Vicky Hartzler: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am here to lead a very important discussion regarding America's Greatest…”

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I am here to lead a very important discussion regarding America's Greatest Generation--our senior citizens. I have the greatest respect and heartfelt affection for this special group of people. This respect and affection originated with the special relationship I had with my grandparents. I valued spending time with them and loved learning from them. I learned how to catch a fish and golf from Granddad Zellmer, how to clean and cook a fish from Grandma Zellmer, how to ride a horse and milk a cow from Granddad Purdy, and how to crochet and make homemade butter from Grandma Purdy. Out of the love of my grandparents grew a love and respect for all senior citizens. I believe their wisdom should be sought and valued in our society and that generations should be linked to benefit from each other. As a teacher, I initiated programs to bring young people together with senior citizens, and wrote my master's thesis on it. I can tell you that it's a winning combination. Throughout my life, I have been dedicated to advocate for senior citizens. For over 10 years, I served on the Cass County Council on Aging. I helped raise money for our Meals on Wheels program and for other important programs to help senior citizens. Now I'm honored to represent and to serve the great people of Missouri's Fourth Congressional District, which is home to over 120,000 seniors. You can trust that I will ensure that this cherished generation is never overlooked.…”