Vicky is a wife, mother, life-long farmer, small business owner and a former public school teacher with a passion for life and for serving God and others. She grew up on a farm in Cass County, learned the value of hard work, graduated from Archie High School, then received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Central Missouri.
She taught family and consumer sciences for 11 years in Lebanon and Belton, MO, coaching track for six years while at Belton and serving as co-director of a program for at-risk teens in addition to her regular teaching responsibilities.
In addition to serving you in Congress on the House Agriculture Committee, my husband and I own and operate a farm near Harrisonville, where we raise cattle and grow corn, wheat, and soybeans. We also run a small business providing farm equipment and related services to farmers in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. I am proud to bring this first-hand experience and perspective to Washington to advocate for you.
Since my arrival in Washington, the federal bureaucracy has continued to attack America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers. Between the Department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other agencies, the agriculture industry in America has been hit with burdensome and unnecessary rules and regulations. This needs to stop. Washington needs to get out of the way and allow our industries to thrive in the free market. I’m proud to have been an original co-sponsor of legislation to stop EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule which expands federal jurisdiction to over 99% of the nation’s landmass, led a successful effort to provide more transparency to sale barns during the audit process, and been a strong voice on efforts to push back on overreach ranging from farm dust regulations to federal limits on teenagers working on their neighbors farms.
In addition to my efforts to get the federal government out of the way, I have also worked with my colleagues to pass legislation to strengthen our agricultural industry. In 2014 I was pleased to see a bipartisan five-year farm bill signed into law. I believe a strong farm bill is necessary to ensure America maintains the safest, most affordable food supply in the world.
I have also introduced or supported bills to push back on agency overreach from OSHA and FERC, to promote free trade, and allow our farmers and ranchers to continue to provide the country with quality products unhindered by federal bureaucrats.
As long as I am in Washington, I will continue to work for common-sense farm policy that strikes a balance between protecting rural interests and advancing fiscal responsibility. A safe and abundant domestic food supply is vitally important to the overall strength of America, and I am committed to protecting the ability of all Missouri’s Fourth District farmers and ranchers to run their operations as they see fit.
I have spoken to many Missourians throughout the district and one of their top concerns is how Washington is spending more money than it brings in. The current rate of spending is unsustainable! Our country’s debt crisis has met its boiling point, threatening our economic recovery and our children’s future opportunities. It is imperative we get our nation’s spending problem under control and get our budgetary priorities straight.
During my time serving on the Budget Committee, I helped craft budgets that balance. We need to get our priorities right as a nation, supporting those directives outlined in our Constitution such as providing for the common defense, rethinking whether the federal government has a role in other areas of spending, and reforming needed programs that have become bloated and unsustainable. Our economy is on the brink of collapse as the debt grows exponentially. If we want to avoid heaping mountains of debt on our children and grandchildren, we have to take a stand now to stop the runaway spending. Just as American families must manage and prioritize their budgets, the federal government must seriously change its spending patterns and many federal agencies and programs need to be streamlined or restructured to maximize productivity.
I have supported legislation to combat this reckless spending spree. Congress needs a firm structure in place to restrict its ability to spend uncontrollably. In addition to co-sponsoring balanced budget amendments, I continue to support and vote for legislation that freezes or cuts funding for federal programs and agencies that have ballooned to unsustainable sizes. Getting our fiscal house in order is a priority of the Fourth District of Missouri and it is a priority of mine as your representative.
In addition to cutting wasteful spending, we need to grow the economy in order to balance the budget. Specific actions which will unleash economic growth in American businesses include:
Less government regulations
The ability to access necessary capital
Affordable health care
Access to affordable energy
Stability and certainty coming from Washington
I am a small business owner; I have experience creating jobs. I know how to balance a budget. So do you. Washington needs to learn how to balance its budget, as well. As your representative, I have and will continue to support the keys to job growth so we can get our economy going, businesses flourishing, and families prospering. It is possible.
House of Representative Efforts to Restore Fiscal Discipline:
Source of the Government's Fiscal Problem: Reckless Automatic Spending
Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District is proud to be one of our nation’s most military-intensive congressional districts, home to two major military installations, Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood. Our District is blessed to have them as a part of our community. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, I am committed to working hard to ensure that these facilities remain vital components of our national defense.
We must be ever vigilant in countering the threats we face in today’s uncertain world. While our attention is rightly focused on combating global terrorism, we must not forget other national security threats—China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia among others. Sadly, additional threats persist with the rise of the Islamic State and the presence of homegrown terrorism. With these concerns foremost in mind, I work every day to help keep our country safe. Providing our military the resources necessary to safeguard our liberties and to protect our shores is one of my top legislative priorities.
In my work on the House Armed Services Committee, I have been a constant advocate for our troops and veterans. I remain steadfast in fighting for a strong national defense while also seeking fiscal accountability in the vast array of programs run by the Pentagon. We are a nation with men and women fighting in harm’s way on multiple fronts. We need to ensure that our forces are well equipped with every resources they need to protect the liberties we all enjoy.
The duty to protect our nation is a key responsibility of Congress and thus deserves our utmost dedication. I am honored to represent the military personnel, their families, and the installations of which we are so proud. Rest assured, I will continue my work to increase the quality of veteran and active duty military care to Missourians and ensure they have all they need to fulfill their missions. Members of the Armed Forces put their lives on the line to preserve our nation’s freedom, and we owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude. They have stood up for us; we must stand by them. It is my high honor to fight for them.
As a former teacher who taught in Lebanon and Belton, I care about our students and believe they deserve the best education possible. They are our future. I am committed to a quality education for everyone.
Having been in the classroom for 11 years, I am sympathetic to the struggles that educators across the nation face. Teaching is not an easy task, so I am thankful for the many dedicated professionals across Missouri’s Fourth District who sacrifice daily to educate our precious future generation. They are doing a great job.
Likewise, parents are the first and most important teacher in their child’s life. Parents know what learning experience works for their children. That is why I believe education is best left to local schools and parents rather than the federal government. While federal education initiatives often sound good, the numerous parents, school administrators, and teachers I know overwhelmingly confirm that federally directed initiatives often make it more difficult to teach. The cumbersome paperwork and regulations added by federal directives disrupt teacher/student learning time and harm the delivery of quality content in the classroom.
We do not need to force states into a one size fits all mold. We need to reduce the role of the federal government in education. We must encourage practices that develop independent learners, reward our best teachers, facilitate innovation in education delivery, and do away with policies that hinder their development. Our children deserve it.
To that end, I am encouraged state and local leaders are already driving innovative solutions to improve student achievement and better teacher accountability. I am confident that advancements in education delivery and content will come from local school boards, dedicated parents, and community stakeholders to keep education strong in the Fourth District for years to come.
The energy sector is crucial to our economic growth and high-energy costs have a negative impact on every American. Top-down, “Washington-knows-best” policies have detrimental effects on average Americans. While I believe we must continue to look for alternative sources of energy, I continue to support an all-of-the-above energy policy that utilizes all North American resources to provide safe, stable, and affordable energy to all my constituents.
The ‘War on Coal’ is a travesty. Over 80% of Missouri’s energy comes from coal. It is abundant and affordable and can be burned cleanly. The federal regulations targeting the coal industry hurt Missouri families who will see their electricity bills skyrocket. The ones hurt the most are those on fixed incomes such as senior citizens and those struggling to make ends meet. This doesn’t have to be. We can utilize new technologies and new energy sources, but we should also continue to use those energy sources which our country has been blessed with.
In addition, we need to rein in the regulatory overreach of many federal agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to advance burdensome regulations that threaten our energy independence, stifle our economic recovery, and force employers to expend resources on unnecessary regulations. Many of these regulations are implemented without scientific justification or proper cost-benefit analysis and all too often arbitrarily pick winners and losers.
It is important that we reduce our dependency on foreign oil, protect the environment, and supply the energy required to create the family-supporting jobs we need. I will continue to support common sense reforms to our environmental policy that balance progress with practicality while avoiding unfunded mandates and reliance on untested technologies that increase costs to consumers so Missourians will have access to affordable energy.
I believe our American foreign policy should protect our national interests, strengthen our long-term security, and establish partnerships with our allies such as Israel.
While our attention is rightly focused on combating global terrorism, we must not forget other national security threats in our own hemisphere where dictatorial regimes increasingly impose oppressive ideologies. We must condemn human rights abuses in China, North Korea, and around the globe while also championing democracy, religious liberty, and the rule of law. With these concerns foremost in mind, I work every day as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to keep our country safe. Providing our military the resources necessary to safeguard our liberties and to protect our shores is one of my top legislative priorities. I am also well aware of the need to keep our diplomatic tools well-sharpened. In my time serving in the House of Representatives, I have been a constant advocate for our nation on the global stage.
To that end, I will remain an ardent supporter of Israel, our democratic ally in the Middle East, as regional threats continue to encroach on its liberty. I will also continue pushing for more sanctions on Iran as it continues its march towards nuclear weapons capability, and I will continue to advocate for religious liberties for oppressed and persecuted peoples around the world, as extremists and regimes seek to force radical ideologies upon them.
I believe that the U.S. ought to champion the ideals that have made our nation great—the rule of law, property rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to worship and profess any faith. In this era of fiscal austerity, our resources should be dedicated to the protection of American national security and economic prosperity first and foremost. While it is important that all of America’s diplomatic tools are available to address international challenges, we must also ensure that our limited foreign aid budget be focused on effective and efficient programs. Although some aid may be useful in building coalitions with our allies and addressing narrowly defined humanitarian goals, Congress must look for ways to save taxpayer dollars while still funding the nation's priorities.
Americans deserve real health care reform that prioritizes patients while also protecting individual freedoms.
I continue to hear stories from Missourians of premiums going through the roof and deductibles doubling and tripling. People should be allowed to make their own choices based on their needs.
I will continue working with my colleagues, pushing for real reform that returns power and choice to you, the person who knows best what you and your family needs. With the bills I have co-sponsored, every family will have a chance for affordable, accessible healthcare. We can do better.
Our nation’s immigration policy is fundamentally flawed. Those who choose to ignore our laws are coming here every day yet those who wish to follow our laws and come here legally are waiting in line. This must end.
Securing our borders must be our top priority as we seek to preserve a nation defined by liberty, the rule of law, and economic success. As a nation founded by those seeking freedom, we ought to welcome the downtrodden and oppressed with clearly defined, firmly established legal immigration processes while ensuring the safety of our own citizens. I am strongly committed to securing our border, stopping illegal immigration, and ensuring the safety of all Americans.
A compassionate solution for the illegal immigrant population living and working in the United States can be accomplished without resorting to amnesty. Current illegal immigrants should not receive all the rights and privileges they would have been eligible for had they come legally. They should not be eligible for citizenship. To pardon lawbreakers and reward them with the objective of their crime is inappropriate and will accelerate the flow of illegal immigrants.
Our nation was formed as a nation of immigrants coming to this continent for a better way of life and an opportunity to live according to their beliefs. Those ideals speak to the value of every individual and their rights in a system governed by the rule of law. I believe in welcoming all individuals who seek to enter this land lawfully and profess allegiance to those ideals. We must pursue immigration reform because our present system not only fails to halt illegal aliens seeking entrance but also fails to accommodate those seeking to enter our society the right way.
The fundamental right to life is unalienable. Abortion is one of the greatest injustices in our society today. Since the misguided Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, over 62.5 million babies’ lives have been extinguished. They had their futures ahead of them—birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own—rights endowed to them by their Creator—that were snuffed out due to fear, ignorance, coercion, or for the sake of convenience. We must protect life and speak up for the unborn. That is what I do in Congress.
Further, we know that life is made better with a loving, stable, and caring family. Missourians have overwhelmingly voted to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman; and I support their right to define this issue. I will continue champion marriage as the union of one man and one woman so every child has the opportunity to be loved and known by a mom and a dad.
I am also an committed supporter of adoption. When I was a state representative I helped write and pass two major adoption reform bills in Missouri. As a mother whose life has personally been blessed through adoption, I am proud to be a strong advocate for pro-adoption legislation in Washington so that all children will have a chance to be loved by a ‘forever family’.
I am committed to ensuring legislation that I support fits within the framework of the Constitution. The Constitution and founding documents are timeless, and remain just as important today as when they were first written. When I came to Washington to be sworn in as a Member of Congress, I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and I hold that oath as sacred. The principles of the Constitution enshrine the importance of individual liberties and smaller government. I am proud to support these hard fought principles of our Founding Fathers.
I am an ardent supporter of our constitutional rights including the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This right is one of the fundamental principles of our Republic. The federal government should take no action to suppress this right or any right. Too many times, law-abiding citizens are punished and their rights threatened due to the actions of criminals. When a violent act is committed we should punish the offender and address the cause of the action rather than restricting innocent people’s ability to defend themselves.
As a granddaughter who was close to my grandparents growing up and someone who has worked with senior citizens my entire life, I have a special place in my heart and the utmost respect for those who have led the way in the country so long. Many of them have served this nation, sacrificed for future generations, and put their life on the lines for our freedoms. We owe it to them and future seniors to ensure the strength and solvency of those programs they need and rely on.
Government programs our nation’s seniors rely on need help. According to the annual reports of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees, both programs will run out of funds within the next 25 years. Medicare is projected to run out of money by 2026. While not as imminent of a threat, in 2033, the Social Security trust’s funds will be insolvent, and payments to beneficiaries would immediately have to be cut by 23 percent. Reforms must be made now to ensure the long-term solvency of these programs so today’s seniors and tomorrow’s beneficiaries can rest assured these programs will be there when they are needed.
Additionally, seniors shouldn’t have to worry their children or grandchildren will have to sell the family farm or business when they inherit it due to the estate tax. It is an injustice the federal government would levy a tax making it impossible to continue a family business after a loved one passes. Uncle Sam shouldn’t be collecting another round of taxes on something that has already been taxed for years simply because of a death. I am committed to undoing this injustice to preserve what seniors have worked so hard for to pass on their family.
Since taking office, I have worked hard to preserve Medicare, rein in taxation for seniors, advocate for important medical research, and protect Social Security. There are many challenges facing senior citizens today. We need to take measures now to make sure the most vital programs are not one of those challenges down the road.
In 2018, we passed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - historic tax reform for the American people. This legislation simplifies the tax code, allows Missouri families to keep more of their paychecks, and enables American businesses to grow, expand, and compete again in the world. It focuses on families by enhancing the child tax credit, allowing deductions for higher education, and maintaining the adoption tax credit.
Historically, the federal government has made shortsighted and irresponsible decisions when managing your hard-earned tax dollars. I believe control over your money should remain in your hands—which is why this tax reform package puts more money right where it should be: back in the taxpayer's pocket.
Over 95 percent of the world’s customers are living outside of the United States, holding 80 percent of the world’s purchasing power. Currently, customers in 200 countries and territories buy Missouri-made goods and services. In order to create additional opportunity and more high-paying jobs here at home, we need to sell more American-made products and services overseas while continuing to remove barriers to American exports.
With roughly 200 countries and territories buying Missouri-made goods and services, international trade, including exports and imports, supports 706,800 Missouri jobs – that’s nearly 1 in 5 jobs! Trade related jobs are represented across the state at large and small companies, on farms, in factories, and at the headquarters of Missouri's globally engaged firms. Of Missouri's 6,008 exporters, 85 percent are small and medium sized companies with less than 500 workers.
We must knock down barriers to free trade. Free trade is an economic stimulus package for Missouri at no cost to us. Trade and investment liberalization policies save the average Missouri family of four more than $10,000 per year. I will continue to support policy that levels the playing field, puts Missouri’s businesses and industries first, and brings jobs to our borders. The world is increasingly globalizing and we need to embrace this trend to make sure “Made in America” is regarded around the world.
Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District is proud to be one of our nation’s most military-intensive congressional districts and home to tens of thousands of veterans who have served our country with distinction and honor. The countless sacrifices of our veterans have given us the freedom, prosperity, and way of life that makes our country the greatest in the world. Our district is blessed to have them as a part of our community. How we treat our veterans influences the willingness of individuals to join our national defense.
-George Washington
In my work on the House Armed Services Committee, I have been a constant advocate for our troops and veterans. I remain steadfast in fighting for better pay and full funding for our troops so that they can receive elite training and equipment.
Further, we must ensure our veterans have access to uncompromised, timely, and unsurpassed care. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, and should be one of America’s greatest priorities. It is imperative that we use this resource to maximize care for those who have given so much.
Rest assured, I will continue my work to increase the quality of veteran and active duty military care to Missourians. Veterans put their lives on the line to preserve our nation’s freedom, and we owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude.