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Thune, Portman, and Moran Introduce Legislation to Enhance Border Security and Codify DACA Protections
Bill Would Create $25 Billion Border Security Trust Fund and Protect Current DACA Recipients
Feb 15 2018
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) today filed an amendment to the underlying immigration reform vehicle that would establish a $25 billion trust fund to enhance U.S. border security. The amendment would also codify protections for those individuals who, at no fault of their own, entered the United States illegally as children and are currently covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“This commonsense legislation would fulfill several urgent short- and long-term needs, which include extending permanent protection to today’s Dreamers who are facing an uncertain future and finally taking a meaningful step toward enhancing border security, which is a priority for the president and a majority of us in Congress,” said Thune. “Immigration policy is not easy, as this week has shown, but I’m confident that with a bill like the one we’ve just put forward, we’ll be able to find consensus among Republicans and Democrats.”
“A sensible and fair solution is to codify the protections for the DACA population while also putting in place stronger border security measures consistent with the president’s proposal,” said Portman. “Those in the DACA program are here through no fault of their own, and for many this is the only country they know. This proposal represents a permanent legislative solution that will allow those in the DACA program to stay here and continue to contribute to our society while strengthening our border security to protect all Americans. Despite the failure to make progress today, I believe we still have a responsibility to resolve this issue and this proposal is a fair and responsible solution that could get the necessary votes to become law.”
“Our nation has long valued diversity – of thought, of ideas, of background – and we must continue to foster this American spirit,” said Moran. “Congress has a responsibility to develop a humanitarian plan that cares for the children who were brought to the United States by their parents through no choice of their own and at the same time protects our homeland. Accordingly, any immigration plan must not inadvertently encourage further illegal immigration and must be coupled with enhanced border security so we limit these circumstances down the road. This bill returns to the basics of what a vast majority of my colleagues and the president support – providing long-term certainty to DACA recipients and better securing our borders. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this sensible solution that provides us a realistic path forward to get a bill to the president’s desk.”
The trust fund that would be established by the Thune-Portman-Moran legislation would be capped at $5 billion in outlays per year, which would include payment for no fewer than 700 miles of reinforced fencing (excluding vehicle barriers), additional physical barriers, access and patrol roads, lighting, an interlocking surveillance camera system, remote sensors, and the purchase of surplus Department of Defense aircraft and unmanned systems.
The legislation would codify DACA protections for only the existing population of people who are currently covered by the program, and it would preserve the current renewal process at two-year intervals.
Click here for legislative text of the Thune-Portman-Moran legislation.
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WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), along with U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced The Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act to make certain fallen servicemembers’ families receive military death benefits, even during periods of government shutdowns.
When servicemembers perished during government shutdowns in 2013 and 2018, their families were initially denied military death benefits. This legislation would provide a permanent appropriation of funds to immediately pay military death benefits to survivors of servicemembers killed during any future government shutdown. The longstanding purpose of the military death gratuity payment is to assist families of deceased servicemembers in meeting their financial needs during the period immediately following a servicemember's death and before other survivor benefits become available.
The benefits covered by this legislation include:
- Death gratuities for survivors of deceased military service members;
- Funeral and burial expenses;
- Authorized funeral travel, including to dignified transfer ceremonies;
- A temporary continuation of a basic allowance for housing (BAH) for dependents.
Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Tom Rooney (R-FL) introduced the same bill in the House of Representatives.
“When our servicemembers make the ultimate sacrifice protecting our freedoms, we must make certain no grieving family is subjected to delayed benefits due to Congressional stalemate,” said Senator Moran. “No Congressional disagreements should prevent our heroes’ families from quickly receiving the benefits they are owed. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill and see it signed into law.”
“We have a duty as Americans to support those who serve and their families,” said Senator Coons. “In the words of President Lincoln, we must meet our sacred commitment to those ‘who have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.’ I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill into law and ensure that these benefits are never subject to Congressional inaction.”
“In 2013 when the government shutdown, more than a dozen brave servicemembers were killed in action and I was outraged when their military death benefits were denied,” said Senator Manchin. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this bill to make sure that when the government shuts down, military death gratuities would never lapse and would always be immediately paid. These days, government shutdowns are all too common here in Washington and the families of these servicemembers should never pay the price.”
“Our men and women in uniform fight tirelessly to defend our nation and preserve our values,” said Senator Ernst. “It is essential that we ensure the families of our servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country are provided with benefits and assistance they need without delay – regardless of the debate happening inside the halls of Congress. While nothing can ever relieve the families of the pain, we can ensure they receive the promised assistance, and that their loved one is buried with honor.”
“Providing for our service members and their families should be above partisan fights in Congress,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “There should never be any question of our commitment to honor our troops, particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. That is why I am proud to ensure that their families receive the necessary support and financial assistance they need during such a tragic time as the loss of a loved one. A government shutdown should not stand in the way of military family members getting the support they deserve.”
“Our brave servicemen and women sacrifice so much to defend our country and keep Americans safe and free—selflessly putting their lives on the line every day,” said Senator Capito. “There are many consequences of a government shutdown, but it’s unacceptable that we would put ourselves in a position to deny military benefits to the families of fallen service members. This bipartisan legislation will ensure that whether the government is open or not, these families receive the benefits they’ve been promised for their loved one’s sacrifice.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which exercises jurisdiction over aviation, railroad, broadband and other key infrastructure – issued the following statement on the administration’s infrastructure proposal released today:
“For years, Washington has neglected to adequately address the unique issues affecting rural America, including the growing Digital Divide. I am pleased that the president’s infrastructure plan includes an aggressive strategy to equip Americans living in rural areas with high-quality roads and bridges, modernized communications networks and the ability to quickly create and build infrastructure important to each community. These kinds of investments will make a clear difference in the lives of Kansans across our state. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send an infrastructure bill to the president’s desk that streamlines the permitting process, cuts cumbersome red tape and quickly deploys broadband infrastructure to rural America.”
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Sen. Moran Appointed to Key U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittees
Feb 12 2018
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – today announced his appointment to three Banking Committee subcommittees for the 115th Congress.
Sen Moran’s U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittees:
- Securities, Insurance, and Investment
- Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Economic Policy
“These subcommittee appointments will further allow me to advocate for Kansans on a wide array of issues pertaining to banking, insurance, housing, mass transportation and global competitiveness,” said Sen. Moran. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in each of these subcommittees to promote economic growth and upward mobility for all Americans.”
Sen. Moran serves on the following committees for the 115th Congress:
- U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
- U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
- U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
- U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
- U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Sen. Moran’s Livestock Disaster Relief Provisions Included in Bipartisan Budget Agreement
Feb 09 2018
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, which includes two Moran livestock disaster relief provisions.
“I was pleased the budget agreement included two of my provisions to expand the Livestock Indemnity Program to help farmers and ranchers who were impacted by wildfires in Kansas and across the country,” said Sen. Moran. “Following last year’s wildfires, many of our nation’s farmers and ranchers experienced devastating losses that crippled their ability to do what they do best – feed the American people. This is an extraordinary situation that requires an extraordinary response, so we are improving the Livestock Indemnity Program to make it more effective and to increase support for our ag community. I’m pleased that many of the ranchers affected by the southwest Kansas wildfires last year, especially those who suffered the greatest losses, will receive much-needed additional assistance so they can continue their efforts to rebuild, which are still taking place to this day.”
Item to Note:
- Last November, Sen. Moran and Rep. Roger Marshall (KS-01) introduced legislation to improve and reform livestock disaster programs Kansas farmers and ranchers rely on in times of natural disaster. The first of the four bills, S. 2050, would allow for LIP partial payments. The second, S. 2053, would double the LIP payment limit. The third, S. 2054, would create an ECP fencing option to allow for upfront payments. The fourth bill, S. 2049, would raise the ECP payment limit.
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Sen. Moran Meets with Acting FAA Administrator to Stress Need for Long-Term FAA Reauthorization
Feb 07 2018
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; member of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee; and co-chair of the Senate Aerospace Caucus – today met with Dan Ewell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to discuss his priorities for a long-term FAA reauthorization and to emphasize the importance of FAA reform for Kansas.
“Last year, our committee passed legislation that addresses priorities from both sides of the aisle and today I met with Administrator Ewell to make certain he understands my commitment to seeing this long-term bill signed into law,” said Sen. Moran. “We also discussed the future of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and some of the issues critical to Wichita’s aviation industry, such as streamlining aircraft certification processes and growing our manufacturing sector. Lastly, I reiterated my opposition to any proposal that would privatize our air traffic control system, harming all but our nation’s largest airports.”
Background
- Kansans have built three out of every four general aviation aircraft since the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, and today, over 40,000 Kansans make a living manufacturing, operating and servicing the world’s highest quality aircraft.
- Last year, Sen. Moran voted in favor of the Senate’s FAA reform proposal and opposed the six-month extension that resulted after disagreement with the House.
- In January, Sen. Moran reiterated his commitment to the long-term FAA reauthorization passed by the Senate Commerce committee.
- Sen. Moran has been a vocal opponent of proposals to privatize our nation’s air traffic control system, advocating instead in favor of proposals to provide greater protections for the general aviation industry, small airports and all but the largest communities nationwide.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined 66 of his Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize funding for community health centers. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the senators expressed their strong support for community health centers, which provide access to cost-effective primary and preventive care for families across the country.
“Community health centers serve a vital function, providing affordable health care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” wrote the senators. “They provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to more than 27 million patients, including 330,000 of our nation’s veterans and 8 million children, at over 10,000 sites nationwide. … Without extension of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), community health centers will lose seventy percent of their funding. This will result in an estimated 2,800 site closures, the loss of 50,000 jobs, and approximately 9 million Americans losing access to their health care.”
As the senators note in their letter, the CHCF expired on September 30, 2017. The failure to reauthorize the fund has jeopardized access to care for millions of Americans, and made it difficult for community health centers to adequately plan for everything from staffing needs to securing loans for capital projects.
The letter was also signed by Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), John Boozman (Ark.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Ben Cardin (Md.), Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Christopher Coons (Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Steve Daines (Mont.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), John Hoeven (N.D.), James Inhofe (Okla.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Doug Jones (Ala.), Tim Kaine (Va.), John Kennedy (La.), Angus King (Maine), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Jack Reed (R.I.), James Risch (Idaho), Bernie Sanders (Vt.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Mark Warner (Va.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), and Roger Wicker (Miss.).
Full letter text is below.
February 5, 2018
The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer
Majority Leader Minority Leader
United States Senate United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:
We write to express our concern over funding for community health centers, which expired on September 30, 2017. We strongly urge you to reauthorize this funding immediately.
Community health centers serve a vital function, providing affordable health care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. They provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to more than 27 million patients, including 330,000 of our nation’s veterans and 8 million children, at over 10,000 sites nationwide. By offering preventative care, treating chronic conditions, and working to fight the opioid epidemic, community health centers are not only greatly improving the health and well-being of those they serve, they are also saving significant taxpayer dollars.
Without extension of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), community health centers will lose seventy percent of their funding. This will result in an estimated 2,800 site closures, the loss of 50,000 jobs, and approximately 9 million Americans losing access to their health care. Moreover, community health centers operate as small businesses and require a level of predictability to operate and respond to the needs of their communities. Since the expiration of the CHCF, community health centers have not been able to adequately plan for everything from staffing needs to securing loans for capital projects. In addition, the expiration of the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program threatens the ability of health centers to meet their workforce needs.
For more than fifty years, community health centers have experienced strong bipartisan support. In fact, twenty bipartisan senators cosponsor legislation which reauthorizes funding not only for community health centers but also for the National Health Service Corps.
We look forward to working with you to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the community health center program and enable our community health centers to continue providing high quality and affordable care to those in need.
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Sens. Moran, Blumenthal Broaden Ongoing Sexual Abuse Investigation, Hearings To Follow
Alarming New Reports Yield Expanded Inquiry Regarding Systemic Failures Throughout US Olympic Committee & NGBs
Feb 02 2018
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 Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security with jurisdiction over the health and safety of USA Gymnastics, US Olympic and NCAA athletes – today sent letters to the remaining 53 National Governing Bodies (NGB) to broaden their ongoing investigation and prepare for hearings regarding the systemic reporting failures following reports that revealed two USOC executives were alerted of possible sexual misconduct by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar a year before he was suspended from treating athletes.
Last week, Sens. Moran and Blumenthal questioned whether USA Gymnastics (USAG) and Michigan State University (MSU) tried to silence gymnasts with non-disclosure agreements and what the US Olympic Committee (USOC) is doing to prevent future atrocities. The senators requested a response to those inquiries by February 9, 2018.
“Protecting athletes remains a key priority of this Committee,” the senators state in today’s letters. “As so, it is critical for the Committee to maintain detailed oversight related to the reporting protocols for allegations of sexual abuse and other criminal activities.
“More recently, reports indicated that two USOC executives were alerted of possible sexual misconduct about a year before the initial allegations against Dr. Nassar became public in September 2016,” the senators continued. “This alarming development requires a broader inquiry on the systemic reporting mechanisms in place throughout USOC and associated National Governing Bodies (NGB).”
Please see the full letter to the 53 NGBs below and click here for the signed letter.
February 2, 2018
As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security with jurisdiction over the health and safety of amateur athletes participating in US Olympic Committee (USOC) activities and events pursuant to Article XXV paragraph(f)(1), line 16 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, we requested specific information from USOC, USA Gymnastics (USAG), and Michigan State University (MSU) on January 25, 2018, regarding the systemic failures to protect athletes from sexual abuse and the reported filing of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to silence Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney[1]. Ms. Maroney was one of more than 150 young women sexually abused by former USAG team doctor Larry Nassar who has been sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse on January 24, 2017[2].
More recently, reports indicate that two USOC executives were alerted of possible sexual misconduct about a year before the initial allegations against Dr. Nassar became public in September 2016[3]. This alarming development requires a broader inquiry on the systemic reporting mechanisms in place throughout USOC and associated National Governing Bodies (NGB).
Protecting athletes remains a key priority of this Committee. Its jurisdiction includes the Ted Stevens Act[4], which established USOC and the current NGB structure for individual sports. A key aim of that law is to protect the health and safety of athletes throughout this organizational structure. As so, it is critical for the Committee to maintain detailed oversight related to the reporting protocols for allegations of sexual abuse and other criminal activities.
While we appreciate the efforts by USOC to establish the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, which is focused on protecting the well-being of athletes on and off the field, it is obvious that additional measures need to be taken in order to prevent similarly heinous crimes from occurring in the future while ensuring appropriate reporting in the unfortunate event that they do. Accordingly, we were pleased to see S. 534, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, as amended by the House of Representatives, pass the Senate this past week. This legislation would alleviate any confusion or uncertainty surrounding the responsibility of NGBs and associated volunteers to report child and sexual abuse to law enforcement by making it a federal crime to fail to do so.
In light of serious allegations against USOC’s treatment of past reports, and pursuant to this Committee’s oversight responsibilities, please answer the following questions:
- What reporting protocols for child and sexual abuse allegations are currently in place to ensure that all reports receive fair, timely, and thorough review by all appropriate parties, including law enforcement?
- Are there special accommodations to account for volunteers that are separately employed by non-NGB institutions, like the case of Dr. Nassar who was employed by MSU, in these reporting practices?
- Has your organization ever utilized an NDA to enforce confidentiality against any athlete, volunteer, or employee in the past? To the extent possible, please provide all details regarding the justification and circumstances surrounding every individual NDA used by your organization.
- Has your organization ever utilized additional binding agreements other than NDAs with athletes under your purview? To the extent possible, please provide all details regarding the justification and circumstances surrounding every individual agreement used by your organization.
- Since the recent lawsuits filed against USOC, USAG, and MSU for organizational failures to investigate, discipline, or remove Dr. Nassar after complaints of sexual abuse, has you organization taken any additional steps to improve the transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of its criminal misconduct reporting mechanisms?
- Please identify any circumstance in which USOC did not take any action following a report of criminal behavior from your organization. To the extent possible, please provide all details regarding the justification and circumstances involved in USOC’s decision to not act.
- In 2017, USOC engaged with a third-party consultant to assess compliance with SafeSport policies and procedures within USOC and all of its NGBs and High Performance Management Organizations (HPMO)[5]. Please describe the report issued for your organization, including any recommendations necessary for full compliance. If additional recommendations were issued, what actions were taken by your organization? Are there any remaining recommendations that your organization has yet to fully implement?
Please provide the requested information as soon as possible, but by no later than February 16, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact our staff. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
JERRY MORAN
Chairman
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security
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[2] Steve Friess, More Victims of ex-USA Gymnastics Doctor to Testify as Scandal Widens, REUTERS, Feb. 2, 2018.
[3] Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Olympics Committee Failed to Act on Nassar’s Alleged Abuse for a Full Year, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, Feb. 1, 2018.
[4] Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C. §§ 220501-220512, 220521-220529.
[5] “About SafeSport: 2017 Audit Reports,” TEAM USA, https://www.teamusa.org/Footer/Legal/Safe-Sport, (Feb. 1, 2018)
WASHINGTON – Following an investigative report into companies that sell fake social media accounts – deceiving clients and consumers alike – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote the Acting Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Maureen Ohlhausen, seeking an investigation into deceptive and fraudulent practices that “have the effect of distorting the online marketplace and creating a false sense of celebrity, credibility, or importance in people, companies, or institutions that may not deserve it.”
In the letter, Sens. Moran and Blumenthal, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, raised concerns regarding companies that purport to help clients increase their social media presence among real users, while actually selling fake followers and interactions. The Senators urged the FTC to use its authority to protect consumers from this “unique kind of social identity theft.”
The full text of today’s letter is available here and copied below.
January 30, 2018
The Honorable Maureen Ohlhausen
Acting Chairman
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20580
Dear Acting Chairman Ohlhausen:
We write regarding the disturbing New York Times investigation over the weekend into Devumi, an American company that sells a panoply of social media actions, including followers, on some of the biggest social media websites, including Twitter and YouTube.[1] The company bills itself as a marketing company that can help clients increase their social media presence. In reality, the company allegedly uses bots to create fake social media accounts – evidently deceiving its own clients and creating tens of thousands of victims of a unique kind of social identity theft. This company seems engaged in unfair or deceptive practices, and we urge you to use all the tools at your disposal to take immediate action to investigate this company, along with any other similar services, and shut down any fraudulent practices they are engaged in.
Devumi’s website – still live – offers any clients willing to pay a smorgasbord of social media influence: followers, retweets, and likes on Twitter; views, subscribers, likes, dislikes, and shares on Google’s YouTube; plays, followers, likes, reposts, and comments on SoundCloud, the music-hosting site; followers, likes, and repins on Pinterest, the discovery and inspiration site; plays and followers on Vimeo; and followers and endorsements on LinkedIn, the professional networking site.
The advertising on Devumi’s website belies its reported practice of purchasing bots to generate fake social media accounts and interactions. For example, regarding its YouTube-related services, Devumi advertises, “100% Real Views from Real People.”[2] Yet this is clearly not the case. According to data analysis by The Times, Devumi operates from “an estimated stock of at least 3.5 million automated accounts.” Even worse, Devumi appears to be complicit in a massive social media identity theft operation. At least 55,000 of these accounts use “the names, profile pictures, hometowns and other personal details of real Twitter users, including minors.”
Devumi’s fraudulent practices are likely linked to widespread consumer harms. The inflated number of followers, retweets, and the like enabled by Devumi’s services have the effect of distorting the online marketplace and creating a false sense of celebrity, credibility, or importance in people, companies, or institutions that may not deserve it.
As you know, Section 5 of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. §45) provides the FTC authority to bring enforcement actions against deceptive or unfair marketing practices. We urge you to use this statutory authority to investigate deceptive and unfair practices of these social media influencing services and take appropriate action. We respectfully request a response by February 14, 2018.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), along with 35 of his Senate colleagues, sent a letter to President Trump highlighting how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) benefits the United States and outlining how the agreement can be improved.
“NAFTA supports 14 million jobs, representing thousands of jobs in each of the 50 states,” the senators wrote. "Despite all of its benefits, however, we can do better and there are opportunities to improve the agreement. Modernizing NAFTA to increase market access, expand energy exports to maximize domestic energy production and including provisions on intellectual property and e-commerce will make this agreement even more beneficial to the United States.”
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Bob Corker (R-Tenn).
The letter reads in full:
Mr. President:
We write today to reaffirm the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and congratulate you on efforts to modernize the agreement and put America first. You have the opportunity to unleash the American economy like no President has done before and fuel historic growth.
NAFTA has driven U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico to approximately $1.3 trillion annually. Whether manufacturers, farmers, or insurance providers, a wide range of industries in the U.S. have benefitted from this agreement and American consumers are reaping those benefits, too. Canadians and Mexicans buy nearly $500 billion worth of U.S. manufactured goods each year, translating to $37,000 in export revenue for every American factory worker, and U.S. agricultural exports to the two countries have quadrupled under the agreement from $8.9 billion in 1993 to $38.1 billion in 2016.
NAFTA supports 14 million jobs, representing thousands of jobs in each of the 50 states. Despite all of its benefits, however, we can do better and there are opportunities to improve the agreement. Modernizing NAFTA to increase market access, expand energy exports to maximize domestic energy production and including provisions on intellectual property and e-commerce will make this agreement even more beneficial to the United States.
Mr. President, your leadership has jump-started our economy. The recent tax reform bill is already leading to economic success across all industries and the stock market is at record highs. The next step to advance the economy requires that we keep NAFTA in place, but modernize it to better reflect our 21st century economy. We look forward to working with you and your Administration to make that modernization a reality and bring Americans even greater economic success.
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