Twenty-five years ago today, the nation woke up to front pages bearing unimaginable scenes. I recall it vividly. I was 17 years old. I remember the front page of the South Bend Tribune, a photo of United Flight 175 slamming into the second tower, splashed across the page.

I flipped through it knowing the world would never be the same. I saved that copy. And the one after it, and the one after that. I still have them.

I kept them so that one day I could show my kids an event that happened before they were born — and they'd understand why we say we'll never forget. Yesterday morning, before the kids left for school, that's exactly what I did. My oldest, Elle, is 17 now. The same age I was.

There is now an entire generation of Americans who weren't alive to see it. They didn't watch the second plane hit. They didn't see the towers come down. They didn't stand in a living room with their parents while the whole country held its breath. For them, September 11 is a chapter in a textbook and a moment of silence in a school gym.

They deserve the truth about that day. All of it. 

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001 — three of them Hoosiers from our own district. They did not die in an accident. They were murdered by Islamist terrorists who attacked this country not for anything it had done, but for everything it stands for.

That is the truth about that day. Honoring the memory of those killed on 9/11 requires us to be clear-eyed about the radical belief system behind the attacks, and about the threat it still poses.

Never forget should mean never forget. 

STILL ANSWERING THE CALL

In the aftermath of 9/11, a generation of Americans raised their hands and volunteered to defend this country. Many of them came from right here in Indiana's Second District. Twenty-five years later, young men and women across our district are still answering that call.

On Wednesday, I hosted our annual U.S. Service Academy Night in Mishawaka. Students from across the Second District came out to meet with representatives from the military academies and learn what it takes to earn a nomination.

If your student is interested in attending a service academy, my office handles nominations every year. You can find the details HERE.

SUPPORTING HOOSIER FAMILIES

Cost, quality, and access to health care are front of mind for the Hoosiers I represent. That's why I invited HRSA Administrator Tom Engels to the Second District this week, so he could see how federal support actually impacts families in northern Indiana.

We toured HealthLinc in Mishawaka, a community health center delivering affordable care to families who might otherwise go without. We met the team at Goodwill of Michiana's Nurse-Family Partnership, who walk alongside first-time moms from pregnancy through their child's second birthday.

Hoosier families deserve care that's close to home. I'll keep fighting to make sure the dollars follow them there.

INVESTING IN SKILLED TRADES

Finally, I joined Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana/Kentucky for the dedication of their newly renovated training center in Elkhart, where northern Indiana's next generation of skilled tradesmen will learn the job.

It was a great day celebrating the future of the merit shop construction industry, and the members who make it work. I saw firsthand the investment ABC is making in workforce development and the skilled trades right here in our community. The jobs coming out of that building will build northern Indiana.

Again, it is an honor to serve you. Your insights are critical to me as I work to solve the challenges facing our country and advance commonsense, Hoosier values in our nation’s capital. 

If you would like to receive regular updates on important policy issues and know how I am fighting for the Second District, please follow my Facebook page, X page, Instagram page, YouTube, and Truth Social or visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Your Friend and Fellow Hoosier: 

Rudy Yakym

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America Will Never Be a Socialist Nation

It's hard to believe this needs to be said out loud. It's even harder to believe members of Congress had to take a vote on it. But this week, we did.

We took that vote because socialism is seeping into our politics in ways that should alarm every American. And it needs to be named, denounced, and condemned.

To my surprise, 96% of House Democrats voted against condemning it. I was stunned. They aren't trying to hide it anymore.

The very next day, another eye-opening vote came to the floor — this one to protect the Supreme Court from those who would destroy its integrity by packing it. 205 Democrats voted it down.

I voted to condemn socialism. I voted to keep the Supreme Court at nine. Not because either was a hard call — because both were common sense.

Unfortunately, half of Congress has lost its sense. And that ought to be a wake-up call for every American.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JO3BLa-br0

The Highlight of My Week

Before I get to everything else Congress did, I have to share the best part of my week — and a reminder of the men who made sure America would never become a socialist or communist country.

I spent time with Hoosier veterans from the Northeast Indiana Honor Flight.

For some of them, it was the first time seeing the memorials built in their honor. Patriots, every last one of them.

Rep. Yakym with veterans from Honor Flight Northeast Indiana. 

 $120 Million Is Coming Home to Rural Indiana

One of the most common things I hear from Hoosiers is about access to and cost of healthcare. That's why last September I led nine members of the Indiana delegation in a letter to the Trump administration urging maximum funding for Indiana under the newly created $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program.

Well, I've got some great news. This week, they delivered.

$120 million is coming home to Indiana, to strengthen our rural health workforce, expand maternal and infant care, and bring care closer to the Hoosiers who need it most.

Restoring Work, Restoring Dignity

Welfare should help people build the skills and confidence to take control of their own future. That's why thirty years ago, a bipartisan Congress put work at the center of these programs, and it worked.

But a system built to help people has been abused. And thirty years later, Democrats are making the same arguments against work requirements they made in 1996. So at this week's Work and Welfare Subcommittee hearing, we heard from someone who actually lived it.

Misty Kelso told me how a good job gave her purpose and dignity. How it helped her break a cycle of poverty, addiction, and abuse. How it rebuilt her family. Work is not a barrier to a better life. It is one of the clearest pathways to self-sufficiency and opportunity. Watch our exchange HERE: 

Rep. Yakym with Ms. Kelso at Tuesday's hearing.

Before You Go

Check out my brand new website. We rebuilt it from the ground up with one thing in mind — making it easier for you to get help, get answers, and stay in the loop. Casework requests, flag requests, service academy nominations, and every issue I'm fighting for on your behalf. All of it in one place.

Take a look. Then tell me what you think. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE BELOW: 

Again, it is an honor to serve you. Your insights are critical to me as I work to solve the challenges facing our country and advance commonsense, Hoosier values in our nation’s capital. 

If you would like to receive regular updates on important policy issues and know how I am fighting for the Second District, please follow my Facebook page, X page, Instagram page, YouTube, and Truth Social or visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Your Friend and Fellow Hoosier: 

Rudy Yakym

Member of Congress

_________________________________________________________________________ 

Indiana's Second District, otherwise known as home, is one of the most prosperous places in America. From the rich farmland in Pulaski and Cass Counties, to the RV capital of the world in Elkhart, to the orthopedic capital of the world in Warsaw. None of that was designed by bureaucrats in Washington. It was built by Hoosiers who took a risk, worked hard, and were left alone to do it. That's the free market.

As I've traveled all 11 counties on my Hoosier Heartland Tour, I've heard the same thing over and over. Hoosiers want to work, take care of their families, worship God, and build the American Dream. And frankly, they want to be left alone.

I bring this up because we're watching communism make a comeback on the Left. Radical candidates are getting elected while openly campaigning to seize the means of production and hand your money to somebody else, and we're supposed to believe that leaves us all better off.

Communism promises everyone will be equal. But look at what it has actually delivered, every time it's been tried. Equally poor. Equally hungry. Equally forbidden to leave. It's anti-American by design. It rejects our Constitution, our God-given rights, and our entire way of life.

Fortunately, folks back home in the heartland reject it right back — because for lack of a better word, it's crazy. And it's dangerous.

WATCH: Rep. Yakym kicks off week three of the Hoosier Heartland Tour in Marshall County.

When planning this tour, my team wanted to hit as many family farms as possible — they quite literally put food on our table, and they do so much for our economy across the district. This week we hit a lot of them. I kicked off week three with some great shop talk at Stoller Farms in Bremen alongside Indiana Corn and Soy.

After that, I stopped by Grass Creek Cattle Company in Kewanna, where the Guyer family has been farming since 1938. Now in its sixth generation, this farm is putting top-tier beef on the table at an affordable price. Then it was up to LaPorte County and Parkman Farms, where Mark Parkman walked me through what the Working Families Tax Cuts have meant for his operation — real, meaningful relief on new equipment purchases.

Rep. Yakym visits with Hoosier farmers at Stoller Farms and Grass Creek Cattle Company. 

From there it was down to Pulaski County and Standard Industrial, which has served the automotive, trailer, woodworking, and RV industries since 1972. As I walked that factory floor with their president, Bryce Brumm, one thing stuck out: the sheer amount of overtime our workers put in across this district. In the Working Families Tax Cuts, we made that overtime deductible, so hardworking Hoosiers are rewarded for their work instead of penalized for it.

I also stopped in Knox to see how White Flyer Targets are made right here in Indiana's Second District, and to meet the phenomenal people who keep the skeet shooting industry going.

I closed out the week by presenting Laura Snipes with her late husband's medals from his service in the United States Army. Arnold Snipes is a hero. On our nation's 250th anniversary, I'm grateful for his service, and for the bravery and dedication of every American who has worn the uniform.

Rep. Yakym presents Laura Snipes with her late husband's medals, and visits White Flyer Targets in Knox.

For three weeks, I've criss-crossed Indiana's Second District celebrating our 250th anniversary and hearing about the incredible companies and people who call Indiana home. I'm always amazed by the innovation and ingenuity we have in the Hoosier state. 

None of it was handed down from Washington. It was built by Hoosiers who took a risk, worked hard, and were trusted to make their own decisions. That's the path to prosperity, and it's the one we're going to keep taking for the next 250 years.

Again, it is an honor to serve you. Your insights are critical to me as I work to solve the challenges facing our country and advance commonsense, Hoosier values in our nation’s capital. 

If you would like to receive regular updates on important policy issues and know how I am fighting for the Second District, please follow my Facebook page, X page, Instagram page, YouTube, and Truth Social or visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Your Friend and Fellow Hoosier: 

Rudy Yakym

Member of Congress

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Affordability. That's the word I keep hearing as I wrap up week two of my Hoosier Heartland Tour. A young person tells me about trying to buy their first home. Someone stops me in the grocery store to talk about it. So I want to talk about it with you.

It's still tough out there for a lot of Hoosiers. Costs skyrocketed under the last administration, and I understand why people are still frustrated. 

I'm working as hard as I can to put more money back in your pocket. That's why I fought for the largest tax cut in American history and voted to end the tax on tips and overtime. The Working Families Tax Cuts protected 122,000 Indiana manufacturing jobs, doubled the Child Tax Credit, and delivered tax relief for seniors.

And we're starting to see those policies pay off. Real wages, that's wages after inflation, are up about $1,000 for a typical middle-class family, and about $4,000 for the average manufacturing or construction worker. Now, I'm not declaring victory yet. I'm saying we're making progress, and I'll keep working until every Hoosier feels it. 

Rep. Yakym meets with Hoosiers impacted by storms in LaPorte County and Rep. Yakym with a worker at Forest River in Elkhart.

This tour is about showing up for Hoosiers, whether that's touring a factory or standing with folks after a storm. When strong storms rolled through LaPorte County Tuesday, I checked in with Mayor Dermody to see how we could lend a hand to the families affected. Then it was on to Elkhart, where I walked factory floors at Cummins Onan and Forest River's Dynamax plant, talking RVs and my push to remove the tax on RV loan interest.

From there it was on to a newly opened childcare facility down in Pulaski County, where the Working Families Tax Cuts' expanded Child Tax Credit is helping parents like Allison save for what matters most, and a stop at the historic Medaryville Gym, which a group of local leaders is working to restore. I wrapped that stretch with a visit to Hannah's Country Road Greenhouse in Monterey.

Rep. Yakym with Hannah of Hannah's Country Road Greenhouse; touring a local daycare center; and visiting the historic Medaryville Gym.

I also sat down with two mayors doing great things for their communities — Tom Dermody in LaPorte and Jacob Pomasl in Logansport — and toured Anderson's Clymers' facility as they gear up for a major expansion right here in Logansport.

Indiana's Second District is also proud to be home to Grissom Air Reserve Base, and I caught up with Colonel Bergman on how we keep supporting a mission that matters both to Miami County's economy and to our national defense.

I stopped by Wildermuth Farm in Miami County to talk through the Farm Bill with the family there, then spent time with my friend Mark York in Roann, talking about how the Working Families Tax Cuts let farmers like Mark pass their land down to their kids without government red tape in the way.

I also toured Innomed Designs' brand-new surgical instrument facility in North Manchester, where the next generation of orthopedic tools is being built right here in Indiana's Second District.

Rep. Yakym at Anderson's Clymers, meeting with LaPorte County officials, visiting Grissom Air Reserve Base and Wildermuth Farm.

Wrapping up week two, I keep coming back to how blessed we are to call Indiana's Second District home — a district full of companies, organizations, and people who've made a real impact on their communities and our country. Our best days are still ahead of us, and we've got to keep passing legislation like the Working Families Tax Cuts to keep that momentum going. See you Monday for week three!

Congressman Rudy Yakym (R) on economy, affordability, Social Security

WATCH: Rudy Yakym sits down with WNDU, touts district’s economic strength

Congressman Rudy Yakym visits Forest River plant in Elkhart

Again, it is an honor to serve you. Your insights are critical to me as I work to solve the challenges facing our country and advance commonsense, Hoosier values in our nation’s capital. 

If you would like to receive regular updates on important policy issues and know how I am fighting for the Second District, please follow my Facebook page, X page, Instagram page, YouTube, and Truth Social or visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Your Friend and Fellow Hoosier: 

Rudy Yakym

Member of Congress

*****************************************************************************************************************

Hey Hoosiers! I'm writing this one from the road, one week into my Hoosier Heartland Tour, where I'll be visiting all 11 counties in one month. It's already been a busy first week, but I'm loving every second of it — meeting the hardworking Hoosiers who make IN-02 the best place to work, live, and raise a family in America.

Rep. Yakym kicks off Day 1 of the Hoosier Heartland Tour at Keystone Cooperative. 

I started Tuesday morning in LaPorte County, at Keystone Cooperatives, talking shop with Farm Bureau about what's on their minds heading into harvest season, the 2026 Farm Bill, fair trade, and what it'll take to keep Hoosier agriculture strong for the next generation. I wrote about a lot of this in a new op-ed in the Indiana Corn and Soybean Post: “America First Policy Starts with Indiana Agriculture." Read it below: 

By the afternoon I was in New Paris at Smoker Craft, touring the facility with Peter Barrett. Watching that business grow — the new equipment, the building expansions — is exactly what I hoped the Working Families Tax Cuts would do for Hoosier manufacturing. I was proud to vote for that bill in Washington. It means a lot more seeing it work for hardworking Hoosiers in person. The bonus depreciation on equipment upgrades and building expansions is helping businesses like Peter's grow and thrive, right here in Elkhart County.

Wednesday started at Christos in Plymouth, one of my favorite breakfast stops on the road, where I got to leave a tax-free tip for the folks who poured my coffee. From there, I stopped by Plymouth Foundry where Sam Schlosser has kept that place running since 1946. It's always good to sit down with him and talk through what small business owners like him actually need from us.

Then it was on to Rochester, where I toured Morrison Products and shook hands with workers who are finally keeping the overtime they earn, thanks to No Tax on Overtime in the Working Families Tax Cuts.

We closed the week in Warsaw, touring the Orthopedic Hospital- Warsaw Surgery Center, where Zimmer Biomet and Lutheran Health are doing great work for patients across our region.

By Friday, one thing was clear: if we want to keep IN-02 the greatest place in America to live, we have to protect the jobs of the workers who make it that way. Every stop this week put me face to face with people who show up, do the work, and ask for nothing in return except a fair shot at a good life. I'll commit to protecting these workers and these jobs with every vote I take, because none of the rest of it means anything if the people who build this district can't make a living doing it.

Rep. Yakym listening to Hoosiers across the district during week one of the Hoosier Heartland tour. 

Conversations like these — with a farmer in LaPorte County, a manufacturer in Elkhart, a foundry owner in Marshall County — are part of why I led 168 House Republicans in a letter to Ambassador Greer this week on the USMCA review.

Our farmers and manufacturers have waited long enough for the market access we promised them six years ago. This review process represents an important opportunity to strengthen the USMCA agreement, and I support the President’s focus on securing improvements before agreeing to an extension.

Addressing shortcomings and confronting emerging challenges will set our economy up for even more success in the years to come. I hope Mexico and Canada bring their best offers to the table so that an extension can become reality. Read my letter HERE: 

Indiana 2nd District Congressman Tours Surgery Center in Warsaw

Yakym Kicks Off Summer Tour in LaPorte County

Yakym Remembers Life and Legacy of Jackie Walorski 4 Years After Her Death

Next week, I'm back out on the road — South Bend, Elkhart, and down through Pulaski, Fulton, LaPorte, and Cass Counties.

See you back out on the road, Hoosiers. 

Again, it is an honor to serve you. Your insights are critical to me as I work to solve the challenges facing our country and advance commonsense, Hoosier values in our nation’s capital. 

If you would like to receive regular updates on important policy issues and know how I am fighting for the Second District, please follow my Facebook page, X page, Instagram page, YouTube, and Truth Social or visit my website and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Your Friend and Fellow Hoosier: 

Rudy Yakym

Member of Congress