ICYMI: Rep. David Kustoff visits Jackson, discusses tariffs, immigration, disaster relief

U.S. House Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, 8th District, was the Jackson Rotary Club's guest speaker on in April discussing tariffs, immigration and disaster relief legislation.

First elected in 2016, Kustoff was sworn in for his fifth term on Jan. 3, representing the 20 counties of West Tennessee's 8th Congressional District.

Disaster relief for taxpayers

Amid recent tornado and flood damage, H.R. 517, a bipartisan legislative measure, unanimously passed in the House on March 31, and extends the tax filing extension for those affected by natural disasters from 60 to 120 days. 
The bill was introduced in January by Kustoff and Rep. Judy Chu, D-California.

"We asked the IRS for a little leeway for all the storm damage victims and natural disaster victims to not have to worry about filing their income taxes," he said at the April 16 Rotary meeting. "The IRS granted not only the authority for them not to have to file, but every Tennessean. So every Tennesseean now has the authority or the ability not to have to file until later this fall."

Tariffs could have 'long-term economic gain'

The congressman spoke to a piece of legislation concerning tariffs that he believes will, in some capacity, be "the legacy of Donald Trump."

Trump announced April 2 a reciprocal tariff for trading partner countries, with some, like China, subjected to a higher tariff percentage.

"I will say that he, like me, favors fair trade and free trade," Kustoff said. "But it's got to be fair and it's got to be free and most importantly, what I'm talking about is China."

Kustoff, who represents the largest agricultural district in Tennessee, says farmers should be able to grow crops and ship to China in the absence of barriers.

"My message to you is, there's going to be some short-term economic pain, in my opinion, for longer-term gain," he said.

Immigration and securing the southern border

Kustoff, who has routinely expressed a commitment to securing the southern border, spoke about President Donald Trump and the Laken Riley Act, which was the first legislative measure Trump signed into law after being sworn in.

The Georgia nursing student, who died in 2024 at the hands of a previously arrested and paroled undocumented migrant from Venezuela, prompted swift nationwide conversation about illegal immigration.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal immigrants who commit certain crimes, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

"If that law had been in place, obviously before she was murdered, her aggressor, her murderer would have been incarcerated, [and] unfortunately, he wasn't," Kustoff said.

Speaking to the decrease in illegal crossings at the southern border, Kustoff says that law enforcement officials at the border are being given "the tools and the resources that they need."

On Mar. 12, the U.S. Border Patrol reported a 94% decrease in apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the southwest border between February 2024 and February 2025, highlighting a drop from 140,641 to 8,347.

Calling on Madison County Mayor A.J. Massey, who told the congressman he was at a naturalization ceremony prior to Rotary, Kustoff, emphasizing a desire for people to enter the U.S. "lawfully," asked him how many individuals were sworn in.

Massey responded, "34."

"That's great, that's what we want, right way and wrong way," Kustoff said.

What influences Kustoff's voting?

Before taking follow-up questions from Rotary Club members, Kustoff shared the three pillars that drive his voting in the House of Representatives.

"Number one, what's in the best interest of the country? Two, how do the majority of people at home want me to vote? And three, what, if anything, does the constitution have to say about the vote that I'm about to take?" he said.

"I'll tell you that, generally, those three things marry up, so for me it's an honor to get to do this job and to be your voice and your vote in Washington, D.C."