Medical Research News
There are no records to display that match the provided criteria.
Sen. Moran on Omnibus: No Funds Can be Spent to Implement U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
"The sad fact is, we have little faith that this administration will not try to implement an Arms Trade Treaty in the absence of ratification..."
Jan 14 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, spoke today about how the Omnibus appropriations bill will prevent the implementation of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by prohibiting any funding of the treaty unless it is ratified by the U.S. Senate. Sen. Moran leads the bipartisan opposition of at least 50 U.S. Senators to the U.N. ATT in the Senate. On numerous occasions, the group has reiterating to President Obama that the Senate overwhelmingly opposes ratification and will not be bound by its obligations. Sen. Moran’s remarks were made at the weekly Senate Republican Leadership Press Conference.
The Omnibus appropriations bill includes specific language in Section 7075 stating, “None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be obligated or expended to implement the Arms Trade Treaty until the Senate approves a resolution of ratification for the Treaty.”
Highlights from Sen. Moran’s remarks can be found below, along with links to video and audio downloads.
(0:31) “One might expect the president to pay little or no attention to Republican senators, but a significant number of Republican and Democrat – more than 50 – senators, on numerous occasions, by letter and by vote, have told the president not to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty and not to expect the Senate to ratify.”
(0:50) “The sad fact is, we have little faith that this administration will not try to implement an Arms Trade Treaty in the absence of ratification, and so this legislation takes this issue one step further, indicating that no funds – none – can be spent to implement the Arms Trade Treaty until it's ratified by the United States Senate.”
Sen. Moran: Omnibus Prevents Implementation of U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
"With the passage of the Omnibus bill, it will be made unequivocally clear that Congress is committed to upholding the fundamental individual rights of Americans and rejects the ATT. We will not be bound by the treaty and we will not fund its implementation."
Jan 14 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced that the Omnibus appropriations bill prevents the implementation of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by prohibiting any funding of the treaty unless it is ratified by the U.S. Senate, which opposes the treaty. In October 2013, Sen. Moran led a bipartisan group of 50 U.S. Senators in reiterating to President Obama that the Senate overwhelmingly opposes ratification and will not be bound by its obligations.
“Last fall, the Obama Administration’s signed the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty in a direct dismissal of the American people and the bipartisan Senate majority that rejects this treaty,” Sen. Moran said. “Throughout this process, it has been disturbing to watch the Administration reverse U.S. policies, abandon its own ‘red line’ negotiation principles, admit publicly the treaty’s dangerous ambiguity, and hastily review the final treaty text. With the passage of the Omnibus bill, it will be made unequivocally clear that Congress is committed to upholding the fundamental individual rights of Americans and rejects the ATT. We will not be bound by the treaty and we will not fund its implementation.”
The Omnibus appropriations bill includes specific language in Section 7075 stating, “None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be obligated or expended to implement the Arms Trade Treaty until the Senate approves a resolution of ratification for the Treaty.”
Background
In the letter to President Obama in October 2013, Sen. Moran and his colleagues outline six reasons why they will not give advice and consent to the treaty and are therefore not bound to uphold the treaty’s object and purpose.
“We urge you to notify the treaty depository that the U.S. does not intend to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty, and is therefore not bound by its obligations,” the 50 Senators wrote to President Obama.
The six reasons for opposing ratification of the ATT include:
- The treaty failed to achieve consensus, and was adopted by majority vote in the U.N. General Assembly. This violates the red line drawn by the Obama Administration;
- The treaty allows amendments by a three-quarters majority vote, circumventing the power and duty of the U.S. Senate to provide its advice and consent on treaty commitments before they are assumed by the United States;
- The treaty includes only a weak non-binding reference to the lawful ownership, use of, and trade in firearms, and recognizes none of these activities, much less individual self-defense, as fundamental individual rights. This poses a threat to the Second Amendment;
- The State Department has acknowledged that the treaty is “ambiguous.” By becoming party to the treaty, the U.S. would therefore be accepting commitments that are inherently unclear;
- The criteria at the heart of the treaty are vague and easily politicized. They violate the right of the American people, under the Constitution, to freely govern themselves. The language restricts the ability of the United States to conduct its own foreign policy and allows foreign sources of authority to impose judgment or control upon the United States; and
- The State Department has acknowledged that the treaty includes language that could hinder the United States from fulfilling its strategic, legal and moral commitments to provide arms to key allies such as the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the State of Israel.
The letter is signed by a bipartisan group of 50 U.S. Senators including: Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joe Manchin III (D-W. Va.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Jeffrey Chiesa (R-N.J.), Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Jim Risch (R-Ind.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), David Vitter (R-La.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
Over the past two years, Sen. Moran has led multiple Senate efforts to express concerns to the Administration about the ATT including:
- In May 2012, Sen. Moran spoke on the U.S. Senate Floor about S. 2205, the Second Amendment Sovereignty Act, which he introduced to prohibit funding to negotiate a U.N. ATT that restricts the Second Amendment rights of U.S. citizens;
- In July 2012, Sen. Moran drafted a letter signed by 50 of his Senate colleagues and wrote an op-ed notifying the Administration that there was strong enough opposition to block the ATT from Senate passage; and
- In March 2013, Sen. Moran introduced S. Con. Res. 7, a concurrent resolution sponsored by 35 of his Senate colleagues, which outlines specific criteria that must be met for U.N. ATT to be ratified by the U.S. Senate and recognized as customary international law. S. Con. Res. 7 has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, Heritage Action, and the Endowment for Middle East Truth.
Please click here to find the full text of the Omnibus appropriations bill. Please click here to view the October 2013 letter to the president.
###
Sen. Moran: NBAF Funded in Omnibus Bill
Jan 14 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, today announced the Omnibus appropriations bill restores funding for military retirement benefits of medically retired veterans and survivor annuities. These to-be-restored benefits were part of the much larger reduction in military benefits agreed to with the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013.
“I am pleased with the progress to restore critical and deserved benefits to our nation’s heroes, correcting reductions irresponsibly included in the Budget Act of 2013,” Sen. Moran said. “This measure does not, however, protect all veterans and their families from a decreased cost-of-living (COLA) benefit. We must continue to work on behalf of our retired service members who were promised these benefits.”
Title X of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 would exempt veterans who are disabled as a result of their service and includes survivor benefits for the spouses of deceased veterans as well.
Over the past month, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have worked to allocate the budget set by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which provides funding for government agencies and discretionary programs for fiscal year 2014. The Omnibus appropriations bill is expected to be voted on in the U.S. House and Senate this week.
###
Sen. Moran Sponsors Legislation to Require More Transparency and Security for Obamacare Insurance Exchange
Jan 10 2014
Senate Passes Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act
Legislation will allow veterinarians to legally carry and dispense controlled substances to protect the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, ensure public safety, and safeguard the nation's food supply.
Jan 09 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate delivered a victory for veterinarians and unanimously passed the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Angus King (I-Maine). Once passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, the bipartisan legislation will allow veterinarians to legally carry and dispense controlled substances to protect the health and welfare of the nation’s animals, ensure public safety, and safeguard the nation’s food supply. Companion legislation, H.R. 1528, was introduced in the House by veterinarians, Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Ted Yoho (R.-Fla.).
“The passage of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act today is a step in the right direction for the licensed practitioners who help ensure public safety and care for animals in Kansas and across the country,” Sen. Moran said. “By legalizing the transportation and dispensation of controlled substances, this legislation makes certain veterinarians are equipped with the tools they need, and is particularly important for practitioners who work in rural areas, conduct research or respond to emergency situations.”
“It is essential that veterinarians be able to transport the drugs they need to appropriately treat their patients,” said Kansas State University Department of Clinical Sciences Professor Mike Apley, DVM, Ph.D. “This includes the transport and use of controlled substances to treat multiple species in situations that may not be anticipated prior to examining the patient. These situations include restraint, anesthesia, and humane euthanasia. It is apparent that legislation is urgently needed to enable creating the regulations which will allow this transport, and to avoid needless pain and suffering of veterinary patients as well as safety concerns for the people handling these patients.”
The legislation is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, which had this to say about its passage:
“Today’s action by the Senate proves that our nation’s leaders are listening to the veterinary profession and are diligently working to ensure that animals in all settings continue to receive the best quality care,” said Dr. Clark Fobian, president of the AVMA. “To be a veterinarian, you must be willing to go to your patients when they cannot come to you, and this means being able to bring all of the vital medications you need in your medical bag. We are pleased that the Senate has taken action to fix a loophole in federal regulation, which has concerned veterinarians over the past few years, and urge the U.S. House to swiftly follow suit when it returns from the holiday recess.”
The 1970 Controlled Substances Act (CSA) stipulates that controlled substances must be stored and dispensed at the specific address veterinarians have on file with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA enforces the CSA and has informed organized veterinary medicine that without a statutory change, veterinarians are in violation and cannot legally provide complete veterinary care.
The practice of veterinary medicine requires veterinarians to treat patients in a variety of settings, including rural areas, “house calls” or mobile clinics, research and disease control activities, emergency response situations, and removal or transfer of dangerous wildlife.
To read the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act in its entirety, click here.
Sen. Jerry Moran Pays Tribute to Sonny Zetmeir
Jan 08 2014
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday in tribute to Emil F. “Sonny” Zetmeir of Parsons, Kansas, who passed away in September 2013. Sonny Zetmeir, owner of Grandview Products, grew the family-owned cabimet manuraturing company from a local small business with 24 employees to a $50 million dollar company with 430 employees shipping cabinets from coast to coast. Sen. Moran believes Sonny’s legacy as a businessman is rivaled only by his commitment to community and improving the lives of those around him.
Sen. Moran Honors Sonny Zetmeir
Jan 08 2014
I appreciate the opportunity to be here on the Senate floor this morning, and in a sense I'm intruding upon the discussion about unemployment insurance extension, but I want to take just a few minutes to highlight the life of a Kansan who passed in late 2013. At the end of the year I learned of the death of a resident of Parsons, Kansas in the Southeast corner of our state, Sonny Zetmeir. I want to highlight for a moment and pay my respects to him and his family.
The community of Parsons lost one of its greatest champions when Sonny Zetmeir passed away. His humor made an incredible impact on that community. Sonny moved to Parsons, Kansas, from Grand View, Missouri, with his parents in 1965, and along with a company that his family owned that made cabinets. The company was called Grand View Products. He originally agreed with his family to stay in Parsons just for a year to help get the business off the ground in its new location, but his commitment to his family—to his family's business—it just continued to grow and he never left. He went on to purchase the company from his parents when they retired in 1982, and he helped build it into an outstanding cabinet making business that it is today under his leadership. Grand View Products grew from a local small business with 24 employees to a $50 million company with over 400 employees shipping cabinets from coast to coast. Today the company is the largest employer in Parsons and owns a facility in the neighboring community of Cherryville. Sonny's love of business is only rivaled by his love of community. He cared deeply about the health and well-being of his employees and their families.
Through the recession of 2008, he fought hard to keep the company's doors open and to keep as many employees as possible at work. When Grandville Products regained footing, he worked to bring many of the employees back to work and even when he received the devastating cancer diagnosis that would ultimately take his life a few weeks later. Sonny's thoughts immediately went to the well-being of his employees and their families. His wife Sophia relayed this story about just his final weeks. She says his number-one concern was the company and its employees. It wasn't just his employees. It was the families that he was responsible for. Sonny was able to have a meeting with 216 employees. First he announced that they all got a raise so they wouldn't be afraid for their futures. No raises had been given for five years because of the recession. She said that he said, “We're making money now, so everybody can have a raise.” Then he told them who was going to be running which department within the company. Then he told them how sick he was, but his concerns for others and selflessness extended well beyond just that business. He was passionate about Grand View Products being a locally owned company, and he felt a calling to serve the community that it was in through his service.
Over the years Sonny donated cabinets to community projects, churches and schools throughout the Parsons Community. He also encouraged his employees to be charitable in whatever capacity they were able to do. In fact, Sonny was so dedicated to giving back to the local community that he would only buy girl scout cookies from the girl scouts in his home county of Labette and Montgomery county. His services are numerous. They include two terms as Trust of the Community College, six years as Republican County Chairman in Labette County and many years as President of Parsons Community Foundation. Sonny was named Parsons Chamber of Business Person of the year and the Kansas State Employer of the Year in 2003. He received the Kansas Manufacturers Association Appreciation Award in 2007 and in 2008 he was chosen to receive the Cardinal Award by Labette Community College. Since 1945, the Zetmeirs sponsored the fireworks at Marvel Park in Parsons.
I've always believed what we do in the nation's capital is important but the reality is that we change the world one person at a time. So much more is accomplished by a person like Sonny. Sonny Zetmeir has lived the life, and by investing his time and talent and financial support into the community he lived, he made a difference every day. His involvement in the community and selflessness serves as a role model for every American.
Sonny was married to his wife for 51 years and was a devoted father to their three daughters, and I would ask the Senate today to join me in extending our sympathies to Sonny's wife and their family. He was loved by them and will be greatly missed. If one's value in life is determined by whether or not you made a difference while you were here on this earth, Sonny's life was priceless. God bless him, and let him be a role model for all of us.
ICYMI: Sen. Moran Discusses Economic Opportunity with Wall Street Journal
Moran: "It's very beneficial for us to talk about the things we are for, the things we care about, and most importantly how they impact the lives of people around the country."
Jan 08 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday the growing debate over economic mobility for Americans provides an opportunity for Republicans to clearly define their vision for helping poor and middle-class Americans. As founding member and co-chair of the first-ever bipartisan Senate Economic Mobility Caucus, Sen. Moran believes helping individuals move up the economic ladder is no more partisan an idea than the American Dream itself.
“It’s very beneficial for us to talk about the things we are for, the things we care about, and most importantly how they impact the lives of people around the country,” Sen. Moran said in an interview with Damian Paletta. “I suppose there are different views, different philosophies about how to allow everybody the opportunity to move upward on the economic scale, and so there are legitimate philosophical and policy differences. That’s to be expected in a diverse democracy like ours. But we ought to do everything we can to avoid this being the political show that is trying to categorize Republicans and Democrats in ways that is only useful for partisanship.”
Sen. Moran has authored bipartisan bills that would improve the opportunity gap. The American Savings Promotion Act would allow for the creation of prize-linked savings accounts, which incentivize personal savings by offering participants chances to win prizes based on savings account deposit activity while never putting their savings at risk. Prize-linked accounts are proven to increase savings-rates, which empower individuals to better endure financial strain and progress up the economic ladder. More than 40 percent of American households currently lack the savings to cover basic expenses for three months if an unexpected event leads to a loss of stable income.
Sen. Moran has also authored Startup Act 3.0, bipartisan legislation that would grow the economy by creating an environment where anyone with a good idea has the opportunity for success. Startup Act 3.0 addresses four key factors that contribute to entrepreneurial success: talent, taxes, regulation and innovation. One of the best ways to grow the economy and create jobs is through entrepreneurship. Since 1980, nearly all of the net new jobs in our country have been created by companies less than five years old.
###
