Congressman Tracey Mann Discusses Government Shutdown and Impacts

McPHERSON, Kan. — It’s been three weeks since the US House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government in operation. First District Congressman Tracey Mann told Ad Astra News in an interview Thursday it’s a matter of getting a few Democratic Senators to change their position.

In the Senate, it requires 60 votes to pass most legislation, and to get there they will need at least seven, and ideally eight Democrats to vote for it. “Three are willing to vote for it so far, but the other five are not,” Mann said, adding this is very frustrating. The shutdown could end quickly if they can get those votes changed.

A major impact of the shutdown will be seen next Wednesday, which as of now will be a missed payday for federal employees and the military. It is already impacting agencies that people deal with on a regular basis, including USDA’s Farm Service Agency which is impacting farmers as fall harvest is underway.

Congressman Mann said there is a need for Congress to return to “regular order,” the process through which most appropriation bills are dealt with. So far three of the 12 appropriations bills have passed both houses of Congress, those for USDA, Veterans programs, and the legislative branch. Work on the other nine pends passage of the continuing resolution, which Mann said he would like to see finished

Mann said he is supportive of moves President Trump is making to ensure funding continues for the Women, Infants and Children Program through tariff revenues. He noted though “there’s no reason we should be having to go to these extraordinary measures to keep the government operating.”

In discussing other things going on in Washington. Mann said construction is continuing on “the wall” along the US Border, a top priority of President Trump and a key issue in the 2025 elections. Illegal apprehensions have dropped since President Trump returned to office to the lowest levels in some 50 years.

In talking to constituents in the Big First, the shutdown is a concern, but people are generally pleased with what is in the Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Working Families Tax Cut Act, “the fact we’re not going to have a big tax increase January first, those are the things on the majority of Kansans’ minds.”