WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today applauded the appointment of Kansan Ken Selzer to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) board. He was one of four new members chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to serve on this board.

“Ken’s work ethic and professional career make him uniquely qualified to be on the FCIC Board of Directors,” said Sen. Moran. “Ken understands the crop insurance system at a professional and personal level and will provide important leadership and knowledge during his tenure on the board.”

Sen. Moran supported Ken Selzer’s nomination and urged the USDA to appoint him to this position.

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed sweeping Olympic reform legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) – chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee with jurisdiction and oversight of the health and safety of U.S. Olympic, Paralympic and amateur athletes. This legislation now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Sens. Moran and Blumenthal introduced S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act, in July of 2019 following an eighteen-month investigation into systemic abuse within the U.S. Olympic movement. The joint investigation was launched the day after Larry Nassar was sentenced to prison and included four subcommittee hearings, interviews with Olympic athletes and survivors, and the retrieval of over 70,000 pages of documents.

“The very institutions charged with protecting these athletes failed countless times, choosing to ignore or cover up abuse rather than defend and protect athletes and survivors,” said Sens. Moran and Blumenthal. “Today, the House passed our Olympic reform legislation advancing critical changes and effective safeguards to protect our Olympic, Paralympic and amateur athletes. Through the input and guidance of the courageous survivors – athletes who traveled to Washington, shared their stories and demanded change – we were able to advance this legislation through Congress.”

“We are grateful to our colleagues in the House who advocated for this bill, and we look forward to the president signing this legislation into law to institute and enforce these reforms so all athletes can participate in the sport they love without fear of abuse,” the Senators continued.  

U.S. Representatives Ted Lieu (D-Cal.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Dianna DeGette (D-Colo.) and Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced the companion legislation in the House.

This bill was cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Previous Action on S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act:

• The legislation was introduced on July 30, 2019. Read Sens. Moran and Blumenthal’s editorial announcing their sweeping legislation in USA TODAY here.
• The legislation was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on November 13, 2019.
• The legislation unanimously passed the Senate on August 4, 2020.

The Moran-Blumenthal Investigative Report & Legislation:

• Click here to read the senators’ full investigative report, findings and recommendations.
• Click here to read final bill text.
• Click here to read a one-page summary of the bill.
• Click here to read a section-by-section summary of the bill.

S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act:

• Empowers athletes by giving them a seat at the decision-making table, and significantly increases athlete representation on governing boards, committees and panels within National Governing Bodies (NBGs) and the USOPC to help identify problematic policies and practices faster, while prioritizing athlete-centric solutions;
• Bolsters resources for the U.S. Center for SafeSport while ensuring its independence from the USOPC and the NGBs;
• Requires relevant SafeSport training, so athletes know how to identify abuse, and so adults know how to prevent it;
• Strengthens and codifies reporting mandates for adults with knowledge of any allegation of child abuse of an amateur athlete;
• Protects individuals who report emotional, physical or sexual abuse of an athlete from retaliation within the Olympic movement;
• Promotes safety by requiring NGBs to enforce SafeSport sanctions and directing SafeSport to maintain a public list of all barred coaches and individuals;
• Bolsters USOPC auditing and reporting requirements, so that Congress can better provide regular oversight; and
• Establishes legislative mechanisms by which Congress can dissolve the Board of the USOPC and decertify NGBs.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined his colleagues this week to introduce the bicameral Women’s Public Health and Safety Act, which gives states the authority to exclude abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. Under current law, states are required to allow any qualified provider to participate in a state’s Medicaid system.

A non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed that Planned Parenthood received $1.2 billion in Medicaid reimbursements over a three-year period, accounting for 80 percent of the abortion provider’s joint federal-state funding stream.

“Human life is precious and should be protected,” said Sen. Moran. “I have consistently supported measures to prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions and will continue to take steps to protect unborn children.”

Sen. Moran was joined in introducing this bill by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Michael Cloud (TX-27) and 50 of his colleagues.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined his colleagues in calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide additional funding for projects that will improve safety and navigation on the Lower Missouri River.

“Currently, there is a critically dire situation related to navigation challenges in several areas along the Missouri River where serious barge traffic accidents have occurred and commercial activity has nearly come to an abrupt halt as we enter harvest season in the Midwest,” the members wrote.

Many farmers, industries, and small businesses in the Midwest rely on the Missouri River to transport goods. High water levels and record flooding in 2019 have prevented the USACE from completing repairs on water infrastructure projects, which has led to dangerous accidents that have significantly disrupted commerce on the river.

“We understand that the Kansas City District has received $20 million in emergency supplemental funds to conduct necessary work on the navigation channel,” the members continued. “However, we understand that the need for resources between the Kansas City District and the Omaha District to fully address all the repairs is an estimated $200 million to ensure that the lower Missouri River is fully navigable. As this situation evolves, we request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers utilize administrative flexibilities and direct additional resources to address these challenges along the Missouri River.”

The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), along with U.S. Representatives Sam Graves (MO-06), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Jason Smith (MO-8), and Ann Wagner (MO-2).

The full letter can be found here or below.

September 22, 2020

Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon

Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

441 G Street NW

Washington, DC 20314-1000

Dear Lieutenant General Spellmon,

We write today to convey a growing concern that we continue to hear from navigators and industries that rely upon the Missouri River for the transportation of their raw materials.  Currently, there is a critically dire situation related to navigation challenges in several areas along the Missouri River where serious barge traffic accidents have occurred and commercial activity has nearly come to an abrupt halt as we enter harvest season in the Midwest. 

As we know you are aware, the Kansas City and Omaha Districts’ authorized mission is to maintain a 9 foot by 300 foot navigation channel as part of the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project authorized by Congress. The current conditions and challenges impacting the navigation channel are largely attributed to previously constructed shallow water habitat chute projects and dike notches.  Additionally, the prior three years of high water including the record duration 2019 flood event have contributed greatly to these challenges. The recent years of high water have prevented the Corps from both identifying needs and completing repairs.  In addition, the river levels have dropped relatively quickly, leaving behind sediment that needs to be scoured from the channel and causing navigation structures to work improperly. 

We appreciate all the efforts and actions that the Kansas City and Omaha Districts have taken to date in order to respond to this emergency and remediate the most pressing problems.  We understand that the Kansas City District has received $20 million in emergency supplemental funds to conduct necessary work on the navigation channel.  However, we understand that the need for resources between the Kansas City District and the Omaha District to fully address all the repairs is an estimated $200 million to ensure that the lower Missouri River is fully navigable.  As this situation evolves, we request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers utilize administrative flexibilities and direct additional resources to address these challenges along the Missouri River.  

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