WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection – today chaired a hearing titled “Examining the American Manufacturing Industry’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” This hearing examined how the manufacturing industry adapted to meet the public demand for personal protective equipment, ventilators and other equipment and goods essential to the nation’s public health efforts.

Three Kansas-based organizations were represented on the witness panel: MolMas based in Haysville, InkCycle based in Shawnee and Kansas Manufacturing Solutions based in Lenexa.  

“During this pandemic, many in the manufacturing community have adapted their operations to help provide the products needed to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Chairman Moran. “Whether it is an early stage pharmaceutical wholesale distribution company that completely pivoted to manufacturing face masks in response to a dire national supply shortage, or a successful printer cartridge re-manufacturer shifting to production and distribution of hand sanitizer and other innovative sanitization solutions, we have examples of manufacturing businesses in Kansas taking the lead in bolstering U.S. manufacturing to compete globally.”

Click HERE to Watch Chairman Moran’s Full Remarks

To view the hearing in its entirety, please click here.

MolMas, represented by founder Ravi Bulusu, is an early stage pharmaceutical wholesale distribution company that began producing facemasks in response to the pandemic to help provide lifesaving PPE to frontline health care workers.

InkCycle, represented by President and Chief Executive Servant Rick Krska, is the largest inkjet re-manufacturer in the world and began producing hand sanitizer in response to the pandemic. InkCycle recently shifted to producing hypochlorous acid, an EPA-recognized solution used to sanitize airplanes, bathrooms, stairwells, factories, warehouses and office areas.

Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, represented by Chief Executive Officer Tiffany Stovall, is the state’s designated NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center that has worked to support small to mid-sized manufacturers throughout Kansas.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) – chairman and member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection – introduced the COVID-19 Home Safety Act, legislation to protect consumers from injuries and deaths related to consumer products during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recent reports indicate that pediatricians and emergency room doctors have seen an increase in patients seeking treatment for home injuries, such as broken bones on bikes and trampolines as well accidental hand sanitizer poisoning in children. The COVID-19 Home Safety Act requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during the coronavirus pandemic. The study will examine products and evaluate the impact of these injuries on members of vulnerable groups—including children, minorities, seniors and people with disabilities. This bill also directs the CPSC to collaborate with the media to distribute information, such as the CPSC’s Home Safe Checklists, to help improve home safety during the pandemic.

"The daily lives of Americans have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic," Sen. Moran said. "Recent reports of increased injuries, particularly to children, minorities, seniors, and people with disabilities, caused by consumer products is concerning, and this legislation would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide a comprehensive assessment of safety issues under its jurisdiction to determine future federal action."

"As we continue to confront the coronavirus pandemic, American families should not also have to worry about the safety of products in their own homes,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “This legislation will help protect our children, seniors and other vulnerable populations from injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during and after the pandemic.” 

Companion legislation led in the House by U.S. Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, and Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), passed the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce in September. The bill is endorsed by Consumer Reports, National Consumers League, the Consumer Federation of America and Kids in Danger.

"American families are facing a multitude of difficulties during this pandemic—from unemployment to child care concerns. While we work to address all challenges that arise, we must also specifically address the very real problems of consumer safety and home injuries brought upon by COVID-safety restrictions," Congressman Tony Cárdenas said. "As Americans spend more time at home, we cannot ignore the child-safety risks that certain consumer products pose. This bipartisan bill will require that these issues be studied, so lawmakers can take appropriate measures to protect American consumers and children by preventing future injuries.”

"Understanding the full impact of COVID-19, including its effects on consumer safety and home injuries, is critical to protecting public health during this pandemic," Congressman Rodney Davis said. "I’d like to thank Senators Klobuchar and Moran for introducing the bipartisan COVID-19 Home Safety Act in the Senate. It is my hope that both chambers of Congress pass this important legislation in the coming weeks so we can take appropriate action to keep American families safe."

As a Chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Sen. Moran has been a leader in the fight to protect consumers, especially children and seniors, during the coronavirus pandemic.

In July, Sens. Moran and Klobuchar led a letter urging the FTC to protect seniors from contact tracing scams following reports that scammers were posing as contact tracers in an attempt to financially exploit consumers and steal their personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers. The letter also urged the FTC to commit to taking action to better educate and assist seniors in recognizing legitimate contact tracing and understanding their recourse options should they fall victim to these scams.

In May, Sens. Moran and Klobuchar introduced legislation to protect seniors from scams during the coronavirus pandemic. The Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to report to Congress on scams targeting seniors during the coronavirus pandemic and make recommendations on how to prevent future scams during emergencies. In March, Klobuchar and Moran led a bipartisan letter with 32 colleagues urging FTC Chairman Joseph Simons to protect seniors from coronavirus-related scams, better inform consumers about scams, and assist victims in understanding their recourse options to ensure that seniors are protected from those attempting to financially exploit them during the pandemic.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies – today announced a $1 million grant to the City of Wichita from the Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program (CBCR) through the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“As the chief appropriator for the Department of Justice, I am pleased this federal grant will provide additional resources to Wichita to address violent crime and improve public safety within local neighborhoods,” said Sen. Moran.

The DOJ’s CBCR aims to reduce serious and violent crime by supporting a multi-faceted approach to addressing issues in high-crime neighborhoods and is intended to work in conjunction with broader neighborhood revitalization efforts.

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WASHINGTON – President Trump signed into law sweeping Olympic reform legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) – chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee with jurisdiction and oversight over the health and safety of U.S. Olympic, Paralympic and amateur athletes.

Sens. Moran and Blumenthal introduced S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act, in July of 2019 following an eighteen-month investigation into systemic abuse within the U.S. Olympic movement. The joint investigation was launched the day after Larry Nassar was sentenced to prison and included four subcommittee hearings, interviews with Olympic athletes and survivors, and the retrieval of over 70,000 pages of documents.

“We are pleased to announce that the president signed our sweeping Olympic reform legislation into law,” Moran and Blumenthal said. “This law would not be possible were it not for the athletes and courageous survivors who traveled to Washington, shared their stories and demanded change so that future generations of athletes can train, compete and succeed without fear of abuse. We are grateful to our colleagues, athlete advocates and the many survivors who helped create and advocate for this law to bring about change in the Olympic movement and allowed us to keep our promise to the survivors to get this bill across the finished line.”

“We will make certain this law is being implemented to the fullest extent and continue to hold accountable the institutions that have the responsibility to keep our athletes safe,” Moran and Blumenthal continued.

U.S. Representatives Ted Lieu (D-Cal.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Dianna DeGette (D-Colo.) and Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced the companion legislation in the House.

This bill was cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Previous Action on S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act:

• The legislation was introduced on July 30, 2019. Read Sen. Moran and Sen. Blumenthal’s joint editorial announcing their sweeping legislation in USA TODAY here.
• The legislation was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on November 13, 2019.
• The legislation unanimously passed the Senate on August 4, 2020.
• The legislation unanimously passed the House of Representatives on October 1, 2020.

The Moran-Blumenthal Investigative Report & Legislation:

• Click here to read the senators’ full investigative report, findings and recommendations.
• Click here to read final bill text.
• Click here to read a one-page summary of the bill.
• Click here to read a section-by-section summary of the bill.

S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act:

• Empowers athletes by giving them a seat at the decision-making table, and significantly increases athlete representation on governing boards, committees and panels within National Governing Bodies (NBGs) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to help identify problematic policies and practices faster, while prioritizing athlete-centric solutions;
• Bolsters resources for the U.S. Center for SafeSport while ensuring its independence from the USOPC and the NGBs;
• Requires relevant SafeSport training, so athletes know how to identify abuse, and so adults know how to prevent it;
• Strengthens and codifies reporting mandates for adults with knowledge of any allegation of child abuse of an amateur athlete;
• Protects individuals who report emotional, physical or sexual abuse of an athlete from retaliation within the Olympic movement;
• Promotes safety by requiring NGBs to enforce SafeSport sanctions and directing SafeSport to maintain a public list of all barred coaches and individuals;
• Bolsters USOPC auditing and reporting requirements, so that Congress can better provide regular oversight; and
• Establishes legislative mechanisms by which Congress can dissolve the Board of the USOPC and decertify NGBs.

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