AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is vital to the economy in Southern Illinois. The 12th district is the most diverse district in terms of agriculture in the State of Illinois, and I am proud to represent  more than 10,000 producers in our district.

Our district is more than corn and soybeans, agricultural diversity can be seen throughout the district. The 12th district produces more than half of the horse radish in the United States. Rice, specialty crops, orchards, vineyards, livestock, and dairy can be found almost everywhere you look giving residents in Southern Illinois access to some of the best tasting wines along with fresh fruits, vegetables, pork, and beef right in their own back yard.

Protecting our agricultural economy is vital to the sustainability of our rural areas.  For that reason, I am actively working on increasing rural broadband access for residents and businesses and increasing the accessibility of credit to our new and beginning farmers and ranchers so they can continue the agricultural heritage Illinois is famous for. I will continue to work to make sure the 2018 Farm Bill is being implemented within the scope of the law and work with my colleagues and grass root agriculture organizations to find new ways to reduce regulatory burdens that dampen the sustainability production agriculture.

For those involved in agriculture, it is a very expensive endeavor to see a crop through from planting to harvest. That is why I am committed to maintaining the safety net for producers that the 2018 Farm Bill established. Furthermore, I know the bounty that Southern Illinois can produce and I support efforts the United States Department of Agriculture has made in making sure food security is available to those who need it the most.

While there are still several years to go until a new Farm Bill will be discussed, Congress is not wasting any time doing full-scale reviews of every program to find out what is working and what isn’t in order to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars.

If you have any questions regarding agriculture policy, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-5661

ENERGY

For decades, Americans have been told that the United States is an energy resource poor nation. 

Well, a curious thing happened after the United States began to drill more oil and natural gas wells: the price of oil, gasoline and natural gas fell.  While domestic oil and gas production was once in decline, there now exist significant quantities of these resources produced year-over-year.  The outcome has been lower energy prices for consumers and many thousands of new jobs.

In addition to new sources of oil and natural gas, the United States also possesses significant quantities of coal, enough to last us for over a hundred years.  Southern Illinois contains significant coal deposits.  In recent years, new technologies have been developed that make it possible to more efficiently produce energy from this coal with far fewer emissions of pollutants.

Unfortunately, despite the successes and benefits of these new technologies, there remain those opposed to any use of fossil fuels. A particular target has been coal.

As your United States Representative in Congress, please know that I will continue to push for an all-of-the above energy policy that makes use of all our nation’s resources.  At a time when American families are struggling with higher bills, and millions are still looking for good paying jobs, better using the resources we’ve got is a moral imperative and just plain common sense.    

For more information concerning work and views related to Energy, please contact our office.

View information on saving on gas and home energy expenses.

HEALTH CARE

The United States has one of the best health care systems in the world.  Our nation is a leader in the research and development of newer and more effective treatments and cures for a host of medical conditions that not only extend, but improve the quality of life for patients.  In fact, some of these new treatments have their origins right here in Illinois.

However, despite these virtues, far too many Americans have trouble affording and accessing quality care.  Others struggle with escalating health insurance premiums and other costs that impose economic hardships they cannot afford. 

Unfortunately, Obamacare failed to address these challenges, and in many ways made them worse.  For example:

1. Obamacare imposes substantial new taxes and other government dictates on American workers and small businesses which hurts affordability and job creation;

2. Obamacare empowers a board of unelected bureaucrats to make healthcare decisions best left to patients and doctors;

3. Obamacare has caused millions of Americans to lose their health insurance plans and then forced them to buy policies that cost more and do less;

4. Obamacare cuts $700 billion in funding for Medicare, jeopardizing care for seniors while adding hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit and debt, among other problems.

This is why I will continue to support policies to repeal Obamacare and replace it with fiscally-responsible patient-centric reforms that help reduce costs without sacrificing access to care.

My Efforts to Improve Southern Illinois Health Care

1. Voted to repeal Obamacare

2. Cosponsored and Voted for legislation to eliminate Obamacare’s unelected board of bureaucrats and strip their power to determine how physicians care for seniors;

3. Cosponsored and Voted for the 21st Century Cures Act to increase federal investments in disease research and streamline the regulatory process for approving newer and more effective medical treatments and devices;

4. Cosponsored and Voted for legislation to Eliminate Obamacare’s Tax on life saving and improving medical devices

5. Cosponsored and Voted for legislation to repeal Obamacare’s job killing mandate on small business;

6. Voted for Legislation Fixing Medicare’s flawed physician payment system to protect senior’s access to physicians;

7. Cosponsored legislation to eliminate burdensome bureaucratic red tape on small, rural hospitals

For more information concerning work and views related to Health Care, please contact our office.

JOBS & ECONOMIC GROWTH

Families in Southern Illinois and throughout America have reached unsurpassed levels of prosperity with ingenuity and innovation. However, Washington has operated for far too long under the faulty policy of throwing more taxpayer money at inefficient programs. In my discussions with constituents around Southern Illinois, the economy and jobs remain the top concern, regardless of political ideology. Washington must stop spending money it doesn’t have and focus its efforts on creating opportunities for job growth. 

For more information concerning work and views related to Jobs and Economic Growth issues, please contact our office.

NATIONAL SECURITY

The primary role of the federal government is to defend our freedoms from those that wish us harm. September 11th demonstrated that we can no longer stand idle while a sophisticated group of terrorist enemies attempt to attack our friends and families. In this uncertain time where our nation remains on a war footing and is threatened by new hostile enemies, we must be prepared to protect our freedom. First and foremost, we must provide our brave men and women in uniform with the resources they need.

For more information concerning work and views related to National Security, please contact our office.

SPENDING CUTS & DEBT

Hard-working American families and businesses know what it’s like to live on a budget. They make difficult decisions to live within their means every day, and Washington should have to do the same.

I have serious concerns that hat the America I will pass on to my children and grandchildren will be fundamentally weaker than the one I and other Americans inherited. Those same concerns have been shared with me by hundreds of constituents, of all political stripes, since I began my service in Congress.

The federal government has run up an unsustainable debt of nearly $20 trillion and is on a trajectory to bankrupt programs like Social Security and Medicare. Most of the choices won’t be easy and will take engaged Americans and leadership from our elected officials to turn the corner. The days are over of kicking the can down the road to future generations.

For more information concerning work and views related to Spending Cuts and Debt, please contact our office.

TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Southern Illinois is a vital cross road of sorts for our nation’s commercial transportation system.  Every year, many millions of tons of cargo and billions of dollars in goods and commodities are shipped along its waterways, rail lines and yards, and trucked across its highways.  These transportation nodes also help many hundreds of thousands of Southern Illinois residents commute to work and school.  

American businesses, workers and farmers need to be able to efficiently and affordably ship their products to consumers not only here in the United States, but across the world. 

 As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am working to fund surface transportation programs and provide certainty and stability for the private sector and state and local governments. I am actively collaborating with my colleagues on long-term solutions to make our transportation system safer and more efficient, thereby growing our economy and spurring job creation.

For more information concerning work and views related to Transportation, please contact our office.

VETERANS

Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our nation’s bravest individuals – those who have served and given their lives in defense of freedom and liberty. As a country, we must remember the sacrifices of our veterans who have bravely served our nation, as well as their families, and I remain committed to providing the best care possible for them.

As a veteran, I am honored to serve our heroes as ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.  

Congress can’t lose sight of the promises made to our troops, our veterans, and their families. Our service members must be provided with the tools necessary to complete their mission and return safely as quickly as possible. Further, we must work to ensure that our veterans receive the care and services to which they are entitled in a timely, convenient and efficient manner. 

For more information concerning work and views related to veterans issues, please contact our office.

STEEL CAUCUS

Representative Bost serves as Vice Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, a bipartisan group of over 100 Members of Congress who represent regions with steel manufacturers or care about the health of the American steel industry. In addition to introducing legislation supporting the domestic steel community, Caucus members also routinely meet with Administration officials and WTO representatives to communicate the interests of the American industry and its steelworkers.

The steel industry has been vitally important to Southern Illinois for decades. However, the American steel industry and its steelworkers face threats on several fronts. At home, loopholes in Buy America protections have prevented the use of American steel on infrastructure projects. Abroad, illegally-subsidized imports from foreign nations that devalue their currencies continue to flood the market. During these difficult times, Representative Bost is on the front line fighting for every single American job.

TAX REFORM

Americans are rightfully frustrated over our nation’s tax system, and I very much share their concerns. The current tax code is cumbersome and confusing. It is estimated that American taxpayers spend over seven billion hours per year trying to comply with the current filing requirements. Our tax code is ridden with loopholes and unnecessary complexity that discourages saving and investing.

Each year taxpayers scan through 60,000 pages of forms and make difficult decisions between numerous calculations, tax credits and deductions. We must simplify our tax code and cut the red tape to ensure a fair tax system for Americans. 

By bringing a common sense approach to government, I'm fighting to simplify the tax code for working families and job creators. Taxpayers are in the best possible position to determine how to spend their own money, not bureaucrats in Washington. Tax revenue is generated by ensuring people are working and profitable – not from continuing to raise tax rates.