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Sen. Moran Names 2014 Service Academy Selection Board
Will review applications and interview candidates for admission to U.S. Service Academies
Sep 16 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced the members of his 2014 Kansas Service Academy Selection Board. The 20-member board will review applications and interview candidates who are applying for admission to U.S. Service Academies. These include the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Those selected will enter the academies in June 2015.
“Our country is fortunate to have so many intelligent, hard-working and patriotic young men and women interested in serving our country through the Armed Forces,” Sen. Moran said. “I know the Selection Board will have a difficult time narrowing the field of qualified candidates, but I value their insight and thank them for their help in making difficult decisions.”
Sen. Moran accepts applications for nominations to the United States Service Academies each year. This year, more than 60 high school students have applied to be considered for very few nominations. Candidates are then required to interview with Sen. Moran’s Service Academy Selection Board. Following interviews, the Board will make recommendations to Sen. Moran for his decision. If nominated, applicants must then meet the individual admission requirements of each academy. The academies will make the final decision on who will receive an appointment of admission in early 2015.
Members of the 2014 Kansas Service Academy Selection Board include:
- Maceo Braxton, III of Salina – 8th Grade Boys Team Leader at The City and son of U.S. Military Academy graduate
- Karen DeGraaf of Mulvane – U.S. Air Force Academy Graduate
- Anne Emerson of Fort Scott – Southeast Kansas, Inc. Board Member
- Nicholas Falcetto of Fort Leavenworth – U.S. Army Major and U.S. Military Academy Graduate
- Ernest Garcia of Overland Park – Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and former U.S. Selective Service System Chief of Staff
- Steve Harmon of Emporia – E-Town Solutions Owner/President, Emporia City Commissioner and Kansas National Guard Member
- Steve Hawley, Ph.D., of Lawrence – University of Kansas Director of Engineering Physics Program and former NASA Astronaut
- Robin Jackson, Ph.D., of Hutchinson – Central Christian College Professor of Science and Mathematics
- Ryan Kriegshauser of Topeka – Director of Policy and Special Counsel Kansas Office of the Securities Commissioner and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserves
- Katrina Lewison of Manhattan – U.S. Military Academy Graduate and Purple Heart Recipient
- Ron Lucas of Goodland – Vietnam War Veteran and served in the U.S. Army
- Wendell Maddox of Kansas City – United Way of Wyandotte County President and CEO and served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps
- Jill McCarthy of Overland Park – Kansas City Area Development Council Vice President of Business Development and mother of U.S. Military Academy Graduate
- Lynne Murray, Ph.D., of Baldwin City – President of Baker University and wife of U.S. Air Force Member
- Janet Nichols of Manhattan – Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Military Community Liaison
- Jayne Pearce of Wallace – Marketing and Tourism Director for the Wallace County Visitors Bureau, served in the U.S. Air Force and mother of U.S. Air Force Academy Graduate
- Paula Ripple of Dodge City – Retired Dodge City High School English instructor and mother of U.S. Air Force Academy Graduate
- Matt Treaster of Newton – U.S. Naval Academy Graduate and an Assistant United States Attorney
- Samuel Turner of Leawood – Retired Shawnee Mission Medical Center CEO, Vietnam War Veteran and served in the U.S. Army
- Ron Whitney of Emporia – American Legion Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars Member and served in U.S. Army
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) met with the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP) Principals of the Year: Wichita South High School Principal Cara Ledy and Paola Middle School Principal Mark Bloustine. Each year, KASSP recognizes middle school and secondary school principals for outstanding and exemplary leadership.
“It was a pleasure to visit with Cara and Mark who are helping Kansas students reach their full potentials in the classroom and beyond,” Sen. Moran said. “The future competitiveness of our state and nation is directly linked to the quality of our children’s education, and I’m pleased they are being commended for their contributions to Kansas students.”
Ledy has served as Wichita South High School Principal for eight years. Bloustine previously served as assistant principal at Paola Middle School.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined a bipartisan group of 53 senators, including Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), in calling on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to provide a 60-day extension for the public comment period on EPA’s proposed rule to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.
Because the proposal is incredibly complex and broad in scope and would impact electric generation use and costs throughout the country, the senators believe an additional 60 days is needed to provide more time for all stakeholders to fully review the proposed rule and offer comments.
In May, Sen. Moran and a bipartisan group of senators requested the EPA grant at least 120 days for public comment on its new proposal on existing power plants. While the 120-day public comment period was granted, the senators heard from utility companies, state regulators, regional generation and transmission organizations. These organizations made it known that the rule is more difficult to analyze and assess than they had initially expected. Additionally, some of the issues posed by the new rule require discussions and collaboration with a variety of state, regional and national officials to provide accurate and complete comments on the feasibility of the rule and options.
The level of complexity of the proposal, volume of technical documents released, amount of coordination required, and magnitude of energy impacts of the rule warrant a 60-day extension of the public comment period.
The senators write, “This extension is critical to ensure that state regulatory agencies and other stakeholders have adequate time to fully analyze and comment on the proposal. It is also important to note that the challenge is not only one of commenting on the complexity and sweeping scope of the rule, but also providing an opportunity to digest more than 600 supporting documents released by EPA in support of this proposal.”
Full text of the senators’ letter is below.
The Honorable Gina McCarthy
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. EPA Headquarters – William J. Clinton Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator McCarthy,
We are writing to request that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide a 60 day extension of the comment period for the “Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Generating Units.” While we appreciate EPA granting an initial 120-day comment period, the complexity and magnitude of the proposed rule necessitates an extension. This extension is critical to ensure that state regulatory agencies and other stakeholders have adequate time to fully analyze and comment on the proposal. It is also important to note that the challenge is not only one of commenting on the complexity and sweeping scope of the rule, but also providing an opportunity to digest more than 600 supporting documents released by EPA in support of this proposal.
The proposed rule regulates or affects the generation, transmission, and use of electricity in every corner of this country. States and stakeholders must have time to fully analyze and assess the sweeping impacts that the proposal will have on our nation’s energy system, including dispatch of generation and end-use energy efficiency. In light of the broad energy impacts of the proposed rule, state environmental agencies must coordinate their comments across multiple state agencies and stakeholders, including public utility commissions, regional transmission organizations, and transmission and reliability experts, just to name a few. The proposed rule requires a thorough evaluation of intra- and inter-state, regional, and in some cases international energy generation and transmission so that states and utilities can provide the most detailed assessments on how to meet the targets while maintaining reliability in the grid. This level of coordination to comment on an EPA rule is unprecedented, extraordinary, and extremely time consuming.
It is also important to note that the proposed rule imposes a heavy burden on the states during the rulemaking process. If the states want to adjust their statewide emission rate target assigned to them by EPA, they must provide their supporting documentation for the adjustment during the comment period. The EPA proposal provides no mechanism for adjusting the state emission rate targets once they are adopted based on the four building blocks. So the states need enough time to digest the rule, fully understand it, and then collect the data and justification on why their specific target may need to be adjusted, and why the assumptions of the building blocks may not apply to their states. This cannot be adequately accomplished in only 120 days.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
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Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act
Sep 16 2014
Mr. President, I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak this afternoon. I am also pleased to see on the floor my colleague from North Dakota, Senator Heitkamp. She and I have a legislative interest in a matter now pending before the House of Representatives, and it is at least my desire to see the Senate utilize this opportunity of a bill passing the House to also be considered by the Senate and hopefully be approved. While it has been a challenge throughout this year and throughout this session to get legislation to the floor and voted on, I would not want us to pass up the chance for this legislation to be approved and sent to the President for signature.
The legislation we are speaking about is the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act. The House of Representatives, as I said, is considering H.R. 3043 this week. This is legislation I am absolutely certain will enhance the economic opportunities and the quality of life for our Native Americans in this country.
The Constitution states that a core responsibility of the Federal Government is to promote the general welfare of the people. The Federal Government has a trust responsibility to protect tribal interests. These two objectives come together in this legislation. It certainly would be an understatement to say that the Federal Government over the years has fulfilled its trust responsibility. We know that to not be the case.
In an effort to fill that void, tribal governments have taken actions to meet their tribal members' needs with initiatives such as cultural programs and education and social services and health care.
Unfortunately, over a period of time, those benefits have been treated as income and those benefits have been subject to the Internal Revenue Service Code.
We need to make certain we don't add to the burden that tribes too often have encountered from the Federal Government and that these benefits would not be subject to income taxes and these benefits and the tribes will not be subject to IRS audits because of them.
The Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act extends to Native Americans the same tax privileges that are provided by our states; namely, that the value of government services provided by the tribes to their members, just like the services provided by a state to its citizens, would be excluded for tax purposes. Federal and state governments have enjoyed the privilege of having such services as education, social welfare, health care programs, housing, as well as cultural programs exempt from that taxation. Native Americans have not been as fortunate.
The House is close to correcting this problem, and it is my plea and hope that the Senate will follow suit this week. The IRS recently issued a notice that establishes the tribal gender welfare exclusion. It is a matter of treasury policy, and this is appreciated. It is a step in the right direction, but we want to make certain that this policy is extended and codified.
The general welfare issue should be put into law to protect against future policy changes, and among other provisions this legislation establishes a tribal advisory committee within the Department of the Treasury to advise the Secretary on Indian tax policy and also declares that any ambiguities of the act will be resolved in favor of tribal governments. It directs the IRS field agents to be educated and trained in matters of Federal Indian law and government trust responsibilities.
This is a reasonable commonsense, constitutional piece of legislation. It fosters fairness within our Tax Code and promotes better understanding of the Federal Government's trust relationships.
Four years ago similar exclusion rules for Native Americans' health benefits were passed. We have before us now the opportunity to clarify the exclusion as it should be. This legislation makes a lot of sense. It adheres to the Constitution which recognizes tribes as sovereign nations with the authority to provide for their peoples. This has been affirmed many times by Congress in the past. It is clearly part of our U.S. Constitution.
The economic benefits are obvious. Our tribal territories, reservations, our Native Americans need not be worrying about the onerous IRS audits and should not be paying taxes when no one else is required to pay taxes on similar benefits.
This legislation is revenue neutral, something that is very pleasing. The Joint Committee on Taxation has deemed any impact on the revenue of our Federal Government to be negligible.
As a person who cares a lot about the fiscal condition of our country, we ought to be reducing our deficit and boosting our economy. This piece of legislation does not increase the deficit, and it does boost the economy, particularly of tribes across the nation. Here in the Senate, Senator Heitkamp and I introduced S. 1507. It is a companion bill to the one the House is considering. This piece of legislation has broad bipartisan support, and more than 20 Senators from Alaska to Georgia have joined us in this effort.
I am grateful for the members of the Finance Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee who lent their support to this legislation. I am not a member of either one of those committees, but there are four tribes in Kansas and I have an interest in their well-being as well as that of all Native Americans.
Native Americans are not seeking to play here by different rules. In fact, it is quite the opposite. They simply want to enjoy the same benefits accorded any other government in our country. They emphasize to me the principle of tribal sovereignty and self-government. This legislation reinforces those principles.
More than 40 tribes in 24 states, nearly a dozen Indian organizations and a number of regional tribal organizations representing tens of thousands of Native Americans supported this legislation. It is not just Native Americans. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has recognized this legislation as one that will foster economic development and supports its passage.
As we are preparing to depart Washington, DC, and take time away from the nation's capital, it would be a terrible mistake on our part and a missed opportunity if we don't take advantage of House action this week while the Senate is here in session this week to see that this legislation is approved.
My hope is that this could be accomplished by unanimous consent, and I know Senator Heitkamp and others and I have been talking to members of the committees as well as the leadership of the Senate to see that we accomplish this.
It is a wrong that can be righted. It is a wrong that should be righted quickly and not at a later date. This certainly is one of those pieces of legislation that is a win-win for all.
If we see the House pass the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, I urge my colleagues to join with me, Senator Heitkamp, and Republican and Democrat Senators who are supportive of this legislation, to see that this legislation arrives on the President's desk in the most expedient manner possible.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) met with Lieutenant General Robert Brown, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, in his Washington, D.C., office yesterday.
“It was a pleasure to visit with Lieutenant General Brown and get an update on Fort Leavenworth and the Command and General Staff College – the intellectual center of the Army,” Sen. Moran said. “I also appreciated the update on the transition assistance program, Solider For Life, which is designed to support soldiers and their families during the initial transition to civilian life and in the years to follow.”
During the meeting, they also discussed the Army’s initiative to combine its 86 training schools nationwide into an “Army University.” The “Army University” falls under the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
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Sen. Jerry Moran Statement on 9/11 Anniversary
Sep 11 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement today on the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks:
“Thirteen years ago today, our nation was attacked by enemies of freedom. On the anniversary of September 11, 2001, we remember those who perished and honor all who stepped forth to defend America, seek justice, and help us recover and rebuild even after the most terrible of tragedies. It is clear the threat of violence from terrorism remains very real, and good people around the world remain at risk. Our mission also remains clear: the United States must stay vigilant and uphold the American values of freedom, equality and tolerance on which this country was founded.”
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Sen. Moran Sponsors Legislation to Rescind Bonuses to VA Employees Responsible for Misconduct
Sep 10 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today announced he is sponsoring the Stop Wasteful Bonuses Act (S. 2545), bipartisan legislation to rescind bonuses paid to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees who were involved in manipulating electronic waitlists.
“VA personnel should be accountable for their actions – otherwise the current system of mediocrity and failure will remain,” Sen. Moran said. “This legislation will help make certain that those who put veterans lives at risk will be held responsible for those actions and return bonuses they unjustly collected. We need leaders in the VA who are willing to take a stand, identify the problems, and get on the right path to resolve those problems so that veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service.”
S. 2545 directs the VA Secretary to require VA employees who received bonuses in 2011 or later to repay those bonuses if they contributed to a deliberate omission from an electronic wait list the names of veterans waiting for health care. The employee’s superiors are also required to pay back bonuses if they knew, or reasonably should have known, of their subordinates’ purposeful omission of the names of veterans from electronic waitlists. The bill requires the VA secretary to identify these VA employees through reports issued by the department’s Inspector General.
Because the VA used compliance with wait-time metrics as a factor in determining employee bonuses, some VA employees were incentivized to use secret waitlists to artificially inflate compliance data in order to maximize their bonus payments. According to one report, employees at the Phoenix VA hospital received approximately $10 million in bonuses since 2011, while simultaneously using secret waitlists to hide delays in patients receiving care.
Sen. Moran has been a member of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees for 18 years, chaired the Health Subcommittee in the House for two years, and has worked with nine VA Secretaries.
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Sen. Moran Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2015 Internships
Positions available in Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices
Sep 05 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced he is accepting applications for paid congressional internships in his Washington, D.C., and Kansas offices for spring 2015.
“Congressional internships offer Kansas students a great opportunity to learn about Congress and the legislative process,” Sen. Moran said. “I hope to give Kansans an opportunity similar to the one I had serving in a Congressional office years ago.”
An internship in Sen. Moran’s office – either legislative or communications – provides a unique opportunity to work closely with Senate staff on behalf of the state of Kansas. Legislative interns will gain a better understanding of the legislative process in the U.S. Congress, and develop knowledge and professional skills valuable to future career pursuits. Communications internships provide a unique opportunity to learn about how political communications and the legislative process intersect, and gain practical knowledge about the inner workings of a fast-paced press office.
The intern program is open to qualified undergraduate and graduate students – or recent graduates – who have strong interest in public service and government and have achieved academic excellence. Applicants for a communications internship should possess exceptional writing and communication skills, knowledge of AP style, experience in digital media, and follow current events closely. While preference is given to Kansas residents, students from all states are encouraged to apply.
The application deadline for spring 2015 internships is Nov. 1, 2014. Application forms can be obtained and completed under the “Services” section of Sen. Moran’s website at www.moran.senate.gov. Applicants should submit a completed application form, resume, academic transcript, two letters of recommendation and a cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in public service and goals of serving as an intern. Please submit required materials to: internships@moran.senate.gov
For questions, please contact Sen. Moran’s office at internships@moran.senate.gov or call 202-224-6521 and request to speak with the Intern Coordinator.
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MANHATTAN, KS – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts, and Representative Tim Huelskamp today received a tour from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of the future home of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas on the campus of Kansas State University.
Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Under Secretary Dr. Reginald Brothers provided the tour and an update on the current status of construction. Joining the members on the tour were Dr. Robert Griffin, DHS S&T Deputy Under Secretary and Dr. Ron Trewyn, Assistant to the President/NBAF Liaison, Kansas State University.
“I am grateful Under Secretary Brothers accepted our invitation to visit Kansas along with other important officials and tour the NBAF site. Developing these relationships is vitally important to our state as such an essential part of our national security apparatus moves forward,” Sen. Moran said. “Visiting the NBAF site today not only gave us a chance to get an update on construction – it also let us see firsthand the real opportunities being created for the talented young men and women of Kansas. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was committed to making certain NBAF remained a top priority, and there is no longer any question about the project’s future. Kansas will become a research epicenter, and the construction of this modern, world-class facility will ultimately create jobs for Kansans in the fields of engineering, science and technology.”
“I am glad to see firsthand the ongoing construction,” said Sen. Roberts, Chairman of the NBAF in Kansas Steering Committee. “To see these preparations on site in Kansas is a far cry from where we first came across NBAF when it was merely a line item in a budget proposal. This lab is a critical investment to our national security, but it also represents a large financial commitment from the taxpayers and our state. We have a dedicated team of folks at all levels of government that are watching this project and are fighting to ensure it is completed and has the funds needed to get the lab up and operating as soon as possible. I am pleased to see the progress so far.”
"It is great today to see the progress on NBAF,” said Congressman Huelskamp. “Since the beginning in 2007, I have been a strong, consistent supporter--from my time in the Kansas Senate to today as a proud representative of the Big First. It is imperative that work continues on this facility to protect our country’s food supply. As a farmer, I understand first-hand the importance of NBAF to the Kansas and U.S. Agriculture community.”
NBAF will be a state-of-the-art bio-containment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging and zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten the nation’s livestock, agriculture, and public health.
NBAF will create up to 1,500 construction jobs and 450 permanent jobs. It will generate an estimated economic impact of $3.5 billion in its first 20 years.
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WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inspector general report released this week on operations at the Phoenix VA Health Care System:
"The latest findings by the VA inspector general simply confirm what we have known all along – systemic dysfunction and lack of leadership at the VA caused harm to our nation’s veterans. Along with the IG report, the VA released new statistics about the change in direction of the VA; unfortunately this information raises more questions than it answers, and makes is clear that the failures were preventable.
"If it was possible to reduce the new enrollee appointment request list by more than 60,000 veterans in two-and-a-half months, there is little excuse for the list ever reaching that level in the first place. Although the reductions in the Electronic Wait List are a step in the right direction, the fact that it was not addressed until now is absolutely unacceptable. If, in one month, the VA can schedule 200,000 new appointments, why had these same veterans already waited several months simply to see a doctor? The short time frame in which these issues were addressed indicates these same problems were allowed to grow for years without greater efforts being made to fix them.
"Although the VA has taken many positive actions in recent months to address the issues plaguing veterans’ health care, it is important to target the root of these problems. This should not, and cannot, ever happen again. The Senate and House have taken action and called on the VA to live up to its commitment to care for those who have sacrificed for our country. And while H.R. 3220 offers hope to veterans by including some of the most significant reforms that have been made within the VA in decades, Congress now has the even tougher job overseeing the implementation of these vital changes at the VA. Veterans have made great sacrifices for our nation, and I will continue working for a Department of Veterans Affairs that is worthy of their service.”
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