Happy New Year!
As we start a new year this week, I am grateful for the blessings of 2025 and the honor of serving Kansans in Congress. Robba and I wish everyone a happy 2026.


Visiting with Kansans in Alma
This week, I traveled to Alma and met with members of the community. During my visit, I stopped by the Wabaunsee County Conservation District, Bank of the Flint Hills, City Hall and the local U.S. Post Office. I also stopped by the Wabaunsee County Courthouse and appreciated visiting with the Wabaunsee County Clerk Abby Amick, Register of Deeds Marcy Merritt, County Attorney Timothy Liesmann, Clerk of the District Court Amy Larson, County Appraiser Ryan Michaelis and County Sheriff Eric Kirsch. Thank you to them and the entire Alma community for the warm welcome and conversations.


Meeting with Kansans in Salina
On Friday, I visited Salina to meet with members of the community. I appreciated chatting with folks at Blue Beacon Inc., Edward Jones Financial, Red Fern Book Sellers and Bennington State Bank. I also visited Morrison Ventures, Credit Union of America, American Family Insurance, Sunflower Bank, Exchange Bank and grabbed a bite to eat at Jose Peppers. Thank you to the Salina community and everyone who took the time to visit with me.


Introducing Legislation
Establishing Task Force to Combat Cryptocurrency Fraud
I introduced the SAFE Crypto Act with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.). Our bipartisan legislation that would establish an inter-governmental task force between federal agencies and the private sector to coordinate identifying and combating cryptocurrency fraud. Protecting the financial security and well-being of Kansans is a top priority of mine and this legislation would help to identify and combat cryptocurrency fraud. The task force established in this legislation would include the Secret Service and key agencies across the Department of Treasury and Department of Justice. As cryptocurrency becomes more widely utilized it will be increasingly important to better protect Americans from crypto scams.

Strengthening American Global Leadership in Digital Trade
I joined my colleagues, Sens. Young, Bennett and Coons, in introducing the Digital Trade Promotion Act, bipartisan legislation that would strengthen American global leadership in digital trade. This legislation would authorize the President to negotiate and enforce digital trade agreements with trusted partners and allies and would provide congressional oversight authority to review and, if necessary, disapprove of any agreement. Digital trade of goods and services impacts businesses across Kansas that sell goods on e-commerce platforms or use supply chain management software to run their business. Overall, this legislation prioritizes Americans and bolsters our nation’s global leadership in digital trade.

Joining SWKS News to Discuss Agricultural Economy Issues
This week, I joined SWKS’s Josh Roesener on his radio show to discuss issues facing farmers, ranchers and producers across our state. We discussed the recently announced $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We also discussed updates on the Farm Bill, agricultural tariff negotiations and the recent announcement of the Kansas City Chiefs moving to Kansas. Thank you to Josh for speaking with me on these important topics.

Congratulations to Salina Regional Airport for New SkyWest Maintenance Facility
This week, SkyWest Regional Airlines announced it would be opening a new aircraft maintenance facility at Salina Reginal Airport. The facility would be used to service a portion of SkyWest's fleet, including the aircraft currently operating United Express flights in and out of Salina, and the airline is currently hiring technicians for the Salina base. This new investment will create new opportunities for jobs and economic growth, and continues to showcase the strong aviation workforce of our state. Congratulations to Salina Regional Airport on this selection, and I look forward to the success this facility will bring to Kansas and our national aviation system.

Condemning Russia’s Christmas Attacks in Ukraine
This week, I joined my colleagues in condemning Russia’s brutal attacks on Ukrainians as the convened to mark Christmas with their loved ones. It bears repeating that President Zelenskyy agreed to a Christmas truce, but Putin declined, yet he directs soldiers to continue to commit brutal crimes of aggression on one of Christianity’s holiest days. Even for countries at war, there is a long history of Christmas ceasefires, including notably during World War I. Today’s decision by Putin to launch attacks rather than hold fire is a sobering reminder for us all: Putin is a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace and cannot be trusted. We stand with the people of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk marking the birth of Christ under the most challenging of circumstances. Ukrainians’ faith is a stronger force than the evil unleashed today by the Kremlin.