WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) today announced that following their urging, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) halted its plans to change Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area population threshold definitions from 50k to 100k. This change would have significantly impacted Lawrence, Manhattan and St. Joseph’s, MO/KS qualifications as Metropolitan Statistical Areas and in turn disqualified the cities from receiving vital federal funding from programs that rely on these definitions to determine if a city is qualified to receive funding.

“This decision helps makes certain that several Kansas communities continue to qualify for critical federal funding, as the economy recovers,” said Sen. Moran. “I am pleased the Metropolitan Statistical Area definition will not be changed, and Kansas communities will not be adversely affected for unjustified reasons made in Washington.”

“Distribution of funds through multiple federal programs is tied to MSA designations. Losing these MSAs could have meant the loss of vital federal dollars to communities and our state’s economy,” said Sen. Marshall. “The OMB should never be in the business of picking winners and losers while adopting bureaucratic standards affecting our Kansas communities, and I am pleased OMB reversed their plans.”

In March, Sens. Moran and Marshall urged OMB to halt its plans to change Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area definitions from 50k to 100k.

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