EC from DC - January 31, 2014

It may not have seemed like time stopped for a moment on Wednesday, but in my mind, it did. Amidst all of the chaos, conflict, and political posturing that has been going on in what has been dubbed a ‘Cantankerous and Do-Nothing Congress' – something big happened. Something really big. The United States House of Representatives passed the Agriculture Act of 2014 (H.R. 2642). This, in and of itself, is a critically important piece of legislation. Beyond the bill, it marked a moment of bipartisanship that is all too infrequent these days.

H.R. 2642 provides a framework for farmers, ranchers, and producers in Missouri's Fifth District to now move forward, with certainty and security. It also prevents the massive and abhorrent cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) previously proposed. There are still cuts in the SNAP program in this bill. I am not in favor of those smaller cuts, and will make no bones about that. But after speaking with numerous constituents, organizations, and groups in my district, from farmers to food pantries, there was support for this piece of legislation. I believe we have a good bill that will now go to the Senate.

It has taken us two years to get to this point, and this comprehensive five year bill was desperately needed. It provides economic security, a framework for future investment, a focus on protecting the food basket of our country, and on feeding the hungry. Did I get everything I would have wanted in this bill? No. But this is a solid start. And because of that, as I have often done in the past, I voted against many in my own party to support this legislation. I did so because I believe this is what is good for Missouri's Fifth District.

There are several items included in this bill that offer opportunities to expand our efforts toward those needing assistance putting food on the table. There are programs to feed our seniors and our students, to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, to promote the sale of our products overseas while bettering our economy here at home, as well as provisions designed to protect our soil and water, and step up our research programs at universities.

I was also pleased to see that the House Agriculture Committee acted on the concerns I, and other Midwestern lawmakers, raised through bill H.R. 1454 regarding the Supplemental Livestock Disaster Programs. Now there is a permanent baseline for the first time for the livestock disaster programs. Of great importance, too, is the fact that the aid is retroactive back to 2011. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish will get $20 million each year.

There are many issues Congress will tackle in the coming months. Issues that impact us on every level, from the amount of taxes we pay, our nation's debt, our economic vitality, job creation, a transportation bill, immigration reform, extending emergency unemployment insurance, minimum wage increases, and the list goes on and on. It is my deepest hope, this moment of bipartisanship, will not be fleeting but sustained. In order to do right by those who have entrusted us to serve, we must listen, hear, and act for the benefit of all.

Working to end the veteran homelessness is something that strikes a chord in all of us. Asking our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and loved ones to sacrifice for this country, and then turning a blind eye when they face struggles returning home is not what this country is founded upon. There are many, varying efforts underway to help veterans who are living on the streets, and I wanted to share with you the recent announcement of another one. The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the availability of about $600 million in grants as we wage this war on behalf of those who have sacrificed so much for us. The grants are available for non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that serve very low-income Veteran families. These grants are targeted at the local level, so those working with our neighbors right here at home, can be more effective and make more progress. If you'd like to know more about this program and others, please visit: www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp

There are so many important things going on in our own lives, and in the world around us this week. But I didn't want a meaningful anniversary, for women throughout Missouri's Fifth District, and for all of us, to slip by unmentioned.

This week our country marked the Fifth Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This law, at its core, is built on the notion of equal pay for women, providing basic protection against pay discrimination, and making sure women get their day in court if treated unfairly.

I have said this is just basic common sense. And that is true. I also believe it is what is right and fair. It doesn't matter what a person's gender, race, or background is, they should earn equal pay for equal work. It's just that simple.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama on January 29th, 2009. I vigorously supported that legislation, but I don't look at it as an end, but a beginning.

We have made so much progress in the last five years. Hopefully we can agree there is still much work to be done though. Women still earn less, on average, than their male counterparts. As we speak, I am working for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would continue to lift women to their rightful place on the pay scale.

• Women in the United States still earn an average of just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.

• Women make up almost half of the labor force.

• For nearly two-thirds of American families, mothers serve as the sole breadwinner or co-breadwinner.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is designed to close loopholes in the 50-year-old Equal Pay Act and give women opportunities to remedy employment situations where they are not being paid equal wages for equal work.

Doing right by women in the workforce is not only the just thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. Allowing women to succeed helps them better themselves, their families, the economy, and the country as a whole.

THE BATTLE AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING

Congressman Cleaver accepts the Century Council's Annual Leadership Award in his Washington office

I was honored this week to accept the Century Council's Annual Leadership Award. The Century Council is a national not-for-profit organization working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking. I was one of twenty Members of the House of Representatives, along with two Senators, chosen for this distinction because of my efforts in Missouri's Fifth District to highlight these issues. Injury and death due to drunk driving is completely preventable, and my hope is to continue waging this battle until these tragedies are a thing of the past.

Over the years of ministerial and political careers, I have had many encounters with those who seem to enjoy attacking the work of others. As a boy, my sisters and I spent many Saturday nights with our Grandma Annie Mae, and on Sunday morning, we would attend her church. Although the pastor was not likely seminary trained, he said something one Sunday that he perhaps knew to be profound and dynamic. I know that it struck a chord with at least two people, me and the preacher. For the next few years, he altered his best line each time I went to Grandma's church. Just about every black person in the town of Waxahachie could relate to this line, since every black person sharecropped or had a garden they tended for themselves. The reverend's favorite line was, "fussin' about your neighbor's garden won't keep the cockleburs out of your garden."

We, the political leaders of the country, would benefit from the old pastor's words. In many ways, criticism quite often reveals the rationality or reasonableness of the criticism itself. It is amazing how simple it is to become a Capitol Hill critic. In fact, it is easy to tear down any idea, organization, or person. Anyone can do it. No training is necessary. Vision is not valued and reasoning is not required. With major legislative work ahead of this body, our number one goal should always center on weeding the garden of our own mind, so that it remains free of the cockleburs of judgment, lack of civility, and intolerance.

If we could each commit to stop fussin' about our neighbor's garden, we could flourish in growing a more robust and bountiful harvest for all gardens.