Dear Friend,

Welcome to “Kansas Common Sense.” Thank you for your continued interest in receiving my weekly newsletter. Please feel free to forward it on to your family and friends if it would interest them.

Robba and I joined all Kansans today in celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends this week, and gave thanks for our blessings. I am especially thankful for the service and charitable organization across Kansas who support our communities and those in need. I hope Kansans consider supporting or volunteering at these organizations during the holiday season. Just a few hours of your time giving back to your community can make this holiday a memorable one for those in need. 

I hope you and your family also enjoyed time together and had the chance to reflect on all we have to be thankful for as Americans.

Southwest Airlines to Operate Out of Wichita

On Monday, Southwest Airlines announced their plan to start operating five routes out of Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita starting on June 2, 2013.  Victor White, Director of Airports, Wichita Airport Authority, announced that Southwest Airlines will now operate five daily routes to the “Air Capital of the World:” two flights to Dallas, two to Chicago, and one daily flight to Las Vegas. Mid-Continent Airport recently began work on their new $101.5 million terminal, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015. Joining me at event were Governor Sam Brownback; U.S. Congressman Mike Pompeo; Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer; Commissioner Dave Unruh; Walt Berry, 2012 Chair, Wichita Metro Chamber; and Bob Montgomery, VP Airport Affairs, Southwest Airlines.  This announcement is great news for the news for the people of South Central Kansas who now have new options to connect them and their businesses to the rest of the country. Click here to see a photo.

4A State Championship Football Pre-game Coin Flip

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in the coin flip for the class 4A State Championship Football game between the Eudora High School Cardinals and the Holton High School Wildcats. The game was held in Salina at Salina District Stadium and was well attended by fans of both schools. It was an exciting game with great plays by both sides but Eudora was unable to break Holton’s defense; Holton won 21-0. Congratulations to the players, coaches, administrators and fans of both schools on a successful season. Thanks to the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) football administrator Mark Lentz, KSHSAA representative Reggie Romine, and Tiffany Benien of Salina for making my participation possible as well as Salina Chamber of Commerce President Dennis Lauver for hosting me. Click here to see a photo from the game.

Celebrating National Rural Health Day

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment along with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health recognized November 15th as National Rural Health Day.  Setting aside this day provides an opportunity to honor the community-minded spirit that prevails in Kansas and other parts of rural America and to recognize the unique health care challenges that rural Americans face. 

Nearly 60 million people – about one in five Americans – call rural communities home. While these communities deal with the challenges such as medical workforce shortages, caring for an aging population across a wide area, and serving a large proportion of uninsured and underinsured patients, it is important to recognize the selfless, resilient, community-minded doctors, nurses and administrators who are the foundation of many Kansas towns. The access to hospitals and quality health care services they provide determines whether Kansans can remain in the communities they call home and whether their children can return to raise families of their own. 

I have had the privilege of visiting each of Kansas’ 127 community hospitals in Kansas to learn firsthand the vital role each hospital plays in caring for the residents of its community. Based on conversations I had during these visits, I sponsored legislation currently in the Senate to help address some of the unique challenges rural providers face. In addition to the quality care these providers give to patients, rural hospitals drive local economies as one of the largest employers in rural areas. I commend the men and women working in these facilities for their tireless effort and dedication to their communities.

Small Business Saturday

This weekend, people around the country began their Christmas shopping. The holiday season is always a much needed boost to retail businesses, especially for small businesses which are the backbone of our economy. Small businesses employ more than half of Americans and create nearly two out of every three new jobs in the United States each year. That's why there is an effort underway to make the Saturday after Black Friday a day dedicated to shopping at small businesses to help fuel the economy. Small Business Saturday is a great idea, but I hope folks will continue supporting their Main Street businesses throughout the year. These businesses do a lot to strengthen our communities and shopping there is a great way to say thank you to the business owners and employees who keep our communities strong.

Extending a Helping Hand to Kansans

As one of your U.S. Senators, I am privileged to have the opportunity to be of immediate and direct assistance to the citizens of Kansas. Helping Kansans who have difficulty navigating the vast network of federal resources is a long-standing tradition I am glad to continue in the U.S. Senate. Since I was sworn is a U.S. Senator in January 2011, my office has already handled more than 3,800 requests for help from Kansans.

Should you need assistance when working with any federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can submit a request for help and learn more about the additional services I offer by visiting my website at https://www.moran.senate.gov. These services include:

• Capitol Tours: Most of Washington’s institutions are open to the public; however, a few require an entrance pass or reservations. By contacting my office, individuals, families and groups – both large and small – can arrange for free, guided tours of sites like the Capitol Building, the Senate Gallery, the White House, the Pentagon and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
• Meetings and Photos: One of the things I enjoy most is meeting Kansans who have traveled to Washington to see their capital city. If your school, civic or religious group would like to meet with me or have a picture taken on the steps of the Capitol, please contact my office as far in advance as possible to avoid scheduling conflicts.
• Flag Requests: My office would be glad to request an American flag that has been flown over the United States Capitol building for interested Kansans. If you are able to provide sufficient advance notice, we can arrange for the flag to be flown on a requested date. With your flag, you will also receive a certificate to commemorate the event. There is a fee associated with receiving a flag.
• Internships: Senate internships are available in my Washington, D.C. office and my state offices. Internships are available in the fall, spring and summer terms.
• Service Academies: It is my honor to nominate bright young Kansans to our United States service academies: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. I am now accepting applications for the class entering in summer 2012.

Whether it’s something as small as helping you enjoy your trip to Washington, or as important as expediting passports, working out a problem with veterans’ benefits and medals, or working through an issue with Social Security or Medicare, I am proud to assist Kansans in helping their government work for them.

In the Office

This week we had several visitors in the Washington, D.C., office, including the Kansans listed below.

American Academy of Pediatrics
Dennis Cooley of Topeka
Pamela Shaw of Kansas City

USTelecom
Sean Farrell

Kansas State University
Sue Peterson (Manhattan)

DC Capitol Tour
James & Susan Wantland (Overland Park)

Contact Me

It is an honor to serve you in Washington, D.C. Please let me know how I can be of assistance. To send me an email, click here. You can also click here to contact me through one of my Kansas offices or my Washington, D.C., office.

Very truly yours,     

Jerry