Medical Research News
There are no records to display that match the provided criteria.
Sen. Moran Statement On House Passage of FAA Cuts Fix
"The House has joined the Senate to send a clear bipartisan message to the White House: use the flexibility you have put safety first and solve this problem"
Apr 26 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), author of the Protect Our Skies Act, released the following statement today on the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Senate-passed bill to provide the Secretary of Transportation with additional flexibility to transfer funds to prevent reduced operations and staffing at the FAA:
"The House has joined the Senate to send a clear bipartisan message to the White House: use the flexibility you have to put safety first and solve this problem. This bill directs the FAA to find savings elsewhere in their budget rather than target air traffic controllers for furloughs and control towers for closure. Through smarter cuts, rather than tax hikes or smoke and mirrors, the bill provides $253 million in additional funding flexibility to the FAA – more than enough to protect both air traffic controllers and the 149 contract control towers slated for closure. This bipartisan solution is about safety – and is a victory for air travelers and communities nationwide."
###
Sen. Moran Statement on FAA Furlough Fix
"Something rare has happened in Washington; the Senate came together on a bipartisan basis to put common sense before politics."
Apr 25 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), author of the Protect Our Skies Act, released the following statement on the Senate’s unanimous passage of a bill to provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to transfer funds to prevent reduced operations and staffing at the FAA:
“Something rare has happened in Washington; the Senate came together on a bipartisan basis to put common sense before politics. While I believe the White House already had the flexibility they needed to avoid this situation, the bill passed tonight unequivocally directs the FAA to solve this problem and find savings elsewhere in their budget rather than target air traffic controllers for furloughs. The bill’s language provides the FAA with more than enough funding flexibility to protect the 149 contract control towers slated for closure as well. This bipartisan solution is a victory for air travelers and communities nationwide, and I look forward to swift passage by the House."
“The White House played a dangerous game by using flight delays and the closing of control towers as political strategy. If the Obama Administration wants to make the political point that Washington cannot cut spending without disastrous consequences, let’s have the debate. But they must stop putting politics before common sense.”
On Tuesday, April 23, 2013, Sen. Moran hosted a conference call to discuss the handling of Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) disproportionate sequestration cuts. He addressed the Department of Transportation's (DOT) short-sighted decisions to close 149 FAA Contract Control Towers and furlough air traffic controllers.
Sen. Moran: "There is Clearly Something Wrong at the FAA"
Asks Administrator Huerta to come back and provide additional information and explanation for "the circumstance we now find ourselves needlessly in"
Apr 23 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) stated that the lack of timely information being shared with Congress and the American people about FAA furloughs is evidence that “there is clearly something wrong at the FAA.” Sen. Moran said he will demand answers from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta as to why he was less than forthcoming about the timing of the furloughs at last week’s Senate hearings on the topic.
The Obama Administration’s announcement that FAA furloughs would begin on Sunday – and force delays at airports across the country – came just hours after Sen. Moran questioned Administrator Huerta in last Thursday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee regarding Transportation hearing on FAA sequestration cuts. Sen. Moran’s remarks were made today at the weekly Senate Republican Leadership Press Conference.
Highlights from Sen. Moran’s remarks can be found below, along with links to video and audio downloads.
Sen. Moran: “There is clearly something wrong at the FAA. To have an administrator appear before the committee of jurisdiction this past week, to have him appear before the subcommittee that is responsible for his appropriations, and despite the questioning by Senator Collins, not to report what he would then announce the next day, tells me something is totally wrong at the FAA.”
“For him to only make this decision known to the airlines and to the traveling public on Friday when the furloughs were to begin on Sunday, tells me something is terribly wrong at the FAA. I think this is a manifestation of what we saw in the ending of the contract tower program. Any business that is faced with slightly less revenues than expected would find a way to solve that problem without inconveniencing their customers. Apparently the mindset at the FAA, the Department of Transportation, and within this Administration is, ‘let’s do things in a way that is most inconveniencing to our customers, the flying public, because that then creates political pressure for a response from Congress.’
“There is no need for this – the Department has the authority needed to make the decisions necessary to prioritize. In fact, Administrator Huerta, indicated that…I asked him, ‘wouldn’t it be smarter to utilize the unobligated balances than to eliminate the contract tower program?’ His answer was that he didn’t have the authority to do that. I don’t think that’s true, but my point to the Administrator was, ‘that’s exactly what we attempted to give you, was the authority to do that.’ And the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood indicated that the Administration opposed that amendment, that policy. So again, something is clearly wrong at FAA. And I am going to ask Senator Murray and Senator Collins to ask Mr. Huerta to come back and provide additional information and explanation for the circumstance we now find ourselves needlessly in.”
YOUTUBE: Click here to watch his remarks on YouTube.
###
Sen. Moran Discusses FAA Sequestration Cuts
Apr 23 2013
Sen. Moran Honors Don Concannon
Apr 22 2013
I also wish to speak this evening about a Kansan who recently died and pay tribute to his life. My tribute this evening is to Don Concannon. Don Concannon of Hugoton, KS, is an example of a life I admire and respect so much. He exemplifies so much the folks from my home State of Kansas. It is a tribute to the folks at home who get so involved in their local communities. They volunteer at school. They serve on their church board. They get involved in public service. Kansans are always looking for ways to improve the lives of those around them, their friends and neighbors and people they don’t even know. One of those Kansans is our former Republican Party State chairman, Don Concannon. We have lost a great man, a strong advocate and a dedicated public servant when Don recently passed away.
Don grew up on a farm in southwest Kansas and graduated from Garden City High School in 1945. Early on in life, Don began serving our country when he joined the U.S. Navy and fought in the South Pacific during WWII. After the war, Don graduated from Washburn Law School in 1952 and moved to Hugoton to practice law. It didn't take long for him to get involved in his new community because one month after his arrival, Don was elected Stevens County Attorney and went on to serve the county for four years in that role. That same year, Don married Patricia June Davis and spent the next 49 years by her side before her passing in 2001. Don later re-married his wife of the past ten years, Sharon Collins.
As a young man, Don became interested in politics and at the age of 32, Don was elected Chairman of the Kansas Young Republican Federation. The following year, Don served as Chairman of the Kansas Presidential Electors for the presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Then, from 1968-1970, Don served as the Chair of the Kansas Republican Party. His zeal for politics never faded and kept him involved for many years--chairing committees in support of his favorite candidates. He even put his name on the ballot one year for Governor but fell short by just 530 votes in the primary.
As a long-time Kansas resident, Don was well known and respected by many throughout our state, but especially in Southwest Kansas. He was a strong advocate for rural Kansas and the special way of life we enjoy in small communities across our state. Through his service on several committees focused on the future of rural Kansas, Don helped make certain the next generation can return to the towns and communities they call home. From his participation in Kansas politics to his public service career, Don was always looking for ways to serve his fellow Kansans and improve their lives. In recognition of that service, Don was awarded a lifetime achievement award by Washburn Law School in 2010.
His family and friends described him as someone whose generosity, enthusiasm, and overall optimism towards life touched the lives of so many. It has been said that Don had the character of “one in a million,” and that he did not “just participate in life, but made life happen.” Don had the unique ability to connect with just about anyone, but he was especially revered by his family and friends who looked up to him in many ways. Don lived each day to its fullest and his commitment to his fellow man serves as an inspiration.
I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Sharon, his son, Craig, his daughter, Debra, and his many grandchildren. I know they loved him dearly and will miss him greatly. I ask my colleagues and all Kansans to remember the Concannon family in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.
