[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SPENDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, my staff and I finished our 
34th townhall in the home of one of America's greatest citizens: my 
mentor and my hero, Bob Dole. At every location we go, most often, 
several people ask me about the $20 trillion of deficit this country 
has and our debt, the $600 billion of deficit we have every year. 
Americans work too hard and there are too many worthwhile functions of 
government for the Federal Government to irresponsibly spend taxpayer 
dollars.
  From the time I started thinking about running for office, it has 
been a priority of mine to help create a fiscally responsible plan to 
reduce our annual deficits and national debt. Yet again, this year, 70 
percent of our budget is mandatory spending--70 percent of our budget 
is mandatory spending--and therefore is spent before the annual 
appropriations discussions even begin. If we hope to eliminate the 
deficit, we must address mandatory spending programs and be willing to 
engage in tough conversations.
  This administration and Congress have taken steps to limit 
bureaucracy and rein in the size and scope of the Federal Government. 
In this spirit, we hope Congress stays true to this objective as we 
debate the upcoming budget in order to ensure that our limited taxpayer 
dollars are spent where they are most needed.


                          Clark County, Kansas

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring my colleagues up to 
date on my last visit to Clark County, Kansas.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues may remember that earlier this year 
wildfires consumed a vast sum of Clark County. The wildfires wrought 
havoc for many ranchers, farmers, families, and landowners in Clark 
County and across much of southwest Kansas, not to mention parts of 
Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Besides the lives lost, including one in 
Kansas, thousands of livestock, 650,000 acres, and many family 
properties that had been passed down through generations burned in this 
disastrous blaze.
  Through the perseverance of Kansans living in this region, a 
considerable amount of progress has been made since I visited right 
after the fires in March thanks to so many people throughout the 
country who donated hay as well as their personal services helping 
rebuild the hundreds of miles of fences that were burned down.
  After visiting with the Giles family and the Grigsby family--both 
families impacted by the fires--their resilience, their strength, and 
their faith was made clear. These are the type of folks who are now 
working day in and day out to restore this section of the heartland.
  I am delighted to see green rising in the pastures which was once 
scorched earth, burnt-to-the-ground grass. I am again reminded of the 
honor I have of working to represent some of the most hardworking 
Americans in the world: the Kansas agriculture, the Kansas farmers, and 
the Kansas ranchers.

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