Hello,

Welcome to “Kansas Common Sense.” Thanks 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.

Working to Strengthen the 5-Eyes Alliance and American Leadership in the Indo-Pacific
As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, and as a member of the Appropriations subcommittee on Defense and Foreign Operations, I led a group of Senate leaders to the Indo-Pacific region for high-level meetings. During our visit, we met with foreign officials who are key to the 5-eyes alliance, comprising of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, that work in cooperation to improve military intelligence and defend our nations against existing and rising threats, such as China. Additionally, as the chief appropriator to NASA, I visited the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex to receive an update from NASA employees on their ongoing work.

During our meetings, I was honored to meet with numerous American soldiers stationed abroad. I was honored to visit with our deployed servicemembers, thank them for their brave service to our nation and hear firsthand how those of us in Congress can support their work to keep our country and the entire world safe. I was especially honored to be able to meet with a number of Kansas soldiers deployed to the Indo-Pacific region. Kansans are proud of our friends and neighbors who have answered the call to serve, and I was pleased to give these soldiers our best on behalf of the entire state.

My priority as a U.S. Senator is to make certain our nation and all Americans are safe from threats, especially in today’s ever-changing and dangerous world and amid escalating tensions with China. During our meetings with U.S. military leaders and diplomats from allied nations, I conveyed our appreciation for their alliance and learned valuable information regarding how we can support these alliances and our men and women in uniform.

Wishing Kansans a Happy Labor Day
Labor Day is a time to celebrate the profound contributions of the American worker and to reflect on the progress our state and country have realized because of the sacrifices of those working to push the economy forward. I hope you were able to spend time with family and friends over the three-day weekend.

I celebrated Labor Day in Natoma, where I joined folks from across Osborne County and the surrounding region for the Natoma’s 82nd annual Labor Day Celebration. During the parade, it was nice to see lifelong friends and a number of children and young families who call Osborne County home. Thank you to Beverly Hachmeister for driving me in the parade.

Announcing Department of Transportation Grants to Gray, Meade and Counties
On Thursday, my office was pleased to share the news with Clark, Gray and Meade county leadership of their grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration to improve five load-restricted bridges across their counties.

The anticipated cost savings of the project are substantial at 11 percent, and will have an even larger impact on the local economy by removing load restrictions and widening the bridges, reducing impediments to traffic, especially farm equipment. I’ll continue working with my colleagues in the Senate to make certain federal dollars are making their way to real projects that positively impact our economy and Kansas farmers and ranchers.

Hosting a Kansas Listening Tour Stop in Natoma and Celebrating 100 Years of the American Legion
Prior to the Natoma Labor Day Celebration parade, I joined folks from across Osborne County for a Kansas Listening Tour stop. During my numerous conversations with individuals in Natoma, we discussed the current state of the ag economy and our need to increase access to foreign markets, my work through the VA MISSION Act to increase veterans’ access to healthcare in the community, rural broadband and healthcare in our rural communities.

I was also able to join Natoma-area veterans and community members to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Natoma American Legion. American Legion has a significant impact on everything from federal policy making to service in our local communities, and I was pleased to share with those in attendance my appreciate for the strong work of American Legion and its dedicated members who are committed to service. As we work to make certain our veterans receive the care they deserve – and have earned – American Legion members across communities in Kansas have been vital partners. I look forward to continuing to work alongside members of the

Commending Collaborative Efforts in Manhattan to Curb the Opioid Epidemic
Efforts in Manhattan to get criminals off the street who enable the opioid epidemic are a prime example of the federal, state and local government partnerships that I’m working to prioritize in the Senate as the chief appropriator to our law enforcement agencies.

Similar to our recently-announced Operation Triple Beam in Wichita, these operations help make our communities safer, and in this instance, are making progress toward ending the opioid epidemic that has impacted so much of our country. Thank you to our men and women in uniform across many law enforcement agencies for their efforts and for their dedication to making our state safer. Click here to read more on this work.

Now Accepting Service Academy Nomination Applications/
Each year, I have the honor of appointing Kansans to the following academies: U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. With the school year fast approaching, we are now accepting applications from qualified high school seniors.

Eligible applicants must be:

• a resident of Kansas
• unmarried citizens of the United States with no dependents
• at last 17 years old, but not past their 23^rd birthday on July 1^st of the year they wish to be admitted

You can apply for the class of 2024 by going to my website here to download an application. In order to be considered for an interview by Senator Moran’s Service Academy Screening Board, the application must be received in Sen. Moran’s Olathe office by September 6, 2019. Please contact Lisa Dethloff by phone at 913-393-0711 or by email at lisa_dethloff@moran.senate.gov with any questions.

Kansans in the Office

Capitol Tour
John D. Rush of Overland Park
Patricia Rush of Overland Park
Maxwell Herren of Overland Park
Garrett Meyer of Overland Park
Lanae Sabinas of Shawnee
Ted Sabinas of Shawnee

Honored to Serve You in Washington
It is an honor to serve you in Washington, D.C. Thank you to the many Kansans who have been calling and writing in to share their thoughts and opinions on the issues our state and country face. I appreciate the words of Kansans, whether in the form of a letter, a Facebook comment, or a phone call, who wish to make their voice heard.

Please let me know how I can be of assistance. You can contact me by email by clicking 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