Thank you to Center Mayor David Chadwick and Loan Officers from Farmers State Bank for meeting with me to discuss the Farm Bill and issues facing the banking industry. Later, I had a great time touring General Shelters  - one of the largest manufacturers of portable buildings in Texas – and hearing about their workforce issues and supply chain troubles.

I also met with President Lucas and the Board of Directors of Shelby Savings Bank to provide an update on my work in Washington and hear of the problems facing constituents across Shelby County. It is essential that we work together to ensure that banks in our communities remain sound for customers and for the economic prosperity of the entire region.

In addition, we visited BKR Meats – a locally owned meat processing business that services local producers. Later on, I met with members of the Texas Farm Bureau. Together, we participated in a roundtable discuss where I had the opportunity to learn about the challenges facing the agricultural industry.

East Texas is a leading agricultural producer – not only in the United States, but across the globe. It is important to me to meet with local farmers and ranchers regularly, ensuring that I understand their concerns and am able to represent their needs to the best of my ability through my work in Washington.

Schools across East Texas are starting the new school year! Mount Pleasant ISD Superintendent Marshall was gracious enough to invite me to the district-wide Staff Development Day, where I had the opportunity to thank all for their commitment to our students and wish them an excellent year ahead. As the only Texan on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I’ve enjoyed spending time in our local schools, where I’ve witnessed firsthand the dedication and passion exhibited by our teachers, administrators, and support staff.

The Pilgrim’s facility in Mount Pleasant plays a leading role in the American processing industry, in addition to having influence in global trade. Alongside Pilgrim’s leadership tea, I had the opportunity to tour the facility and view their daily operations.

Thank you to the Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting me for their Business and Breakfast event, where I had the opportunity to hear from educators about the district’s plans for the upcoming school year.

The same day, my team and I visited the Mercy Ships Headquarters – also in Lindale. For over forty years, Don and Deyon Stephens have led Mercy Ships across the globe to care for communities in need, assisting over 2.8 million people in over 56 countries. It was inspiring to learn more about how we can push ourselves to serve others. Thank you for hosting me, and I look forward to seeing the continues global impact of Mercy Ships for years to come.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a disaster designation in Texas for a range of counties including: Sabine County, San Augustine County, and Shelby County.

This designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans, provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans.

Additional information on USDA’s disaster assistance program can be found at www.farmers.gov/recover. Your local FSA office can provide further information. To find your local service center, please click HERE.

With gratitude,