Congressman Cleaver Shares Year In Review

The top politico in Kansas City offers his perspective on the year that was. 

Even better . . . Given a recent redistricting anti-climax and no reputable challenger ahead, it looks like he'll stay in power and there will be more fun times ahead. 

Here's the word . . . 

EC From DC: 2021 in Review

This past year has brought many new challenges and opportunities to the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri. As your representative in Congress, I have worked tirelessly to deliver for hardworking Western Missourians, and I wanted to share with you all that we were able to achieve as a congressional district in 2021.

Last year, I was proud to vote for the historic American Rescue Plan, which supported countless small businesses and Missouri families who were struggling to stay afloat during the global pandemic. The rescue package provided a tax cut to middle-class families, helped to create 6 million jobs across the country, enabled more than 200 million Americans to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and provided much needed funding to ensure our schools reopened and stay opened throughout the year.

Additionally, I was overjoyed when my colleagues and I worked across party lines to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, otherwise known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. this legislation is going to deliver $9 billion to Missouri to make our roads safer, repair crumbling bridges, remove lead pipes across the state, improve public transportation options, expand high-speed internet, and more. This long overdue investment in our critical infrastructure is not only going to increase our state's economic growth and allow us to remain competitive in the 21st century, but it is also going to create thousands of good-paying jobs in the Fifth Congressional District for Missouri workers.

The House of Representative was also able to pass the transformative Build Back Better Act to level the playing field for working class families throughout the United States. This landmark legislation would cut taxes for middle-class families, make critical investments that lower the cost of everything from child care to health care to housing, and help us transition to an energy efficient economy as we seek to protect our planet for future generations. While the bill is still being negotiated in the Senate, I am committed to passing this essential piece of legislation in 2022, and I will do everything in my power to ensure its passage through Congress this year.

 Some other accomplishments I would like to highlight from last year include:

• Saving constituents more than $6.5 million in federal benefits;
• Passing 4 bills with bipartisan support to provide housing assistance to rural Americans, safeguard consumers from nefarious debt collectors, protect airline passengers and TSA workers from COVID-19, and combat financial corruption;
• Introducing 18 pieces of legislation and cosponsoring an additional 336 bills;
• Responding to more than 37,000 constituent inquiries;
• Securing approximately $9 billion to modernize Missouri's infrastructure;
• Providing more than $232 million in tax cuts for 83,000 families in the Fifth District;
• Delivering $221 million in Shuttered Venue Grants for small businesses in the Fifth District;
• Obtaining $1.9 billion to help K-12 schools throughout Missouri reopen and stay open safely; and more.

You can find more information on all of the work my office and I did during 2021 in my End of Year Report here.

It remains the honor of my life serving the people of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District in the United States Congress, and I am ever thankful for the opportunity to be your representative. As we head into the new year, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office should you need assistance with a federal agency or have an opinion on a particular piece of legislation. I hope that you and your loved ones had a restful and joyous holiday season, and I hope that your new year is filled with love, laughter, and countless blessings.

Sincerely,

Emanuel Cleaver, II

Member of Congress

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