Dear Friends,
I hope you and your loved ones stayed safe and warm during the recent winter weather that has impacted our region. On January 25, 2026, President Trump granted Kentucky’s request for a disaster declaration, meaning FEMA is currently on the ground in the Commonwealth assessing damage and beginning the process to recover. I will be sure to share any pertinent information as it becomes available.
And now on to this edition of Brett’s Bulletin. |
Update on the FY2026 Appropriations Process Over the past several months, Congress has been working on the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process. Republicans in Congress have been committed to passing individual appropriations bills to responsibly fund our government and avoid bloated omnibus bills like years past. I’m proud to report that President Trump just signed five of the last six full-year funding bills into law. |
One of my most important jobs in Congress is developing legislation that encourages economic development, fosters an environment to spur job creation, and improves the quality of life for all Kentuckians. I’m proud that after months of work, I was able to secure $76.65 million for 13 total projects across our district. I am confident that these projects will make meaningful impacts towards Kentucky communities for years to come.
Take a look at how these projects will impact our communities here! |
Standing With Pregnant Women and the Unborn The House recently voted on two pieces of commonsense legislation to protect the unborn, defend the sanctity of life, and support mothers. Since coming to Washington, I have always been proud to champion life, and I was proud to vote for legislation to support mothers and the unborn and look forward to continuing to do so for as long as I am privileged to serve in Congress. |
I was also proud to have recently been awarded an A+ rating on the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Scorecard. I will always defend life. |
President Trump’s First Year in Office January 20th marked one year since President Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. Over the past year, it has been an honor to work with him to secure historic tax relief for working families, restore American energy dominance, eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in federal health programs, and more. |
I recently joined several other Congressional leaders for a meeting at the White House to discuss our agenda throughout the rest of the 119th Congress. Congressional Republicans are making real strides in our efforts to lower the cost of health care, ensure Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy, and revitalize the American Dream. |
Working to Lower the Cost of Health Care for Kentucky Families As the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, one of my main goals over the next several months is to deliver real, meaningful solutions to lower the cost of health care for Kentucky families. That’s why our Subcommittee on Health recently held a hearing with the top health insurance CEOs to demand answers about the increasing cost of health care. |
One of the main issues this hearing focused on was the way in which these insurance companies have vertically integrated, meaning in addition to operating an insurance business, they also control pharmacies, health care providers, drug manufacturers, and other facets of the health care supply chain. This results in Americans being forced to navigate a health care system without fair market competition and choice. I don’t know about you, but to me, as a believer in the free market, that lack of competition is certainly a driving force behind increasing health care costs. |
This was the first in a series of hearings on healthcare affordability. I look forward to continuing this work over the next several months to tackle this important issue. You can learn more about this hearing here. |
Enacting Legislation to Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs As a part of the FY2026 appropriations process, Congress enacted much-needed Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform to lower the costs of prescription drugs. A PBM is a third-party administrator or middleman that manages prescription drug plan benefits for insurers, which increases the cost of drugs on Americans.
For years, I have worked with my colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to find bipartisan solutions to this issue, and I am proud to report our collaboration is now law. |
These reforms include: - Requiring PBMs to pass savings along to beneficiaries.
- Requiring PBMs to provide employers with specific information on costs, rebates, fees, use of drugs, and cost sharing, to enable employers to make informed decisions about their employees’ health benefits.
- Expanding pharmacy options for seniors by requiring Medicare Part D plans to allow any willing pharmacy that meets standardized and reasonable contract terms to participate in their networks.
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Meeting With the Family of the Legendary John Prine Growing up, one of my favorite musicians was John Prine. It was an honor to meet with members of his family and representatives from the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum in our House Committee on Energy and Commerce “Bluegrass Room.” |
Historically, chairmen of the committee decorate our office spaces with influences from the district we represent. For me, that means having a room dedicated to President Lincoln, the Kentucky Derby, and yes, bluegrass music!
During our meeting, we discussed John’s legacy, the work the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is doing to protect songwriters and artists and showed them around the U.S. Capitol Building. |
Edmonson County Water District Funding As I stated above, this year I was able to secure funding for 13 projects across Kentucky’s Second District. For years, my team and I have worked to provide reliable and practical solutions to the water quality issues facing Edmonson County Water District. |
I’m proud to report that in the recently signed Consolidated Appropriations Act, I obtained $14 million in federal funding to replace and upgrade the water district’s intake structures. This investment is in addition to the $9.256 million secured by Senator McConnell and an additional $6.5 million in state funding that was secured by State Representative Michael Meredith. I look forward to seeing this funding directly benefit the lives of hardworking Kentuckians well into the future! You can learn more about this project here. |
Traveling the Second District |
I recently stopped by Potter Gray Elementary School in Bowling Green to discuss the separation of powers and the role of Congress. This was an impressive group of future leaders! |
I had a great visit with the team at Scotty’s Contracting and Stone. We discussed the work Congress is doing to invest in American infrastructure in our community!
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In January, members of my team joined USDA Rural Development Kentucky State Director Travis Burton for the announcement of a nearly $500,000 grant for Med Center Health to increase access to telehealth in rural communities. I look forward to seeing this funding positively impact the lives of Kentuckians! |
It was great to visit with the Meade County Farm Bureau and discuss the work Congress is doing to help farmers recover from a hard year and how we can support them in the future!
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I had a productive conversation with emergency management and local leaders in Meade County about their ongoing work to get the county back open after the recent winter storm. We also discussed the continued recovery efforts from last year’s flooding. Thanks for having me! |
Last week, I made a pit stop at Greenwood Ford to talk about the work I’m doing as the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to streamline costly regulations and improve vehicle safety for auto manufacturers. We also talked about the work Congress is doing to invest in our highway infrastructure. |
This week, I authored an essay for the Orin G. Hatch Foundation about the work I am doing as the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to ensure America wins the race for AI long into the future.
When we approach AI legislation, our committee has three pillars that guide our approach: dominance, deployment, and safeguards. But, for the United States to be dominant in AI, we must be the ones to actually develop and deploy these new technologies at scale, or else we risk an authoritarian regime, like China, leading the rest of the century. That cannot happen. |
When I talk with business leaders, they tell me we have the brainpower and the capital necessary to compete. However, we still need to increase our energy production to meet rising electricity demand, and we need to ensure our regulatory environment is structured to meet this moment.
The strong U.S. economy and our workers are the greatest assets we have. As long as we choose to embrace those strengths instead of holding ourselves back, America will continue to succeed. Our leadership has undoubtedly made the world stronger and more prosperous in recent decades, and we don’t plan on stopping now.
You can read my full essay here. |
How Can I Help My office and I are happy to help you. My constituent services team can help provide assistance with a variety of federal agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Post Office, and more. Please click HERE or call 270-842-9896 or 202-225-3501 to contact my office. |
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Sincerely,
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Brett Guthrie
Member of Congress
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