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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) along with U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Fiscal Year 2014 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill was approved with bipartisan support by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill includes $404 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), an amount equal to the U.S. House of Representatives approved appropriations bill and a critical step forward for the lab under construction in Manhattan, Kan.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement on the passage of the U.S. House of Representatives bills to delay the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer and individual mandates:

“After Senate Democrats ignored this issue, the House acted to protect American individuals, families and businesses from the cost and complication of the Affordable Care Act. Even President Obama has acted to temporarily spare small-businesses from the swarm of regulations, taxes, and headaches that accompany compliance with this misguided law.

“The House’s actions are a step in the right direction, but we’re not out of the woods yet. The problem continues to be the entire Affordable Care Act. President Obama and Senate Democrats ought to reconsider delaying the ‘individual mandate’ and stop forcing Americans to pay the price of ObamaCare-driven dysfunction.”

Sen. Moran serves as the Ranking Member for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Health and Human Services and offered four ACA-related amendments to the Fiscal Year 2014 Senate Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations bill last week.

 

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Republican leadership, including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), Conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), Policy Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Conference Vice Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Senatorial Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), tonight issued the following statement regarding the House of Representatives’ bipartisan passage of both the employer and individual mandate delays:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved the Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations Bill, which includes $404 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), an amount equal to House approved appropriations language and a critical step forward for the lab under construction in Manhattan, Kan.

“Senator Moran, Governor Brownback and I worked hard to ensure this project moves forward,” Sen. Roberts said. “Not only is this $404 million a significant investment in the project, it is also proof the appropriators agree with the House and the Administration that this effort is a national security priority.”

“It’s encouraging that both the House and Senate have committed to funding levels of $404 million to make certain construction of the main laboratory begins in tandem with the Central Utility Plant which is already underway,” Sen. Moran said. “NBAF is critical to our national security in protecting our agriculture, economy and citizens from biological and zoonotic threats, and I’m pleased we’ve prioritized this investment.”

The legislation now goes before the full Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration on Thursday, July 18, 2013.

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There is no group of individuals I hold in higher regard than our Nation's veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. Among our veterans I have special admiration for the members of the greatest generation who served during some of our nation's darkest hours and liberated the world from the forces of tyranny.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, more than 16 million Americans answered the call to serve our country and more than 400,000 husbands, fathers, brothers, mothers, and daughters never returned home. More than 200,000 Kansans served during the war, including General Dwight D. Eisenhower, future U.S. Senator Bob Dole, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on Monday, along with my own 97 year old father at home in Plainville, KS.

During the dedication of the World War II Memorial here in our nation’s capital, Washington, Senator Dole described the greatest generation this way: “On distant fields and fathomless oceans, the skies over half the planet and in 10,000 communities on the home front, we did far more than avenge Pearl Harbor. The citizen soldiers who answered liberty's call fought not for territory, but for justice, not for plunder, but to liberate enslaved peoples around the world.”

Among those citizen soldiers was a young Kansan named Richard Seitz. When WWII began, Dick was attending classes at Kansas State University, but by the end of the war he had successfully led his battalion through some of the fiercest fighting of the war in the Battle of the Bulge. Our country lost a great individual, a man, a dedicated soldier and an American hero when LTG Dick Seitz recently passed away.

Dick was born in 1918 in Leavenworth, KS. At an early age he showed great interest in serving his country through the Armed Forces. In high school he was the cadet commander of his school's ROTC unit, and he received the American Legion Cup as an outstanding cadet.

As a young man Dick attended Kansas State University and while a student, he accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. While spending a year away from K-State to earn enough money to finish his degree, Dick was called into active duty in 1940.

During an infantry course at Ft. Benning, Dick witnessed the original parachute test platoon and volunteered to become a paratrooper. He was part of the sixth jump school class ever held by the Army and became one of its first paratroopers. Dick rose rapidly through the ranks until at the age of only 25, as a major, he was given command of the 2nd Battalion of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

Showing great potential at a young age, Dick was soon promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. As the Army's youngest battalion commander, he led his men throughout many historic combat operations in Europe.

During the Battle of the Bulge, Dick's battalion and a Regiment of the 7th Armored Division formed what became known as Task Force Seitz. Their mission was to plug the gaps on the north slope of the Bulge every time the Germans tried to make a breakout. During the battle, some of the bloodiest fighting in WWII, Dick's battalion went from 691 men to 380.

Years later when asked about the worst day in this life, Dick quickly identified it as Jan. 3, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge, when his unit came under heavy artillery fire and 21 of his men were killed.

Before shipping out to Europe and while still a student at K-State, Dick began dating his first wife, the former Bettie Merrill. When Dick was called up for active duty, Bettie continued her studies at K-State, graduated in 1942 and joined the Red Cross.

In 1945 she was stationed in Holland when she read that Dick's battalion was heavily engaged in the fighting around St. Vith. Determined to see him, she drove by herself from Holland to the front in Belgium and managed to find his battalion. She wasn't allowed to go to the very front lines where Dick was, but her trip put them back in touch and 6 months later they were married in France, with one Red Cross bridesmaid and 1,800 paratroopers in attendance.

Dick spent the next 33 years by Bettie's side before her passing in 1978. Together they raised one son and three daughters and traveled the world as Dick continued to serve his country. Among his many command posts were the 2nd Airborne Battle Group, 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division, which he led into Detroit and Washington, DC, in 1967 to quell the riots.

An airborne historian, Dr. John Duvall, said Dick was: “... an airborne pioneer and one of the fellows who set the standards for what the airborne was all about. That standard continues to be the standard the paratrooper follows today. They have bigger airplanes and more complex weapons today, but standards were set by them. We have lost a great soldier in Dick Seitz.”

During his Army career which included nearly 37 years of active duty, Dick received numerous awards. Because of his great courage and heroism during WWII, Dick was awarded with the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart.

Despite his many accomplishments in the military, one friend said he: “... remained humble and sincere. Often embarrassed by any fuss made over him, he was the kind of person you wanted to be. He was always concerned for others above himself.” As a soldier and commander, Dick's philosophy was always to take care of his troops. Throughout his career, he served as a mentor to many other soldiers and leaders in the Army.

Retired Brigadier General and former senior commander of Ft. Riley, Don MacWillie said: “LTG Seitz showed to me and the entire 1st Infantry Division what it is to be a soldier, a statesman, and a gentleman. Very few men come along who can live as all three--Dick Seitz certainly did. I will miss him not only because of our friendship but because other soldiers will not have the opportunity to learn as I did. Our Army, community and nation has lost a treasure.”

In 1975, Dick returned to Kansas upon his military retirement and 3 years later, his wife Bettie passed away. In 1980, he married Virginia Crane and together they spent the next 26 years actively involved in the local community until her passing in 2006. Dick was a mentor of mine, a friend, and someone I greatly respected. He not only served our country but also his state and community.

Dick settled in Junction City following his retirement, but he never truly retired from serving. He frequently visited Ft. Riley to greet deploying and returning units from Iraq and Afghanistan--no matter the hour, day or night. He was also involved with the Coronado Council of the Boy Scouts, served on the Board of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and was named an outstanding citizen of Kansas.

Most recently, the General Richard J. Seitz Elementary School at Ft. Riley was named in his honor in 2012. Dick was well known to the students and staff because he regularly visited the school. During his visits, he would talk with the students about what it meant to be a "proud and great American.'' And his message was always to "respect the teachers and be a learner."

His family and friends have described him as a gentleman, compassionate, respected, full of integrity, gracious and giving. He was truly a remarkable individual.

His daughter Patricia said this about her father: “He was my role model. An individual who had great wisdom, great sense of humor, always interested in others, always looking for ways to help others succeed.” Dick lived each day to its fullest and his commitment to his fellow man serves as an inspiration.

Senator Dole had these words to share about his comrade in arms, and he said this, again quoting Senator Dole: “We were just ordinary Americans who were called on to meet the greatest of challenges. No one knows better than the soldier the futility of war, in many respects the ultimate failure of mankind. Yet there are principles worth fighting for, and evils worth fighting against. The defense of those principles summons the greatest qualities of which human beings are capable: courage beyond measure, loyalty beyond words, sacrifice and ingenuity and endurance beyond imagining. I would say that is a fitting description of my friend, Lieutenant General Richard Seitz.

Today in the Senate, when we look for role models, when the American people look for something different from Washington, from what they usually get, we can look to our military men and women, to our soldiers, to people like General Seitz.  Not one individual volunteered who was drafted to serve in military who did so for the purposes of republicans or democrats.  They did it because they believed that America was a great place, was worth protecting, wanted to take care of its families and future generations. Richard Seitz was that kind of servant.

I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his three daughters, Patricia, Catherine and Victoria; and to his son Rick and the entire Seitz family. I know they loved him dearly and will miss him very much every day. I hope to be at the funeral services honoring General Seitz on Monday.  I ask my colleagues and all Kansans to remember the Seitz family in their thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today called for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands to help livestock producers suffering from sustained and critical drought.

The following is the text of the letter the Senators sent to U.S. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Tom Vilsack dated today:

“Thank you for your commitment to provide every USDA resource to help producers and communities deal with the devastating effects of an ongoing drought. In many Kansas counties, the drought rivals that of the 1930s. While many parts of the country have received much-needed rainfall, according to the July 2, 2013 Drought Monitor, 85 percent of Kansas is suffering from four and in some cases five years of drought.

“Illustrating the cumulative effects of drought in our state, the July 1, 2012 Drought Monitor Index listed zero percent of Kansas in the D-4 category and 18 percent D-3. Only a year later, conditions have deteriorated to 24 percent D-4 and 21 percent D-3.

“The Kansas State Farm Service Agency (FSA) Committee, FSA Executive Director Adrian Polansky, and the State Technical Committee are considering several proposals for the use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage in 2013. These proposals should be consistent with the relief that was granted in 2012.  We urge you to swiftly authorize those actions so they can effectively respond to Kansas’ deteriorating conditions. USDA should reject any proposal that adds additional requirements on a producer’s ability to utilize CRP acreage under emergency haying and grazing provisions.

“USDA agencies and personnel have forged a partnership with farmers, ranchers, local communities and state government agencies to utilize every available resource and program authority for survival and sustainability until weather patterns improve.  Without adequate forage, the Kansas cattle industry, which generates more than $7 billion in cash receipts annually, will be impacted as producers will be forced to sell their cattle. Irreplaceable genetics and traits bred for generations could be lost in the open market jeopardizing our state’s leading industry.

“Access to additional forage resources will reduce the pressure on non-CRP native grass which will help facilitate restoration of quality and quantity of vegetation for livestock and wildlife habitat when normal rainfall returns. Thank you for your consideration and timely response to this critical situation.”

Sen. Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Sen. Moran is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator and Ranking Member for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Health and Human Services Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) offered several amendments to the Senate Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill for FY 2014. Two of those amendments - delaying the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual and employer mandates - failed in party-line votes.

Sen. Moran to Offer Senate Appropriations Bill Amendments to Delay ACA Individual and Employer Mandates

"Implementation has not lowered costs or increased access as promised, and if businesses are getting relief from Democrats' costly, defective law, why aren't individuals and families?"

Jul 10 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator and Ranking Member for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Health and Human Services Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined Sens. Thune (R-S.D.), Cornyn (R-Texas), Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Blunt (R-Mo.) and all Republican Senators in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to permanently delay the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To bolster that effort, Sen. Moran is offering several amendments to the Senate Appropriations Bill on Thursday: two of those amendments are delaying the individual and employer mandates.

Sen. Moran Statement on Administration Delaying Affordable Care Act Employer Mandate

"While the Administration finally admitted that the employer mandate is unworkable in 2014, it now must recognize that the real problem continues to be the entire Affordable Care Act."

Jul 02 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) released the following statement on the Obama Administration's decision to delay the Affordable Care Act employer mandate: "While the Administration finally admitted that the employer mandate is unworkable in 2014, it now must recognize that the real problem continues to be the entire Affordable Care Act.