Medical Research News

There are no records to display that match the provided criteria.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) today introduced a resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and celebrating their long history representing farmers across the United States.

“For a century, American Farm Bureau has advocated and fought for agriculture and rural America,” said Sen. Moran. “This resolution honors AFBF and the countless contributions they and their over six million member families in all 50 states have had on our nation’s producers. Across the country, generations of Farm Bureau members contribute to production agriculture, give back to their communities and lead local organizations. I’m grateful to have Farm Bureau as a close partner in my efforts to strengthen rural economies, open markets for agricultural goods, advance rural 5G and digital infrastructure and inspire the next generation of ag leaders in Kansas and across the country.”

“For 100 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation has been a powerful voice for farmers and ranchers across America. Its steadfast commitment to supporting farm families is clear whenever I speak with AFBF representatives,” said Sen. Durbin. “I’m pleased to join my colleagues to honor the Farm Bureau during its centennial year, and I’ll remain committed to pushing for Illinois agricultural priorities that strengthen the economy and rural communities across the state.”

The legislation is authored by Sens. Moran and Durbin and is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 48 Senators including Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Lankford (R-Okla), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Items to note:

  • The introduction of the legislation comes ahead of Sen. Moran’s attendance at the 100th consecutive Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Annual Convention & IDEAg Trade Show this Sunday, January 13.
  • To view the text of the legislation, click here.

# # #

Sens. Moran, Baldwin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Chiropractic Health Care for Current and Former Military Personnel

Bipartisan bill requires TRICARE to cover chiropractic services for military retirees and members of the National Guard and Reserve

Jan 08 2019

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand chiropractic health services for military retirees and members of the National Guard and Reserve. The Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act would require TRICARE to cover chiropractic services for all military service members, both active and retired, and non-activated reservists.

Currently, health care programs through the U.S. Department of Defense, including TRICARE, do not cover chiropractic care for military retirees and non-activated reservists. The Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act continues Sen. Moran’s bipartisan efforts to improve healthcare for our nation’s veterans by expanding access to complementary and integrative health services, which includes chiropractic care, for members of the military and veteran communities to treat chronic pain.

“Many of the brave men and women who serve our country have sustained back and other neuromusculoskeletal injuries that can be treated through chiropractic care,” said Sen. Moran. “Currently, the Department of Defense offers limited access to chiropractic care to active duty servicemembers and certain members of the Reserve Component. This leaves many retired servicemembers and other Reservists who utilize TRICARE at a disadvantage – unable to receive the same care they had access to while on active duty. This bill will increase access to chiropractic care by expanding TRICARE coverage for military retirees and all reservists, which is something I’ve advocated to the VA many times over. The men and women of our Armed Forces, past and present, deserve access to the same care they received while on active duty to prevent a lapse in care. I’m pleased to re-introduce bipartisan legislation that makes certain they are able to maintain that access to care, regardless of their status.”

“Military retirees, reservists and National Guard members have served and sacrificed for our nation and the freedoms we all cherish. We all have a shared responsibility to do right by them,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve heard from Wisconsin veterans who are in desperate need of chiropractic health services so they can access non-opioid pain management care and live healthier lives. My bipartisan legislation with Senator Moran would make sure these individuals can get the health care benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”

“On behalf of the 45,000 members of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the nearly 500,000 soldiers and airmen of the National Guard, NGAUS is pleased to support this legislation addressing Chiropractic health care services for as part of the TRICARE program. NGAUS continues to advocate to close the current gaps in healthcare coverage for our National Guard service members. NGAUS believes this legislation is an important step in affording our reserve component service men and women the ability to access the types of healthcare their active duty counterparts receive. We would like to thank Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas for taking the lead on this initiative and for their continued support of our nation’s service men and women, especially our reserve component soldiers and airmen, in the National Guard and Reserve,” said J. Roy Robinson, Brigadier General (Ret.), President of the National Guard Association of the United States.

“Chiropractors have become valued members of the military healthcare team. Their non-drug, non-addictive and noninvasive approach to pain management is particularly relevant today for people who wish to avoid the risk of addiction from prescription opioid pain medications. This legislation will ensure that military retirees in the TRICARE system have access to the same effective, non-drug options for their pain,” said Dr. Ray Tuck, President of the American Chiropractic Association.

“As a member organization of the National Military and Veterans Alliance, the Armed Forces Retirees Association (AFRA) is pleased to collaborate with many other military and veterans service organizations in support of this legislation.  Many retirees benefited from chiropractic care while on active duty and these injuries need continued treatment upon retirement. Your legislation will provide continuity in care for retirees while also making chiropractic coverage available to certain reservists, recognizing that they often suffer from the same injuries as their active duty counterparts,” said Ted Painter, Executive Director of the Armed Forces Retirees Association (AFRA) and Co-Director of the National Military and Veterans Alliance.

“We deeply appreciate Senator Baldwin's and Senator Moran's work to help our military, and Veterans for Common Sense is in strong support of the Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act. Medicare already covers chiropractic care, but our career military retirees and their survivors and dependents can't get it through TRICARE unless this legislation is enacted. And, I've experienced firsthand the benefits of chiropractic care, including improved mobility, chronic pain relief, and improved quality of life -- all without addictive pain drugs or expensive and risky back surgery. This inequity literally hurts our military and must be fixed,” said Anthony Hardie, National Chair & Director of Veterans for Common Sense.

The Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act is supported by the American Chiropractic Association, the Military Officers Association of America, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Air Force Sergeants Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans for Common Sense, and the following members of the National Military and Veterans Alliance: American Military Society, American Retirees Association, Armed Forces Marketing Council, Armed Forces Retirees Association, Army and Navy Union, Association of the United States Navy, Military Order of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Military Order of World Wars, Reserve Officers Association, Society of Military Widows, The Independence Fund, and The Retired Enlisted Association.

More information about the legislation can be found here.
 

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – today joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the importance that the Federal Reserve remain independent.

“It’s important to our system and it’s important to markets that we have an independent Federal Reserve,” said Sen. Moran. “A Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board does not serve based upon the policies of an administration. He is nominated by a president, confirmed by the Senate, and then is independent, in so many ways, of all of us. But again, that’s important so we don’t make economic and monetary decisions based upon the politics of the moment, about the next election, but the long-term future of the U.S. economy and the jobs that are created based upon decisions that are made at the Federal Reserve.”

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today issued the following statement regarding Senator Pat Roberts’ (R-Kan.) plan to retire from the United States Senate at the end of his term in 2020:

“Senator Pat Roberts has had an impressive tenure as a leader in both the House and the Senate, and has served Kansans honorably as chairman of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee. Pat’s leadership, wit and ability to bring individuals on both sides of the aisle together, skills he honed in service to our nation as a U.S. Marine, will be missed in Congress. It's been an honor to work with the senior senator from Kansas on behalf of our state. Thank you, Pat, for your friendship and many years of service.”

# # #

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee – today released the following statement after the Senate unanimously confirmed Kansan Geoffrey Starks to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):

Born and raised in Leawood, Geoffrey is only the third Kansan ever to serve on the FCC,” said Sen. Moran. “As the assistant bureau chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and former senior counsel to the deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice, Geoffrey’s dedication to public service is exceptional. Critical issues before the FCC – such as efficient and effective broadband deployment that rural Kansas so desperately needs – require this type of fervent passion, and I look forward to working with Geoffrey, Chairman Pai and their fellow FCC commissioners in a bipartisan fashion to continue addressing the communications needs facing our country today.”

Item to Note:

 

# # #

Congress has already successfully funded 75 percent of the federal government through 2019, including the Department of Defense, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.

I am actively working with my colleagues and the president to reopen the government and secure our borders, and I believe my colleagues can and should come to a bipartisan consensus on this national security issue, while keeping the government fully operational.

Below are a few common Q&As and resources regarding federal services during a partial government shutdown. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office or visit my website for additional details.

Q: Will I still receive my Social Security checks?
A: 
Yes. Social Security checks will continue to be mailed out.

Q: Will I still be able to send/receive mail?
A: 
Yes. The United States Postal Service has its own revenue stream outside of the federal government.

Q: Will air travel be affected?
A: 
Air traffic controllers, TSA and Customs officers will continue working, so air traffic should be largely unaffected.

Q: Will Smithsonian Museums remain open?
A: As of Wednesday, January 2, 2019, Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C., as well as the National Zoo will be closed until the government reopens.

Q: Will I still receive my Medicare checks?
A: Yes. Medicare checks will continue to be mailed out.

Q: Will I still get my food stamps?
A: Yes. Food stamps will continue to be distributed.

Q: Will National Parks be open?
A: War memorials and open air parks will remain open to the public. Many national parks, refuges and other public lands will try to allow limited park access wherever possible. 

For more information regarding national parks during a shutdown, please visit the United States Department of Interior.

Q: What will happen to our military?
A: Active-duty military will continue in a normal duty status and global military operations will continue. Active duty members of the military are exempt from shutdown furloughs. 

Q: Will VA facilities be affected?
A: The Department of Veterans Affairs’ funding has already appropriated for FY2019, so veterans hospitals will maintain routine operations. Revenue streams for veteran disability pay and GI Bill benefits are separate from the annual appropriations bills, so this pay will be unaffected.

For more information regarding veterans services during a shutdown, please visit the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website.

Q: Will military contractors be affected?
A: No.

For more information regarding military policies during a shutdown, please visit the United States Department of Defense website.

Q: Can non-furloughed employees perform other work?
A: If the non-furlough ("excepted') support function can be performed in less than an entire day, the employee is required to resume furlough status after completing the function.

However, there may be cases in which an employee is required to perform this "excepted" support function intermittently throughout the course of the day, and the intervals in between are too short to enable the employee to be furloughed and then recalled in time to perform the function. In such cases, the employee may remain at work, and may perform non-"excepted" functions during these intervals.

For more information regarding federal employees during a shutdown, please visit the Office of Management and Budget.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – today applauded the President’s signing of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) that included legislation Sen. Moran championed, the Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times (FARMERS FIRST) Act, to provide our nation’s agricultural community with critical mental health support and resources.

“Farmers and ranchers are facing a net farm income that has been cut in half over the last five years, continued low commodity prices, uncertain market access and unfavorable weather,” said Sen. Moran. “The inclusion of this legislation in the Farm Bill will provide the ag community with necessary mental health programs, such as a crisis help line and suicide prevention training for farm advocates during these tumultuous times for our producers. I will continue working with my colleagues to make certain this legislation is implemented in a way that will best serve our farmers and ranchers who need help during trying times.”

To assist this community in crisis, provisions included in the Farm Bill will provide seed funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to state departments of agriculture, state extension services, Indian tribes and non-profits to establish helplines, provide suicide prevention training for farm advocates, create support groups and reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. In addition to these resources, the language will establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assessment Committee to better understand how agricultural workers’ mental health impacts rural development and provide recommendations for addressing mental health care needs within the agriculture community.

Additional co-sponsors of the original legislation include U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Joni Ernst (R-Neb.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).

The FARMERS FIRST Act was introduced in April and is supported by a wide array of commodity groups, advocacy organizations and agricultural associations. Click here to read the full list of support.
 

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Committee – spoke on the Senate floor after opposing the Senate’s Continuing Resolution to fund the government through February 8, 2019.

“A little earlier in the evening, we cast a vote, one that was done without a roll call, and I want my constituents to know how I voted,” said Sen. Moran. “Earlier this evening we passed a Continuing Resolution and I voted no, and I want my constituents to know how I voted and I want them to know why. I indicated to my colleagues within the last 10 days that I intend to vote no on a CR because it’s not the way that we should be conducting business in the United States Senate, or in the United States House of Representatives. Continuing Resolutions mean that we are just postponing the issues we face today, and they don’t get any easier the longer we wait to resolve them…

“…Where are the days in which the Congress, Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, exhibited their prerogatives. Not because we want power, but because the constitution gives us the authority. The responsibility in fact, to make decisions about spending. And there is no glory in making a decision on spending when we say today’s dollars are fine next week, they’re fine the next week, they’re fine the next month. We’re so close to coming together this year, and it’s disappointing that the end result is a Continuing Resolution now until February the Eighth.

“…Mister President, the process that was exhibited this evening failed to allow me to have my vote recorded as it normally is, and it is important for me – for Kansans and Americans to know – that I oppose the way we are doing business tonight. It needs to change. We’ve said it before. And if we always say, ‘we can wait another two weeks,’ ‘we can wait another three weeks,’ we’ll never get back to doing the work that we are hired to do by the American people.” 

Click Here to Watch Remarks

Full Remarks as delivered:

“Mister President,

“A little earlier in the evening, we cast a vote, one that was done without a roll call, and I want my constituents to know how I voted. Because, while I will put a statement in the record, it will not appear as yeas and nays. And, earlier this evening we passed a Continuing Resolution and I voted no, and I want my constituents to know how I voted and I want them to know why.

“I indicated to my colleagues within the last 10 days that I intend to vote no on a CR because it’s not the way that we should be conducting business in the United States Senate, or in the United States House of Representatives. Continuing Resolutions mean that we are just postponing the issues we face today, and they don’t get any easier the longer we wait to resolve them. They also mean that the appropriations process, of which I am a part of, has spent a significant amount of time this year, and while we were successful in many, many ways, we have left seven bills without resolution. And because we couldn’t resolve them, we are going to fund those departments and agencies at the same level of spending next year, as this year.

“What that means is the number of hearings that we had, the witnesses that were brought in and testified, the oversight that we’ve done on-sight at departments and agencies and facilities across the country, leaves us without that input being included in decisions. It means we are not prioritizing what spending is important. There may be a few things around here that could utilize additional resources. Maybe the resources level that we fund things at today is what it should be. Maybe there are things we shouldn’t fund at all. And there are certainly things at which we could fund at lower levels.

“But no we’re not going to say that this is more important than this, we’re going to say all things are equal. The way that we have funded it – appropriations last year for these agencies and departments – is exactly the right amount it should be into the future. And unfortunately we’ve done CRs long enough that we’re not just talking about is it right, what is right last year, is the same amount that should be for the next several months? It goes back years. So, what we’re saying is decisions we made years ago, are the same priorities we would have today. Not true. 

“And perhaps more compelling to me is every time we pass a CR we lose the opportunity to utilize the power of the purse string to reign in the behavior and actions of those who work in those bureaus, departments and agencies. If Congress is always going to give a Federal agency the same amount of money in the future as it gave in the past, there is no reason for those agencies to pay attention to the United States Congress, to the House and the Senate, to the Article One of the United States Constitution which gives the authority for appropriating money to fund the Federal government to this Congress. We abdicate our responsibilities and we reduce the opportunity, on behalf of our constituents. Me on behalf of Kansans to make certain that the things, one, they think are important are the things we fund, the things that are constitutional are the things that we fund. And we lose the opportunity to tell an agency, by the power of the purse string, that when you pursue this regulation, when you pursue this policy, when you make the decision that you make, Congress isn’t going to have the leverage on you to convince you to change your behavior. We lose the relationship that exists under the constitution for us to have the power over those departments and agencies in the executive branch.

“Common sense tells us that if we determine how much money an agency or department receives, they’re going to be much more interested in what we have to say. And if they don’t listen to us, we have the ability to remove the money. To eliminate the funding.

“And so tonight, Mister President, in my view – and I believe this strongly – we missed an opportunity. We’ve been in this process for a long time now. We set out with the goal of passing all 12 appropriation bills, individually. The Appropriations Committee has done that. But they were not all brought to the Senate floor. And in fact, the that bills we’re talking about tonight, a Continuing Resolution was passed for them just several months ago, taking us to December the Eighth.

“Now, at this point in time on December the Eighth, we continued them until this Friday. And now, tonight, we’ve continued the Continuing Resolution – same funding in the future as last. Now, for the third time in two months, to February the Eighth. We are not doing what we are supposed to do. And in this process, in my view, the opportunity existed.

“We were very close on reaching an agreement. President Trump has strong feelings about border security. President Trump was willing to work with Congress to find a solution. Somewhere along the line, and there’s lots of folks who want to say where the blame lies. Maybe it was with Speaker-Elect Pelosi. Maybe she just is unwilling to allow anything but a continuing resolution to pass. But the amount of dollars that we were apart is so minimal, and the policy issues had been resolved and yet for some reason we walked away. And if it is the Speaker-Elect of the house I urge her to deal with this issue of appropriations. It’s the power of Congress, Republicans and Democrats ought to work together to fill our constitutional responsibilities. Where are the days in which the Congress, Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, exhibited their prerogatives. Not because we want power, but because the constitution gives us the authority. The responsibility in fact, to make decisions about spending. And there is no glory in making a decision on spending when we say today’s dollars are fine next week, they’re fine the next week, they’re fine the next month.

“We’re so close to coming together this year, and it’s disappointing that the end result is a Continuing Resolution now until February the Eighth.

“Mister President, I want my constituents to know that we have done this too many times. And, yes, there may be a time in which we want to have just a few days to resolve the final differences. A few days is not February the Eighth, a few days is not now, for the third time, what we needed to decide months ago, we pursued weeks later, what we should have decided weeks later, we failed to address a week ago. And tonight we failed once again to address the issues of the proper amount of funding. Twelve appropriations bills should march their way across the United States Senate floor, should march their way across the House of Representatives floor and should be sent to a president for his or her signature, or his or her veto.

“Mister President, the process that was exhibited this evening failed to allow me to have my vote recorded as it normally is, and it is important for me – for Kansans and Americans to know – that I oppose the way we are doing business tonight. It needs to change. We’ve said it before. And if we always say, ‘we can wait another two weeks,’ ‘we can wait another three weeks,’ we’ll never get back to doing the work that we are hired to do by the American people.

“Mister President, I voted no. It’s the right vote.”
 

# # #