WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service has released the following public communication dated Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, from the Jan. 10, 2025: * * * To: S. Brett Offutt Chief Legal Officer/Policy Advisor Packers and Stockyards Division USDA AMS Fair Trade Practices Program 1400 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20250 Dear Secretary Vilsack, The Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment (CFFE) is a coalition of   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication on Jan. 22, 2025, from Centene Corp., Louis, Missouri: * * * We appreciate CMS' proposed updates to the SMAC appendices as these updates will ensure greater transparency and compliance with the significant changes to greatly increase the number of integrated plan offerings for dual eligible beneficiaries. In the spirit of greater tr  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47162) on Jan. 24, 2025, entitled "Overview of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Infrastructure Assistance" by natural resources policy specialist Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress has authorized and appropriated funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) environmental infrastructure (EI) assistance for the design and construction of certain infrastruct  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-780) on the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act (H.R. 8689), which aims to require Amtrak to publicly disclose certain bonus compensation paid to Amtrak executives. The report was advanced by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, on Nov. 26, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose of Legislation The purpose of H.R. 8689 is to amend title 49, United States Code, require Amtrak to publicly disclose  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-777) on a bill (H.R. 5903), which aims to authorize the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works. The report was advanced by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, on Nov. 26, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION The purpose of H.R. 5903, as amended, is to authorize the International Boundary  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-779) on the Facilitating Access to Swiftly Transport Goods During a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation Act (H.R. 6140), which aims facilitate access to swiftly transport goods during a publicly announced state of emergency situation. The report was advanced by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, on Nov. 26, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION The purpose of H.R. 61  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-778) on the Federal Use It Or Lose It Leases Act (H.R. 6241), which aims to require certain data collection and reporting on space utilization, occupancy and availability of office space leased by an Executive agency. The report was advanced by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, on Nov. 26, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION The purpose of H.R. 6241, the Federal Use it or Los  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-781) on a bill (H.R. 3149), which aims to designate U.S. Route 20 in the States of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts as the "National Medal of Honor Highway". The report was advanced by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, on Nov. 26, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION The purpose of H.R. 3149 is t  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement on Jan. 27, 2025: * * * After the Senate voted to confirm Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (68-29) on a bipartisan basis, Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement: "My heartfelt congratulations to Secretary Bessent for his successful confirmation. Secretary Bessent will be a champion for working families and getting our economy   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement: * * * Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed South Dakota Governor, and former member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Kristi Noem as the 8th Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security: "President Trump has acted swiftly to begin securing our southern borde  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: Permanently extending the 20 percent deduction for 26 million American small businesses from the 2017 Trump tax cuts will supercharge Main Street's job creation engine - leading to an estimated 1 million new jobs every year over the next decade and an additional 2 million jobs in the years that follow, according to a study (https://strgnfibcom.blob.core.windows  more

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Jan. 28 -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2025: Today, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey finished his trial against China. "Today, we hauled China into court to hold them accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on the world," said Attorney General Bailey. "Missouri is the only state in the nation to file suit to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for causing and exacerbating COVID-19. Today was a great  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Jan. 27 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Monday sentenced a former professional basketball player to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service and $308,354 in restitution for pandemic loan fraud. Lorenzo Gordon, now 41, fraudulently applied for two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and three from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (E  more

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, Jan. 28 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2025: * * * Also Sentenced in Separate Case of Another Kidnapping Victim * * * A Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the torture and death of the victim, as well as another conspiracy to kidnap a woman who was rescued from his attack at a Neosho, Mo., hotel room. Freddie  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released the following public communication dated Jan. 13, 2025, from the National Employment Law Project: * * * To: Occupational Safety and Health Administration US Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20210 Submitted via regulations.gov Re: Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009, Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings * * * The National Emp  more