News from Rep. Bost

The Bost Bulletin Dear Friend, Ending President Trump’s Title 42 policy at the southern border has taken a crisis and likely made it a catastrophe. We’ve seen an unprecedented flood of migrants at the southern border as Biden’s deadline to lift Title 42 approached. The administration’s response? They decided to release these migrants into our streets. That’s insanity. And that’s why I am appreciative of the House conservatives who joined me a passing legislation that will fix the problem. You can read more about that, and more, below.   Voting to Secure Our Border During my recent visit to the southern border, I spoke with military veterans now serving on Border Patrol. They desperately want to know their representatives will back them up with the tools they need to do their jobs. But they know Biden is MIA when it comes to border security. That’s why I was proud to vote for the Secure the Border Act. This important legislation will require Biden to finish the border wall, hire 22,000 more Border Patrol agents and start paying them better, and end catch and release. Prior to House passage, I took to the House floor to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Fighting the Flood of Fentanyl The St. Louis DEA revealed the results of a year-long operation targeting Mexican drug cartels. Their report shows that 1.3 MILLION fentanyl pills were seized in the last year alone. How much illegal and deadly fentanyl has made it to Southern Illinois as a result of what's going on at the southern border? When dealing with the consequences of illegal immigration, no state is immune. Every state is a border state. To learn more the St. Louis DEA’s report, click here. Combating Teacher Shortages It doesn't matter where you're from, all students deserve access to a quality education. That quality education comes from training and educating highly qualified teachers. Southern Illinois has many amazing educational professionals, which is a blessing, but rural communities face unique challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. That's why this week I introduced the Rural Education Investment Act, which requires the Secretary of Education to determine the percentage of K-12 students living in rural areas who are served by local educational agencies, and reserve at least an equal percentage of Teacher Quality Partnership grants for those agencies. The Teacher Quality Partnership Program allows teachers to be placed in a full-time classroom clinical practice while completing Master's level coursework. I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort to ensure rural areas like ours receive assistance and resources necessary to grow the next generation of American leaders.  The Rural Education Investment Act is supported by the School Superintendents Association, National Rural Education Association, National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition, and the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools.  Helping Crawford County's Recovery The Small Business Administration has opened a disaster loan outreach center in Crawford County for residents impacted by last month's devastating storms. It will be open until May 24th. Thanking and Praying for a Hero On Wednesday, I called the Illinois State Trooper who was shot and seriously injured in a roadside altercation on I-64 near Mt. Vernon early that morning. He said the outcome could have been much worse than it was. I am relieved for him and his loved ones that he's starting the road to recovery. Next week is National Police Week, and I can't help but be prayerful and thankful for this trooper and all who step in the line of danger to keep us safe. Immortalizing a Record of Military Service I had the great pleasure of presenting JoNita Gordan a Congressional Record entry honoring her father’s heroic service during World War II. Sgt. Joseph Hall’s actions in the Army Air Corps earned him the European Theater of Operations Ribbon with five Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Silver Oak Leaf Clusters, the Victory Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, and two Purple Hearts. Now his legacy will forever be etched in the record of the House of Representatives. Celebrating 300 Years of Illinois' National Guard Tuesday of last week we marked the 300th anniversary of the Illinois National Guard; and I'm proud to represent the part of Illinois where our state's National Guard originated back when Illinois was considered a territory, before becoming the 21st State. The ILNG celebrated at the Liberty Bell of the West in Chester, and I hope you'll join me in celebrating this milestone too. Thanks to our National Guardsmen and women for their service. Welcoming Another Southern Illinois' Honor Flight I had the honor of welcoming another Southern Illinois Honor Flight to Washington this week. It's such an incredible experience to share part of the day with these great Americans as they visit the military memorials in our nation's capital. Thanking Those That Keep Us Healthy Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was sent to Southern Illinois to aid in recovery efforts following the tragedy of the tornado of 1888. Setting up shop at the historic Appellate Courthouse in Mt. Vernon where Abraham Lincoln once practiced law, she helped bring a community back to its feet. Now, 135 years later, a similar course is charted by today’s nurses who work tirelessly to keep Southern Illinois safe and healthy. As we celebrate National Nurses Week, please join me in thanking our nurses for all they do. To stay updated on the work I am doing, make sure you follow me on Facebook or Twitter. And if you would like to receive these email updates, make sure you sign up for my newsletter here.  - Mike      Unsubscribe Please do not respond to this email. If you would like to share a comment or concern, please email listeningtoyou@mail.house.gov.