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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) – members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense – introduced the Mothers of Military Service (MOMS) Leave Act which was included as an amendment in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation will make certain that women serving in the National Guard and Reserve can take maternity leave without worrying about how it will affect their creditable military service.

In 2016, the Department of Defense established new policies that authorized 12 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave after pregnancy and childbirth for active-duty servicemembers. However, under current law, women serving in the National Guard and Reserve can lose out on credit for their military service and points toward retirement while they are on maternity leave. Members of the Reserve Component in inactive duty training status are still required to attend unit training assemblies – or weekend drill – in order to receive points toward creditable military service. If a woman servicemember misses drill, she is in jeopardy of not receiving credit toward retirement.

This amendment would make certain that women serving in the Reserve Component receive pay and points for 12 pay periods (equal to six drill weekends) towards retirement after pregnancy and childbirth, thereby guaranteeing paid maternity leave for approximately 150,000 women currently serving in the National Guard and Reserve.

“Women who serve our country should not be inadvertently penalized for having a child, nor should they be expected to return to drill duties in the weeks following childbirth,” said Sen. Moran. “This amendment would support new mothers in our National Guard and Reserve by making certain they receive the same paid maternity leave benefits as their active-duty counterparts. After working with a number of moms in the National Guard and my colleagues in the Senate, I am pleased this amendment was included in FY2021 NDAA to ensure that women can both serve our nation and build their families in the National Guard and Reserve.”

“Our service members make enormous sacrifices for our country when they answer the call to duty, often spending long days and months away from their friends and families to support Americans across the country and throughout the world,” said Sen. Udall. “We need to fully support military moms, instead of asking some to choose between caring for their newborns or receiving pay and retirement credits. Members of our National Guard and Reserves deserve the same paid maternity leave as their counterparts in other military branches. The Guard and Reserves play an essential role in securing our national safety -- it’s only fair that our family leave policy supports these moms as they serve our country."

The Senate is expected to vote on the full NDAA tomorrow.

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Sen. Moran, NASA Administrator Bridenstine, Astronaut Nick Hague & the Cosmosphere Hold Virtual Q&A with Kansas Students

Moran: As Shown by the Panelists, Kansas has a Record of Fostering Talent through Organizations like the Cosmosphere

Jul 22 2020

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) – yesterday partnered with the Cosmosphere, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Astronaut Nick Hague to host a virtual Q&A for Kansas students interested to learn about careers in STEM fields and what it takes to be part of the Artemis generation.  

NASA Administrator Bridenstine moderated the event, which included: Sen. Moran; Nick Hague, NASA Astronaut and Hoxie, Kansas native; Teresa Sindelar, Medical Operations Crew Training Instructor, KBR; Charlie Garcia, Development and Production Lead at Agile Space; and Jim Remar, Cosmosphere President and CEO. Both Sindelar and Garcia are Cosmosphere camp alumni.

“Through my role as CJS chairman, I have the opportunity of working with Administrator Bridenstine to ensure the agency, its scientists, engineers and astronauts have the appropriate supplies and tools needed for the critical missions they conduct,” said Sen. Moran. “One vital component the agency depends on is talent. As shown by the panelists, Kansas has a record of fostering that talent through organizations like the Cosmosphere, which has played a critical role in teaching and inspiring our next generation of space explorers. Thank you to NASA Administrator Bridenstine for moderating this important discussion today, and to our panelists, Astronaut Nick Hague, Theresa Sindelar, and Charlie Garcia, who play a vital role in not only accomplishing our future goals in space, such as the Artemis program, but inspiring future generations of explorers.”

“Inspiring students to pursue STEM careers is crucial to NASA’s mission, in order to cultivate the talent America needs to succeed in sending human explorers to deep space,” said Administrator Bridenstine. “We want to engage young people at NASA, and show them that they can be part of the Artemis Program to go forward to the Moon in preparation for Mars. Senator Moran has shown great leadership in Kansas and the nation, helping provide STEM opportunities for students at educational institutions like the Cosmosphere, and supporting NASA STEM Engagement overall, helping prepare students for fulfilling careers furthering scientific research and exploration.”

Students from across Kansas, including campers participating in the Cosmosphere’s summer program, joined the virtual Q&A and submitted questions for the panelists.

Click HERE to Watch the Full Virtual Event

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Chairman Moran Convenes Hearing on Protecting Americans from COVID-19 Scams

Kansas Attorney General Schmidt Testifies at Chairman Moran’s Hearing

Jul 21 2020

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection – today chaired a hearing titled “Protecting Americans from COVID-19 Scams.” This hearing examined the rise of scams occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic and what more can be done to protect the public from falling prey to these scams.

“During this time of national emergency and coordinated recovery, there are fraudsters and scam artists that seek to take advantage of consumers, especially the most vulnerable communities like our nation’s seniors,” said Chairman Moran. “The variety of these increasingly complex and innovative scams remains exceedingly difficult for any consumer to wrap their head around, much less defend themselves against. Whether it be unsubstantiated health benefits advertised for certain products, illegal robocalls pitching low-priced health insurance, fraudulent donation solicitations, or even imposters claiming to be from federal agencies collecting mandatory payments, raising awareness to these harmful practices is critical to educating consumers in protecting themselves. Thank you to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt for joining the committee today to share state-level actions taken to combat scams and frauds.”

“I appreciate Chairman Moran calling today’s hearing and for the invitation to share our perspective from a state attorney general’s office on the scams and frauds affecting Kansans during the pandemic,” said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. “The exchange of information on ways that states and the federal government can continue working together, including potential federal legislative efforts, was highly valuable.”

Click Here to Watch Chairman Moran’s Full Remarks

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WASHINGTON – This week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Ryan Kules and Paul Benne Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019 introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), member of SVAC and will now advance to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. This legislation, named after Spring Hill, Kan. native, Army Colonel (Ret.) Paul Benne and Captain (ret.) Ryan Kules, will expand Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) eligibility for blind and seriously injured veterans.  

“This legislation will serve veterans by expanding SAH eligibility qualifications for blind and disabled veterans,” said Sen. Moran. “This modernized and expanded grant program will allow veterans to utilize vital SAH grants in a way that best fit their needs – providing greater support and improving the quality of life for many of our nation’s veterans. I am pleased the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass this important legislation and look forward to President Trump signing this legislation into law. Thank you to Colonel Benne and his wife, Christine, for their decades of selfless service to our nation and for their advocacy, resiliency and willingness to share their story, which will undoubtedly help many veterans in the future. I also want to thank Captain (ret.) Ryan Kules, another Fort Riley soldier who used this grant program to adapt his home in 2009. Capt. Kules has been a tireless advocate for disabled veterans, and it has been a pleasure working with him to expand this crucial program.”

“On the behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project, I thank Senator Moran for his great fidelity to our nation’s veterans and his leadership in passing the Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019,” said Ryan Kules, Director of Combat Stress Recovery Programs, Wounded Warrior Project. “This important bill will help thousands of seriously wounded, injured, and ill veterans make necessary improvements to their homes to make them safer, more navigable, and more responsive to their needs. Having been stationed in the Great State of Kansas at Fort Riley, I appreciate Senator Moran’s bi-partisan approach and hard work to get this bill passed. We look forward to this important legislation being signed into law.”

In 2013, Col. Benne developed a medical condition that led to his retirement from the U.S. Army after 23 years of service. Col. Benne was rated 100 percent disabled at the time of his retirement. In 2016, Col. Benne was fitted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a wheelchair and applied for an SAH grant, as neither the Benne’s home nor vehicle could accommodate his new wheelchair. After more than a year of navigating the VA, Col. Benne and his wife, Christine, contacted Sen. Moran’s office for assistance. Within three months of Sen. Moran’s office working with Col. Benne to engage the VA, Col. Benne was given a favorable decision on his adaptive housing claim and provided SAH grants.

This legislation – developed to prevent future difficulties similar to those Col. Benne faced while trying to access an SAH grant – will allow blind veterans to access this grant program and double the maximum number of awarded grants from 3 to 6 per veteran. It will also increase the number of authorized applications per fiscal year from 30 to 120.

Col. Benne, a Spring Hill, Kan. native and University of Kansas School of Pharmacy graduate, served on both Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth during his 23 years of service in the United States Army, most recently as chief of the Department of Public Health at Irwin Army Medical Hospital on Fort Riley. Col. Benne passed away on December 7, 2019 due to complications from his disability. His wife, Christine, resides in Manhattan, KS and is an active member of the Fort Riley-Central Kansas Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection – and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) – chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation – today issued the following statement after the Court of Justice of the European Union invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. The Privacy Shield provides a method for companies to transfer personal data to the United States from the European Union in compliance with EU data protection requirements and in support of transatlantic commerce.

“The economic effect of invalidating the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield, particularly on small and medium-sized businesses, is troubling,” said Sens. Moran and Wicker. “This would cause significant disruptions to data transfers and trade activity between the EU and the United States. We need to work quickly to establish a successor framework that supports economic development and adequately protects consumer data across borders.” 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today recognized Tim Whetstone from Howard for serving as a 2020 summer intern in Sen. Moran’s Wichita Office.

“It was during my internship in Congress that I became interested in public service, and I appreciate Tim using his summer to serve his fellow Kansans,” said Sen. Moran. “Tim has already demonstrated a desire to serve others, and I was pleased to nominate him for the Air Force Academy when he was in high school. I appreciate Tim’s hard work and am proud to have a cadet from the U.S. Air Force Academy serving on our team this summer.”

Tim Whetstone is a graduate of West Elk High School and is a Cadet Third Class at the United States Air Force Academy where he is majoring in Political Science. After his summer training program was canceled due to COVID-19, Whetstone opted to use his summer to intern for Sen. Moran to gain more knowledge on public policy. He hopes his experience will encourage more cadets from the academy to pursue Congressional internships in the future.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today released the following statement applauding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to designate 9-8-8 as the new, nationwide National Suicide Prevention Hotline operational by July 16, 2022:

“This three-digit number, 9-8-8, will serve as the new national suicide and mental health crisis hotline number, connecting callers in need of help with experts who can offer resources and hope to make it through a mental health crisis. As suicide is on the rise among groups such as farmers and veterans, this easy-to-access number is vital for the health of thousands of Americans, and I commend the FCC for quickly taking this step to offer Americans greater access to life-saving support.”

Sen. Moran and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act last year that would designate 9-8-8 as the suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. The current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis line is 10-digits, which is a barrier to Americans in crisis seeking support. This legislation unanimously passed the Senate in May.

A recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs found that on average more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide every year. In his role as Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Sen. Moran has made mental health a priority and introduced legislation to help combat veteran suicide. Farmers have also experienced an increase in suicide recently, and a 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found agricultural workers have one of the highest suicide rates among occupations. To help combat the rise in suicide among farmers, Sen. Moran introduced legislation to provide farmers with critical resources, which was included in the most recent Farm Bill.

During the transition to 9-8-8, Americans who need help should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). Veterans and servicemembers may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255. 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today released the following statement applauding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to designate 9-8-8 as the new, nationwide National Suicide Prevention Hotline operational by July 16, 2022:

“This three-digit number, 9-8-8, will serve as the new national suicide and mental health crisis hotline number, connecting callers in need of help with experts who can offer resources and hope to make it through a mental health crisis. As suicide is on the rise among groups such as farmers and veterans, this easy-to-access number is vital for the health of thousands of Americans, and I commend the FCC for quickly taking this step to offer Americans greater access to life-saving support.”

Sen. Moran and Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act last year that would designate 9-8-8 as the suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. The current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis line is 10-digits, which is a barrier to Americans in crisis seeking support. This legislation unanimously passed the Senate in May.

A recent study by the Department of Veterans Affairs found that on average more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide every year. In his role as Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Sen. Moran has made mental health a priority and introduced legislation to help combat veteran suicide. Farmers have also experienced an increase in suicide recently, and a 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found agricultural workers have one of the highest suicide rates among occupations. To help combat the rise in suicide among farmers, Sen. Moran introduced legislation to provide farmers with critical resources, which was included in the most recent Farm Bill.

During the transition to 9-8-8, Americans who need help should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). Veterans and servicemembers may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $3 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to capitalize and administer Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs) that will provide critical gap financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs across Kansas that have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.      

“As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, I will continue to support the ongoing and critical mission of the EDA to assist the economic activity of our communities, especially during this pandemic,” said Sen. Moran. “These grants are an investment into small businesses across Kansas that support local jobs and provide invaluable resources to many communities across the region.”

“President Trump is working diligently every day to support our nation’s economy following the impacts of COVID-19 through the CARES Act,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.  “These investments will provide small businesses across Kansas with the necessary capital to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and, in turn, create a stronger and more resilient state economy for the future.”

“These investments come at a crucial time to help Kansas’ and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and EDA is pleased to invest these CARES Act funds so that Kansas businesses have access to capital to respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic.”

EDA Grant recipients

  • South Central Kansas Economic Development District, Inc. in Wichita will receive a $1.9 million EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to provide gap financing to small business owners by capitalizing and administering a RLF to service coronavirus impacted businesses in Butler, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Harper, Harvey, Greenwood, Kingman, Marion, McPherson, Rice, Reno, Sedgwick, and Sumner County counties.
  • Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission in Chanute will receive a $572,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to expand the work and financing of businesses in the Southeast Kansas region by capitalizing and administering a RLF to service impacted businesses in Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.
  • Northwest Kansas Planning and Development Commission in Hill City will receive a $550,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to capitalize and administer an RLF that will provide impacted businesses in Cheyenne, Decatur, Rawlins, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Osborne, Rooks, Graham, Sheridan, Thomas, Sherman, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, and Russell counties with loans to help them respond to coronavirus.

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