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Sen. Moran Supports Bill with Key Provisions to Protect Kansas Farmers from Government Overreach
Legislation Restricts Future Efforts to Re-list Lesser Prairie Chicken, Blocks Implementation of WOTUS Rule
Jun 16 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today supported the fiscal year 2017 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which includes provisions to protect Kansans from government overreach. One provision, secured in the legislation by Sen. Moran, would restrict funds for future efforts by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to re-list the lesser prairie chicken (LPC) under the Endangered Species Act. Another would block the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal that would expand the agency’s regulatory jurisdiction over significant amounts of land and water across the country.
“Kansas farmers and ranchers have dealt with the impacts of the Obama Administration’s repeated attempts to regulate their land for too long,” said Sen. Moran. “Efforts to add the lesser prairie chicken to the endangered species list have caused uncertainty for agriculture producers, oil and gas developers, and electric cooperatives in Kansas and states across the habitat area. The USFWS’s move to drop the appeal of the Fifth Circuit’s decision to vacate the listing is encouraging, but it is now clear they would like to start the listing process again.”
Following the March 2014 decision by the Obama Administration to list the LPC as a threatened species, Sen. Moran has led the effort in Congress to reverse the misguided decision and block future attempts to list the bird. A federal court vacated the listing due to the failure of the federal government to adequately take into account the local, voluntary conservation efforts that were put in place to preserve the bird. In response to calls from Sen. Moran to state its future intentions, the USFWS claims the decision to drop the appeal of the court case does not rule out future efforts to re-list the bird. Sen. Moran’s provision in the appropriations bill would prohibit such efforts by the USFWS.
“The provisions in this bill to block the WOTUS rule will protect Kansans from layers of bureaucracy, red tape and government overreach,” continued Sen. Moran. “We all share the goal of providing a clean and safe water supply, but pushing harmful regulations isn’t the right way to achieve that goal. This rule would make it more difficult for our ag community to produce food and fiber for the nation, keep their businesses afloat, and pass their family operations down to future generations. I will continue fighting to block this damaging, costly rule from implementation.”
The WOTUS rule issued by the EPA expands the agency’s regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act to include land and water far removed from traditional navigable waters. The WOTUS rule infringes on private property rights and threatens agriculture producers and small businesses with potential fines and lawsuits unless they abide by burdensome, unnecessary regulations when performing every day functions on their operations. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals placed a nationwide stay on the rule. The appropriations bill supported by Sen. Moran would prohibit the EPA from implementing the regulation if the stay is lifted or overturned.
The appropriations bill passed the full committee and now has the opportunity to be debated by the full U.S. Senate.
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Sen. Moran Presses VA on Inadequate Progress in Improving Quality, Timely Access to Care
2015 GAO report found the VA “vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, and in need of transformation”
Jun 15 2016
WASHINGTON – More than one year after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) included the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) on its annual list of “High-Risk” federal agencies, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined a bipartisan group of eleven senators in writing Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Dr. David Shulkin to raise their ongoing concerns regarding veterans’ timely access to quality VA health care. The senators urged the agency to take both short and long-term action to address the issues raised in the GAO report.
Sen. Moran and others asked the agency to promptly issue a comprehensive scheduling directive to address immediate wait times and healthcare access issues. The group also requested that the agency streamline operations and map out an aggressive and comprehensive strategy to resolve chronic risks identified by the GAO.
“More than a year has passed since the GAO identified VHA as vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, and in need of transformation, based on five serious, long-standing and well documented deficiencies,” the group wrote. “As a result of these deficiencies, VHA was included on GAO’s list of “High-Risk” federal agencies. This letter sets out the three critical steps you must take to restore our confidence that VHA can resolve the chronic risks identified for veterans’ access to quality VA health care.”
Today’s letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
Click here to read the full letter to Under Secretary Shulkin.Sen. Moran Accepting Applications for Fall 2016 Internships
Positions available in Washington, D.C., Manhattan and Olathe offices
Jun 14 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced he is accepting applications for congressional internships in his Washington, D.C., Manhattan and Olathe, Kan., offices for fall 2016.
“My first experience in Washington, D.C., was working as a congressional intern,” said Sen. Moran. “Internships offer Kansas students a great opportunity to learn about the legislative process and work on behalf of our great state.”
An internship in Sen. Moran’s office provides a unique opportunity to work closely with Senate staff on behalf of the state of Kansas. Legislative interns will gain a better understanding of the legislative process in the U.S. Congress, and develop knowledge and professional skills valuable to future career pursuits.
The intern program is open to qualified undergraduate and graduate students – or recent graduates – who have strong interest in public service and government and have achieved academic excellence.
The application deadline for fall 2016 internships is July 1, 2016. Application forms can be obtained and completed under the “Services” section of Sen. Moran’s website at www.moran.senate.gov. Applicants should submit a completed application form, resume, academic transcript, two letters of recommendation and a cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in public service and goals of serving as an intern. Please submit required materials to: internships@moran.senate.gov
For questions, please contact Sen. Moran’s office at internships@moran.senate.gov or call 202-224-6521 and request to speak with the intern coordinator.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today supported the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2017, which authorizes national defense funding and passed the Senate by 85-13 vote.
“Passage of the NDAA supports our armed forces who rely on resources to maintain readiness and carry out operations,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation also ensures our military men and women and their families receive the pay and benefits they have earned, while enabling the Department of Defense to keep millions of Americans safe at home and abroad. Senate action today helps to make certain our armed forces are ready and able to defend our nation.”
Sen. Moran sponsored two amendments to prevent President Obama from pursuing his plan to close the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (GITMO) and transfer terrorist detainees to the United States. The first would strengthen the certification requirements relating to the transfer or release of detainees to foreign nations, and the second would prevent the Department of Defense (DoD) from using funds for the design or planning of construction or modification to facilities in the United States for the purpose of housing GITMO detainees.
“President Obama’s flawed campaign promise to close the dentition facility at Guantanamo Bay jeopardizes our national security and is against the law,” said Sen. Moran. “Congress and the American people have been clear that GITMO detainees do not belong on U.S. soil. This bill should not allow the use of taxpayer dollars to close GITMO when throughout the entirety of this president’s time in office, he has been unable to provide a cohesive, comprehensive, legally justifiable plan for closure and relocation of terrorist detainees.”
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, committed on the Senate floor to do what is necessary to ensure that Sen. Moran’s amendment is enacted into law. The legislation will next go to conference with the House of Representatives to iron out differences in S. 2943 and H.R. 4909 and between the two chambers.
Sen. Moran also sponsored a number of additional amendments that were included in the NDAA:
- A provision to strengthen the DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), which conducts life-saving research on conditions and diseases that impact military members, veterans and their families;
- A provision to protect the military families relying on commissary stores by requiring the DoD to conduct and submit to Congress an assessment of the impact of changing commissary prices; and
- A provision to revise the permanent active duty end strength minimum levels for the armed forces and certain fiscal year 2017 end strengths for the Selected Reserve.
Click here to watch Sen. Moran’s remarks on YouTube.
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Bipartisan Health & Education Funding Bill Passes in Committee
Legislation Includes Provisions to Support Medical Research and Help Students
Jun 09 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Health and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, today commended the full Senate Appropriations Committee’s 29-1 vote to advance legislation to support healthcare research and students. The bill directs funding and operations within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies for fiscal year 2017.
“Supporting medical research improves patient care and helps those living with devastating diseases,” said Sen. Moran. “I’m especially proud of provisions in this bill that bolster our ability to understand and find cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. These diseases impact millions of Americans and their families each year. Every effort we can make to stop or slow the onset of these terrible diseases today not only gives hope to those afflicted and their loved ones, but also helps save millions of lives and billions of dollars for future generations.”
“This bill also assists students by expanding access to Pell grants year-round and increasing the maximum amount available through the grants,” Sen. Moran continued. “Kansas is home to some of the best community colleges in the nation. Providing our students with additional opportunity and flexibility in accessing the educational resources of our community colleges will help more students achieve their dreams.”
The bill prioritizes a number of key issues for Kansans, including:
Providing $34 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $2 billion above FY2016, including:
- $300 million for the Precision Medicine Initiative, an increase of $100 million;
- $1.39 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research, an increase of $400 million;
- $250 million, an increase of $100 million, for the BRAIN Initiative to map the human brain;
- $333.4 million, an increase of $12.5 million, for the Institutional Development Award;
- $463 million, an increase of $50 million, to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria;
- $12.6 million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act;
- Increases to every institute and center to continue investments in innovative research that will advance fundamental knowledge and speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics and preventive measures to improve the health of all Americans.
Promoting College Completion and Affordability through Pell Grants:
- Restoring year-round Pell grants.
- Expanding eligibility and flexibility in the Pell grant program to allow students who wish to enroll in additional coursework after exhausting his or her Pell grant award for an academic year to receive a Pell grant for an additional term during the academic year. The maximum benefit these students may receive during a year is capped at 150 percent of the otherwise maximum Pell grant. Currently, full-time students and some part-time students exhaust their full benefit after two semesters. Expanded eligibility will provide an incentive for students to take classes year-round and stay continuously enrolled. It would also help students stay on track for graduation or accelerate completion of their degree program, enter or re-enter the workforce sooner, and graduate with less student debt. This provision is expected to provide an estimated 1 million students an additional Pell grant of, on average, $1,650 during the 2017-18 school year.
- Including more than sufficient funding to support an increase in the maximum Pell grant from $5,815 for the 2016-17 school year, to an estimated $5,935 for the 2017-18 school year.
It is the ninth appropriations bill approved by the committee this year. The full U.S. Senate now has the opportunity to debate the bill, along with the other 11 appropriations bill required of Congress annually.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) sponsored a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution this week to formally object to the Obama Administration’s latest regulation, which redefines exemptions to overtime rules. The rule will have negative consequences for Kansas nonprofits, higher education institutions and thousands of employers and hard-working Kansans.
“This new Department of Labor rule is the latest example of this administration’s misguided approach to federal regulations that forces Americans to endure the costs of bad policies,” Sen. Moran said. “Though the goal of helping low- and middle-class workers is commendable, the real-world application of this rule would do harm to the very Americans it claims to protect. This legislation will give Kansas organizations, employers and workers a voice against this detrimental act of government intrusion.”
On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) finalized an update to its overtime rules increasing the minimum threshold salary by which companies must provide overtime compensation to its employee from $23,660 to $47,476 annually. The practical effect is that thousands of Americans will have their work arrangement flexibility restricted and their weekly hours slashed by companies moving to comply with the new rule. Furthermore, the rule will cost many colleges and universities millions of dollars per year in additional operating costs, threatening to raise tuition costs for college students at a time when many can scarcely afford such a hike.
Sen. Moran has been actively fighting against this overtime rule for several months. In April, he sponsored the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act (S. 2707), which would prevent the DOL from finalizing a proposal that will limit opportunities for employees and place significant burdens on job creators.
The passage of this resolution of disapproval signals Congress’ intent to stop DOL from implementing the rule. Under the CRA, the House and Senate vote on a joint resolution of disapproval to stop, with the full force of law, a federal agency from implementing a rule or regulation or issuing a substantially similar regulation without congressional authorization. The resolution of disapproval must also be signed by the president; if vetoed, Congress can only overturn that act with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, received assurances from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care Dr. Baligh Yehia this week during a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing that as the VA implements non-VA, community care programs veterans currently enrolled in the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) Program will not experience a lapse in health care. Additionally, the VA is in favor of Sen. Moran’s legislation to codify and mandate this plan.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) issued the following statement today after supporting a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution (H.J. Res. 88) to formally object to the Obama Administration’s harmful new regulation that will have devastating effects on retirement planning by hardworking families and small businesses.
“Regulatory activism has become a hallmark of this administration’s approach to federal oversight,” Sen. Moran said. “Rather than working with Congress to address the need to better protect current and future retirees, the Department of Labor has been pursuing this issue without regard for the everyday people planning for their retirement. Today I joined my colleagues in the Senate and House to fight this act of government intrusion – we cannot allow DOL to jeopardize the futures of so many Americans.”
On April 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) finalized a rewrite of its definition of a “fiduciary,” allegedly to protect individuals from misleading investment advice. In practice, the new rule will make retirement planning unaffordable for low- to middle-income Americans whose accounts are not valuable enough for advisors to take on the new legal liability created by DOL.
The passage of this resolution of disapproval signals Congress’ intent to stop DOL from implementing this harmful rule, which will deny retirement advice to low- and middle-income savers, which is what happened when a similar change was adopted in the United Kingdom.
Under the CRA, the House and Senate vote on a joint resolution of disapproval to stop, with the full force of law, a federal agency from implementing a rule or regulation or issuing a substantially similar regulation without congressional authorization. The resolution of disapproval must also be signed by the president; if not signed, Congress can overturn a veto with a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
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Sen. Moran Offers Key Amendments to National Defense Authorization Bill
Amendments Restrict Guantanamo Bay Transfers, Increase Armed Forces End Strength
May 24 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) this week introduced three amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen prohibitions on the transfer of detainees from the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, (GITMO) to foreign nations and increase the end strength levels in our armed forces.
“In President Obama’s desperate attempt to close GITMO and fulfill a campaign promise, he is compromising our national security and has yet to provide a comprehensive plan that legally justifies his closure strategy as mandated by Congress,” said Sen. Moran. “After visiting the detention facility in March with Sens. Gardner and Daines, it is clear that the administration’s current authority to transfer detainees to foreign nations is far-reaching and puts Americans at risk when more than 30 percent of released detainees return to the battlefield.”
Sen. Moran’s first amendment, sponsored by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) prevents the Department of Defense (DoD) from using any funds for the design or planning of construction or modification to facilities in the United States for the purpose of housing GITMO detainees.
Sen. Moran’s second amendment, sponsored by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), strengthens the certification requirements relating to the transfer or release of GITMO detainees.
Sen. Moran continued, “With threats to our national security across the globe, our military cannot afford to degrade their readiness and ability to shape security environments and win wars. We must prioritize readiness with increased end-strength levels in our armed forces to ensure that we can meet a vast landscape of global threats, whether aggression from Iran, the rise of ISIS, a resurgent Russia, the military build-in by China or an unpredictable North Korea.”
Sen. Moran’s third amendment, sponsored by U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), revises the permanent active duty end strength minimum levels for the Armed Forces and certain fiscal year 2017 end strengths for the Selected Reserve.
Full text of the first amendment, #4068, is available here.
Full text of the second amendment, #4070, is available here.
Full text of the third amendment, #4069, is available here.
Sen. Moran Commends Senate Passage of Bill to Protect Kansans, Americans from Sex Offenders
May 23 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today commended the Senate passage of the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2613). The legislation would improve tracking of sex offenders through federal support of state registries and dedicated resources to target offenders who fail to comply with registration requirements.
“I am proud to join my colleagues in unanimously supporting this bill,” Sen. Moran said. “We owe it to those affected by these grievous crimes to make certain state and local law enforcement officials continue to have the support they need to track known offenders and prevent recurrences.”
The bill passed today reauthorizes The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which established nationwide notification and registration standards for convicted sex offenders to bolster information sharing between law enforcement agencies and increase public safety through greater awareness. It is named for a six-year-old Florida boy who was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. Adam’s father, John Walsh, worked closely with Congress to develop the 2006 law and the reauthorization that passed today.
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