Congressman Mann hosts town hall meeting

United States Congressman Tracey Mann, a Republican representing Kansas' First District, hosted a town hall meeting at Common Grounds in Concordia on Tuesday.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 2021, Mann is serving his second term in Congress.
The First District is one of the largest in the country and ranks as third in agriculture production.”
“We produce about 12 and a half to 13 billion dollars of agriculture products per year,” Mann said. “We know that agriculture really drives our economy.”
Mann, who serves on the House agriculture committee, said that the farm bill, which is a five-year bill, expires on September 30.
“The farm bill is the policy that really impacts agriculture,” Mann said.
When the Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in 2022, there were changes made to the House rules.
“Usually nothing changes, but there were some pretty significant changes this year, some things that I strongly supported and I think a majority of the folks in the district would agree with,” Mann said.
Mann said that the rule changes include no more multi-subject bills and the 72-hour rule.
Under the 72-hour rule, when the Speaker of the House announces there is going to be a vote, they have to release the text of the bill at least 72 hours before the vote occurs.
“It prevents what used to happen in my first term in Congress, where a 3,000-page bill would be dropped at three in the morning, literally, and then we would vote on it later that day,” Mann said.
Also under the new rules in the House, the spending bills for each of the 12 agencies have to be considered one by one instead of all together in one large package.
“It would be bloated, wouldn't really be scrutinized. Because it has to pass, things would get added on to it and jammed through. And that is not the only reason, but one of the reasons we are $31 trillion in debt,” Mann said. “So the new House rules require the House to do all 12 spending bills one by one. That is a good thing.”
Mann said that the new rules also require a vote in Congress during this term on term limits, which he supports.
“I don't know if it will pass. If it passes in the House, I don't know what will happen in the Senate. But there will be a vote on term limits,” Mann said.
Congress, which is currently on a break, will reconvene following Labor Day.
“When Congress reconvenes after Labor Day, there are a whole bunch of things on the docket,” Mann said.
The farm bill is one of 11 spending bills that still need to be considered.