The Bost Bulletin Dear Friend, I had a fun time last week kicking off our Southeastern Illinois Listening Tour, where I visited with constituents who are new to the 12th District following last year’s congressional redistricting process. You can read more about where we’ve been so far; and stay tuned as the tour continues during the upcoming February constituent work period!
Hearing From You Before we get to an update on my recent work, I wanted to share the results of the poll we sent out last week. We asked folks whether or not they thought the U.S. House of Representatives should investigate Biden's handling of classified documents. 72% of those who responded said yes, 25% said no, and then 3% said they were unsure.
Effingham District Office Now Open One of my top priorities is ensuring Southern Illinoisans receive the quality, responsive constituent service they deserve. We recently had a full house at the grand opening of our new Effingham district office. It was great to see old friends and meet many of my new constituents. If you weren't able to make it or if there is anything my staff and I can assist with, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to serve you! 
Mike speaks with constituents about services his office can provide at the Effingham office grand opening
Meeting With Local Farm Bureau Members During our district work period, I met with folks across new counties in the 12th District, including members of the Farm Bureaus in Crawford and Richland Counties. We discussed the importance of biofuels, the Administration’s overburdensome WOTUS regulations, as well as the upcoming Farm Bill. I look forward to meeting many more of my new constituents whenever I am here at home in Southern Illinois! 
Mike meets with members of the Richland County Farm Bureau to discuss his work on agricultural issues
Helping Beginning Farmers Access Credit Sky-high inflation and supply chain challenges have made it even more expensive for our Southern Illinois farmers to build their businesses, especially those just starting out. This past week, I introduced the BALE Act, which would help ensure they have access to credit to diversify their operations. I was proud to lead this effort in the 2018 Farm Bill and will continue working to ensure the farmers who feed our nation can accessing the financing they need. You can read more about the bill here.
Fighting Back Against Biden's WOTUS Rule Last week, I led 193 of my colleagues in urging the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to rescind their recent WOTUS rule. Farmers, landowners, and job creators depend on clear, consistent, and manageable regulatory guidance. In eight years, they’ve been forced to change course 4 times to avoid criminal penalties and financial hardship as WOTUS is continually redefined. They deserve certainty. You can read our letter here.
Protecting Our Energy Security On Friday, I voted for the Strategic Production Response Act, which would require the Secretary of Energy to develop a plan to increase oil and gas production on federal land should a president dip into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for any future non-emergency situation. In the past two years, President Biden has depleted our Strategic Petroleum Reserve by nearly 40% in an attempt to safe face and artificially lower gas prices. That’s more than every other U.S. president combined. Energy security is national security, and this blatant attempt to score political points has put our nation at risk. If he, or any other president, wants to exploit our energy reserves for non-emergency situations, they must have a plan to refill it.
Improving Aviation Safety Earlier this month, 1,300 flights were canceled and nearly 10,000 more were delayed when the FAA’s system to alert pilots of safety hazards experienced an outage. Clearly, the FAA needs to make improvements to this system ASAP. On Wednesday, the House passed legislation to require them to do just that. No passenger or pilot should have to worry about whether the system meant to keep them safe will fail them midflight.
Participate in the Congressional Art Competition! I'm excited to announce that our 2023 Congressional Art Competition is now live! This annual competition allows high school students from all 50 states to showcase their artistic ability. The winning artwork from our District's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. If you are a high school student or parent of a high school student who is interested in participating, please visit my website for more information.
To stay updated on the work I am doing, make sure you follow me on or . And if you would like to recieve these email updates, make sure you sign up for my newsletter . - Mike | 
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