Advancing the Nominee for VA Secretary

Advancing Cabinet Nominations
Congressman Doug Collins
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I led the nomination hearing for Congressman Doug Collins, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. My work on the committee is driven by what I hear from veterans in Kansas and across the country. As Chairman, I am committed to solving problems and delivering results to help veterans access the health care and benefits they have earned and achieve success after their service. I expect the next VA secretary to share that same focus.

During the hearing, Congressman Collins demonstrated his understanding of the policies he will be expected to administer at VA, as well as his care and respect for our nation’s heroes. As a veteran and currently serving as a military chaplain, he knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of military service and the many issues facing veterans and their families. I appreciated his testimony during his nomination hearing and his commitment to putting veterans first. This is why I voted to advance his nomination to the full Senate. His nomination passed the committee on a bipartisan basis with a vote of 18-1. I encourage the rest of my Senate colleagues to act swiftly to confirm his nomination.

You can watch my opening statement from the hearing here.

Congressman Sean Duffy
This week, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously advanced Congressman Sean Duffy’s nomination to serve as the Secretary of Transportation by a vote of 28-0. During his confirmation hearing, he provided me reassurance of his commitments to freight and long-distance passenger rail, continuing oversight of Boeing, and FAA’s Federal Contract Tower Program. I was pleased to support his nomination in the Senate Commerce on Committee and look forward to voting on his confirmation in the full Senate.

Questioning Brooke Rollins During Senate Agriculture Hearing
On Thursday, I attended the hearing on the nomination of Brooke Rollins to be the Secretary of Agriculture. This was my first hearing as a new member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. During the hearing, I raised the importance of quickly administering the disaster and economic assistance passed by Congress in December and emphasized the need for transparency on how the assistance will be distributed so farmers will be in a better position to financially plan for the planting season. I also highlighted to Mrs. Rollins the importance of passing a new Farm Bill, the need to have USDA employees in office so they can better serve our producers, my Farm to Fly Act, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, and important research at land-grant universities across the United States.

You can read about this hearing in the Manhattan Mercury, here.

You can watch my questions here.

Fort Riley Troops Deployed to Southern Border
Last week, 200 active duty troops from Fort Riley were deployed to the southern border, along with other Army soldiers and Marines. They will be joining forces with the National Guard and Reserves to protect our nation and help secure the southern border. I am grateful to our troops for their service, and I am praying for their safety and their families during this time.

You can read more about the troops in KAKE, here.

Ensuring Continued Care at the VA
In one of his first acts as Commander in Chief, President Trump initiated a hiring freeze across all agencies of the federal government, with exemptions for departments that directly relate to national security. The Trump administration also issued guidance to exempt health care workers, VA police officers, and other critical VA employees from this hiring freeze to ensure that veterans and their families continue receiving their care and benefits in a timely and safe manner. The last two years saw dramatic inconsistencies in staffing strategy and guidance on hiring from VA, and I encourage the new administration to establish a clear long-term staffing plan that does right by veterans and taxpayers alike. I am hopeful the Senate will quickly confirm Congressman Collins as the next VA Secretary so that we can work with him to make certain VA is well-staffed to provide the care and benefits that veterans deserve.

Recognizing the Women of the "Six Triple Eight"
On Wednesday, my colleagues and I called on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to swiftly schedule a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony commemorating the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This battalion, also known as the “Six Triple Eight,” was the only all-Black, all-female unit in the United States Army. Faced with insurmountable odds, they worked tirelessly to clear out a three-year, 17-million-piece backlog of mail sent to American servicemembers overseas and their families back home. Today, only two members of the Six Triple Eight are known to be alive. Their contribution to boosting the morale of countless young servicemembers is cemented in our nation’s history and played a pivotal role in America’s ultimate victory in the European Theatre during World War II. I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson to make this ceremony a reality and to award the women of the Six Triple Eight the highest civilian award Congress can bestow.

Welcoming the March for Life
For 52 years, pro-life Kansans have made their way to Washington to advocate for unborn children. This year, thousands of people across the country visited our nation's capital and marched in the March for Life. Protecting the right to life is of great importance, and I will continue to support legislation that protects the sanctity of life and makes certain mothers and infants and cared for.

On Friday, a group of students from St. Mary’s Colgan in Pittsburg visited my office during the March for Life. Thank you for making the trip and visiting with me.

Protecting Small Businesses
Small businesses are the backbone of towns across America, and this week, I introduced the Main Street Tax Certainty Act with 35 of my colleagues. This legislation would make the 20 percent pass-through business tax deduction permanent, preventing the deduction from expiring at the end of 2025. From independent grocers to family-run farms, small businesses are the engine behind so much economic growth. Giving them the certainty they need to plan for the future will incentivize important investments in rural and urban communities.

Promoting Domestic Energy Production
I joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) to introduce the Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act to allow energy producers to consider intangible drilling costs (IDCs) when calculating taxable income. Businesses of all types can deduct normal business expenses on its taxes, but it was revoked for oil and gas producers in the Inflation Reduction Act. Rather than singling out specific energy sectors, this legislation restores tax fairness to oil and gas companies and will contribute to steady energy production and lower prices at the pump.

Increasing Pathways for Apprenticeships
I joined Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) in introducing legislation to create pathways to stable careers for high school students through expanding access to apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs provide affordable, hands-on training that enable students to quickly achieve the skills they need to join the workforce and have a successful career. Expanding apprenticeship pathway programs to high school students will create more job opportunities right after graduation while also helping meet key shortages in our workforce.

Providing Protection for the Lesser Prairie Chicken
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and I introduced legislation to delist the lesser prairie chicken as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Listing the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened or endangered species is disruptive to Kansas farmers and ranchers and harmful to rural communities. We need more rain, not regulations, to protect the future of this bird. I will continue to work with local communities to bolster voluntary solutions to protect the habitat of the lesser prairie chicken without placing unnecessary burdens on landowners in Kansas.

You can read more about this legislation in the Hays Post, here.

Meeting with Blue Origin
On Wednesday, I met with Dave Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin – a commercial space technology company founded by Jeff Bezos. During his tenure, Mr. Limp has overseen the continuation of the New Glenn and New Shepard launch programs, and a ramp-up in production of Blue’s rocket engines. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Mr. Limp following the successful launch of New Glenn in Cape Canaveral on January 16th that achieved its primary objective of deploying the Blue Ring Pathfinder satellite into orbit. We discussed the importance of a robust supply chain and the several Kansas suppliers that play a prominent role in Blue Origin’s supply chain, contributing to various projects like the New Glenn rocket, the company’s engines and lunar programs. Additionally, as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I provided an outlook on the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations process. I want to thank Dave Limp and his team at Blue Origin for taking time to visit with me and provide important updates on his company’s successes.

Meeting with Kansans
Kansas Chiropractic
On Thursday, I met with the Kansas Chiropractic Association while they were in town for the annual American Chiropractic Association advocacy day and conference. The delegation included chiropractors from across the state and chiropractic students from Cleveland University. We spoke about the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act, which increases access to chiropractic services for Medicare beneficiaries, by expanding Medicare coverage of chiropractic services. I’m proud to be one of the ten original cosponsors of this legislation, which was introduced last week by my colleague, Senator Cramer of North Dakota. If passed, this bill would reduce barriers to chiropractic care and allow this group of Kansans to continue to provide quality, non-drug treatment options for Medicare beneficiaries in Kansas.

Kansas Tours
This week, a number of Kansans visited my office in Washington, D.C. for tours of our nation’s Capitol building. It was great to meet with individuals from across the state and hear about issues important to them.

Congratulating Hanna Kemble-Mick
The American School Counselor Association recently announced that Hanna Kemble-Mick of Topeka has been selected as one of five finalists for the National School Counselor of the Year award. A graduate of Kansas State University, Hanna currently serves as the Dean of Counseling at Indian Hills Elementary School where she has dedicated her efforts to improving education since 2015. Congratulations on this achievement.

The Chiefs Remain the AFC Champions
The Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 32-29 this weekend to secure the AFC Championship title. Looking forward to seeing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl again!

Kansans in the Office

Capitol Tours
Dareon Arndt of Topeka

Larry Arndt of Topeka

Brian Asbury of Wichita

Alexis Becker of Andale

Katie Benson of Overland Park

Andrea Berezoski of Olathe

Margaret Berger of Leawood

Laura Blevins of Topeka

Ralph Blevins of Topeka

Rex Bonar of Mission

Susan Bonar of Mission

Maria Burgess of Haviland

Mike Burgess of Haviland

Amanda Burghart of Lawrence

Sam Byer of Lawrence

Jana Collins of Lawrence

Brett Counselman of Topeka

Jessica Counselman of Topeka

Camille Debreczeny of Lawrence

Renee De la Campa of Wichita

Debra Dougan of Olathe

Ben Eckart of Manhattan

Doug Galant of Overland Park

Mirtha Galant of Overland Park

Tara Galyardt of Wichita

Tony Galyardt of Wichita

Jackson Green of Abilene

Jennifer Green of Abilene

Mitchell Green of Abilene

Tyler Green of Abilene

Juanita Ann Hernandez of Shawnee

Kimberly Hibdon of Olathe

John Horton of Junction City

Benee Hudson of Overland Park

Lydia Janzen of Olathe

Rod Janzen of Olathe

Skylar Johnson of Overland Park

Wesley Keller of Garnett

James Kelly of Topeka

Carla Kolega of Lenexa

Sean Kolega of Lenexa

Katherine Kubovy of Olathe

Jessica Loveless of Beloit

Lauren Magneson of Olathe

Stuart McIntosh of Overland Park

Toni McMillan of Lawrence

David Mingucci of Olathe

Hannah Mingucchi of Olathe

Lane Moochy of Overland Park

Logan Null of Independence

Dakotah Parshall of Paola

Greg Persing of Olathe

Jonathan Petree of Overland Park

Lisa Petree of Overland Park

Lauren Pierce of Overland Park

Mary Jo Reed of Lawrence

Christopher Regier of Olathe

Kathryn Regier of Olathe

Dan Rogers of Valley Center

Shirley Rogers of Valley Center

Krista Sanderson of Wichita

Scott Sanderson of Wichita
Samuel Smith of Junction City

Shelly Smith of Junction City

Matthew Stridiron of Olathe

Jacob Swisher of Olathe

Theodore Taylor of Overland Park

Theresa Woolley of Kansas City

Alliance for a Healthy Kansas
April Holman of Topeka

Illinois Oil and Gas Association
Ed Cross of Silver Lake

Yum! Brands
Jon Hixon of WaKeeney

Kansas Common Sense

Advancing the Nominee for VA Secretary

Jan 27 2025

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