Beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine captures Democratic nomination for Senate

By Rebecca Rivas and Allison Kite

Missouri Independent

Anheuser-Busch heiress Trudy Busch Valentine won the Democratic nomination for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, defeating her closest rival, former Marine Lucas Kunce.

With nearly all precincts reporting, Busch had won 43% of the vote, compared to 38% for Kunce.

Throughout her campaign, Valentine has said working as a nurse and experiencing immense grief from family tragedies have both taught her how to listen to people’s needs and to be of service.

 

“When I was young, I saw nurses take care of people, stay calm in crisis and solve problems,” said Valentine, at her election watch party at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 Union Hall in St. Louis. “I became a nurse because I was inspired by their dedication to service. And that same dedication to service is why I stand here tonight as your Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.”

Valentine thanked Kunce and all her primary contenders, saying, “It’s so good for democracy when people step up and run.”

Valentine entered the race for U.S. Senate in March, becoming one of 11 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. Like Valentine, the other Democratic candidates have never held public office before. However, both Kunce and Toder launched their campaigns more than a year ago.

“It speaks to her strength as a candidate that she was able to come in and coalesce huge amounts of support really quickly,” said Jack Seigel, a former political staffer and St. Louis County resident. “That’s impressive.”

Valentine, a mother of six children and a nurse, is a member of the family that owned a majority stake in Anheuser-Busch until the brewing company was sold to InBev in 2008 for $52 billion. Forbes magazine in 2020 listed the family’s wealth at $17.6 billion, the 16th largest family fortune in the nation.

 

She told The Independent this spring that she felt drawn to do whatever she could to fight the opioid epidemic and improve access to quality healthcare, following her son’s death in 2020 from an opioid overdose.

In addition to her son’s passing, Valentine said she was also inspired to enter politics out of a desire to speak up for women’s rights. In June, Valentine released a 17-point plan for “Strengthening the Middle Class,” which includes raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanding options for affordable housing and lowering the cost of medications.

Valentine’s first major policy proposal, released in May, focused on helping drug addicts recover by using leverage in the federal payments for Medicaid to increase rates to providers, quicker access to treatment and expanded use of telehealth.

In the campaign’s homestretch, she earned scorn from some in her party’s base after fumbling answers on LGBTQ rights, campaign finance and critical race theory. She also drew criticism for her refusal to debate her Democratic rivals.

But in the end, support from Democratic leaders — such as St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — and her willingness to spend her family fortune to capture the seat carried her to victory.

Justin Idleburg, a racial equity consultant in St. Louis, said he decided to support Valentine because her experience as a nurse makes her a better fit to address the healing his community needs.

“We need a healer,” Idleburg said. “And nothing against the men but when a child gets hurt, they go automatically to their mother or the grandmother. And she’s a nurse who has a history of helping everyone.”

Kunce addressed a crowd of about 50 staffers, volunteers and supporters in downtown Kansas City just before 11 p.m.

“I love y’all,” he began. “We did something amazing here.”

Kunce said the campaign made him think of his working class upbringing, when he wore thrift store clothes while other kids had name brands. His campaign, he said, went up against the same kind of system.

“We knew what this system was about,” he said. “We knew that it was about money and nothing else.”

He urged kids growing up in thrift store clothes to look how close his campaign — made up of “misfits” — came to victory, noting Valentine’s television spending swamped his.

Kunce thanked his staff, who he said “built a movement.”

“We didn’t win, but it’s a miracle what we did,” Kunce said, adding that his campaign’s job is now to support Democrats up and down the ballot in November. “Because Missouri’s the front line for the fight for Democracy. I truly believe that.”

(Photo by Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)

Schmitt beats Hartzler, Greitens, Billy Long in Senate race

By Tessa Weinberg, Rudi Keller and Clara Bates

Missouri Independent

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt beat back a crowded field of opponents Tuesday night to secure the Republican nomination for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat.

With most precincts reporting, Schmitt led with 45% of the vote, compared to 22% for U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and 19% for disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens.

“I don’t come from billions. I come from Bridgeton. I’m proud of my working class roots. And I’m going to Washington to fight for working families, defeat socialism and lead the fight to save America,” Schmitt said to supporters gathered at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet.

(Photo- Attorney General Eric Schmitt poses with a supporter after claiming the Republican nomination for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat on Aug. 2, 2022- Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).

Schmitt’s win capped a wild GOP primary, which featured 21 candidates vying for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. In the end, Schmitt bested the two candidates seen as his main rivals.

A crowd of around 100 heard from Hartzler at the Cider House in Garden City — and it was the speech they didn’t want to hear. She said she had just called Schmitt to congratulate him on the victory.

“We fought hard, left no stone unturned, but unfortunately the outcome was not what we had hoped for,” Hartzler said.

Hartzler pledged to back Schmitt, something she said in February she would not do if the nominee was Greitens.

“The road to retaking the majority in the U.S. Senate runs right through Missouri,” Hartzler said.

At Greitens’ election night party in Chesterfield, his concession speech was brief and he didn’t mention Schmitt by name.

“God has a plan, it doesn’t always work on our timeline,” Greitens said, later adding: “Let’s keep the fight alive.”

Greitens’ supporters stood divided, with some vowing to support Schmitt and others saying they will boycott the general election in November. Greitens didn’t provide guidance either way, telling his supporters he loved them, with echoes of “I love you too” in the audience.

Katy Hinkley from St Louis, who attended Greitens’ election night party, said she will support Schmitt in the general election but will be disappointed if Greitens leaves politics. She hinted at the scandals that forced him from office in 2018, as well as the allegations of child abuse that his ex-wife made against him this year.

“One of the reasons why I think maybe he does have supporters is because people admire the grit and determination in the face of attacks and an onslaught of people essentially paid to derail his career,” Hinkley said of Greitens.

Ron Lowrey, a retired geologist from St. Louis who has supported Greitens for years, said before results were announced that if Schmitt won, he’d probably “just leave it blank at that point,” citing what he viewed as Schmitt’s allegiances with ‘RINOs,’ or Republicans in Name Only.

“I have to think about my own conscience,” Lowrey said.

Schmitt’s public persona morphed form as he geared up for a U.S. Senate bid, from a state senator most considered toward the party’s center to a blowtorch-wielding MAGA Republican. His campaign focused on his bevy of lawsuits as attorney general challenging everything from school mask mandates to China’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to supporters, Schmitt said the country was entering its most consequential decade in American history since the Civil War and vowed to push back on “President Biden’s all out assault on our liberties.”

That includes tackling inflation, securing the U.S.-Mexico border and finishing former President Donald Trump’s border wall, he said.

“​​As your senator, I’ll take a blowtorch,” to Biden’s agenda Schmitt said, referencing one of his campaign ads.

Schmitt’s victory Tuesday was telegraphed by weeks of polling showing him as the race’s frontrunner. He was aided by Greitens’ polling drop in the wake of a political action committee funded by Schmitt donors attacking Greitens with ads highlighting accusations of child abuse.

“In my opinion, Greitens was never fit for office,” said Lane Osborn, a 19-year-old Neosho resident who interned on Schmitt’s campaign. “Bottom line.”

He also avoided near disaster when Trump decided against endorsing Greitens and instead endorsed an unspecified “Eric,” refusing to choose between the two and blunting any last-minute boost Trump’s seal of approval may have given Greitens’ ailing campaign.

Nevertheless, both Schmitt and Greitens claimed the endorsement as their own.

With early results looking in Schmitt’s favor an hour after the polls closed, John Brunner, who ran against Greitens in 2016 for the GOP nomination for Missouri governor, predicted a “landslide coming through here pretty darn quick.” He posed to supporters at Schmitt’s watch party: “Do we need two Erics for Missouri?”

The question was met with shouts of “no,” and multiple supporters said their support for Schmitt had been cemented well before Trump’s endorsement.

“We’ve been supporting him since 2008,” said Mary Parsons, an 82-year-old Kirkwood resident. “We’ve raised him.”

Schmitt entered politics as an alderman in Glendale, and later served in the state Senate for eight years until term limits ended his tenure in 2016. From there, Schmitt was elected state treasurer and was appointed attorney general in 2018 by Gov. Mike Parson in the wake of Greitens’ resignation. Schmitt was re-elected to the attorney general’s office for a four-year term in 2020.

“He’s been steady all the way across the board. He’s still what he was 20 years ago,” said Michelle Politte, a 58-year-old Fenton resident. “I like that about him.”

As attorney general, Schmitt has aimed to defend Trump’s administration, backing a Texas-led lawsuit seeking to invalidate the election results from ​four states in the wake of the 2020 November election. Schmitt also launched a legal blitz on hot-button issues, turning his focus to critical race theory and curriculum taught in schools, public health orders and President Joe Biden’s administration.

For Carolyn Davis, a 58-year-old Jackson resident who was between voting for Hartzler and Schmitt, Schmitt’s efforts to tackle human trafficking and lawsuits against school mask rules helped convince her he was the candidate that could ensure Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat stayed in Republican control.

“That shows to me, he’s a fighter,” Davis said. “He’s not gonna just sit back and do nothing. He’s gonna be out front, kind of like Josh Hawley.”

His efforts haven’t always garnered praise. Fellow Republican state lawmakers accused him of using his office for political gain and earlier this year slashed $500,000 Schmitt requested for his office’s budget.

He received scrutiny after emails revealed his office had been in contact with the Rule of Law Defense Fund, the 501(c)(4) arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association, which had been involved in a robocall encouraging “patriots” to march to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Meanwhile, Schmitt said he hopes to protect the next generation’s freedoms, and said his son, Stephen, who has special needs, “was my inspiration to want to have a greater impact on the world and make a difference.

“And that fire still burns,” Schmitt said.

Hartzler held an election watch party at the same venue where she celebrated her 2010 victory over Ike Skelton. The joy of that night was missing, however, as supporters gathered with hopes but without expectations of a victory.

Rylee Hartwell, Hartzler’s Jasper County coordinator, traveled to Cass County from Joplin with David Weaver for the event. They said they helped Hartzler because of “her genuineness.”

“She is a hard worker and she has worked her way up,” Weaver said.

Hartwell said Hartzler worked hard in southwest Missouri, visiting six times and running a strong ad campaign.



“She never changed from the start ‘til now,” he said. “She’s always represented conservative causes.”

Jill Carter wins 32nd District Senate seat

 The commercials are over.

For those of you who are tired of hearing that Bill White is a RINO (he isn't) and that Jill Carter is a lobbyist, election day brings welcome relief from the commercials that have bombarded our airwaves and the fliers that have filled our mailboxes to overflowing the past couple of weeks.

Carter, in her first try at elected office after a decade as a citizen activist that began with her opposition to Common Core in Missouri schools, defeated White receiving 13,437 votes or 52.3 percent to 12,278 votes, 47.7 percent for White.

What made Carter's campaign successful?

Why did more than 52 percent of the voters reject White?

Please leave your comments below.

Carthage High School performing arts center proposal falls short

The Carthage R-9 School District's no-tax bond issue proposal to build a performing arts center at Carthage High School received more than a simple majority, but that wasn't enough.

The proposal needed 57.1 percent to pass and with 2,474 voting yes and 2,238 no votes, it only received 52.5 percent.

Any thoughts on why the proposal failed.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Joplin public safety proposition fails by wide margin

Joplin voters soundly rejected the proposed public safety tax today with 3,586 favoring the proposition and 4,643 voting against it.

The proposition, which would have increased property taxes to put money into the police and fire departments, only needed a majority vote to pass.

Why did it fail? What should city officials do

Leave your comments below.

Arraignment scheduled for Joplin man on federal meth trafficking, weapons charges

A 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 8 arraignment has been scheduled for a Joplin man on federal meth trafficking

The federal grand jury indictment of Travis Hurlbert, 32 on meth trafficking and weapons charges was unsealed July 12 in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. His initial appearance was held today in Springfield.

Hurlbert allegedly possessed methamphetamine with intent to sell, possessed a handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was a felon in possession of a firearm, on July 29, 2021, in Jasper County.

A second felon in charge of a firearm charge alleges Hurlbert had a rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun in his possession January 12 in Newton County.

Man who robbed Joplin bank in 2021 pleads guilty

A Kansas City man pleaded guilty this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield to the July 19, 2021 robbery of Great Southern Bank, 1232 S. Range Line Road, Joplin.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered with sentencing to be set at a later date.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original federal criminal complaint, Leland Scott Graham (now 58) walked into the bank, proceeded to the teller counter, announced a robbery, and demanded money before lifting his shirt to display what tellers believed was a handgun in his waistband.

 
The tellers handed over money, the affidavit says, and Graham left the bank. The affidavit says he dropped some of the cash on the bank floor as he was leaving. Surveillance cameras in the bank captured good quality video during the robbery.

On the day of the robbery, the Joplin Police Department released surveillance images to the media and requested the public’s assistance to identify the bank robber.

The next day, July 20, 2021, the police received a tip that identified Graham as the robber. Officers located Graham in Kansas City, Mo., and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving. Graham did not immediately stop and after a short pursuit, he left the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Graham was taken into custody a short time later.

Cassville teacher who blackmailed children into sending him nude photos sentenced to 30 years

 

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A southern Missouri high school teacher was sentenced in federal court today for a sextortion scheme in which 11 identified child victims, and dozens more child victims who have not been identified, were coerced to send him pornographic images and videos.

“This defendant, a high school teacher, pretended to be a teenager online in order to prey upon young victims across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. 

“He victimized 11 children who have been identified, and many more who have not yet been identified, in a horrific sexploitation scheme. He enticed countless child victims to send him explicit images of themselves, then threatened to share those images with their families and friends over social media unless they continued to send him even more explicit images and videos. Such appalling criminal behavior warrants the severe penalty he received today.”

Brandon Lane McCullough, 31, of Branson, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced McCullough to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration, and to pay $204,199 in restitution to one of his victims.

“Today’s sentencing is reflective of just how despicable and damaging McCullough’s crimes against children are and emphasizes HSI’s dedication to hold perpetrators accountable,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City area of operations Katherine Greer. “We, alongside our law enforcement partners, are committed to the eradication of sextortion from our communities, but we need the public’s help. HSI asks parents, guardians, teachers, caregivers – anyone who interacts with a child – to be on the lookout for, and report, suspicious online behavior to the proper authorities, regardless of whether the individual is in a position of public trust, like McCullough.”

McCullough was a business teacher at Cassville High School in the Cassville R-4 School District at the time of the offense.

On Aug. 4, 2021, McCullough pleaded guilty to three counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.

The federal investigation began on Feb. 14, 2020, when a police detective in New Jersey contacted federal agents in Missouri. The mother of a 14-year-old victim had reported to the local police department that her daughter was using the Kik application to have sexually explicit conversations, and to send sexually explicit images, to McCullough.

McCullough portrayed himself as a 15-year-old boy when he began chatting via Kik with Jane Doe 1 in May 2019. McCullough threatened to send the sexually explicit images and videos to the Jane Doe 1’s family and friends unless she sent him additional images and videos. Jane Doe also engaged in a Kik conversation with another user, who was actually McCullough portraying himself as a 17-year-old boy. When Jane Doe told this false persona that she was being blackmailed, he told her to continue meeting his demands.

On May 7, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McCullough’s residence. They seized an external hard drive that was concealed beneath a basket under a bathroom sink in the basement. The hard drive contained dozens of Kik folders, which contained chats as well as thousands of images and videos of child pornography that were self-produced by the child victims, some of whom were younger than Jane Doe 1.

Based upon a forensic examination of the computer hard drive recovered from McCullough’s residence, investigators were able to identify 10 additional child victims of McCullough’s sextortion scheme. Dozens more child victims could not be identified. McCullough followed a similar pattern with each victim, extorting the victims to produce sexually explicit images and videos with the promise he would delete all the images once the new ones were sent. When the victims sent the videos and/or images, McCullough would start the cycle again. This activity began at least as early as Nov. 1, 2018.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Florham Park Borough, New Jersey, Police Department.

Trump endorses Eric for U. S. Senate, but doesn't say which one

By Jason Hancock

Missouri Independent

Former President Donald Trump finally issued his long anticipated endorsement in Missouri’s crowded GOP primary for U.S. Senate Monday night.

But it’s anybody’s guess which candidate he supports.

In a statement from his campaign, Trump endorsed “Eric,” without specifying whether he meant former Gov. Eric Greitens or Attorney General Eric Schmitt.

 

“I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump’s statement read.

Every major candidate in the primary has worked to win over Trump, who twice won Missouri by double digits and whose endorsement was considered a potential game changer in the crowded race.

Each made the trek to Mar-a-Lago to woo Trump, and each tried to varying degrees to tailor a campaign message they hoped would convince him to weigh in on their behalf.

But after Trump publicly admonished U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, the other candidate considered a frontrunner in the campaign, it was widely assumed the coveted endorsement would go to either Greitens or Schmitt.

In the end, it appears the former president decided against deciding.

That didn’t stop Greitens from quickly jumping on the statement and tweeting out: “Honored to have the support of President Trump! We will MAGA!”

He followed up soon thereafter: “I’m honored to receive President Trump’s endorsement. From the beginning, I’ve been the true MAGA Champion fighting against the RINO establishment backing Schmitt.”

Schmitt’s campaign also claimed the endorsement.

“It is truly an honor to have President Trump’s endorsement in the Senate race.”

Greitens campaign is more in need of a Trump boost, as the scandal-plagued former governor has seen his poll numbers begin dropping as a political action committee — largely funded by a Schmitt donor — began running millions of dollars worth of TV ads this month highlighting the accusations from his ex-wife that he abused his children.

The beneficiary of Greitens’ polling drop appears to be Schmitt, who has led most recent polls.

Hoping for a political comeback after resigning as Missouri governor in 2018 to avoid impeachment and settle a felony charge, Greitens has worked harder than any of the other candidates to win over Trump.








He built his entire campaign message around Trump’s grievances, from spreading stolen election conspiracy theories to downplaying the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. He also surrounded himself with advisers who are close to Trump, most notably when he named Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is dating Donald Trump Jr., as the national co-chair of his campaign.

But Schmitt also pursued the endorsement vigorously.

Even before he officially launched his campaign for Senate last year, Schmitt joined in the failed legal effort seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election. And though he was never as open as some of his rivals in spreading Trump’s lie of a stolen election, he continued to hint at it in ads and public appearances, usually framed as a commitment to “election integrity.”

Schmitt’s attempts to convince Trump to endorse him seemed to culminate at an event in Columbia last week. After months of refusing to be pinned down on whether he agreed with the former president that Mitch McConnell should not be the GOP leader in the Senate, Schmitt finally relented.

“Mitch McConnell hasn’t endorsed me,” Schmitt told reporters, “and I don’t endorse him for leadership.”

Schmitt’s previous refusal to oppose McConnell had been cited by Greitens supporters as a reason for Trump not to endorse Missouri’s attorney general.

Meanwhile, the other candidates in the primary had fun at the “Erics’ expense following Trump’s statement.

“Congrats to Eric McElroy. He’s having a big night,” said Hartzler campaign manager Mike Hafner, referencing one of the far-lesser known people in the 21-candidate field.

Dave Schatz, president pro tem of the state Senate, tweeted: “Honored and humbled. Thanks President Trump.”

He signed off on his tweet with “Dave (Eric) Allen Schatz.”

Emanuel Cleaver offers breakdown on Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, other bills

(From Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver)

I want to relay the announcement of the Inflation Reduction Act. This proposal, announced last week by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin, contains many of the priorities that President Biden and I have been fighting for since the start of the 117th Congress. 

It would reduce the cost of healthcare for millions of Americans, lower prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, provide historic investments in climate action to reduce America's carbon emissions by 40 percent, and help pay down our national debt to combat inflation--and all of it is paid for by making giant corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.

While there are still many hurdles to climb over and hoops to jump through, I am hopeful that Congress can pass this reconciliation bill to lower costs on hardworking families, combat the existential threat of climate change, and ensure America's energy security for decades to come. 

As the proposal makes its way through the legislative process, I will be sure to keep you apprised of its movement through Congress.

Congress Sends CHIPS and Science Act to President Biden's Desk

As the global pandemic has strained supply chains, American families have seen prices rise, including the wide variety of goods that contain microchips. 

Whether you realize it or not, microchips are in everything from washing machines and refrigerators to cars and televisions--and one of the key reasons Missourians are spending more of their hard-earned paychecks on these items is due to Congress's failure to invest in the manufacturing necessary to create American-made semiconductors right here at home. But that is about to change.

Last week, I was proud to join my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 4346, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, which will help lower costs for hardworking families, strengthen American manufacturing, and create roughly 100,000 good-paying jobs in Missouri and other states across the country. 

The CHIPS and Science Act will do that by making a $52 billion investment to bolster America's semiconductor industry, fund critical research and development projects, strengthen our semiconductor supply chains, and reduce our dependence on foreign manufacturers--which is critical to ensuring our economic and national security in the decades to come.

By making more of these components in America, we can help lower the cost of making everyday items like microwaves, cellphones, cars, and more--which should, in turn, lower the prices families pay for these critical goods. I know that inflation is at the top of mind for Missourians, and as the CHIPS and Science Act makes its way to President Biden's desk to be signed into law, I want you to know that I am committed to doing everything possible to lower prices for the public. I believe this legislation will help to do that in a major way.

You can find more information on my support for the CHIPS and Science Act here.

House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Protect Americans' Fundamental Freedoms

Missouri and other states in our union are already seeing the horrifying consequences of the extreme agenda to criminalize women's reproductive health decisions since the Supreme Court upended 50 years of legal precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade. 

For that reason, the House of Representatives has urgently worked to pass legislation that would protect fundamental freedoms Americans have relied on for decades. 

Four bills that the House of Representatives has passed, and that I proudly supported, would protect long-held rights that have been explicitly called into question by lawmakers and Supreme Court justices. 

These bills include:

The Women's Health Protection Act, which would once again make the legal protections of Roe v. Wade the law of the land;

The Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which would prevent State Legislatures from criminalizing, fining, or suing women who exercise their constitutional right to travel across state lines to obtain reproductive care;

The Right to Contraception Act, which guarantees the right to obtain and use birth control as established in the Supreme Court's Griswold decision, including oral contraception, emergency contraception, and IUDs; and

The Respect for Marriage Act, which would enshrine the right to marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples into federal law.

I believe a woman's health decisions are her own to make, in consultation with her doctor and loved ones--not to be dictated by state governments. 

While I find it baffling that some elected officials would prefer to roll back fundamental rights in an effort to exercise greater government control over women's bodies, I will continue to defend these freedoms for as long as I represent the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri. 

I have already called for the Senate to pass each of these bills, with or without the filibuster, to ensure this generation of Americans aren't afforded fewer rights than their parents--and I'll keep fighting to get these bills to President Biden as soon as possible.

You can find more information on my support for each of these important bills here, here, and here.