It was an honor to speak to the Bardstown Rotary Club last week. The Bardstown chapter is part of the Rotary International organization, a network of over 1 million Rotarians including business and professional leaders. Like Rotary International, the Bardstown Rotary Club works to provide humanitarian services, grow local communities, and promote peace around the world.
The Club implements a Four-Way Test in all orders of business and when taking on fundraising and service projects—is it the truth; is it fair to all concerned; will it build goodwill and better friendships; will it be beneficial to all concerned? I shared my similar approach to deciding how to vote in Congress, my 3-part test—is it constitutional; can we afford it; is it better handled on a state or local level?
This year I am serving on several congressional committees, and I took the opportunity to explain a bit about the different committees and answer questions about how they function. I am glad to once again be serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Judiciary Committee. This is my first time serving on the oldest committee in the House, the Rules Committee. I am also on the new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and am chairing the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust. I look forward to getting important work done in these committees during the 118th Congress.
The Bardstown Rotary members are very familiar with the agriculture industry and what an important role it plays in Kentucky. I discussed my legislation, which was passed as an amendment to the 2014 Farm Bill, that made farming industrial hemp legal in the U.S. I also explained the PRIME Act, my bill that I am working to get passed, which will make the processing and selling of meats more localized. The PRIME Act will benefit small farmers, local processors, and consumers by loosening the grip held by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the four giant corporations that control over 80% of meat processed in the United States.
I was also happy to tell those in attendance that, just this month, the House voted to pass my bill H.R. 185 to terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers entering the U.S. by air. I now encourage members of the Senate to support this legislation and put the U.S. back on track with the rest of the countries (almost every other country in the world!) that have been welcoming foreign visitors back without proof of vaccination. It’s time to start encouraging tourism again instead of stifling it with ridiculous mandates.
Thank you to Executive Board Member Nick Cipparone for inviting me and to all the Bardstown Rotarians including Bardstown Rotary President-Elect/Vice President Christine Hovan and Nelson County Judge-Executive Timothy Hutchins.
