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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) was selected today to serve as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. This selection rounds out Sen. Moran’s focus on national security and complements his membership on the Defense and State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees.

“This chairmanship gives me the opportunity to address Department of Defense investments in infrastructure, the quality of life for military families, and also make improvements at the Department of Veterans Affairs to better serve our nation’s veterans,” Sen. Moran said. “I take seriously my role in being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars and will work to make certain funding is prioritized in order to follow through on the commitments made to our military men and women before and after their service, and to support critical infrastructure at home and abroad vital to keeping Kansans and Americans safe.”

“The Aerospace Industries Association congratulates Senator Moran on being named Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies,” said AIA President and CEO David F. Melcher. “He is a staunch advocate for the aerospace and defense industry and understands not only our dedication to providing the best capability to the warfighter at the best value to the taxpayer, but also our potential to create thousands of high-skill, high-paying American jobs. We look forward to working with him to achieve our mutual goals of ensuring our national security and boosting the strength of our economy.”

National Commander of The American Legion Charles Schmidt added, “The American Legion congratulates Sen. Moran on his appointment as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. We sincerely look forward to working with Senator Moran and his Senate colleagues to help put veterans and their families first."

“I am very exciting for Kansas and Jerry. This new role demonstrates his leadership in the U.S. Senate,” said Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, John G. Montgomery of Junction City, Kan. “His chairmanship will mean great things for Kansas.” 

“Senator Moran’s chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies represents his strong commitment to those military members who serve or have served our country,” said Governor’s Military Council Executive Director Perry Wiggins. “The United States Armed Forces, service members and their families, our nation’s veterans and Kansans in particular, have an excellent advocate in Senator Jerry Moran.” 

As the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman, Sen. Moran will prioritize investments in programs and policies that are vital to the United States Armed Forces and veterans across the nation. Through the subcommittee’s jurisdiction over certain elements within the Department of Defense, Sen. Moran will work to ensure military installations and critical infrastructure around the globe are ready to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, as well as their families. Additionally, with jurisdiction over the Department of Veterans Affairs budget, Sen. Moran aims to improve VA programs that provide veterans with the timely, quality healthcare and benefits they have earned.

Sen. Moran has worked throughout his time in Congress to improve the quality of life for the nearly 250,000 veterans living in Kansas. He has served on both the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees and will continue this service in the 115th Congress.  

Sen. Moran will continue to serve as a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

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WASHINGTON – In a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today requested an extension of their deadline for comments and information relevant to the latest 90-day petition funding and status review of the lesser prairie chicken (LPC).

“Kansans are concerned about conserving the lesser prairie chicken and are interested in providing comments based on the most up-to-date information regarding the bird’s population and habitat area,” said Sen. Moran. “With results from WAFWA’s 2016 annual progress report expected to be finalized and made public in the near future, I urge the FWS to extend the deadline for comments to be submitted on the 90-day petition finding and species status review. Closing the comment period before the progress report regarding ongoing conservation efforts in the habitat area is finalized undercuts the ability of stakeholders to provide meaningful comments.”

On Nov. 30, 2016, the FWS issued a notice in the Federal Register regarding its 90-day finding that a petition to list the LPC as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) had presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that a listing may be warranted. The deadline for submitting comments was set for Jan. 30, 2017, before the completion of the 2016 LPC Range-wide Conservation Plan (RWP) Annual Progress Report developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). 

To stakeholders requesting a deadline extension in order to accommodate the best possible scientific information, the FWS has indicated an extension was unnecessary because it was open to receiving relevant information past the deadline. Sen. Moran today requested that the FWS reconsider their refusal to extend the deadline in order to help erase any confusion on when information may be provided to the FWS, and to grant stakeholders ample opportunity to provide comments.

The previous listing of the LPC as a threatened species was vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit because the FWS failed to adequately take into account the impact of local, voluntary conservation efforts in the habitat areas to conserve the bird.

Text of the letter can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chairman of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee – released the following statement regarding his meeting today with President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin:

“Speaking with Dr. Shulkin today, we discussed the desperately needed changes that must take place at the VA to make the agency worthy of every single veteran it is sworn to serve,” said Sen. Moran. “The VA is tasked with the direct care of our nation’s heroes; but too frequently, veterans face a greater burden accessing the benefits they deserve as a result of failures that are symptomatic of a bureaucratic culture inflexible to change. The opportunity Dr. Shulkin could have to make a difference in the lives of American veterans cannot be overstated, which is why I requested that he reach out and speak with Veterans Service Organizations seeking an opportunity to share insights and priorities with President Trump. I look forward to continuing the dialogue with Dr. Shulkin about how to reform the VA and restore veterans’ trust in the agency created to serve them.”

Following the Presidential Inauguration on Friday, Jan. 20, Sen. Moran sent a letter to President Trump encouraging the new administration to consider his priorities for veterans.

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Mr. President, I’d like to take just a few moments of the Senate’s time this evening. We all work in an environment in which we’re surrounded by dedicated people. And one of those in my world, Todd Novascone who has been my chief of staff for 12 years, has had his last day of work in our office today. I wanted to take just a few moments to pay tribute to him and others like him. 

Now, I think we are here because we want to make a difference. And I have no doubt that’s the case for my 99 colleagues here on the Senate floor; but it’s also true for all the folks who work here in the Senate chamber, who work in our individual offices, who work in the committees. The goal is to be in the nation’s capital in hopes that we can make better things happen for America. 

I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by many dedicated individuals, most of them Kansans, over the period of time that I’ve served in the Congress of the United States of America. I know that my ability to work on behalf of Kansans and on behalf of the citizens of our nation is greatly altered, enhanced, improved by the fact that people who care about America, and who care about our home state, are there by my side. One of those most important to me has been my chief of staff. Todd was an elected official in his own right. He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives and served there with distinction, and now, 12 years ago—back in the days in which I was a member in the United States House of Representatives—I asked him to uproot his family and move to Washington, D.C., and assume the task of managing our office and helping accomplish the things we all want to accomplish. And he’s done it with great style and with grace and with friendship. 

He has been the person who has motivated us to do better, and always done it in a way in which we felt good about what we were doing. Done in a management style that made us feel good about ourselves — bringing us together, not taking us apart; making certain that we knew that the outcome was important, but [also] how we got there. Matters that are important to us as individuals, as human beings — integrity, doing things right, telling the truth, those things were always honored and achieved — because of his leadership. 

People are hard to replace and Todd is especially difficult to replace. I spend most every week in the nation’s capital away from my own family and like many people here in the Senate, those who work in our offices have become part of our family. And that’s true certainly for the people who work in our office today and — although when I came to congress I was more their age, now there’s a wider gap in the age of our staff and me — my wife Robba and I believe that I’m surrounded by people who are part of our family, and Todd is certainly that. In fact, his family grew while he was my chief of staff, two children, Grace and Will, born during the days of his time as an employee in our office. And again, a reminder about how to put things in perspective, always taking care of his kids, always there for their school activities, part of their school board, involved in their athletic and musical activities, and that’s a good thing for a chief of staff to [do]. Because if it’s important to him, he’ll make certain that that is permitted and honored and is encouraged by those who work in the office. 

So, tonight I just want to say thank you to Todd Novascone of Andover, Kansas, who decided to devote 12 years of his life here in the nation’s capital trying to make things better, trying to make our office work well, and try to achieve the things that all of us want to achieve on behalf of our nation. So, to Todd Novascone: Thank you for a job well done, thank you for being my friend, and thank you for the way that you have conducted yourself on my behalf.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s choice to designate Ajit Pai as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):

“My fellow Kansan Ajit Pai is an excellent choice to lead the FCC. I have worked with him over the years through my role on the Senate Commerce Committee, traveled with him throughout our state, and gotten to know him on a personal level. I know him to be a capable and talented leader and one of the smartest people I have ever met when it comes to public policy. Ajit understands the importance of quality access to broadband and wireless connectivity, and I believe growing up in Kansas makes him uniquely qualified to advocate for rural America. I look forward to continuing to work with him to make certain we can improve connectivity and bring critical updates not only to our homes and businesses but also to our hospitals and schools.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement after voting to confirm Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director:

“The CIA is a critical component of our intelligence community, and Kansans are proud to have Congressman Pompeo leading intelligence officers and analysts across the globe in this new role.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement after voting to confirm retired Gen. James Mattis for Defense Secretary and retired Gen. John Kelly for Homeland Security Secretary:

“On the same historic day where our great democracy peacefully transferred power from one president to another, my colleagues and I headed in from the East Front of the Capitol Building to the Senate floor and got to work confirming two of the president’s cabinet nominees. Swiftly confirming both secretaries in charge of our national security is critical to keeping Kansans and Americans safe as we face threats at home and abroad. Foreign adversaries looking to challenge the United States will be rethinking their plans with General James Mattis and General John Kelly at the helm.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today congratulated President Donald Trump on his inauguration and sought his support to continue to prioritize serving our nation’s veterans. In a letter, Sen. Moran highlights the unfortunate reality veterans in Kansas and across the country face as they county to struggle accessing the benefits they deserve through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“I look forward to working with you during your presidency, particularly as it relates to serving our nation’s veterans,” Sen. Moran said in his letter. “During your campaign and transition to the Office of the President, you offered compelling reasons and proposals to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I hope to be your ally as we work to make certain our nation’s heroes receive the respect, care and benefits they have earned.

Please find below the full letter:

Dear President Trump:

I write to congratulate you on your election victory and inauguration as the 45th President of the United States. I look forward to working with you during your presidency, particularly as it relates to serving our nation’s veterans. During your campaign and transition to the Office of the President, you offered compelling reasons and proposals to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I hope to be your ally as we work to make certain our nation’s heroes receive the respect, care and benefits they have earned.

With your nomination of Dr. David Shulkin to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, I want to make you aware of the primary issues facing veterans in Kansas and my intention to work with Dr. Shulkin to prioritize and remedy these issues.

Veterans continue to struggle accessing healthcare through the VA. Far too often, veterans from rural areas are required to travel several hours and hundreds of miles to access healthcare from a VA medical facility. Despite the passage of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act) and subsequent updates to the law, the VA denies veterans access to care for simple treatments, such as a shingles vaccination, that they could easily receive from a community provider. A VA pilot program for rural veterans that I spearheaded as a Congressman, which worked extraordinarily well by allowing veterans to access health care closer to home, was the model for the Choice Act. However, bureaucratic resistance to the Choice Act within the VA led to decisions that benefitted the VA but burdened those the agency is charged with serving. I seek your leadership and assistance to right the wrongs of the VA’s improper implementation of the law and the Veterans Choice Program, which Congress intended to serve veterans who shoulder burdensome travel or delay in healthcare.  

The backlog in processing veteran’s claims for benefits and subsequent appeals is unacceptable. No veteran should spend years—sometimes decades—fighting to receive benefits they earned serving our country. While there is progress in processing initial claims for benefits, much of that progress is due to expediting claim denials, resulting in an increase in the backlogs of appeals. The net effect is an even more inflated backlog that stonewalls veterans who believe the VA’s approach to their claims for benefits is, “delay, deny, until they die.”

Mr. President, as a successful businessman, you have an appreciation for accountability and that terminations for misconduct or poor performance ought to be commonplace. My hope is that you will strongly encourage Dr. Shulkin to utilize the authorities Congress gave to the Secretary to take a similar tone and hold the VA’s bad actors accountable. In my home state of Kansas, we face a horrible example of the VA’s failure to hold corrupt VA employees accountable: A physician assistant with a criminal record sexually abused veteran patients and targeted those with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). Instead of immediate termination when the VA learned of his actions, he was placed on administrative leave and was allowed to voluntarily retire, which permits certain benefits that he earned during the time he was abusing veterans. Unfortunately, when I called on the VA to explain how they could have hired a sexual predator and why they did not immediately fire this employee, Dr. Shulkin’s written response did not offer the thorough explanation veterans deserve. This failure to act is unacceptable, and I hope that we can work together to make certain the VA acts in the best interest of veterans.

Once again, congratulations on your inauguration, and thank you for your commitment to our nation’s veterans.  I look forward to working with you to reform VA culture, improve its care for our veterans and to make the VA an agency worthy of the sacrifice of the veterans it was created to serve.

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Sen. Moran Reintroduces Legislation to Honor Fallen Educators

Legislation Would Designate Memorial as National Memorial

Jan 18 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently reintroduced legislation (S. 167) to designate the Memorial to Fallen Educators at Emporia State University (ESU) as a national memorial.

“When someone asks the question: ‘other than your family, name a person who has made a difference in your life?’ the answer has never been my senator or my congressman. More often the response is a teacher,” Sen. Moran said. “Tragically, far too many educators have lost their lives in the line of their professional duty either at the hands of students or while protecting their students from adults perpetrating violent acts. As a nation, we should recognize together the incredible sacrifices they each made because of their dedication to educating, caring for, protecting, and changing the lives of young Americans.”

The Memorial to Fallen Educators is located on the ESU campus, in conjunction with the National Teacher Hall of Fame (NTHF). The memorial lists the names of educators since 1764 who have lost their lives while working with students. The memorial is built and paid for, and was dedicated in June 2014.

The memorial would still be owned and cared for by the NTHF and ESU, but would have the prestige of a national memorial. There is no taxpayer cost associated with the legislation – private funds will continue to be used to maintain the memorial.

Sen. Moran spoken on the Senate floor last summer to advocate for the national designation of the Memorial to Fallen Educators. Click here to view his speech and here for a transcript.

Click here to read the full text of the legislation.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

“The Secretary of Agriculture serves as an important voice for rural Americans whose very livelihoods often depend on the success or failure of our ag community. Agriculture doesn’t just put food on our tables – the USDA’s role includes providing rural housing services, conducting research to expand our farmers’ production capabilities, promoting American-grown products abroad, giving consumers confidence in our food supply and establishing effective safety nets for our producers. Governor Perdue’s years of experience as an advocate for Georgia farmers and ranchers, leadership in the agribusiness sector, and practice as a veterinarian give him a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by rural Americans. I look forward to hearing more from Governor Perdue about his approach and priorities.”

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