Medical Research News

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

Sen. Moran Fights to Declassify Military Records of Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances

Bill Would Allow Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances to Use Military Records to Apply for Disability Benefits

Mar 28 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced bipartisan legislation this week (S. 726) to allow veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances in classified incidents to access their military records as they apply for disability benefits and VA health care. 

“Often, the impacts of toxic exposure don’t appear until long after service members have returned home from the battlefield and military records are filed away,” Sen. Moran said. “It is my privilege to lead legislation that honors the life of Gary Deloney of Fort Scott who passed while working with my staff to access the classified military records that would have proven his exposure to Agent Orange and service-connected illness. Our veterans and their families deserve the best our nation has to offer, and giving them access to their classified military records is the least we can do to make certain they receive the benefits they earned.”

Veterans who were exposed to toxic substances face greater chances of suffering from cancer and other health issues. Veterans who have health conditions that are linked to exposure to toxic substances during their military service are eligible to apply for disability benefits and health care from the VA; however, some missions and projects that resulted in their exposure to such substances remain classified by the Department of Defense, despite having taken place decades ago. 

This policy prevents these veterans from accessing and using their service records to establish their service-connected conditions and securing a disability rating that grants them eligible for care and benefits. The Gary Deloney and John Olsen Toxic Exposure Declassification Act would call on the Secretary of Defense to declassify the records of experiments or incidents that resulted in troops’ exposure to toxic substances and could be used in a veteran’s claim for benefits.

Gary Deloney served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1965. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal and his financial statements noted hazardous duty pay. Despite additional evidence that demonstrated proof of his missions during Vietnam, Mr. Deloney was unable to prove his exposure to Agent Orange. Tragically, he passed away while still waiting to receive a service connection designation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, even with the support from Sen. Moran, because records of his missions are classified. 

“Gary loved his time in the service and the friends he made there,” said Charyl Deloney, wife of veteran Gary Deloney. “Up until Gary passed from cancer, Senator Moran’s office was working with us to obtain the classified documents that would prove his exposure to Agent Orange. He would be honored to have this legislation named after him to help future veterans in a similar situation get the benefits they were promised, and I am thankful that Senator Moran is continuing to work on this in Gary’s memory.”

Click here to read the Gary Deloney and John Olsen Toxic Exposure Declassification Act.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement after voting to confirm David Friedman as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel:

“With so many grave and immediate foreign policy challenges facing the United States and our partners in the Middle East, it is imperative that we reaffirm and strengthen our strategic alliance with Israel. America must stand firm with Israel to combat threats from those who wish to do harm to our nations’ shared values and ways of life. In confirming David Friedman today, the Senate has demonstrated the value it places on this bilateral relationship.

“When I met with Mr. Friedman, he shared his unyielding support for Israel and his eagerness to serve our country. Combined with his understanding of the complex challenges in the region, Ambassador Friedman will be a strong asset for our nation in Israel.”

Sen. Moran met with Mr. Friedman earlier this month to discuss the American-Israeli relationship and learn how he would execute the ambassadorship. They discussed issues ranging from the Israel-Palestine peace process to Iran’s continued provocation in the region.

###

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee – convened the subcommittee’s first hearing of the 115th Congress on March 21, 2017 to examine the damage of scams on American consumers and the economy. Witnesses included Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen; Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Terrell McSweeny, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Abagnale & Associates Consultant Frank W. Abagnale, Jr.; and KWCH-12 Eyewitness News Reporter Mike Schwanke.

Sen. Moran Convenes Hearing to Examine Consumer Scams

Highlights Testimony from Frank Abagnale, Jr. and Kansas Investigative Reporter Mike Schwanke

Mar 22 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security Subcommittee – yesterday convened the subcommittee’s first hearing of the 115th Congress to examine the damage of scams on American consumers and the economy. The hearing also focused on state and federal law enforcement efforts to combat consumer scams, and the implementation of consumer outreach and education programs.

“With technology becoming more and more sophisticated, the complexity of scams has continued to progress,” said Sen. Moran. “From fake charity donation solicitation calls to ‘phishing’ email scams that lead to identity theft, a wide variety of scams that harm Americans continue to bypass consumer protection enforcement measures at the federal, state and local levels. Consumers need protection from those who seek to defraud them through scams, and today’s hearing helps us evaluate the best possible ways we can prevent American consumers from being scammed out of billions of dollars each year.”

Witnesses included Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen; Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Terrell McSweeny; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Abagnale & Associates Consultant Frank W. Abagnale, Jr.; and KWCH-12 Eyewitness News Reporter Mike Schwanke.

Sen. Moran invited KWCH’s Mike Schwanke to testify and share with the committee examples of the more common scams impacting Kansas consumers. Three examples mentioned: grandparent scams, when someone calls claiming that a consumer’s grandchild is in danger and needs immediate financial assistance; IRS scams, in which consumers receive a phone call from someone claiming to represent the IRS and threatening jail time for failure to pay taxes; and most recently, a scam taking advantage of those impacted by the state’s wildfires, in which Kansans received phone calls claiming that, if they paid an application fee, they would be issued a government grant to help them recover.

Highlights of Sen. Moran’s questions for the witnesses may be found below, along with a link to the video:

Sen. Moran (0:01): “Let me start with Chairwoman Ohlhausen. Is there a reliable financial macro cost to scams in the United States? … What does this cost the economy?”

Chairwoman Ohlhausen (0:18): “Based on the redress that the FTC has been able to get for consumers, even just last year, it costs billions and billions of dollars.”

Sen. Moran (1:23): “[Mr. Schwanke] you indicated something that was discouraging to me because one of the conversations we’ve had already just in this hearing is the value of information but you indicated that a particular instance, the victim had seen the similar identical fraud being talked about on your program but still felt necessary to respond to the cries of a grandchild. Do you have evidence that this consumer awareness actually makes a difference?”

Mr. Schwanke (2:03): “That’s one example. Oftentimes we do hear from victims who say, ‘I knew better,’ and when they see these stories of victims they sit back in their home and think, ‘how in the world could I ever fall for something like that?’ In that case, she saw our story and she explained it as ‘tunnel vision,’ and I think that’s what these scammers depend on… once she thought that her granddaughter was in trouble, she said, ‘it was almost like I had blinders on’… You’re not going to be thinking clearly when someone calls for a grandparent scam or someone calls claiming to be with the IRS saying that they’re going to haul you off to jail if you don’t pay your taxes. Once you hear that your mind shuts off oftentimes. That’s what we try to get across in our education.”

Sen. Moran (3:07): “General, you’ve been involved in public service announcements. Is there evidence that they’re useful, successful, and prevent additional fraud?”

Attorney General DeWine (3:14): “We do get calls, Mr. Chairman… sometimes I’ll actually see people who say, ‘I saw you on TV talking about the grandparent scam’ or ‘I saw you on TV talking about the IRS scam.’ So while we are successful in some prosecutions, the ones that are over the internet, the ones that are long distance, are very very difficult… frankly we think that our prime job in this case is to really warn people… The public sometimes thinks, ‘I wouldn’t do that,’ or they think, ‘these are people who aren’t very smart.’ And that’s not true. These are smart people.”

Sen. Moran (4:33): “Mr. Abagnale, the perpetrator of a fraud, what is it about them that allows them to be able to elicit that response from somebody who is apparently smart and has seen information about the potential scam and still falls for it? What’s the way to capture somebody?”

Mr. Abagnale (4:47): “First of all, thank God that the majority of Americans are honest. Because they’re honest, they don’t think in a deceptive way. So when the phone rings and the caller ID says it’s the Internal Revenue Service or United States government or their local police department, they believe that to be true. They’re not aware that caller ID is easily manipulated.”

Mr. Abagnale (7:47): “I always teach FBI agents to follow the money and have for four decades. So what we find is that most of these crimes that are committed by people living in Russia, India, China that are making these calls in their pajamas or on their laptop from their kitchen, are stealing money from the American consumer. It is leaving our economy. But it will come back. It always comes back because it will tend to boomerang and return to our country but in the form of drug trafficking, human trafficking, child pornography and much more hideous crimes. So it is very important that we try to prevent that money from getting in the wrong hands of people who are going to commit a lot worse crimes with that money.”  

Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s questions on YouTube.

###

Sens. Moran, Ernst and Rep. McCaul Introduce Legislation to Support Young People in Agriculture

Bill Encourages Next Generation of Agriculture Producers

Mar 21 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) today introduced legislation to support young people in agriculture by creating a tax exemption for the first $5,000 of income students 18 years of age or younger earn from projects completed through 4-H or FFA. Their bills, the Agriculture Students Encourage, Acknowledge, Reward, Nurture (EARN) Act (S. 671) and the Student Agriculture Protection Act (SAPA) (H.R. 1626), enable students to keep more of the modest income they earn, which can then be invested in education savings or future agricultural projects. 

“With the number of new farmers trending downward and more mouths to feed than ever across the globe, Congress must support young people who are interested in a career in agriculture,” Sen. Moran said. “This bill is one step we can take to encourage those involved in FFA and 4-H to turn their modest income from the agricultural projects into savings, money for education and training, or toward a future project. Farming kids across the country represent the future of a critical industry and way of life, and this legislation represents an important investment in the next generation.”

“Ensuring members of student organizations like 4-H and FFA are afforded every opportunity to succeed is not only important for the student’s future, but the future of our nation’s agriculture,” said Sen. Ernst, a former member of the 4-H. “I’m proud to support the Agriculture Students EARN Act to allow our future farmers to gain valuable experience and skills through hands-on projects. By investing in our students’ futures, we are investing in the next generation of our nation’s leaders that will be on the forefront of agricultural innovation and production for years to come.”

“We must do more to encourage our future farmers to stay in the farming business so our country can maintain a secure and steady food supply,” said Rep. McCaul. “These students across the nation today represent the future of agriculture, and enabling them to succeed means we all succeed. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Student Agriculture Protection Act. This bill would eliminate unnecessary barriers for our young farmers to ensure the U.S. remains outfitted with innovative minds that have allowed us to be the world leader in the agricultural industry.”

“Recruiting and retaining the next generation of young people to the family farm or to other agricultural pursuits starts here; it starts with legislation like the Agriculture Students EARN Act and the Student Agriculture Protection Act,” said National FFA Western Region Vice President Trey Elizondo. “This proposal would undoubtedly enable me and other agricultural education students to strengthen agriculture and support the communities in which we live. My generation is ready to accept the challenge of feeding, clothing, and sheltering our world, and this legislation helps us accept that challenge.” 

Typical 4-H and FFA projects include showing animals at local and state fairs, growing and harvesting crops, building agricultural mechanic projects and many others. Ag Students EARN would lower the tax burden on the students and give them an opportunity to invest more of what they’ve earned in future projects, college funds or savings accounts. 

“The Agriculture Students EARN and Student Agriculture Protection Acts will significantly impact student agriculturists,” said Chapman, Kansas, FFA Member Natalie Harris. “Lots of young people across the nation, like me, are trying their hardest to begin their own supervised agricultural experiences. Any help we can get to make it easier on us to apply what we are learning, to eliminate paperwork, and to strengthen agriculture would be extremely beneficial and appreciated.”

Supporters of the legislation include National FFA Organization, National 4-H Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union and National Young Farmers Coalition.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $6 million to help farmers and ranchers impacted by the wildfires which burned across Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas this month.

“The availability of USDA conservation funds targeted toward restoring land impacted by the fires is appreciated,” said Sen. Moran. “I have asked USDA to provide maximum flexibility in administering the federal assistance programs in response to the disaster, and will continue to make clear the urgent need for more immediate assistance to those impacted.”

The funding, which is being made available through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), is designed to assist farmers and ranchers who are working to rebuild their facilities and restore their land. EQIP is a voluntary program which provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to help plan and implement conservation practices that address priority local and state resources concerns.

Sen. Moran met with Acting USDA Secretary Michael Young last week to discuss the challenges facing farmers and ranchers impacted by the wildfires.

Background

  • Producers who wish to apply for EQIP funding must submit a complete program application, establish “farm records”, and other documentation to support eligibility.
  • Step-by-step assistance can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getstarted.
  • Kansas will begin accepting applications in the near future.
  • Producers in the affected counties are encouraged to check with their local NRCS service centers for additional information.

Click here to listen to and download an audio version of the statement.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) this week requested a meeting with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting Secretary Michael Young in his Washington, D.C. office. Sen. Moran spoke with Acting Secretary Young about the challenges facing farmers and ranchers impacted by the wildfires across Kansas this month.

“During my trip to Clark County over the weekend, I witnessed firsthand the scorched earth and devastation that the recent wildfire left in its wake,” said Sen. Moran. “I requested a meeting with Acting Secretary Young to ask him about the flexibility of federal assistance programs as Kansas farmers work to rebuild their livelihoods. I also made clear the urgency needed for payments through the Farm Service Agency programs so farmers and ranchers working to build new fences and manage their land can do so quickly.”

Sen. Moran spoke with Acting Sec. Young about the need for flexibility of Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) program requirements, specifically in the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). He also pressed for urgency in making payments in a timely manner under ECP and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and other FSA and NRCS programs. Additionally, Sen. Moran inquired about the program payment limits, including how legal entities and partnerships are treated in regard to established limits. Sen. Moran committed to working with USDA to provide more flexibility on the specifications for fence rebuilding and to expedite payments.

###

Sen. Moran Visits U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Belvoir

First Member of Congress to Visit the U.S. Army Cyber Command Headquarters

Mar 13 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies – was the first Member of Congress to visit the U.S. Army Cyber Command Headquarters at Fort Belvoir. During his meetings on Friday, Army Cyber Command briefed him on our nation’s efforts combat cyber-attacks and maintain readiness.

“It was a pleasure meeting with the Commander of Army Cyber Command and the cyber warrior soldiers he leads, including two Kansans, whose critical operations and cyber missions are serving soldiers overseas,” Sen. Moran said. “Army systems and programs at Fort Belvoir protect our nation from adversaries seeking to disrupt our way of life with asymmetric warfare. I appreciate all the hard work of the young, motivated soldiers I met on Friday and found the visit extremely valuable.”

“We were honored to host Sen. Moran and his team at Army Cyber Command Headquarters on Friday where he met the young men and women that work around the clock to defend our country and our Army against adversaries in cyberspace,” said Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Army Cyber Command. “Our mission is complex, but our priorities here at Army Cyber are clear: operate and aggressively defend Army networks, deliver cyberspace effects against our adversaries, and develop the tools our Army will need to maintain readiness for the future fight. We were grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate these priorities to such an esteemed visitor, and send thanks to Sen. Moran and his colleagues in Congress for their support to the state-of-the-art Army Cyber Command Operations Center complex currently under construction at Ft. Gordon, Ga., a regional hub of innovation and the eventual center of gravity for the U.S. Army in Cyberspace.”

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently introduced The Cuba Trade Act of 2017 (S. 472), which would restore trade with Cuba and grant the private sector the freedom to export U.S. goods and services to Cuba while protecting U.S. taxpayers from any risk or exposure associated with such trade.

“Cuba is only 90 miles from our border, making it a natural market for our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” Sen. Moran said. “At a time when we need more markets badly as ever, lifting the embargo and opening up Cuba for American agricultural commodities would help increase exports, create new jobs and boost the U.S. economy. Keep in mind that when we don’t sell agricultural commodities to Cuba, somebody else does.

Sen. Moran continued: “While our unilateral trade barriers block our own farmers and ranchers from filling the market, willing sellers such as Canada and France, China and others benefit at the American farmers’ expense. This legislation simply seeks to amend our own country’s laws so that American farmers can operate on a level playing field with the rest of the world. After more than 50 years of what was a well-intentioned embargo at the time it was enacted, it is time for American farmers and ranchers to truly have market access to Cuba’s 11 million consumers.”

The Cuba Trade Act of 2017 would:

  • Lift the Cuba trade embargo to allow farmers, ranchers, small businesses and other private sector industries to freely conduct business with the island nation; and
  • Grant U.S. financial institutions the freedom to extend credit to Cuba, while ensuring there is no financial risk to federal taxpayers.

Nearly 150 U.S. organizations have voiced their strong support for commonsense reforms to U.S.-Cuba relations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers, Engage Cuba and the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC):

“Kansas wheat producers understand that the best way to reverse the downward trend in the Kansas ag economy is to increase trade and expand market opportunities,” said Dickinson County, Kan., farmer and President of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers Ken Wood. “Opening up the Cuban market to Kansas wheat and other agricultural products would provide a much needed export boost at a time when we need to create more demand. We are thankful that Senator Moran is leading the charge for Kansas farmers and commend him for reintroducing this common-sense legislation.”

“Sen. Moran’s legislation would roll back job-killing regulations that are hurting Kansas’ economy and the Cuban people,” said Engage Cuba President James Williams. “As a top U.S. exporter of agriculture goods and the largest wheat producer in the country, opening up trade with Cuba would allow Kansas agribusiness, which is an economic driver and job creator across the state, to significantly increase exports to a $2 billion neighboring market. After 55 years of failure, it’s time for a change. We applaud Sen. Moran for his leadership on ensuring that Kansas businesses and farmers can compete in emerging Cuban markets.”

“The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba strongly supports the Cuba Trade Act and applauds Senator Moran for his leadership in advancing critical growth opportunities for U.S. agriculture,” said USACC Chair Devry Boughner Vorwerk. “The Cuba Trade Act will provide the U.S. farm and business community with new market access opportunities and allow U.S. farmers, ranchers and food companies to efficiently address Cuban citizens’ food security needs. We look forward to a passage of this bill in the U.S. Senate so we can begin the job of opening full trade relations with Cuba.”

Sen. Moran has long fought for commonsense changes to trade policy with Cuba to open up more markets for American farmers and ranchers. On July 20, 2000, an amendment (H.Amdt.1031 to H.R.4871) offered by then-Rep. Moran prohibiting funds from being used to enforce sanctions for food, medicine and agriculture products in a sale to Cuba passed the House of Representatives (301-116). The adoption of this amendment opened another needed market to farmers throughout the country. Unfortunately, changes in regulations by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2005 once again severely restricted this market for U.S. agriculture producers. Since that time, Sen. Moran has continued fighting to enable farmers and ranchers to compete on a level playing field with foreign competitors when trading with Cuba.

Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s introduction of S. 472 on the Senate floor, or here to download the video file. A transcript of his remarks is available here.

###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently joined the full United States Senate in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and FBI Director James Comey urging them to take action in response to the recent rise in anonymous bomb threats made against Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and other Jewish institutions.

“The recent incidents of vandalism and recurring bomb threats made against Jewish schools, synagogues, cemeteries and community centers are deeply troubling,” said Sen. Moran. “Kansans know too well the pain that anti-Semitic attacks can inflict on an entire community – we remember the lives tragically lost in the 2014 attacks at Jewish buildings in Overland Park. The entire United States Senate has joined together to condemn recent threats, request that the FBI, DHS and DOJ take swift action and work with Congress to address and prevent incidents like these, and return a sense of security to Jewish families in America.”

“These cowardly acts aim to create an atmosphere of fear and disrupt the important programs and services offered by JCCs to everyone in the communities they serve, including in our states,” wrote the senators. “We are concerned that the number of incidents is accelerating and failure to address and deter these threats will place innocent people at risk and threaten the financial viability of JCCs, many of which are institutions in their communities.”

“We encourage you to communicate with individual JCCs, the JCC Association of North America, Jewish Day Schools, Synagogues and other Jewish community institutions regarding victim assistance, grant opportunities or other federal assistance that may be available to enhance security measures and improve preparedness,” the senators continued. “We also recognize the anti-Semitic sentiment behind this spate of threats and encourage your Departments to continue to inform state and local law enforcement organizations of their obligations under the Hate Crime Statistics Act and other federal laws.”

Please find below and here the text of the full letter.

March 7, 2017

Dear Secretary Kelly, Attorney General Sessions, and Director Comey:

We write to underscore the need for swift action with regard to the deeply troubling series of anonymous bomb threats made against Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), Jewish Day Schools, Synagogues and other buildings affiliated with Jewish organizations or institutions across the country. We thank you for your recent efforts and ask that you inform us of the actions that your Departments plan to take to address threats against these and other religious institutions. We stand ready to work with you to ensure that these centers can continue to serve their communities free from violence and intimidation. 

It has become clear that threats of violence against individual JCCs are not isolated incidents. According to the Jewish Federations of North America, in the first two months of 2017 alone, at least 98 incidents against JCCs and Jewish Day Schools at 81 locations in 33 states have been reported. These cowardly acts aim to create an atmosphere of fear and disrupt the important programs and services offered by JCCs to everyone in the communities they serve, including in our states. In addition to reports of incidents at JCCs and Jewish Day Schools, there have been incidents at cemeteries in both St. Louis and Philadelphia involving the desecration of Jewish headstones. This is completely unacceptable and un-American.

We are concerned that the number of incidents is accelerating and failure to address and deter these threats will place innocent people at risk and threaten the financial viability of JCCs, many of which are institutions in their communities. Your Departments can provide crucial assistance by helping JCCs, Jewish Day Schools and Synagogues improve their physical security, deterring threats from being made, and investigating and prosecuting those making these threats or who may seek to act on these threats in the future. We encourage you to communicate with individual JCCs, the JCC Association of North America, Jewish Day Schools, Synagogues and other Jewish community institutions regarding victim assistance, grant opportunities or other federal assistance that may be available to enhance security measures and improve preparedness. We also recognize the anti-Semitic sentiment behind this spate of threats and encourage your Departments to continue to inform state and local law enforcement organizations of their obligations under the Hate Crime Statistics Act and other federal laws.

We are ready to work with you to address this pressing issue, and we look forward to your responses about the actions you intend to take to address, deter, and prevent this threat.

###