Rep. Mike Bost

Corporal Jackie Lee Thurman of Norris City misrepresented his age to join the Army at just 15 years old to serve his country in the Korean War. Sadly, he went missing in action in Korea in September 1950 at the age of 19. Seventy-five years later, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab identified his remains and are bringing him home. As Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, expanding DNA identification capabilities and accelerating the recovery of missing service members has been one of my top priorities, because every family deserves to lay their loved one to rest. Welcome home, Corporal Thurman.

U.S. soldier’s remains from Korean War returning home to Illinois after 75 years U.S. Army Corporal Jackie Lee Thurman remains will be returning to Norris City, IL after he went missing in action 75 years ago.

Starting today, families across Southern Illinois can download the Trump Accounts app and start building real financial opportunity for their kids. Every child born between 2025 and 2028 receives a $1,000 federal contribution through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, legislation I was proud to support. That investment could grow to $200,000 by the time a child turns 55. Download the app and learn more at https://trumpaccounts.gov.

I recently met with representatives from Ingram Barge, one of the country's leading inland waterways carriers with operations along the Mississippi River in the Metro East. We discussed the priorities of the inland waterways industry and how Congress can better support it. Keeping our waterways running efficiently is not just good for business, farmers, and manufacturers, it is good for every community along the river.

I supported the Veterans' Transition to Trucking Act, which makes it easier for veterans to use their VA education benefits to enroll in multi-state truck driving apprenticeship programs. As a veteran and former truck driver myself, I understand what a difference this effort can make. Good jobs, good pay, and a clear path forward. That is what our veterans have earned.

If you’re looking for a way to honor our fallen heroes on Memorial Day, there are several ceremonies being held in our area. Mound City National Cemetery will hold its observance on Monday at 10 a.m., and Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis will do the same. In Alton, the National Cemetery's Sunset Ceremony takes place that evening at 6 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. For a full list of VA national cemetery ceremonies near you, visit https://www.cem.va.gov/volunteer/Memorial-Day.asp.

I met with members of NATSO, which represents travel centers and truck stops across the country, to discuss roadside safety, repair shop issues, and the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. As a former truck driver, I know how important these facilities are for driver safety and keeping our economy moving.

After 14 hours of legislative markup last night, I was proud to vote to advance the BUILD America 250 Act out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This bipartisan, five-year surface transportation bill makes historic investments in America's roads, bridges, and rail — and it delivers a major win on an issue I’ve championed for years. I have long fought to expand truck parking options on our major roadways to ensure exhausted long-haul truckers no longer have to push that extra mile to find a safe place to park, which puts all motorists at risk.. This legislation establishes a new $750 million pilot program based on my Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act to expand commercial truck parking and keep drivers and motorists safe on our roads. I look forward to moving it to the House floor.

Great news for veterans in and around the Metro East region. Congress has approved a $1.6 billion VA budget request to modernize the John Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis, which serves thousands of local veterans. The funding will go toward a new bed tower, mental health and substance abuse clinic, administrative facilities, parking garages, and a central utility plant. This bill is now on its way to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.

Tonight the House passed my Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. No veteran should lose their Second Amendment rights simply because they need help managing their finances, but that is exactly what’s been happening. Without a judge's ruling or any finding that a veteran is a danger to anyone, a VA bureaucrat could report them to the FBI's background check system and strip them of their right to bear arms. That is not how we treat the men and women who defended our Constitution. This bill puts a permanent end to that injustice, and as a Marine, proud gun owner, and Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I could not be more proud to have led the charge for its passage.

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