Ann Wagner's career is both deep and broad in service to her hometown, state and nation with over 30 years of work in the private sector, community and public service, and the political arena.
The 2nd District has always been home for Ann. It is where she and her husband of over thirty years, Ray, grew up, went to school, raised their children, work, volunteer, and go to church. This community has given her extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.
Budgeting is the most basic responsibility of any institution, whether it is for a family, a business, or government. This has never been truer than today, as our nation's finances are in a grave state.
With a national debt of more than $20 trillion, this is a crisis that threatens the prosperity and opportunity for future generations of Americans.
One of my top priorities as the representative for Missouri's 2nd Congressional district is to rein in Washington spending so that our children and grandchildren are not forced to pick up the tab for Washington's spending binge. We must also prioritize our spending to rebuild our military after years of neglect, fight the opioid epidemic gripping the nation, and care for our veterans who so proudly served our nation. I am eager to work with my colleagues to find a lasting, long term solution for our federal budget that will put an end to out-of-control spending and help secure a hopeful future for coming generations of Americans.
One of the primary responsibilities of the United States government is to provide for the common defense, as established in the Constitution.
I believe we all owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who are serving or who have served in the armed forces. As an American and a proud Army mom, I am dedicated to ensuring that our military is well equipped to keep our nation safe. Unfortunately, the state of our current military readiness is unacceptable and impacts our ability to respond to global crises ranging from geopolitical threats to cyber warfare to unconventional threats like terrorism. To better assist our armed forces and safeguard American interests, I am committed to authorizing defense programs that enable our military to properly plan operations and conduct missions necessary to our country's safety.
During my time in Congress, I have led the fight to secure funding for Growlers and Super Hornets, which are critical for Naval readiness. Last session, Missouri's F-18 Super Hornet production line faced a possible closure if no additional funding was provided. Both Growlers and Super Hornets are mission critical for our forces abroad. Growlers provide airborne electronic attacks which jam enemy radars in contested airspace. The Super Hornet continues to evolve to meet threats and complement the entire aircraft carrier air wing—including the F-35, EA-18G, and E-2D—as they operate together into the 2040s.
These fighter jets are also important for the St. Louis area, supporting over 5,000 regional jobs. I have enlisted over 100 colleagues to write letters pressing for additional funding to keep production lines open, testified before the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee, and fought behind the scenes to ensure these assets receive robust funding in the National Defense Authorization Act and appropriations bills.
Across the Second District and our nation, the economy and jobs remain the top concerns for American families. For too many years, Washington cultivated an environment of high taxes, overregulation, and crippling debt that sidelined capital and hurt job creation throughout our economy. When people stop me in the grocery store, they always mention two things: they want to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks and they want to know that their jobs are safe. We are never going to be able to tax, borrow, and spend our way to a strong economy--it is American business and entrepreneurs that make our economy grow. I will always be committed to keeping taxes low for hardworking families and getting government out of the way so that Americans can do what they do best: work hard and innovate in pursuit of their dreams.
With the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being signed into law, we are finally delivering bigger paychecks, fairer taxes, and more jobs for the people of Missouri. It has set the stage for our families and our economy to prosper, and businesses across the country have reacted with pay raises and improved employee benefits that directly enrich American workers. But there is still more work ahead of us. We must continue to roll back the burdensome regulations that cost American families almost $15,000 per year in a "hidden tax." Taken together, these actions will continue to spur the economy, create jobs, and bring financial security to Missouri's families.
The St. Louis region is home to some of the best K-12 education options in America—this includes private schools, public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, and homeschooling. A good education is the foundation for a prosperous and secure future, and a student's future should not be limited by their zip code or household income.
We know that when parents are empowered to choose the educational environments they believe work best for their kids, students are more likely to succeed and graduate from high school. American children, no matter where they live, should have the opportunity to receive an outstanding education, and should never be trapped in a school that is failing their educational needs.
Unfortunately, the federal government's approach to education in the past has been to craft a one-size-fits-all approach to students' needs. The challenges our educators face in the St. Louis area are not the same as those in California and Massachusetts. Moreover, we have learned the hard way that throwing money at our nation's broken education system does not solve our core problems, as evident by America's decline in worldwide education rankings.
In Congress, I aim to undo many of the federal burdens and one-size-fits-all approach that the federal government has imposed on states, while ensuring that quality teachers are empowered to do their jobs. Properly educating our country's children is investing in the future, and it directly supports our country's overall wealth and prosperity.
Due to the ongoing development of our domestic resources, the United States is closer to becoming energy independent. For too long, we have relied on oil imports and watched as Americans were forced to pay increasing prices at the gas pump. I believe we must fully cultivate our oil resources by ending drilling moratoriums, increasing onshore and offshore production, and approving permits that would assist in transporting oil from North Dakota's Bakken.
Additionally, we should embrace the burgeoning natural gas industry and repeal harmful Environmental Protection Agency regulations that make it more difficult for coal-powered facilities to thrive. Responsibly utilizing all of our available resources will provide stability to our country's energy needs while advancements in alternative options such as wind, solar, hydropower, and geothermal energy continue.
I have the distinct privilege of serving on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, which oversees the nation's financial industry including banking, insurance, capital markets, and housing.
The St. Louis region is a national hub for the financial services industry, with over 84,000 people employed in insurance, banking, real estate, or other business lines throughout the region. I am honored to work on a committee which holds such great importance for Missouri's 2nd Congressional District.
As a former United States Ambassador, I saw firsthand what strong ties with our allies and partners mean to an enhanced national security, free and fair trade, the protection of American interests abroad, and the promotion of democracy and human rights. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am committed to ensuring that our nation remains safe, secure, prosperous, and ready to respond to threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and mass atrocities.
As a member of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee and the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, I believe we must steadfastly support the nation of Israel and protect our partners against Iranian aggression. The United States must not tolerate any efforts to harm our allies. I am also committed to maximizing economic presssure on North Korea to force the Kim regime to abandon its development of nuclear weapons and delivery systems. I seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula and a just world that respects the human rights of all people. In addition, I co-founded and co-chair the Congressional Caucus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an important region that is key to stability in the Asia Pacific. ASEAN is America's fourth largest goods and exports market, rivaling our market in China, and an important buyer of Missouri products.
America has one of the most generous immigration systems in the entire world. As your representative, I advocate for fixing our broken immigration system to make our country safe, secure, and prosperous. I believe in strong border security and believe that state and local law enforcement should cooperate with federal immigration authorities to ensure that our laws are respected and enforced. I am blessed to have been born in the United States, and I think Congress should be guided by Deuteronomy 10:18: "The Lord defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing." I am grateful and proud that the United States protects children, asylees, and refugees who are fleeing conflict and violence.
Protecting the unborn is one of my most precious duties as a member of Congress. I believe that life from conception to natural death is our greatest gift--and a gift that our country far too often takes for granted. One of my very first trips to Washington, D.C., was to take part in the annual march from the St. Louis Arch to the U.S. Capitol in support of the sanctity of life. I proudly support legislation that respects the dignity and right to life of every human being, and I will continue fighting for the rights of the unborn in Congress.
As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, the individual right to own a gun is very important to me. I believe that our Founding Fathers meant for all law-abiding citizens to have the right to bear and maintain firearms. Whether it is for hunting or marksmanship, firearms are an integral part of American sportsmanship and recreation. Furthermore, individuals should always possess, as a last resource, the right to defend themselves and their families. For the majority of Americans, these rights are exercised responsibly every day, and it is important not to punish people who obey the laws.
I do believe, however, that a number of other issues related to recent shootings must be aired and discussed as part of a national dialogue. We all should be involved in a broader conversation seeking ways to prevent tragedies that take the lives of so many innocent people.
The American people deserve to have a comprehensive dialogue on all the underlying causes of violence. I believe that there is more we can do to explore mental health and its role in these cases of gun violence and also ensure that records are being shared among the proper authorities to boost our current background check system. I am committed to being a part of the real solution and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to address these issues.
Maintaining our nation's roads, bridges, railways, waterways, and runways is critical to economic prosperity and global competitiveness. As the representative of a district that hosts a section of the Mississippi River—which provides thousands of jobs and transfers billions of dollars of commodities—I am committed to enhancing the economic impacts that a well-functioning transportation system provides to Missourians.
Additionally, Missouri hosts a considerable number of highway miles and has a significant railway presence. I will provide for upkeep and improvements to our transportation causeways and give states flexibility to effectively carry out projects that allow commercial and commuter traffic to continue uninterrupted.
As a proud Army mom and the daughter of a Korean War veteran, I hold the men and women who serve in our great nation's armed forces in the highest regard. As your representative in Congress, I am committed to ensuring our veterans receive quality health care and the benefits they have earned.
If you or someone you may know is experiencing issues with the federal government regarding benefits or medical care, my staff in Ballwin can assist as well as answer any questions. Please click here for additional information.
As a mother, I believe we have a moral obligation to stop the devastating consequences of human trafficking where innocent children are dragged into the dark abyss of sex slavery. During my time as a United States Ambassador, I was exposed firsthand to the horrors of human trafficking on an international level. But never in my wildest dreams did I think sex trafficking was so rampant in the United States of America, in our neighborhoods, school districts and faith communities.
Modern-day slavery exists right here in the United States. Through the scourge of human trafficking, children in our own neighborhoods and communities are sold into prostitution every single day. Sexual predators can browse advertisements and have child prostitutes sent to their hotel rooms as if they were ordering a pepperoni pizza.
For the past 14 years, the House of Representatives has not passed any new pieces of legislation dealing with human trafficking. During that time, the problem has changed and evolved. When I came to Congress, I made it my mission to make sure that we did something to address this enormous problem. That’s why I authored and introduced the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act (SAVE Act), which seeks to criminalize the advertisement of innocent victims being forced into sex slavery.
In May 2015, as part of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (S. 178), the SAVE Act was signed into law by President Obama.
Several other important pieces of legislation were incorporated into S. 178, including provisions encouraging states to adopt “Safe Harbor” laws, which improves law enforcement’s collection of human trafficking data, and provides for much needed training to federal employees.
Millions of children, women, and men are trafficked every year around the world, including here in the United States. DHS estimates there are more than 20 million victims worldwide, with nearly 20,000 victims being trafficked in the US annually. I am proud to help defend those victimized by human trafficking by protecting our daughters, our sons, our nieces, and our nephews that fall victim to this horrendous crime.
Summary of the SAVE Act:
Have you had your health insurance plan cancelled as a result of ObamaCare? Have your premiums increased or even doubled? Have you had to switch doctors? Have you lost your job or had your hours cut?
As your representative, I will not stop fighting until President Obama respects our existing immigration laws, upholds the Constitution, and stops circumventing the will of the people.
President Obama announced to the country that he will be taking action independently of Congress to unilaterally change our nation’s immigration laws. The President once said, “I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed.”
But President Obama’s rhetoric fails to match his action. That’s why I sent the President a letter, requesting that he not grant amnesty by executive action and that he work with Congress on reforms to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system.
I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 5759, the Executive Amnesty Prevention Act, which will stop President Obama’s executive amnesty. This bill prohibits the President from taking unilateral action that would exempt individuals from deportation. We must preserve the Constitution and uphold the separation of powers. The U.S. House of Representatives 219-197 recently passed this bill, with my support. I will continue to work to stop President Obama’s executive overreach.
Rest assured that I will continue fighting for my constituents who recognize that we are a nation of laws and that those laws must be enforced.
The rising cost of health care is a huge problem facing our nation. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare, only serves to exacerbate the issue by further contributing to higher premiums, creating more barriers to care, and adding more money to our growing deficit. Instead of increasing competition, removing bureaucratic red tape, and focusing on the doctor patient relationship, the Affordable Care Act did exactly the opposite while creating a massive new entitlement program which we cannot afford.
I am committed to repealing this harmful legislation and replacing it with common sense, small government reforms with increase access to health care and lower costs for middle class families.