Friends,

Last week, the House Ways & Means, Agriculture, and Energy & Commerce Committees – which have jurisdiction over taxes, farm policy and healthcare, among other areas – advanced President Trump’s one big beautiful bill. The only remaining hurdle is passage by the Budget Committee, who will package up all the other committees’ work and deliver the completed legislation to the House floor for a vote.

Getting 200+ Republican Members of Congress – who each represent a different district with different needs – on the same page about a bill this size is never easy, but make no mistake: we will advance President Trump’s agenda, prevent a massive tax hike on middle class families and small businesses, provide the funding needed to permanently secure our border, and begin to finally bend the curve of federal spending downward. This legislation provides desperately needed reforms that prevent waste, fraud, and abuse while strengthening programs Kansans rely on every day.

The process isn’t easy, but failure is not an option. We must pass this legislation so future generations of Kansans aren’t saddled with insurmountable debt.

We also celebrated National Police Week, united Congress to combat antisemitism, and encouraged the Trump Administration to remain strong on Iran.

Last week was National Police Week! As Kansas’s top law enforcement official for more than a decade, I know firsthand the sacrifices our law enforcement officers make every day keeping our communities safe. As a part of our celebration of National Police Week, I voted to pass multiple bills and resolutions supporting our law enforcement at the local, state, and federal level.

On Wednesday, I spoke about the importance of passing one of these resolutions, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act. First enacted in 2004, LEOSA allows qualified active, retired, or separated law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the US or US Territories. The LEOSA Reform Act would expand these carrying privileges, ensuring our officers are able to protect themselves, their families, and their communities at all times.

Danger doesn’t stop simply because an officer is off duty.

National Police Week began with great news out of our KS-02 as local, state, and federal law enforcement worked together to seize a large amount of dangerous drugs from Emporia and arrest the criminals aiming to distribute this poison in our community. Law enforcement has become wrongfully politicized in recent years. Our country is the safest when our community protectors are given the resources they need and supported by those they’re protecting, which is why I will always back the blue.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating our law enforcement officers’ service and sacrifice all year long.

The Quindaro Townsite in Wyandotte County is a meaningful part of our region, state, and country’s history. Founded in 1857 in Kansas City, the site served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad prior to and during the US Civil War.

Local preservation efforts have done a wonderful job of keeping Quindaro’s legacy alive; however, more resources are required for proper upkeep. That’s why I recently led fellow Kansas City area lawmakers Sharice Davids (KS-03) and Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) in encouraging the National Park Service to designate the site as a National Historic Landmark.

Recognizing the site as a National Historic Landmark will provide the designation necessary to properly preserve the legacy of this important historical site. Quindaro has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002 and designated as a National Commemorative Site since 2019, but naming it a National Historic Landmark will provide important new grant opportunities to our local preservation efforts.

My colleagues and I were actually working on reintroducing legislation to provide the site with this designation when we learned it was on the agenda for consideration by the National Historic Landmarks Program. I hope to see Quindaro designated in short order!

Since Hamas’s horrific and unprovoked October 7 attacks against Israel, our nation has seen a sharp and extremely concerning rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly on our college campuses. This hatred has absolutely no place in our communities, on our campuses, or in our country.

Last week, the House passed H. Res. 352, which calls on elected officials and civil society leaders to work to forcefully counter antisemitism. I highlighted the importance of the resolution on the House floor.

October 7 was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. This isn’t just another issue: it’s a matter of fundamentally right vs. fundamentally wrong. Flippantly using language that references this dark period of history can diminish the experiences of the more than 6 million Jewish people who perished during the Holocaust and those who survived the horrors of Nazi Germany.

It’s up to all of us – elected officials, community leaders, and everyday Americans – to fight back against this hatred wherever it rises up. We must never forget the lessons of history because we must not repeat the past.

Thank you to Kansans with the Fuel True Independent Energy and Convenience Association, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, and the Kansas Society of CPAs for making the trip to DC to meet with me last week! It’s always a privilege to have fellow Kansans here in Washington.

I’ll be back in Washington this week, where I expect to vote to institute President Trump’s America first agenda. I’m confident the Budget Committee will quickly advance the one big beautiful bill so we can bring it to the House Floor. The Speaker has targeted Memorial Day as the deadline to pass the bill out of the House; I’m confident we can do it.

This moment is too important not to succeed.

As always, my office is here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Be sure to also follow me on social media at the links below for timely updates from my office.

It’s an incredible honor to represent our Second Congressional District in Congress!

Sincerely,

Derek Schmidt

Member of Congress

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