Congressional Update from U.S. Congressman Andy Barr

Meeting with Sixth District Veterans Coalition

U.S. Representative Andy Barr with members of the Sixth District Veterans Coalition.

This week, I met with members of the Sixth District Veterans Coalition.  The Sixth District Veterans Coalition provides me and the Congress with critical insights on veterans’ issues and has done great work for our District and our country.   Numerous ideas from the Coalition have been developed into legislation I have introduced, including the Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act (VBFTA) of 2020, which protects veterans applying for disability claims and was enacted into law at the end of 2020.   

We discussed the challenges ahead for veterans and our military.  I gave a readout on the Afghanistan withdrawal, my work to deliver healthcare for veterans who experienced toxic exposure during their service and the wins included in the latest National Defense Authorization Act.  Some of these wins included:

• Pay raises for servicemembers
• Preventing dishonorable discharges for servicemembers who chose not to receive COVID vaccines
• Funds to improve military family housing and prevent cuts to the military health program

Another Disastrous Jobs Report

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor released the December 2021 jobs report.  Once again, our economy fell short of projections.  The U.S. economy added only 199,000 jobs instead of the DOW Jones estimate of 422,000. 

All across the United States, labor shortages are hurting hospitals, childcare centers, restaurants, veterinary clinics and other critical industries.  Yet, there are more open jobs in the U.S. than there are unemployed Americans.  So why the bad jobs numbers?  Simple, President Biden’s path to prosperity is to fuel big government and keep Americans on the sidelines.  We should instead empower them to rejoin the workforce and reclaim their American Dream.

Visits in KY06

I had a great visit at the International Book Project (IBP) office this week in Lexington.  For over five decades, this organization has promoted literacy around the world, and I look forward to working with them in my role as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee to continue that mission.

From left to right: Lisa Fryman, Executive Director; Will Glasscock, Board President and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer; Charla Hamilton, IBP Dir. Operations; Stacie Musser, Domestic Operations Coordinator; Susannah Stitzer, Board Vice President.

I had the pleasure of touring and meeting with staff at the WayPoint Center in Lexington on Wednesday (Gerri Botts and Timothy Johnson from United Way of Bluegrass pictured in the photo above).  The WayPoint Center is a one-stop shop for community resources located in the Westend in Lexington.  Whether it be families looking for affordable places to live, students looking to pursue educational opportunities or individuals searching for work, WayPoint Center is there to help.  I thanked each of their staff for their service to our community and look forward to returning in the future. 

Tornado Relief for Kentucky Families

On Monday, the Kentucky Congressional Delegation sent a letter to President Biden fully supporting the Commonwealth’s request for a 60-day extension of the 100% federal reimbursement to Kentucky for the costs associated with tornado recovery efforts.

I previously advocated for a federal disaster declaration and individual assistance to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornado.  I will keep fighting for Kentucky families to deliver the relief they need to start rebuilding parts of our state.

Sincerely,

Congressman Andy Barr