Day, when we recognize the enormous sacrifice and bravery of our military families. Gold star spouses are men and women who have lost their partners in service to the United States.

Our servicemen and women are not the only ones who put their lives on the line for this country. When a life is lost in the pursuit of our freedom, an entire family is irrevocably changed. To our Gold Star spouses and families: we do not forget your sacrifice, today and every day.

Addressing record-high fertilizer prices

Sixth District farmers and producers have long had their eyes on climbing input costs, like fertilizer and feed. When these costs are burdensome, they face eroded profits and tighter margins. However, price hikes like these aren’t just a problem in farm country. Higher input costs can mean sticker shock for consumers virtually everywhere.  When fertilizer costs more, so will the products that need it to grow.

Though costs have been rising steadily over the last year, fertilizer prices turned a corner last month when Russia invaded Ukraine. Overnight, sanctions removed Russia, one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, from the market. Fertilizer has now reached its highest price on record.

I’ve been hard at work to find solutions to this crisis in Congress. This week, I led a letter with 96 of my colleagues demanding that President Biden take action to bring down fertilizer prices. You can read that letter in full here. I also called on the Biden Administration to lift duties on fertilizer imports from Morocco, Trinidad and Tobago, increasing access and lowering costs. We must lower fertilizer costs now—or risk long-term consequences.

The return of our Young Women’s Leadership Program

Every year, I look forward to hosting my Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP). The program brings together current and future women leaders in the Sixth Congressional District. In past years, YWLP participants have heard from leaders in business, government and media.

My office has begun accepting applications for our 2022 Spring/Summer YWLP sessions. High school-aged girls are eligible to apply, and the program will span three sessions focusing on women leaders with expertise in law enforcement and criminal justice, manufacturing and apprenticeships, and medicine and mental health.

You can read more about the program and apply here.

Until next week, if you are in need of assistance or would like to share your thoughts with me, please write me an e-mail here.

To keep up with what we’re doing in Washington, follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!

Sincerely,