BLIZZARDS DON'T CLOSE THE BIG FIRST

BLIZZARDS DON'T CLOSE THE BIG FIRST

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)] [House] [Pages H118-H119] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] BLIZZARDS DON'T CLOSE THE BIG FIRST The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes. Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, last week in the Nation's Capital, 6.8 inches of snow closed Federal office buildings. Nearly 1,300 miles away in Kansas, blizzards brought more than 18 inches of snowfall to parts of the Big First District. Farmers, ranchers, and ag producers in the Big First didn't have the luxury of closing down for the week. When you answer the call to feed, fuel, and clothe the world, you are required to show up, even when the temperatures are far below freezing. My congressional district is one of the top agricultural producing districts in the country. It is home to more than 60,000 farms along with farmers, ranchers, feedlot managers, dairies, nutritionists, veterinarians, ethanol producers, ag lenders, and agribusiness owners who bring the agricultural ecosystem to life. When the snow piles and the temperatures refuse to rise past freezing, these men and women don't get a break. They throw on their warm layers, and they get the job done. Those of us in agriculture understand full well that Mother Nature is not a reliable business partner. At the end of October, much of my district was still navigating dry to severe drought conditions. On top of navigating an already challenging farm year, these droughts severely squeezed margins for farmers and ranchers. Approximately 2 months later, Mother Nature changed course once again with more than a foot of snow. In true Kansas fashion, families and neighbors came together to help one another in time of need. Kansans helped move snow to ensure livestock could still be watered and fed. Kansans helped move calves to make sure that they were warm after they were born, so they could get to a place to be properly fed and nourished in negative temperatures. Kansans stayed up through the night to make sure livestock had a chance of surviving or to guarantee that their equipment was ready to go by sunrise the next morning. Why on Earth would anyone do this, Madam Speaker? It is a special calling that many families in my district have answered. In a world where Instacart and Amazon Fresh can deliver groceries to your door in nearly an hour if you are in an urban area, it can be easy to forget that our food doesn't just come from the grocery store shelf. It comes from the men and women who work tirelessly day in and day out to answer the call to feed, clothe, and fuel the world. On days with lots of extreme weather like we saw last week, these men and women bust their backs to ensure that we can still have food on our plates when the storms are long gone. It can often be a thankless job. On behalf of Kansas and the Nation, I thank these brave men and women for keeping us fueled, clothed, and fed. Their tireless efforts do not go unnoticed. We are deeply grateful for their efforts to feed a hungry world. {time} 1030 Recognizing Sarah Henry Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, agriculture is the heart of the First District of Kansas. It is our lifeblood. When I built my team in the District, it was important for me to find someone who knew agriculture and would fight for the farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers of Kansas. Sarah Henry was the perfect choice. As a graduate with a degree in agricultural education from Iowa State University, Sarah moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked in several congressional offices and for the National Corn Growers Association. It was during her time in the Nation's Capital that she met her now- husband, Dalton, and the two moved back to Dalton's old stomping grounds in Randolph, Kansas. The move back to the Plains allowed Sarah to serve as my district ag director and later as my district director. This month, Sarah will begin a more part-time role with the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers so she can focus on her two precious sons, Samuel and Abraham. I thank Sarah for leading our district team well, for being an incredible advocate and friend, and for caring about Kansas. Audrey and I are excited for her in this next chapter of life as she adjusts [[Page H119]] to being a family of four. I thank her again for being such an integral part of our team. ____________________