To the editor:
Americans consistently ask for a government that works to better lives and our country. Republicans in Congress are taking action to fight for Hoosiers and to get government out of the way of bright futures.
When the economy was inching along, jobs were scarce and families felt an immense financial burden from sending money to the IRS instead of keeping it in their pockets, Americans called for more money returned to their wallets. We passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This complete overhaul of the tax-code has unleashed economic growth, encouraged businesses to hire more Hoosiers, spawned investment in our communities, returned economic investment to the United States, all while giving American families optimism about their future.
When countless mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and classmates were succumbing to the fight against opioids, Americans called for help to get these fatal drugs out of our schools and neighborhoods. We passed over 50 bills, an historic investment in fighting the epidemic, focused on treatment and recovery, prevention and supporting our local law enforcement.
When our veterans, who dedicated their lives to fighting for our freedom here at home, were not getting the care they have earned and deserve at our VA hospitals, we got to work to honor the sacrifice of our American heroes. We demanded accountability in the VA, strengthened veterans’ healthcare programs and enhanced transition programs for veterans resettling into civilian life. Our veterans answered the call to serve, and we answered their call for better care.
The 115th Congress has been about action for those who need it. It has been about stopping government from cutting your future and potential short. When I travel across the District, all too often I hear that our government is serving as a roadblock to what Hoosiers hope to accomplish.
If a farmer in Indiana needs to protect his or her livestock from predatory black vultures, they should be able to do so without interference by a bloated federal bureaucracy. Following an agriculture townhall discussing this issue, I introduced an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill to make this process easier for our farmers. It passed unanimously, and I am hopeful that the President will soon sign it into law.
AB Biotechnologies, a life sciences company in Bloomington, focuses on finding new cures and advancing health outcomes for patients. However, they have felt the effects of over-burdensome regulations that hinder innovation. To combat this, I introduced the Fostering Innovation Act, which passed the House of Representatives with support from both sides of the aisle, to ensure that costly regulations don’t stand in the way of lifesaving medical research
Americans want change, not the same old government in Washington. In the House, I’ve been fighting for the results Hoosiers have been asking for, to make our country, and our lives and futures, better.
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth