Rogers, Paul back bills to reduce burdens on families

May 19—U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers and U.S. Senator Rand Paul, two of Kentucky's lawmakers in Washington, are both tied to bills aimed at easing the burden on American families facing difficulties.

Rogers, the longstanding Republican from Somerset, joined forces earlier this year with Jim Clyburn, the Democratic Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives to introduce the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act (H.R. 6531) in an effort to increase the share of federal investments to impoverished communities.

Rogers was the only Republican to co-sponsor the bill, along with six Democrats besides Clyburn, and was one of the original co-sponsors.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday. It is meant to "provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for other purposes," according to the text of the bill.

Rogers recently spoke on the House Floor in support of the legislation, which consequently passed the House on Wednesday.

"The impetus for this legislation was the understanding that in certain parts of our country, there are pockets of systemic poverty, caused by a variety of factors, that can be very difficult to boost economically," said Rogers on the floor May 10. "Ranging from rural towns to populated urban areas, these areas of persistent poverty deserve a keen eye from our federal government and a plan to help them reinvigorate.

"I have been proud to work with the Majority Whip Jim Clyburn on legislative efforts to alleviate persistent poverty and set up these communities for economic success and self-sufficiency," he added, thanking Clyburn for his "partnership and commitment."

Rogers said that the bill directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the federal agencies, to develop and implement guidance and measures to increase the share of federal investments targeted to areas of persistent poverty.

It would also require the OMB Director to submit to Congress each fiscal year a report including the list of programs, by agency, under which the amount of federal funds targeted to persistent poverty areas were increased in the previous fiscal year.

"By targeting federal resources to these communities, we will spur economic development in the areas of the country that need it most and strengthen the American economy as a whole," said Rogers."The bill further requires the U.S Government Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness of the measures implemented, which will responsibly ensure that this legislation is making a meaningful impact.

"We have made great strides to lift up impoverished areas, like Kentucky's Appalachian region, but we have more work to do in my district and in similar parts of the country that need our attention," he added. "This targeted bill will help communities breakthrough the cycle of poverty and provide resources necessary to thrive."

The bill now moves on to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

Also on Wednesday, Paul, the Bowling Green Republican in the U.S. Senate, introduced the Freedom to Import Infant Formula Act, purposed to permanently remove tariffs on baby formula and prohibit U.S. Customs and Border Protection from seizing or enforcing restrictions on importation of formula from certain foreign countries. The bill aims to alleviate current baby formula shortages across the United States, and permanently cut arbitrary regulations set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"... U.S. Customs and Border Protection may not seize or otherwise enforce restrictions on the importation of such formula if such formula would meet the legal requirements for sale in that country; and ... such formula is deemed to be in compliance with the requirements under section 412 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act," reads the text of the bill.

The bill is a response to the national shortage of formula that retailers and families are currently facing.

"Mothers all across the country are faced with empty shelves where infant formula once was," said Paul in a statement. "They are resorting to all options to feed their hungry babies, from making formula themselves to diluting and rationing the little they have left—which can have dangerous outcomes for their babies.

"While the Biden Administration and government bureaucrats stand idly by — yet again — to watch a crisis run out of control, my bill offers a commonsense solution that will deregulate the baby formula industry, lower costs for families and increase supply at stores across the United States," he added.