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U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs – questioned Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on VA MISSION Act implementation, toxic exposure legislation and the upcoming closure of the Emporia community-based outpatient clinic during a Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
President of KC Tech Council Ryan Weber Testifies in Sen. Moran’s Senate Privacy Hearing
Mar 26 2019
Sen. Moran Questions Industry Stakeholders on Data Privacy Legislation, Small Businesses
Mar 26 2019
“This ‘Deal’ is a divisive step backward that takes away from serious policy discussions about efforts to address our changing climate, and is yet another reminder that many coastal elites choose to overlook the significant contributions rural America makes to the issues facing our nation. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, I remain committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to support NASA, NOAA and the research they conduct in climate science to encourage continued innovation.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – today announced a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to Wichita State University (WSU) during a news conference at WSU.
“Wichita State continues to be a shining example of how public-private partnerships can provide students with hands-on learning experiences while bolstering communities,” said Sen. Moran. “Wichita’s continued emphasis on shaping and designing an education platform to align with 21st Century workforce needs is critical as we work to continue fueling the manufacturing and aviation industries. The EDA grant will support the purchase of necessary advanced manufacturing equipment, and, in turn, create over 150 new jobs in the region. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee which funds the EDA, I will continue to highlight the strengths of our Universities and industries within the state, allowing them to capitalize on these opportunities.”
This $2 million grant will help purchase necessary advanced manufacturing equipment to establish the Automated Technology Laboratory for Advanced Structures (ATLAS) at WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). The ATLAS initiative at WSU will help industry leaders in the region increase the quality and production of commercial and defense aircraft by bolstering available resources for research and development. Several local corporate partners will utilize space and equipment from this EDA investment, including Spirit AeroSystems, Airbus, Cox Machine, Bombardier and Cessna. The project is expected to create 150 jobs in the Wichita region.
“The Trump Administration continues to rebuild the American manufacturing sector in communities across the country,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This investment will help Wichita State University spur new manufacturing ventures in the region while training workers to support this resurgent industry.”
“In the current environment, there are increasing pressures facing the aerospace and defense industries to innovate with flat budgets, record-setting production rates, increasingly complex programs and an evolving workforce,” said WSU Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer John Tomblin. “Investments in emerging advanced manufacturing technologies are critical to maintain economic growth in our region. We want to thank the EDA for acknowledging the importance of the advanced manufacturing sector in South Central Kansas with this investment.”
ATLAS will be located at NIAR headquarters building on the campus of Wichita State. The first floor will house manufacturing development facilities with computer-aided simulations and analysis on the third floor.
ATLAS already has several strategic partnerships with government agencies, aircraft manufacturers, equipment suppliers, material suppliers and other universities. In addition to support from the EDA, ATLAS has received significant funding from the Office of Naval Research and State of Kansas for acquiring advanced AFP equipment, inspection systems and test systems.
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the South Central Kansas Economic Development District (SCKEDD). EDA funds the SCKEDD to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
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Sen. Moran Applauds U.S., Brazil Agreement Regarding Wheat Exports
Sen. Moran Last Week Led Senators in Urging POTUS to Resolve Long-Standing Trade Barrier
Mar 19 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture – today applauded the agreement announced by President Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro regarding American wheat exports to Brazil.
“Today’s announcement by President Trump and President Bolsonaro that Brazil will fulfill its commitment to establish a duty-free tariff rate quota for wheat comes as welcome news for Kansas farmers,” said Sen. Moran. “The elimination of the tariff currently applied to U.S. wheat imported by Brazil will allow our farmers to compete on a level playing field with foreign competitors like Argentina, resulting in increased U.S. wheat exports. As Kansas farmers continue to struggle with low commodity prices, it is critical that we continue working to expand new export markets.
“President Trump, as well as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud, ought to be commended for their efforts to secure today’s commitment from Brazil,” continued Sen. Moran. “I look forward to working with the administration to make certain Brazil quickly implements the wheat TRQ.”
Items to Note:
- Last week, Sen. Moran led a group of 11 senators in urging President Trump to resolve a longstanding trade barrier that U.S. agricultural producers face when exporting wheat to Brazil.
- In February, Sens. Moran and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) sent a letter to USTR Robert Lighthizer urging him to take action on the Brazil wheat TRQ.
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Sens. Moran, Tester Introduce Landmark Veterans Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Legislation
Legislation Builds on VA’s Success, Invests in Innovative Therapy, Expands Rural Access to Care
Mar 19 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – introduced landmark, bipartisan legislation to improve veterans’ access to mental healthcare.
The bipartisan Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act is a comprehensive and aggressive approach to connect more veterans with the mental healthcare they need and earned. Their bill seeks to improve VA care by bolstering the VA’s mental health workforce and increasing rural or hard-to-reach veterans’ access to VA care, while making sure veterans have access to alternative and local treatment options like animal therapy, outdoor sports and activities, yoga and acupuncture.
“One veteran lost to suicide is one too many, and Congress has an obligation to those who have bravely served our nation to help fix this tragedy,” said Sen. Moran. “As our servicemembers transition to civilian life, we can ease this difficult process by removing barriers to mental healthcare that our veterans need. This bipartisan legislation, which complements the President’s PREVENTS initiative, would expand efforts in local communities to provide veterans with mental healthcare, would allow the VA to hire and train more professionals in this field and would develop innovative methods for the delivery of this care. Our nation’s heroes deserve the best our nation has to offer and the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act offers critical next steps to help prevent veteran suicide.”
“Mental health is the universal issue facing every veteran, and we need all hands on deck to make sure no veteran is lost to suicide,” said Sen. Tester. “Our bill brings together the best ideas from the VA, Congress, veterans, providers, and advocates so our approach to mental healthcare is aggressive and united. Together, we can put innovative solutions to work to connect more veterans to the life-saving mental health care they earned.”
It is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day. Of those, 14 have received no treatment or care from the VA. The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act will improve outreach to veterans and their mental healthcare options in five major ways:
- Bolster the VA’s mental health workforce to serve more veterans by giving the VA direct hiring authority for more mental health professions, offering scholarships to mental health professionals to work at Vet Centers, and placing at least one Suicide Prevention Coordinator in every VA hospital.
- Improve rural veterans’ access to mental healthcare by increasing the number of locations at which veterans can access VA telehealth services and offering grants to non-VA organizations that provide mental health services or alternative treatment to veterans.
- Strengthen support and assistance for service members transitioning out of the military by automatically giving every service member one full year of VA healthcare when they leave the military and improving services that connect transitioning veterans with career and education opportunities.
- Study and invest in innovative and alternative treatment options by expanding veterans’ access to animal, outdoor, or agri-therapy, yoga, meditation, and acupuncture and investing in VA research into the impact of living at high altitude on veterans’ suicide risk and identifying and treating mental illness.
- Hold the VA accountable for its mental healthcare and suicide prevention efforts by examining how the VA manages its suicide prevention resources and how the VA provides seamless care and information sharing for veterans seeking mental healthcare from both the VA and community providers.
The bill is endorsed by a growing number of veterans and mental health advocates, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), American Veterans (AMVETS), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Volunteers of America (VOA), American Psychological Association (APA), and American Association of Suicidology.
A one page summary of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act can be found online here. The full text of the bill can be found here.
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Sen. Moran Reintroduces Bill to Incentivize Grocery Stores, Help Eliminate Food Deserts
Bipartisan legislation would incentivize grocers and non-profits to fulfill need in rural & urban areas
Mar 18 2019
- New Store Construction – Companies that construct new grocery stores in a food desert will receive a onetime 15 percent tax credit after receiving certification.
- Retrofitting Existing Structures – Companies that make retrofits to an existing store’s healthy food sections can receive a onetime 10 percent tax credit after the repairs certify the store as an SAFP.
- Food Banks – Certified food banks that build new (permanent) structures in food deserts will be eligible to receive a onetime grant for 15 percent of their construction costs.
- Temporary Access Merchants – Certified temporary access merchants (i.e. mobile markets, farmers markets, and some food banks) that are 501(c)(3)s will receive grants for 10 percent of their annual operating costs.
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