In the News

When Democrat Sharice Davids was elected in 2018 as a U.S. representative for Kansas' third congressional district, she became the first openly gay congressperson to represent her state.

"I will say one of the first times that I realized that I wanted to be at least more informed, if not more engaged, was when Missouri passed the constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman," Davids said, "and I just remember being so both heartbroken and also upset, but I didn't realize that so many people were going to vote in favor of that constitutional amendment."

"As long as we keep pushing for it, we'll get to that place." Representative Sharice Davids discusses the importance of fighting for equality and representation in Washington.

In Kansas, small business owners struggle to adapt to a changing economy and modernization during COVID-19. Congresswoman Sharice Davids is working to support these owners through community lending, funding, and tech resources. Tune in as she speaks with Gene Marks about the four bills she's sponsoring to help rebuild local small businesses and the economy.

U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran as well as U.S. Representative Sharice Davids last week announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded more than $1.2 million in funding to the Local Workforce Investment Area III Inc. in Lenexa.

The grant will help youth ages 16-24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market to obtain employment in in-demand industries. Here are some thoughts from each of the congressmembers.

Rep. Sharice Davids:

Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK) and Sharice Davids (D-KS), who serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Native American Caucus, met this week to discuss priorities for the 117th Congress and what they hope to accomplish as co-chairs.

Cole is a tribal citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and represents Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District. Davids represents Kansas' Third Congressional District and is a tribal citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Kansas political leaders have come together to support a bipartisan effort to get critical COVID-19 relief funds to live event venues that have struggled due to the pandemic.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Kansas Reps. Sharice Davids and Ron Estes have urged the Small Business Administration to send relief to struggling event venues that were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A group of over 200 bipartisan members of Congress are now pushing the Small Business Administration to investigate the delays after only a handful of business owners have received funds from the Shuttered Venues Operator Grant.

The push also comes after the initial launch of the online portal to apply crashed within minutes, which left many hopefuls frustrated.

Kansas Representative Sharice Davids says the program was designed to provide critical relief to these venues, but delays have stunned its rollout.

A strong recovery from the COVID-19 crisis — which destroyed the businesses of many women, and particularly women of color — requires a deliberate investment in initiatives that drive and support female entrepreneurship, said Sharice Davids.