Yoder Stays on House Appropriations Panel January 18, 2013

(AP) – Kansas Congressman Kevin Yoder is keeping his seat on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for another two years.

The Republican lawmaker is in his second term representing the Kansas 3rd Congressional District, which covers most of the Kansas City metro area. He chaired the Appropriations Committee in the Kansas House before being elected to Congress in 2010.

Yoder says he’ll serve on an Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, giving Kansas a voice in congressional oversight of farm programs and policy.

Last month, another Kansas congressman – Republican Tim Huelskamp – was removed from the House Agriculture Committee by GOP leaders angered by his positions on issues.

Yoder said he’ll also serve on an Appropriations subcommittee on general government, and a subcommittee on the State Department and foreign aid programs.

Yoder Explains his ‘No’ Vote on Fiscal Cliff Deal January 3, 2013

Tip O’ the hat to TKC:

Yoder Faces Voters at Town Hall After Skinny Dip August 23, 2012

Politico:
At his first public town hall since his skinny-dipping excursion in Israel came to light, Rep. Kevin Yoder avoided the incident and refused to speak to national media.
Spokesman Matt Manda said the congressman was only speaking to local media, and Kansas Republican ignored reporters as he left Olathe City Hall on Wednesday night.
No constituents brought up Yoder’s Sea of Galilee swim during the town hall, although a handful of protesters outside held up signs offering swim trunks with some calling on Yoder to resign. Several protesters said they were concerned that Yoder may have been skinny dipping in the presence of the daughter of a fellow congressman, who also took part in the swimming excursion.
“He’s embarrassed Kansas,” said Al Frisby, one of the protesters and a member of the local MoveOn.org council. “I want him to think about his responsibility to his constituents and act like a man, instead of a boy.”
Ronald Wilson, a Yoder supporter, said Yoder’s apology is enough.
“He made a mistake, he did a dumb thing,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t amount to anything. We have bigger things to deal with.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/80025.html#ixzz24N8WU2C9

Yoder, Dems may be Winning the Politics of Payroll Tax–For Now December 21, 2011

Ks-3 Congressman Kevin Yoder says the president and Congressional Democrats could be getting a bump over the debate over extending the payrol tax holiday.
Without a resolution the payroll tax cut expires at the end of the year. That could result in a tax hike for many Americans.
The Senate passed a 2-month extension.
House Republican won’t do that. they prefer a one-year extension. That, to some, puts the onus on the House Republicans.
“On the politiics, they may be winning the moment,” said Yoder in Overland Park Wednesday.
“But I think, long-term, our policies and opur ideas od exrtending this for an entire year is what the American people want.”
Wedbnesday in an editorial, The Wall Street Journal stated the house republilcans have lost a battle they should have won on the payroll tax extension.
“Republicans have also achieved the small miracle of letting Mr. Obama position himself as an election-year tax cutter, although he’s spent most of his Presidency promoting tax increases and he would hit the economy with one of the largest tax increases ever in 2013. This should be impossible.”
Yoder defended the house republican positon in an interview with KMBC TV.
he called the Zhouse postion, “reasonable’.
“We’re rioght on the policy here,” he said.

Selling The Deal May Mean Quelling Trouble on both Left & Right August 1, 2011

As Congressional leaders use meeting Monday to sell the debt ceiling deal, there could be reluctance at both ends of the political spectrum.

For example, Democratic leaders may have to deal with a rebellion on the left.

Kansas City Congressman and Chairman of the Black Congressional Caucus, Emanuel Cleaver, is blasting the deal as “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich”.(see previous post)

He says other liberals in Congress may have trouble with it, too.

Two Kansas City area Republicans may have doubts as well. Both Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler (Mo-4) and Kansas Congressman Kevin Yoder (Ks-3) only voted for the House version of the plan because a call for a constitutional balanced budget amendment was added to the deal.

That element is not in the  agreement being presented to them today.

Here is the National Journal’s wrap-up on how Monday may pay out:

Key players may have agreed to a framework of a deal, but the debt ceiling saga won’t be resolved until the president signs a bill into law. Democratic aides said they expected the Senate to vote swiftly to pass a bill to raise the ceiling, though it is not yet clear when. A Senate Democratic aide said Reid, based on conversations with McConnell, is confident of reaching a unanimous consent deal that allows passage as soon as today. That will require agreement from all 100 senators, and a GOP aide said whether all Republicans will agree will not be clear until Senate Republicans meet at 10 a.m. to review details. Senate Democrats will meet at 11 a.m. Still, there is little question of Senate passage. The main challenge will be passage in the House, where incensed liberals and conservatives alike have raised objections to the compromise. Boehner told his conference that his “hope would be to file it and have it on the floor as soon as possible.”

And House Small Business Chairman,northwest Missouri Congressman Sam Graves announced his approval of the deal.

Prime Buzz quotes him, “I am encouraged that a deal has been reached that does not raise taxes, reduces spending and ensures both houses must vote on a balanced budget amendment. This is an important first step on the path back to fiscal responsibility.”