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Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Startup Act
Moran, Warner, Blunt & Klobuchar continue push for innovation, jobs & economic development
Jan 31 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today reintroduced the Startup Act – bipartisan, cutting-edge legislation to encourage job creation, grow entrepreneurial activity, increase innovation and advance economic development.
The Startup Act would accelerate the commercialization of university research and creative inquiry that can lead to new ventures, review and improve the regulatory processes at the federal, state and local levels, and modernize a critical Economic Development Administration (EDA) program to spur economic growth and promote innovation. The widely-supported legislation also creates both entrepreneur and STEM visas for highly-educated individuals so they can remain in the United States legally to promote new ideas, fuel economic opportunity and create good-paying American jobs.
“America continues to fall behind in new business development and struggles to retain top talent that could grow our U.S. economy,” said Sen. Moran. “With a renewed sense of urgency, Congress must prioritize policies that will help recruit and retain highly-skilled students and innovators, bolster a pro-growth environment and enable entrepreneurs to transform ideas and research into companies and products – creating meaningful, good-paying jobs for Americans in the process. Thank you to Senators Mark Warner, Roy Blunt and Amy Klobuchar for continuing to prioritize this important legislation to help make certain America remains the best place in the world to bring an idea to market and grow a business.”
“I’ve spent most of my career in the private sector so I know the importance of advancing innovation,” said Sen. Warner. “By encouraging entrepreneurship and helping attract and retain talented individuals, this bipartisan bill will help Virginia promote capital investment while boosting our economy and promoting U.S. competitiveness.”
“To compete and succeed in a 21st Century global economy, we have to make our country the best place in the world for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses,” said Sen. Blunt. “This bill will help promote innovation and small business growth, which in turn will create more jobs and strengthen the economy. The legislation will also increase U.S. competitiveness by making sure we have the workforce we need for high-demand STEM fields.”
“Startups and small businesses are engines of job creation and economic growth,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan bill would make it easier for students and innovators to get their ideas off the ground, encourage new ideas, and strengthen our workforce to keep the U.S. competitive in the 21st century economy.”
Many of the principles included in the Startup Act are based on the research and analysis by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Mo. Kauffman research shows that immigrants to the United States are nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start businesses, and first-generation immigrants now make up nearly 30 percent of all new U.S. entrepreneurs.
Data shows that international students studying in the U.S. on temporary visas accounted for nearly two-fifths of all Ph.D.s in STEM fields – that number has doubled over the past three decades. Further, international doctoral students were significantly more likely than domestic students to major and earn degrees in STEM disciplines in the U.S.
The Startup Act is supported by Sprint, Garmin, the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, the Kansas City Startup Foundation, Engine, the UMKC Innovation Center, the KC Tech Council, the Internet Association, the Consumer Technology Association, CTIA, SSTI, CompTIA, the Angel Capital Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, National Venture Capital Association, the Center for American Entrepreneursip and the Information Technology Industry Council.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – today released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced its proposed access standards for community care and urgent care provisions that will take effect in June under the VA MISSION Act:
“The bipartisan VA MISSION Act is the most transformative VA reform legislation in 30 years, authorizing the VA to establish a community care program that expands access to care that veterans deserve, and reducing the bureaucratic struggles they face when trying to access timely healthcare. The proposed access standards released today by the VA do not limit access to care to a handful of certain services, nor are they based on arbitrary guidelines; rather, they rely on existing healthcare system models that use known data focused on drive time and wait time, as well as varying standards practiced in the community according to Medicaid and Medicare.
“I am encouraged by the VA’s efforts to fully examine access standards across the health care spectrum utilized in our states, particularly assessing urban and rural geographic challenges faced by veteran patients. The VA’s proposal takes a sensible approach to follow through with the VA MISSION Act mandate, which will create a program that puts veterans first and increases access to care they deserve.”
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Sens. Moran, Roberts Introduce Kelsey Smith Act
Jan 30 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation – today joined U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) in introducing the Kelsey Smith Act. This legislation will assist law enforcement efforts to save lives by requiring wireless communication providers to provide call location information to law enforcement officials when responding to a call for emergency service or in an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or serious physical harm. Smith’s parents, Missey and Greg, have fought to successfully pass this legislation in 23 states and are continuing to work to make it federal law.
The legislation is named after Kelsey Smith, who was abducted in broad daylight from an Overland Park, Kansas department store and murdered on June 2, 2007. The abduction was captured on the store’s security camera, leaving little doubt of the emergency nature of the circumstances. Four days after she disappeared, authorities were able to locate Kelsey’s body after her wireless provider released the “ping” or “call location” information from her cell phone. Providing this information as fast as possible is critical to ensure law enforcement officials can rescue victims in imminent danger of death or serious harm when every second counts.
It also ensures that a professional law enforcement official in the field, not a phone company, is able to determine if your loved one is in an emergency situation. The privacy of every Kansan and American is important and this legislation strikes the appropriate balance between the ability of law enforcement to help individuals in grave danger, while also ensuring the proper checks are in place to guard against government overreach. Congressman Ron Estes (KS-04) will be introducing a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
“Kelsey Smith’s tragic abduction sent shockwaves that continue to reverberate through our state,” said Sen. Moran. “I am inspired by the Smith family’s resilience and leadership as we work toward gaining additional support for the Kelsey Smith Act. This legislation will make certain first responders have the tools they need to locate children who have been abducted, and I urge my colleagues to support this sensible bill to help save children’s lives.”
“The Kelsey Smith Act is common sense legislation that will help save countless children’s lives by making it easier for law enforcement to find children and loved ones who are abducted,” said Sen. Roberts. “I’ve worked with my colleagues and the Smith family for years to pass this legislation, which is already law in 23 states. Expediting the process of locating a cell phone could have helped save Kelsey’s life, and I hope we can pass this bill to save the lives of other innocent children who are abducted in the future.”
“If your child was missing would you not want law enforcement to have every tool available to find your child? The Kelsey Smith Act provides just that. Losing a child is life changing. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, from Kansas, said it best, ‘there’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were,’” said Missey and Greg Smith.
“I am proud to introduce the Kelsey Smith Act in the House of Representatives to honor Kelsey and help law enforcement prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future,” said Rep. Estes. “Since Kansas became the first state in the country to pass this legislation, 22 others have followed our state’s lead. It’s time we have a national Kelsey Smith Act to aid law enforcement and save lives. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and thank Senator Roberts for reintroducing this legislation in the Senate.”
The legislation is supported by law enforcement personnel in Kansas and throughout the country. John Walsh, co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also supports the Kelsey Smith Act, and his letter of support can be found here.
“Over my 22 year law enforcement career with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, 17 years have been spent in our dispatch/911 center. During that time, the Kelsey Smith Law has been the single most important piece of legislation related to potentially saving the lives of suicidal subjects, assisting endangered children and addressing life threats when cell phone location is necessary and seconds count,” said Major Scott Boden, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. “The difference this law has made cannot be overstated and I look forward to the day it becomes available across the country as a resource to assist first responders in their most critical service, saving lives.”
“Twenty three states have passed the Kelsey Smith Act and I can assure you that because of this law, lives have been saved. Time is of the essence in these types of incidents and the narrow exception for law enforcement to act with immediacy is key here. For this not to be federal law seems unjust to those who have loved ones in harm’s way and this type of intervention can and will save lives,” said retired Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning.
“Both Kansas and Missouri have had Kelsey’s Law in place for years, and there have been success stories that illustrate it has helped public safety agencies locate wireless headsets in emergency situations,” said Eric Winebrenner, Director of Public Safety at Mid-America Regional Council. “The proposed Kelsey Smith Act would extend this benefit to all public safety answering points across the nation, which could save countless lives.”
“In Tennessee, we have had the privilege to have Kelsey’s Law enacted for several years. There are multiple examples of how utilizing this law to locate the wireless device has resulted in lives being saved that otherwise would have been lost. This law enables the men and women that have dedicated their lives to the protection of others to ensure they are able to do everything possible to locate someone that needs help. The benefits of this law being passed across the nation will be far reaching and countless lives will be saved,” said Jennifer (Estes) Lanter, Loudon County 911 Director.
The legislation is also supported by CTIA – The Wireless Association, Sprint, the National District Attorneys Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizers, the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently toured the newly-opened Rock Regional Hospital in Derby with local leaders, hospital staff and hospital CEO Jason Eitutis.
From left: Kristi McConnell, Michelle Belindo, Barry Beus, Sen. Moran, Rock Regional Hospital CEO Jason Eitutis, Liz Eitutis, Cindi Strack and Jimmie Seacat.
“This recently-completed, state-of-the-art facility represents a significant accomplishment for the community and the many folks who worked to make this a reality,” said Sen. Moran. “This new hospital opened at the beginning of this year in conjunction with the 150th birthday of the city of Derby, and is more than 85,000 square feet and employs 175 Kansans. I appreciated the chance to tour the facility and visit with practitioners and hospital leadership. Thanks to CEO Jason Eitutis and staff for leading our tour and for the productive conversation. Jason just finished his time as the medical group commander at McConnell Air Force Base, and his service to our nation, and the Derby community, are greatly appreciated.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today introduced legislation to authorize the honorary promotion of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole to the grade of colonel in the U.S. Army. U.S. Representative Roger Marshall (KS-01) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I can think of no one more worthy of an honorary promotion to the rank of colonel in the United States Army than my good friend and mentor, Sen. Bob Dole,” said Sen. Moran. “From his time in the military and in Congress, to his continued leadership on veterans, hunger and disability issues, he is a true model of public service for Kansans and all Americans. It is only fitting that Sen. Dole be promoted for his exemplary service and sacrifice as an Army officer.”
“Kansas’ favorite son, Senator Bob Dole, is a true American hero and has earned this honorary promotion to colonel by his countless acts of valor and contributions to the U.S. military during his time at war and later while serving in Congress,” said Sen. Roberts. “Senator Dole has always been an advocate for our men and women in uniform, and I’m proud to introduce this legislation to honor him with the promotion, which he has more than earned throughout his decades of service.”
“Senator Bob Dole embodies what it means to be a Kansan and an American. He has dedicated his entire life to this country and our state. There is absolutely no man more deserving of this honorary promotion than Senator Dole. He has been a champion for our military and has the full support of the Kansas delegation and the U.S. Army,” said Rep. Marshall.
Dole enrolled in the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942 while he was a student at the University of Kansas. He was called to active duty the following year and served in World War II. While deployed to Italy as an infantry lieutenant, he was seriously wounded in combat and was twice cited for acts of heroism under fire. He finished his military service with two Purple Hearts and two awards of the Bronze Star Medal with “v” device for valor. He was also awarded the American Campaign medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal and the World War II Victory medal.
Following his military service, Dole was elected to Congress where he served from 1961 to 1969. He then represented Kansans in the United States Senate from 1969 until 1996.
Dole received the Congressional Gold Medal last year, after all 100 United States Senators cosponsored legislation for this award. Sen. Dole is only the eighth Senator ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997.
Sens. Roberts, Moran and Rep. Marshall introduced this legislation after an Army advisory panel reviewed Dole’s service to the Armed Forces, veterans and the national security of the United States in 2018 and recommended Dole receive an honorary promotion from captain to colonel. The Secretary of the Army endorsed this recommendation and forwarded it to Congress for further action. This honorary promotion will carry no cost to taxpayers.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently introduced the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act to make permanent a critical tax credit used to repair and upgrade short line railroads.
“Short line railroads connect rural and regional economies across our state and provide communities with access to national and global markets,” said Sen. Moran. “The BRACE Act would make certain that short line railroads and the communities who depend on them can stay up-to-date on critical maintenance and track improvements. This bipartisan legislation would mark significant progress as we work to make critical, much-needed investments in our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”
This tax credit was first established by legislation introduced in 2004 by then-U.S. Representative Jerry Moran to encourage railroads, railroad customers and suppliers – who depend the most on short line railroads – to invest directly in maintaining the more than 2,000 miles of short line rails in Kansas. Located in the center of America’s heartland, Kansas is one of the leading rail and distribution centers in our country and plays an integral role connecting farmers and factories with communities around the globe.
The BRACE Act would make permanent this tax provision used to repair and upgrade short line railroads, which are defined by the Surface Transportation Board as railroads that generate between $36 and $458 million annually and move largely agricultural and manufacturing freight. Making this tax credit permanent would allow communities to repair, maintain, and upgrade additional short line railroads nationwide.
Since 2006, Congress has acted periodically to extend the credit, often retroactively. This uncertainty causes private investment in short line rail to decline, reduces safety and customer service, and provides uncertainty to businesses, farmers and employers that cannot be globally competitive without freight rail. In addition to making this tax credit permanent, the BRACE Act would provide a safe harbor to allow credits to retroactively be allocated to investments made in 2018, as the credit was last extended only through December 31, 2017.
The BRACE Act was introduced by U.S. Senators James Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) – chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection with jurisdiction over the health and safety of USA Gymnastics, US Olympic and NCAA athletes – today released the following statement after their meeting with Ropes & Gray:
“Today, members of our subcommittee met with Ropes & Gray to discuss their independent report and ask specific questions regarding the findings of their investigation into the abuse of Olympic athletes by Larry Nassar. As part of our Subcommittee’s ongoing investigation, it was important to hear directly from Ropes & Gray investigators regarding the compilation of their report. We look forward to continuing our bipartisan work in the Senate to rectify gaps in USOC governance and develop legislation to further protect athletes from abuse.”
In December 2018, Ropes & Gray released a report that details the findings of their independent investigation into Larry Nassar’s abuse of hundreds of elite and Olympic gymnasts and other children since the early 1990s. Ropes & Gray was commissioned by a Special Committee of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee to conduct this independent investigation.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced his appointment to key committees, as well as his continued chairmanship of two influential subcommittees, in the United States Senate. Sen. Moran will serve on the following committees for the 116th Congress:
- U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Chairman
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
- U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
- Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance
- U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Chairman
- Subcommittee on Aviation and Space
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety
- U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
- U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
“These committee assignments and their wide-ranging jurisdiction allow me to advocate for priorities important to Kansans,” said Sen. Moran. “Throughout the 116th Congress and as a member of these critical committees, I look forward to crafting and supporting legislation that helps rural communities grow and prosper, benefits farmers and ranchers, bolsters our Kansas economy and small businesses, provides for our nation’s military and veterans, ensures Native Americans have the tools they need to succeed and allows our federal agencies to perform their vital functions while responsibly using taxpayer dollars. I am grateful for the opportunity Kansans have given me to represent them in the United States Senate, and these committee assignments position me well to deliver results for our state.”
Sen. Moran will remain chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which exercises funding jurisdiction over the Department of Justice, the FBI, the United States Trade Representative, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Commerce, to name a few.
Sen. Moran will also retain his chairmanship of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, where he will continue to craft meaningful data privacy legislation and be a strong advocate for consumer protection and the empowerment of our Olympic and amateur athletes.
Sen. Moran’s membership on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will further allow him to advocate for Kansans on a wide array of issues pertaining to banking, financial services, insurance, housing, community development and global competitiveness.
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 116th Congress as the second highest-ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Additionally, Sen. Moran will continue serving on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to work on behalf of the four tribes in Kansas and propose and support legislation that promotes tribal sovereignty, economic development and land management.
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Sens. Moran, Daines Introduce Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act
Legislation would restore the sovereign status of tribal governments
Jan 28 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) – members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs – introduced the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act. This legislation would clarify in a technical amendment that the definition of “employers” in the National Labor Relations Act excludes federally-recognized tribal governmental employers on tribally-owned land alongside other governmental employers.
“It is time to correct a decade-old error made by the National Labor Relations Board and once again allow tribal governments, elected by their members, to possess the right to make informed decisions on behalf of those they represent,” said Sen. Moran. “This sensible and narrow bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to exempt tribally-owned entities operated on tribally-owned lands from the NLRB and is supported by more than 160 Indian tribes and tribal corporations. The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act would rightfully restore the sovereign status of tribal governments, and I will continue working with my colleagues to get this bill to the president’s desk.”
“For far too long, the federal government has infringed on the rights of our tribes in Montana. It’s time the government gets out of the way, and empowers tribes to determine their own destiny and create good-paying jobs for their citizens,” Sen. Daines said.
This legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.).
Full text of the bill can be found here.
Items to Note:
- In February 2017, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
- In September 2017, the United States House of Representatives passed the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – this week joined 21 of his Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle in demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding a recent change in the national liver distribution policy made by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Under the new policy, transplant hospitals in areas with rural and low-income populations could have reduced access to locally donated livers, exacerbating already long wait times for patients whose lives depend on receiving a donated liver transplant.
“The changes made on December 3, 2018, by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to the national liver distribution policy could adversely impact many Americans seeking liver transplants,” the senators wrote. “…the Department only asked the OPTN to address the concerns specifically laid out in the suit – the justification for OPTN geographic regions. We are concerned that this intervention tipped the scales toward one outcome, and did not set up a process to address all the issues and factors that should be considered for fair liver distribution.”
The senators note that, by failing to account for regional variations in liver donation rates and disparities in the performance of organ procurement organizations (OPOs), the OPTN’s policy change appears to reward locations that underutilize existing organ resources and have historically had troubled OPOs.
The senators also challenge the process by which the OPTN decision was made, writing, “The December 3rd policy change both conflicts with the 2017 OPTN decision and ignores the recommendation of the Liver and Intestine Transplantation Committee, whose members include some of the nation’s leading transplant experts.”
The senators seek answers on the issues raised above, as well as specific information on the impact OPTN’s policy change will have on Midwestern and Southern states, and low-income patients, and the effects the new policy will have on transplant costs and the viability of livers in transport.
The letter, led by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), was also signed by Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Items to note:
- Last October, Sen. Moran and Sen. Blunt met with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Dr. George Sigounas to discuss proposed policy changes to the national liver distribution policy, and to raise their concerns.
- Last December, Sen. Moran and Sen. Blunt led an inquiry with HHS Secretary Alex Azar regarding this policy change.
- On December 19, Sen. Moran spoke on the floor regarding this policy change.
- On January 9, Sen. Moran spoke with HHS Secretary Alex Azar to further discuss this issue and its impact on Kansas City-area hospitals.
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