KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Looking back and analyzing what’s ahead in 2023 as everyone from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to local leaders rush to wrap up business with changes and challenges looming.

On this episode of 4Star Politics, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and Johnson County Commission Chair-elect, Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly join FOX4’s John Holt and Jonathan Ketz review the past year and analyze what’s ahead.

In Washington, D.C., progress on a huge spending bill needs to be made before the holiday break.

Leaders in Johnson County have a lot on their plates in the coming year, too, including the new Panasonic Plant in DeSoto.

“If we fail to get a budget approved, or we fail to raise the debt limit, with our economy kinda shaky right now, the stock markets are gonna go crazy, and we could very well end up in a serious serious inflation period, or worse,” Cleaver said. “We’ve gotta get something done. We have to get it done as quickly as possible.”

“DeSoto is definitely ready for the challenge, but a challenge it is. It’s the single biggest investment in the state of Kansas. I know they are expecting 4,000 jobs just in the facility itself, but the ancillary jobs is just as many, if not more. That’s just for the Panasonic facility. If you think about the other industrial development that’s going to surround the Panasonic around the Sunflower Ammunition Plant, this is really a unique challenge that Johnson County hasn’t faced before,” Kelly said.

To learn more about what Johnson County has planned for the future, and what Congress may decide in the coming weeks, watch the full episode of 4Star Politics in the video player at the top of the page.

FOX4 and The Kansas City Star are partnering to bring you 4Star Politics, a special venture with new episodes airing on FOX4 every Saturday at 5:30 a.m. and posted online at FOX4KC.com.