Image courtesy office of Rep. Tracey Mann
In a interview, Rep. Tracey Mann spoke about the recent government shutdown, the Big Beautiful Bill, and more.
Rep. Mann said he voted to end the recent government shutdown, and glad that it is “in the rear-view mirror,” and emphasizing the need to move forward legislatively.
“The Senate finally came to the table, and some Democrats agreed with the approach we passed in the House,” Mann said. “We have a lot of things we need to do here before the end of the year and moving forward.”
The temporary funding measure extends government operations through January 30, 2026, while also fully funding three key appropriations bills, including agriculture, military construction and veterans affairs, and the legislative branch, through September 30. Rep. Mann said this protects Kansas farmers and ensures programs like SNAP continue uninterrupted.
Rep. Mann noted that while most Kansas residents were not directly affected, early closures of government offices caused delays for producers needing government-backed loans, and disrupted travel due to federal flight impacts.
On healthcare, Mann criticized the Affordable Care Act’s rising costs and emphasized a need for transparency and competition in the marketplace to make insurance more affordable.
Looking ahead, Mann highlighted the implementation of the Big, Beautiful Bill, citing benefits for agriculture, tax relief, and equity provisions. “Kansas will start to feel that in that bill. There’s a lot of things for agriculture, like extending and strengthening crop insurance for the next six years. So that’ll be positive as that gets implemented here. It is be implemented over the next few weeks and months.”
He also highlighted upcoming energy legislation aimed at supporting domestic production and expanding the U.S. liquefied natural gas industry.
Regarding future shutdowns, Mann said Congress needs to return to regular appropriations procedures to reduce risk, noting the nation’s $38 trillion debt as a key concern.
Finally, Mann pointed to ongoing work on Farm Bill provisions impacting Kansas and the Midwest, with committees actively finalizing measures to ensure timely implementation.
