WASHINGTON – On Tuesday evening, the U.S. Senate passed S. 571, the Pilots’ Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2), common-sense legislation that will provide important protections to pilots and aircraft operators. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) is a cosponsor of the bill, which includes provisions to help make certain aviators facing enforcement action have an opportunity to prepare a proper defense, as well as important Third Class Medical reforms. Sen. Moran released the following statement today regarding the Senate passage of PBOR2, which must now be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives:

“Over the past 10 years, 60,000 pilots have left the general aviation industry. Meanwhile, the cost of aircraft has risen dramatically and shipments are near an all-time low. General Aviation is vital to our national economy and the future of rural communities. In order for it to grow and prosper, we must reverse this troubling trend. 

“Pilots across Kansas tell me the current process of obtaining a Third Class Medical certificate has become burdensome and expensive, while providing very little benefit to the industry. No other form of recreational transportation requires a medical certificate in addition to a license. The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 would provide relief by expanding the Third Class Medical exemption for recreational pilots while also improving safety and health awareness for pilots beyond current FAA requirements. 

“S. 571 also represents a significant improvement in the due process rights and liability protections for volunteer pilots by ensuring certificate holders have the right to appeal FAA decisions through a new, merit-based trial in Federal Court. With a veto-proof total of 69 Senate cosponsors, this bipartisan legislation is one of the most widely supported bills in Congress. The Senate’s passage of S. 571 is an important step toward a brighter future for general aviation.”

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TOPEKA, Kan. – Today, a bipartisan coalition of city, county, state and federal elected office holders that represent Leavenworth County sent President Obama a letter urging him to bear in mind the concerns and thoughts of the citizens of Kansas before he considers transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth.

In the letter, Kansas officials and residents wrote, “In 2008, the City of Leavenworth initially became aware of the possibility of a transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees. Since that time, private citizens, state and local officials along with federal legislators, have worked steadfastly to voice our concerns to your Administration as to why Leavenworth is not a suitable location.

“Mr. President, the people of Leavenworth, Kansas, – regardless of political parties – are strongly against the plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center and transfer detainees to American soil. We urge you to consider their thoughts and concerns before taking any executive actions to follow through on your plans.”

Items To Note:

Below is the list of elected officials including the entire federal delegation and virtually every state official that represents Leavenworth County who signed on to the letter:

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today praised the committee’s decision to include a provision that instructs the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to develop standards to keep Kansans and Americans safe as part of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)’s SAFE PIPES Act (S. 2276). 

“Development of standards for natural gas storage facilities is long overdue,” Sen. Moran said. “This provision is a positive step toward ensuring the integrity of our energy infrastructure system and is a common-sense way to add additional safety measures for Kansans and all Americans. I am thankful my colleagues on the Commerce Committee shared my concerns, and I look forward to advancing this bill in the full Senate.”

Sen. Moran sponsors legislation, Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act (S.1768), introduced by U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) that would allow states to monitor the wellbores in interstate underground gas storage facilities. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation may approve a state’s inspection plan.

Background

At issue is a 2009 District Court ruling that determined Kansas, through the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), could not monitor its own storage fields if the gas in those facilities is in interstate transportation. In the four years since the ruling, the state has been barred from inspecting storage sites, and the federal government, specifically, PHMSA has failed to act.

In Kansas, there are 11 interstate underground storage sites containing more than 270 billion cubic feet of gas.

YOUTUBE LINK: Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s remarks on YouTube.

Washington – The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs today unanimously passed the Increasing VA Accountability to Veterans Act of 2015 (S.290) legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) to make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) holds corrupt VA executives accountable for their actions. The legislation would reduce the pensions of executives convicted of a felony, limit the amount of paid administrative leave for VA senior executive service (SES) employees to only 14 days, and reform the department’s management training program and performance appraisal system for senior executives. The bill represents a bipartisan agreement with Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on VA accountability measures and is also cosponsored by Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). The House companion to S. 290 was introduced by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller.

“In the wake of unthinkable wrongdoing, in which 110 VA medical facilities across the country maintained secret lists to cover up the long waits times of veterans needing care, the VA has failed to demonstrate a willingness to eliminate corruption by holding individuals responsible for their fraudulent behavior,” Sen. Moran, member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said. “The television cameras may have turned their focus elsewhere, but we will not. Our legislation will help make certain VA senior executives who violate the sacred trust of our nation’s veterans will not be rewarded with unjustly guaranteed benefits or linger on administrative leave at taxpayer expense. Our veterans deserve the best our nation has to offer. We cannot allow a system that rewards mediocrity and failure to remain intact.”

Although the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act (Choice Act), contained civil service reforms that gave the VA Secretary the authority to fire senior executives based on misconduct or incompetence, it remains unclear how many – if any – VA senior executives have been removed for wait-time manipulation. At the Choice Act’s signing in August 2014, President Obama said, “If you engaged in an unethical practice, if you cover up a problem, you should be fired.” Instead, a number of corrupt VA employees have retired with full benefits, while others have been placed on paid administrative leave for months on end.

Twice this year, the Washington Post has awarded VA Secretary Robert McDonald “Four Pinocchios” for stretching the truth when it comes to accountability within the VA by “wildly inflating” the number of firings and disciplinary actions taken by the agency for wait-time manipulation during his tenure. As a mandate of the Choice Act, the recently released Independent Assessment of the Health Care Delivery Systems and Management Processes of the Department of Veterans Affairs, states that the “VHA is in the midst of a leadership crisis,” and points to the corrupt culture within the VA as a significant factor.

Click below to read a summary of the provisions of S.290. 

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