Medical Research News
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee, today praised the inclusion of a two-year extension of the Access to Received Closer to Home (ARCH) program in the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act – the compromised Veterans Choice Act of 2014. Sen. Moran had encouraged Senate and House conference committee members to include an extension of the ARCH program. The compromised legislation, which was passed by both the House and Senate and now awaits the President’s signature, includes provisions from Sen. Moran’s legislation, S. 2095. Specifically, the VA reform bill allows recently confirmed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald to expand the program throughout each of the current five pilot sites’ Veterans Integrated Service Networks.
“I am pleased the compromised VA reform legislation includes a provision to extend ARCH,” Sen. Moran said. “This program is an important aspect of making certain veterans have access to quality care, particularly those who are underserved and struggle to receive the care they deserve in rural areas. Veterans from the five ARCH pilot sites are overwhelmingly satisfied with the care they receive through the program, and this extension will make certain they may continue to receive quality care closer to home.”
Sen. Moran also spoke with acting Secretary Gibson on June 27, 2014, to make certain veterans currently receiving medical services through ARCH would not see a gap in care. There are countless stories of veterans who are desperate for care, and experience roadblocks and long wait times, only to discover that through the ARCH program they could have seen a provider within days of their initial request – and just minutes from home. Sen. Moran encourages veterans in rural areas to enroll in VA healthcare and finally receive the care they deserve through this Choice Act, which also extends and expands the ARCH program. Click here to learn more and see if you qualify for the ARCH program.
Background
Since 2011, the ARCH pilot program has been operating in five rural sites across the country including Pratt, Kansas. ARCH serves rural veterans by giving them access to health care from a community provider close to home instead of traveling hundreds of miles to seek care at a VA facility. Independent analysis shows that more than 90 percent of veterans who received primary care services through ARCH are “completely satisfied,” and cite significantly shortened travel times to receive care. Sen. Moran repeatedly asked VA officials – including Sec. Shinseki directly at a March 2014 SVAC hearing – about the future of the successful ARCH program which is set to expire in September 2014. Instead of the straightforward analysis promised by Sec. Shinseki, Sen. Moran only received empty promises and non-answers from the VA. Sources outside the VA also told the Senator that the national program director for ARCH directed the five pilot sites several months ago to begin contacting veterans who participate in ARCH to let them know the program would be ending. The VHA consistently gave Congress the impression they were waiting on analysis about the success of the program to inform their decision about extending the program and all along that has been a misleading storyline. The inclusion of a two-year extension of the ARCH program in the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act will help make certain rural veterans will continue to have access to timely, high-quality care.
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Sen. Moran Introduces Legislation to Research Health Conditions of Descendants of Veterans Exposed to Toxins
Aug 01 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) has introduced legislation to research the health conditions of descendants of veterans who were exposed to toxins during their military service. The Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014, which is supported by the Vietnam Veterans of America and AMVETS, would establish a national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions stemming from exposure to toxins such as Agent Orange in Vietnam, Gulf War neurotoxins, burn pits in Iraq and other chemicals from recent overseas conflicts. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined Sen. Moran in introducing the legislation.
“The Toxic Exposure Research Act is about addressing the painful, residual wounds of war that may impact a service member’s family long after the military operation is over – wounds that may not be evident until decades later when passed on to children and generations to follow,” Sen. Moran said. “The Toxic Exposure Research Act is a necessary step toward making certain our military men and women and their descendants will be properly cared for in the future. We must keep our promise to our veterans and their families, who have made great sacrifices for the sake of our country’s security and our freedom.”
The Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014 would also authorize the Department of Defense to declassify certain incidents of exposure of members of the armed forces to toxic substances. Additionally the bill would create a national outreach campaign on potential long-term health effects of exposure to toxic substances by members of the Armed Forces and their descendants.
Many of the symptoms from toxic exposure are frequently misdiagnosed in descendants of veterans due to a lack of understanding and scientific proof. However, veterans have observed increased levels of cancers, birth defects and other conditions in their subsequent generations. The evidence of these wounds of war afflicting the children and grandchildren of service members exposed to toxins is growing and research is warranted to collect data and study this issue. The goal of this medical research is to determine the conditions that result from debilitating toxins and hopefully lead to the appropriate support and benefits veterans and family members deserve.
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Sen. Moran Statement on Senate Passage of VA Reform Legislation
Compromise provides veterans choice and flexibility in medical care, increases accountability and transparency at the VA
Jul 31 2014
WASHINGTON D.C.– Tonight, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, supported the agreement struck between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation to overhaul access to veterans’ health care – the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act. The legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 91 to 3.
“I am pleased the Senate and House did not walk away from this issue,” Sen. Moran said. “This legislation is another important step toward ensuring veterans no longer struggle with unacceptable wait times at VA facilities by giving certain veterans the option of seeing their local physician. Our nation’s veterans should be treated like patriots, deserving of care from a grateful nation – not made to feel like a burden. I will not rest until Kansas veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service and sacrifice.”
The legislation will provide Kansas veterans with greater access, choice and flexibility in health care providers and increase accountability and transparency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The compromised VA reform legislation will now head to the President’s desk for his signature.
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Honoring Herb Schwartzkopf
Jul 31 2014
I wish to speak for a few moments this afternoon on the topic of veterans and veterans affairs, knowing, or at least expecting a vote later today on a piece of legislation that has now been compromised between the House and Senate versions of the bill, and something that I look forward to supporting.
First of all, though, I wish to take a moment to honor a Kansas veteran, a veteran who dedicated much of his life to serving our country, whether that was on active duty in the Navy or advocating on behalf of other veterans, Mr. Herb Schwartzkopf from Ransom, Kansas.
Mr. Schwartzkopf's many selfless acts began when he served in the Navy in Vietnam. After separating from the service, he returned to Kansas and joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the VFW, which he has been a member of now for more than 35 years. He is considered a life member of the VFW.
Last year the Hutchinson News asked Herb about his life and dedication to serving his fellow veterans. His response was, “I will talk about the `V,' but I am not going to talk about me.” The V is Herb's beloved VFW Post, because he is a humble man who has accomplished much and his priorities in life have been taking care of his country and taking care of the veterans who have served his country.
The countless contributions Herb Schwartzkopf has made over 35 years of advocacy for veterans has earned him the highest honor bestowed by the VFW, the All-American Commander of Post 7972 in Ransom, KS. Herb's VFW post serves as a meeting place and a community service hub for the Lions Club meetings and Thanksgiving feasts for the 296 residents of his hometown. It is also a place for raising funds for local cancer patients and victims, helping fund annual Honor Flights to come see the World War II Memorial by Kansas veterans. The 160 members of Post 7972 complete more than 250 service projects and volunteer more than 4,000 hours a year.
His leadership at the VFW post has deservedly won the National Community Service Post of the Year award five times, including 3 years in a row for 2009, 2010, and 2011.
The Ransom VFW's success is a result of true selflessness. As Herb put it: “If something comes up and somebody needs help, we just try to rise to the occasion.” It seems only fitting that he has earned this prestigious award as All-American Post Commander.
I pay tribute to him, to his post, his service to our country, and his service to other Kansans, and thank him for that care and concern for other veterans across the country. So I say thank you for your selfless dedication. On behalf of all Kansans, we wish you well and we are fortunate to have you as a citizen of our state and a citizen of our nation.
Toxic Exposure Research
Jul 31 2014
I also want to speak about legislation today that has been introduced by Senator Blumenthal and me. It is an issue that Senator Blumenthal brought to my attention and today we have introduced the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014.
We unfortunately live in a nation where men and women volunteer their services to sacrifice and support us to have the strongest, freest, greatest nation in the world. When service members raise their right hand and take the oath of enlistment or commissioning, they commit their lives to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to protect the freedoms we hold dear.
Standing by their side through combat tours and multiple duty stations around the world is their family. We should and we must acknowledge that their family members are being called to sacrifice for our nation as well.
The Toxic Exposure Research Act is about addressing the wounds of war that might impact a service member's family--wounds that may not be evident for decades later when it is passed on to the next person of their family or the next generation. This legislation would provide for the research on health conditions of dependents of veterans who were exposed to toxins during their service to our nation such as Agent Orange in Vietnam, gulf war neurotoxins, burn pits in Iraq, or other chemicals from recent conflicts overseas.
I am not a veteran, but my life has been shaped by the fact that the Vietnam war took place during my high school years. Many of my conversations in high school were spent talking to those who were a few years older than I who were volunteering or being drafted, and for those who returned home to my hometown after their service in Vietnam.
During Vietnam, many of our veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and years later many veterans and their families are still struggling with the side effects of that exposure. Agent Orange specifically has been shown to cause birth defects in children of military members who came in contact with the toxin during the Vietnam war. There are other poisons from wars since Vietnam that have led to life-altering health problems and painful tragedies among veterans and their families.
A story of Herb Worthington and his daughter Karen is compelling. Mr. Worthington was drafted to serve in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. Years after his service came to an end he suffered from many conditions as a proven result of his exposure to Agent Orange. His daughter has battled MS for more than 19 years and has been treated for other conditions such as melanoma and an extremely painful nerve condition. Her life has been handicapped by health problems and various kinds of illnesses which must be studied in connection with the exposure of her father and what he experienced with Agent Orange.
Stories like Mr. Worthington's and his daughter Karen's have been shared all across the country in townhall meetings. I have heard them in stories at home in Kansas and they have been collected by the Vietnam Veterans of America. This is an issue that is important to all veterans. It is important to all Americans that we live up to our commitment to those who serve, and it is time we take necessary steps to help and protect their families now and for generations to come. Many people we will never know may be affected by the consequences of their mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather's service to their country. Clear evidence of unsettling conditions and those personal stories warrant the need to collect data to research and study the consequences of these toxins.
I invite my colleagues to learn more about these conditions and the impact they are having on family members of veterans by checking out a social media page, Faces of Agent Orange, through the Vietnam Veterans Association, VVA. The fact is many symptoms from toxic exposure are misdiagnosed in descendants of veterans because of lack of understanding and lack of scientific proof.
I would ask my colleagues to join us in giving the authority to the Secretary--the new Secretary we confirmed earlier this week--a tool he needs so he can designate a VA medical center as a national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals or soldiers exposed to toxic substances during their service to our country, during their time as military members.
This legislation would establish an advisory board of experts to advise the national center and the VA Secretary with determining the health conditions studied and those that are a result of toxic exposure.
The Department of Defense has a role to play here in this research, sharing incidents of military members who were exposed to substances, to enhance the studies and outcomes conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ultimately our hope is this medical research would determine those conditions that are the result of debilitating toxins and lead to appropriate support and benefits, cures and treatments for family members.
Military families support our nation in their love and commitment to those who served in the Armed Forces, and they should not inherit the painful residual wounds of war that put their lives at risk long after the military operation is over. Toxic exposure research is a necessary step toward making certain our military men and women and their descendants will be properly cared for. It is also a step toward making certain that those toxins are not used in a way that causes this to be repeated again in any future war.
We must keep our promises to our veterans and to their families who have made the greatest sacrifice for the sake of our country, our security, our freedom, and our country's future.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently introduced legislation, S.2623, to protect producers from the consequences of the lesser prairie chicken listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The legislation would prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior from altering any land management practices based on the lesser prairie chicken listing. This would provide certainty for landowners and assure them the rules in place today will not be arbitrarily changed by the federal government tomorrow.
“I am confident there are ways to address conserving the species while not hampering economic growth and farming and ranching activities,” Sen. Moran said. “The lesser prairie chicken listing has already resulted in real consequences for a number of Kansas industries including agriculture, oil and gas development, ranching, transportation and wind energy. I am committed to making certain the measures implemented are based on sound science and common sense, as well as represent the best interest of producers.”
Background
Sen. Moran has worked to avoid the Lesser Prairie Chicken’s listing. On June 13, 2013, he sent a bipartisan letter requesting a six-month delay to the LPC listing decision in order to provide the maximum amount of time to consider the LPC listing allowed under federal law. That letter was a follow-up to a letter on Feb. 20, 2013, requesting an extension to the comment period for the proposed threatened listing, which U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Director Dan Ashe agreed to provide within a week of the request. Sen. Moran is a cosponsor of legislation, S.2677, to remove the LPC from the threatened species list for a five-year period to allow state-based conservation plans to take affect before reevaluating the listing, and also legislation, S.2635, requiring the data used as the basis for each listing determination under the Endangered Species Act be made publicly available. Sen. Moran recently wrote an op-ed regarding the LPC listing in The Wichita Eagle.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) welcomed President Barack Obama Tuesday ahead of the President’s trip to Kansas City where he will deliver a speech on the American economy. Sen. Moran encouraged the President to use the visit to listen to the concerns and experiences of entrepreneurs, workers and business owners of America’s “most entrepreneurial” city.
“As President Obama spends time Kansas City this week, I encourage him to visit and listen to some of Kansas City’s exciting and innovative businesses,” Sen. Moran said. “While Kansas City’s dynamic economy is growing, President Obama will learn that many of our businesses are fighting an uphill battle against Washington’s heavy-handed policies as reckless regulations limit the American economy from realizing its potential.
“One of the best ways we can get America’s economy back on track is by passing Startup Act 3.0,” Sen. Moran continued. “This bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and earned the praise of President Obama’s own Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. With the President’s support, Congress can pass this bill and bring a commonsense approach to regulation, allow businesses to attract talent, stimulate research and development, and unleash American innovation, growth and job creation.”
Sen. Moran is the lead sponsor of Startup Act 3.0 and co-founder of the Senate Economic Mobility Caucus.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, today reiterated his support for Mr. Bob McDonald on the Senate floor and voted in favor of his confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Mr. McDonald was confirmed in the Senate today by a vote of 97 to 0.
“He is a leader in the tradition of the 82nd Airborne – paratroopers who are well regarded as the first to be called when there’s a military emergency, and as they say, ‘When the President calls, the 82nd Airborne will answer.’ In my view, that’s exactly what we have with Mr. McDonald. When the President called, he answered that call – he answered the opportunity to serve the veterans of this country,” Sen. Moran said.
“New leadership throughout the institution, starting with Bob McDonald at the top, must command the VA to head down a new path of redemption and hope,” Sen. Moran continued. “We must create an agency that is more cost-effective, more compassionate, more caring toward the veterans it serves.”
Sen. Moran was the first U.S. Senator to call for the resignation of former-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. He believes earning back the trust of our nation’s veterans starts with new leadership throughout the agency, starting with Mr. McDonald at the top. Washington must create an agency that is more cost-effective, compassionate and caring toward the veterans it serves.
Later this week, the Senate will vote on the agreement struck between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation to overhaul access to veterans’ health care. The compromise reached is another important step toward providing Kansas veterans with greater access, choice and flexibility in health care providers and increase accountability and transparency at the VA. Sen. Moran is a cosponsor of the Veterans Choice Act, the Senate version of the legislation that has been agreed upon to address the most pressing concern – giving veterans access to care in light of the ongoing VA scandal.
FTP LINK: Click here to download Sen. Moran’s full speech on Bob McDonald. (Save to your desktop.)
YOUTUBE: Click here to watch his speech on YouTube.
Sen. Moran to Support Compromise Veterans Choice Act
Compromise provides veterans choice and flexibility in medical care, increases accountability and transparency at the VA
Jul 28 2014
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today announced that he will support the agreement struck between the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation to overhaul access to veterans’ health care. The compromise reached will provide Kansas veterans with greater access, choice and flexibility in health care providers and increase accountability and transparency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sen. Moran is a cosponsor of the Veterans Choice Act, the Senate version of the legislation that has been agreed upon to address the most pressing concern -- giving veterans access to care in light of the ongoing VA scandal.
“I am pleased the Senate and House have not walked away from this issue and I look forward to supporting this compromise,” Sen. Moran said. “This legislation is another important step toward ensuring veterans no longer struggle with unacceptable wait times at VA facilities by giving certain veterans the option of seeing their local physician. Our nation’s veterans should be treated like patriots, deserving of care from a grateful nation – not made to feel like a burden. I will not rest until Kansas veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service and sacrifice.”
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Sen. Moran Moves to Protect Americans' Email Privacy
"Americans have a constitutionally protected right to privacy that no one, including the IRS, may take away. Our electronic communications privacy laws need to be updated to reflect that fact."
Jul 25 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) has cosponsored the Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act (S.607), bipartisan legislation to protect the privacy of American citizens online by updating the privacy protections for electronic communications stored by third-party service providers – including email and social media services. The importance of updating the privacy protections was recently underscored by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claim that American Internet users “do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy” when it comes to their emails being accessed by the government.
“Americans have a constitutionally protected right to privacy that no one, including the IRS, may take away,” Sen. Moran said. “Our electronic communications privacy laws need to be updated to reflect that fact. These outdated laws, designed in the era of floppy disks, do not make sense in an era of cloud computing, when users essentially have infinite storage online. Americans rightfully expect their private communications to be protected from intrusion, especially by government bureaucrats. S. 607 will affirm Americans’ right to privacy and help bring this 1980s law into the 21st Century.”
Documents released in April as part of a Freedom of Information Act request show that in 2009, the Criminal Tax Division at the IRS claimed in an internal handbook that in general “the Fourth Amendment does not protect communications held in electronic storage, such as email messages stored on a server.”
Congress has not addressed federal email privacy laws since 1986, before the home computers and email were widely used and before the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and cloud computing transformed our lives. S. 607 would make certain the Fourth Amendment privacy protections Americans receive from regular mail and other paper documents are extended to electronic correspondence and content, including cloud computing, email, and other online services. The bill establishes a search warrant requirement before government agencies – such as the IRS – may obtain the content of Americans’ emails and other electronic communications, when those communications are stored with a third-party service provider including Gmail, Yahoo!, wireless providers or cloud storage platforms. The bill also eliminates the outdated “180-day” rule that calls for different legal standards for the government to obtain email content depending upon the age of an email, and it requires that the government notify an individual whose electronic communications have been disclosed within 10 days of obtaining a search warrant.
S. 607 is the Senate Companion to the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 1852) introduced in the House by Congressman Kevin Yoder, which recently reached 228 cosponsors. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act has already been passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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