Fred Wellman

“No Missourian should have to drive two counties, wait months for an appointment, or risk bankruptcy because they got sick. But that is where we are when Washington cuts Medicaid, lets ACA subsidies expire, and leaves rural hospitals to fend for themselves. I will fight to restore and make permanent the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, protect Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and stop policies that force rural hospitals to cut services or close their doors. I saw how quickly a health system can be pushed to its limits when I served as Chief of Staff at the NewYork-Presbyterian Ryan F. Larkin Field Hospital during COVID. Rural hospitals are essential infrastructure and major employers in communities across Missouri. I will fight for reliable reimbursement for rural providers, stronger community health centers, maternity care, mental-health care, EMS, telehealth, and the broadband infrastructure that makes telehealth possible. We also have to lower costs across the system. I will support expanded Medicare drug-price negotiation, an insulin cap, stronger oversight of pharmacy benefit managers, protections against medical debt, and prior-authorization reform so insurance companies cannot delay or deny doctor-ordered care. And we need to train and retain more doctors, nurses, mental-health professionals, and first responders through rural residency programs, loan repayment, and local training partnerships.”

“Yes. Agriculture is one of Missouri’s greatest economic engines, and our farmers have been innovators long before “agtech” became a buzzword. Done right, new tools can help farmers lower input costs, protect soil and water, improve yields, and keep family farms competitive through a changing climate. Congress should invest in USDA research, land-grant universities, extension offices, community colleges, rural broadband, and training that prepares Missourians for the jobs this industry creates. I will support federal incentives that put farmers at the table, protect their ownership of farm data, and create a real public return for public investment. Innovation should help family farms stay viable, strengthen rural communities, and create good jobs here in Missouri. It cannot become another way for a handful of corporations to extract more value from the people doing the work.”

“Artificial intelligence can help advance medical research, improve manufacturing and logistics, and give farmers better tools to manage risk. But left unchecked, it gives corporations another tool to eliminate jobs, weaken workers’ leverage, and funnel even more wealth to the top. Technology should make people’s jobs safer, more productive, and better paid. It should not become another excuse to hollow out communities. Data centers can bring construction jobs, investment, and local tax revenue. But small communities should not have to face off against multibillion-dollar tech companies on their own just to protect their water, power supply, and local taxpayers. No company should get a blank check while families are left with higher utility bills, strained resources, or infrastructure costs they did not create. That is why we need federal guardrails before these projects move forward. Companies receiving public support should be required to disclose their power and water use, pay the full cost of grid and infrastructure upgrades, meet strong labor and environmental standards, protect personal data, and provide enforceable benefits to the communities hosting them. Local communities should see the upside of data-center investment without being forced to absorb the risks of a private company’s business model.”

“In the Army, I learned that leaders who ignore the facts or cherry-pick intelligence put people at risk. Congress should work the same way. I will seek out scientists, doctors, engineers, public-health professionals, farmers, and other experts early in the process, before legislation is written and before a vote is called. I will rely on transparent data, peer-reviewed research, independent analysis, and public testimony. I will ask what the evidence shows, what uncertainty remains, who bears the risk, and whether a policy will work for people in the real world. Experts do not replace the responsibility of elected officials to make hard choices, but politics cannot be allowed to distort the facts. My constituents deserve to know that I made decisions based on evidence, honest judgment, and the public interest.”

“Science literacy is a basic part of being prepared for modern life. Our kids need the ability to evaluate evidence, understand how a claim is tested, and recognize when someone is trying to sell them misinformation. Too many schools, especially in rural and under-resourced communities, are trying to meet that challenge with outdated materials, limited lab access, and too few science teachers. Missouri educators and communities should lead on standards, but Congress has a responsibility to help make those standards real. I will support federal investment in science teacher preparation and retention, modern labs and equipment, hands-on learning, and partnerships among schools, universities, farms, hospitals, and local employers. Good standards should connect science to the issues students can see around them, from clean water and weather to health, agriculture, and energy. The goal is to give every student the confidence to ask good questions and prepare for the jobs science and technology are creating.”