The Bost Bulletin

Dear Friend,

Is there any day that better memorializes the mess that Illinois Democrats have gotten our state into than Tax Day? April 15th is a yearly reminder that we have the highest tax rate in the country. We must restore fiscal common sense, not just in Illinois, but in Washington, D.C. as well. You deserve to know that your taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly, which leads me to one of the hot button issues Congress voted on during a rare Saturday session…

Opposing Ukraine Funding Without Accountability for Your Tax Dollars

I have previously voted against new funding for Ukraine due to widespread concerns about how the resources are being utilized. When our own southern border is in crisis and Americans’ safety is at risk, how can we justify sending money to Ukraine without ironclad accountability for where the money is going? I cosponsored legislation requiring the Biden administration to report to Congress with a plan for how your taxpayer dollars are spent and how it benefits our national security before sending any new money to Ukraine. Without those assurances, I voted NO yesterday on the Ukraine bill and instead supported an amendment to zero out new funding.

Condemning Senate Dems for Dismissing Mayorkas Impeachment

On a party-line vote last week, Senate Democrats voted to dismiss impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas because they said it didn’t reach the level of high crimes or misdemeanors. If you want to vote against impeachment, fine. But to ignore the Constitutional process and refuse to even conduct the trial is unprecedented. Don’t ever let a D.C. Democrat tell you they care about securing the border or holding our leaders accountable for keeping our families safe, because every one of them voted against holding Mayorkas accountable for the disaster at the border.

Protecting Women and Girls in Sports

Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of the House’s passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. I voted for this vital legislation to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters can achieve their goals on a fair playing field. Biological males should not be competing in girls’ athletics. This is common sense. And yet, for a year this legislation has collected dust in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Sen. Schumer needs to bring this bill up for a vote NOW.

Supporting Illinois Agriculture

I met with the Illinois Beef Association last week to discuss our priorities in the Farm Bill. We talked about the importance of animal health, disaster relief, livestock risk protection, and much more. It’s an honor to be Southern Illinois' voice on the House Agriculture Committee and to continue working with Illinois’ agricultural industry to make sure it’s well protected.

Meeting Monroe County Police Officers

It was a pleasure to meet with some police officers from Monroe County and their spouses during their trip to our nation’s capital last week. We had a great conversation about the challenges officers and first responders, as well as their families, face in rural Illinois.

Supporting Southern Illinois Biofuels

I met with the nation’s largest ethanol trade association, Growth Energy, this week. We discussed EPA regulations on E15 fuel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel credits. Appreciate the informative conversation!

Introducing the SOLAR Act

Last week I introduced the Securing Our Lands and Resources (SOLAR) Act. This legislation will protect our prime farmland by safely regulating solar panel projects, which is important because right now acres and acres are being put out of production, impacting our supply chain and food security. You can learn more about my legislation by clicking here.

Mourning the Loss of a Local Legend

I was sad to hear last week that legendary St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog passed away. The New Athens native was a monumental figure in building the pennant-winning teams of the ‘80s, earning him an induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We Cardinal fans in Southern Illinois will remember him well – we’ll remember him as one of our own.

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- Mike