Kansas Common Sense
Western Kansas Delegation Goes to Washington
Apr 24 2023
Western Kansas Delegation Visits D.C.
This week, I visited with community leaders from Hays, Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal and Seward County about topics important to their local communities. We discussed a number of issues, including transportation, immigration, housing, childcare and preserving access to water.
It was great to receive an update on several projects, including the Hilmar Cheese plant in Dodge City and the airport expansion project in Garden City. We also spoke about the efforts underway to make certain communities in western Kansas have access to water resources for generations to come through conservation and aquifer recharge. I appreciate the efforts of these community leaders to make certain the places we call home are sought-out places to live and work. Thank you to the members of these local chambers of commerce for organizing this annual visit to Washington, D.C.
Meeting with Kansans
The Rural Broadband Association
On Tuesday, I met with Kansas rural broadband providers representing The Rural Broadband Association. We spoke about the importance of broadband deployment programs at the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce. We also discussed the importance of continuing support at the federal level for these projects in our state. In addition, we spoke about my legislation to make certain broadband deployment grants are not considered taxable income, which would hinder efforts to deploy networks to areas of Kansas unserved by broadband. This bill will help rural broadband providers to fully utilize the broadband deployment grants they receive. I will continue to work with broadband leaders in our state to make certain all Kansans have access to high-quality broadband service.
Thank you to Terry Force of Home, Candace Wright of Home, Brad Rieger of Caldwell, Rob McDonald of Madison, Jimmy Todd of Hays, Rhonda Goddard of Hays, Catherine Moyer of Ulysses, Kasey Krueger of Ulysses, Jason Smith of Everest, Dale Jones of Council Grove, Jason Pettit of Council Grove, Benjamin Foster of Miltonvale, Todd Houseman of Dodge City, Brian Boisvert of Wilson and Craig Freeman of Wilson for meeting with me._slight_crop_2.png "image2_(1)_slight_crop_2.png")
Kansas Electric Cooperatives
This week, I met with members of the Kansas Electric Cooperatives for an update. Our discussion covered the issues most important to Kansas’ electric cooperatives and their customers. During this meeting, we also talked about the importance of preserving a reliable and affordable energy supply, modernizing infrastructure permitting and reducing supply chain challenges. As Congress continues its work on the Farm Bill, I will look to prioritize the needs of Kansas electric co-ops. Having a secure and affordable electrical grid is critical to supporting Kansas families, businesses and infrastructure.
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce
This week, it was great to speak with members of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and University of Kansas about current projects in their local community. I appreciated receiving an update on the expansion of the KU Innovation Park in Lawrence and hearing about issues related to infrastructure and workforce recruitment and retainment for the city. Thank you to these business and community leaders for visiting with me.
University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod
This week, I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod. During this meeting, we discussed the work being done at the university to prepare students for success following graduation and how I can continue to support these efforts. Thank you to Chancellor Girod, Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer, Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Robert Simari, Vice Chancellors Simon Atkinson and Matthias Salathe and Julie Murray for hosting their annual event bringing Kansans together in the nation’s capital to discuss the great things happening in our state.
Fort Hays State University
I was pleased to have Fort Hays State University students Ella Burrows and David Schulte, as well as FHSU staff Joseph Bain and Jennie Rose, visit my office to talk about the education and workforce development initiatives happening at FHSU. The recent announcement about FHSU’s affiliation with North Central Technical College and Northwest Technical College is an important step towards deeper collaboration among higher education institutions in western Kansas. As we battle a national workforce shortage across all industries, the affiliation of FHSU, North Central Tech and Northwest Tech will play an important role in filling workforce needs and creating paths for students to achieve their career goals.
Thomas Treacy and Devin Short
This week, I had lunch with my spring intern Thomas Treacy of St. Marys and my spring Senate Page Devin Short of Maize. It was great to have the opportunity to hear them reflect on their time spent in the nation’s capital learning about public service and government. I want to thank Tom and Devin for their hard work serving Kansans during their time in my office.
If you are interested in an internship with my office in Kansas or Washington, D.C., you can learn more here.
Sunrise Christian Academy
It was great to visit with a group of 8th grade students and faculty from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire on Tuesday. I want to thank these young students and the staff at Sunrise Christian Academy for making the trip out to our nation’s capital and taking the time to say hello.
Applauding $191 Million Investment to Improve Wichita's Water Quality
This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $191 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Wichita to improve water quality and create 1,250 jobs. Access to clean water is critical for Kansas communities and their long-term success.
In 2021, Senator Roger Marshall, Congressman Ron Estes and I advocated for Wichita to receive this much-needed funding to sustain future growth as the city continues to expand. Improving and updating Wichita’s water system is an important investment in the future of our state. This loan will be used to upgrade two of the city’s most critical wastewater facilities, reducing nutrient contribution to the Arkansas River and Mississippi River Basin, address local odor concerns and update aging infrastructure to meet growing demand with anticipated population.
Read more from KSN here and The Wichita Eagle here.
Highlighting Cosmosphere During Hearing with NASA Administrator
This week, as ranking member of the Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, I led a hearing with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan to cover their respective agencies’ FY2024 budgets.
NASA’s budget sets a vision for the future by partnering with the broadest exploration coalition in history demonstrated by the continued progress of the Artemis campaign, and the NSF budget builds upon decades of critical investment that will continue to advance America’s global competitiveness. I will work with my colleagues on this subcommittee to craft a bill that supports the goals of both of these agencies, particularly as they relate to our national security.
You can watch my remarks here.
Questioning USAID Administrator on Global Food Security
This week, during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs hearing, I questioned U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power on the status of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. As Senate Hunger Caucus Co-Chair, I wanted to hear from Administrator Power on what the administration is doing to prevent the agreement’s expiration.
Prior to invasion by Russia, Ukraine was one of the world’s key breadbaskets, producing enough food to feed millions around the world. However, at the beginning of the invasion, when the Russian navy blockaded Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, the country’s ability to ship its agricultural products to world markets dropped drastically. This worsened a global food security crisis already underway and threatened the lives of people in countries most dependent on Ukrainian agricultural exports. The announcement of the Black Sea Grain Initiative ended the blockade and allowed safe passage of commercial ships carrying agricultural exports from Odesa and two other Ukrainian ports.
Since then, nearly 25 million metric tons of grain and other agricultural products have been able to leave Ukraine, helping to drive down global food prices by 18% since their peak in March 2022 and injecting much-needed revenue into the Ukrainian economy. Nevertheless, this is not a permanent solution and negotiations continue about extending the deal.
Meeting with Textron CEO and Textron Bell CEO
This week, I met with Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly and Textron Bell’s new President and CEO Lisa Atherton. Bell is the subsidiary company of Textron, which is one of the top employers in Wichita and across the state. We discussed the importance of educating the next generation of aviators and engineers, specifically Bell’s efforts to train more flight control engineers. I will continue to identify opportunities to partner on increased collaboration between industry and academia in preparing our students for engineering jobs in Kansas and around the country.
As Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chair, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the Travel Association from Topeka, Kansas City, Lindsborg, Abilene, Wichita and Parsons this week. I appreciated hearing from them about the priorities of the hospitality and tourism industries in Kansas. With exciting events occurring in our state and region in the near future, including the 2023 NFL Draft and the 2026 World Cup, I look forward to continuing to support our state’s travel industry and make certain Kansas is poised to participate in events that will bring significant economic benefit to our state.
As ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, I introduced bipartisan legislation to support women in aviation. This bill would make the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) a permanent body in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to continue its work providing valuable insight on best efforts to recruit, promote and retain more women in the aviation sector.
Women play a key role in the Kansas aviation workforce, with the real-world example of Rosie the Riveter working on B-29 assembly lines in Wichita during World War II. Each industry is only as strong as its workforce, and codifying the Women in Aviation Advisory Committee will bolster the aviation sector and make certain women’s voices are heard in this important industry. Initiatives such as this one will also recruit and retain a strong talent pipeline for generations to come. As I work to craft the FAA Reauthorization bill this Congress, I will continue to support efforts to encourage more women to pursue careers in aviation and to make certain we retain those who are already a part of this critical sector.
Read more from Sunflower State Radio here.
Committee Hearing on Veterans' Consumer Protection
This past week, as the lead Republican on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I led an oversight hearing on how to better protect servicemembers, veterans and their families from scammers who want to take advantage of their hard-earned benefits. Individuals from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission testified before the Senate VA Committee and discussed the work their agencies are doing to keep veterans and their families from financial harm. Veterans can be preyed upon by a multitude of scammers when using the GI Bill, refinancing their VA home loans or filing disability claims.
I have heard far too many stories from Kansas veterans about their experiences with these issues. This committee hearing was a first step to push this administration to not only work to make veterans whole when they fall prey to one of these fraudsters, but also to stop these scams from happening in the first place. I will continue to work with my colleagues to make certain that veterans and military families are protected from exploitation and scams.
This week, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing to discuss the Air Force and Space Force FY2024 budget with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman. During this hearing, I highlighted the Air Force's plans to further research the manufacturability of hypersonics at a lower cost, recapitalization of the Air National Guard and options under consideration to conduct critical space capability currently in the Air National Guard. Non-traditional hypersonic suppliers, like Spirit AeroSystems, have unique manufacturing techniques to support this critical capability's ongoing development and scalable production. The Air Guard is the Air Force's strategic reserve and should be concurrently and proportionately resourced to make certain airmen are equipped and trained to complete their missions. General Saltzman assured me that the best plan for restructuring space capabilities in the National Guard would be cost-effective and minimize the operational impact on the mission by implementing this plan. I look forward to seeing how the Air Force and Space Force tackle these decisions, and I truly appreciate the dedicated service our Airmen and Guardians provide to our nation.
Kansas City Community Visit
On Monday, before returning to Washington, D.C., I joined community and business leaders to announce a federal investment for the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU). This funding will be used to replace outdated water mains throughout the city. Thank you to General Manager Bill Johnson and Mayor Tyrone Garner, as well as BPU Board President Rose Mulvany Henry, BPU Board Member Mary Gonzales, BPU COO Jeremy Ash and BPU CCO David Mehlhaff.
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Dynetics and Lockheed Martin
On my way back to Kansas this weekend, I stopped in Huntsville, Alabama, to visit with defense contractors involved in hypersonics weapons. As a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, it is important to witness the work of our defense industry, provide oversight and make certain it is receiving the resources needed to protect our nation. The defense industry is currently working to provide our warfighters with a weapon that can travel at five times the speed of sound to meet current requirements and emerging threats. The manufacturing locations that I visited in Courtland and Huntsville are building major strategic weapons for long range precision fires for the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
I had the chance to meet the men and women involved in delivering the ground-launched hypersonic missile for the Army. This missile will also be used by the Navy and launched from ships and its Virginia-class submarines. Thank you to my hosts for taking the time to explain the scientific and technical challenges that they have overcome.
NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center
It was also great to spend time with the senior leadership of the NASA center on the Redstone Arsenal. The important work that Marshall oversees in preparing to return Americans to the surface of the moon and beyond involves a myriad of technical challenges.
As a lead appropriator for NASA, it was great to see firsthand the additive manufacturing lab, learn about the thermal protection system work and see some of the Artemis hardware that is bound for space.
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Also under my jurisdiction as the ranking member for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce Justice and Science, I visited the FBI headquarters in Huntsville for an update on the construction of their training campus. I received briefings on some of the FBI’s work in defending the country from the threat of terrorism. The Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC) on Redstone Arsenal is where the nation stores and studies IEDs that have been collected or are of interest to the U.S. Government. It was a privilege to meet the public servants who work to understand the specific nature of this type of threat to American citizens and to better prevent a future attack.
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Kansans in the Office
Capitol Tour
Heather Musil of Hays
Corey Musil of Hays
Meghan Musil of Hays
Mason Ruder of Hays
Erin Ruder of Hays
Vernon Ruder of Hays
Ruth Ruder of Hays
Darin Myers of Hays
Michael Berges of Hays
Erica Berges of Hays
Alexis Sinlasath of Olathe
Xayasith Sinlasath of Olathe
Rozelle Webb of Liberal
Scott Carr of Liberal
Presephoni Fuller of Liberal
Jose Lara of Liberal
Janeth Vazquez of Liberal
Mel Patterson of Liberal
Emily Norberg of Lindsborg
Paula Norberg of Lindsborg
Harold Lacy Jr. of Overland Park
Vicki Lacy of Overland Park
Mark Walker of Frontenac
Pam Walker of Frontenac
Amy Carr of Overland Park
Ayax Ron of Overland Park
Patrick Ron-Carr of Overland Park
Ted Iliff of Olathe
Julia Iliff of Olathe
Regina Hummer of Manhattan
Mark Traylor of Olathe
Jacqueline Traylor of Olathe
Bethany Traylor of Olathe
Nadine Smith of Mankato
Karen Stewart of Washington
Debra Kruse of Hanover
Jessica Kelemen of Manhattan
Will Wilk of Basehor
City of Hays
Darin Myers of Hays
Michael Berges of Hays
Collin Bielser of Hays
Mason Ruder of Hays
Reese Barrick of Hays
James Robben of Hays
City of Garden City
Myca Bunch of Garden City
Shonda Collins of Garden City
Deb Oyler of Garden City
Danielle Burke of Garden City
Matt Allen of Garden City
Rachel Powell of Garden City
Mary Ortiz of Garden City
City of Liberal
Rozelle Webb of Liberal
Scott Carr of Liberal
Presephoni Fuller of Liberal
Jose Lara of Liberal
Janeth Vazquez of Liberal
Mel Patterson of Liberal
American College of Surgeons
Kate Dixon of Kansas City
Tyler Hughes of Salina
Robert Amajoyi of Leawood
Josh Brohammer of Fairway
Jack Ayres of Overland Park
Kansas Electric Cooperatives
Coni Adams of Wellington
David Light of Ulysses
Keith Leddy of Norton
Kirk Thompson of Meade
Kirk Girard of Norton
Mike Brewer of Ulysses
Pat Morse of Dodge City
Reagan McCloud of Topeka
Shane Laws of Dodge City
Dodge City Chamber of Commerce
Nick Hernandez of Dodge City
Mollea Wainscott of Dodge City
Eliel Marin of Dodge City
Karla Lees of Dodge City
Alicia Edwards of Dodge City
Corey Kuller of Dodge City
Crop Insurance Professionals Association
Brett Keeler of Assaria
National Water Resources Association
Clay Scott of Ulysses
Randy Hayzlett of Lakin
Jason Norquest of Garden City
Mark Rude of Garden City
Solve M.E.
Tracy Conrad of Kansas City
Coalition for Clinical and Translational Scientists
Bill Brooks of Kansas City
Stephanie Stancil of Overland Park
Online Lenders Alliance
Bart Miller of Leawood
Gayla Huber of Kansas City
Heartland Chamber of Commerce/Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
Michele Watley of Kansas City
Kim Randolph of Kansas City
State Rep. Eric Smith of Burlington
Robert Skippen of Burlington
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Kenyon Gleason of Topeka
National Down Syndrome Society
Jawanda B. Mast of Olathe
Plastics Industry Association
Steve DeSpain of Maize
Joe Piccini of Maize
U.S. Deputy Sheriff’s Association
David Hinners of Wichita
Mike Willis of Wichita
American Veterinary Medical Association
Garry Cowan of Wichita
City of Lawrence, Lawrence Chamber of Congress, KU and Haskell Leaders
Paul Davis of Lawrence
Craig Owens of Lawrence
Lisa Larsen of Lawrence
U.S. Travel Association
Marlee Carpenter of Topeka
Alan Carr of Kansas City
Holly Lofton of Wichita
Susie Santo of Wichita
James Zalenski of Parsons
Melissa Dixon of Hays
Julie Roller Weeks of Abilene
LeadingAge
Rachel Monger of Topeka
United Dairy Industry Association
Orville Miller of Hutchison
Public Background Screening Association
Katie Hartley of Lenexa
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Blaine Hanf of Tonganoxie
Brad Sezhk of Lenexa
American Clean Power
Marty Sneaty of Ellsworth
USD 207 Fort Leavenworth
Dr. Keith Mispagel of Ft. Leavenworth
Nextlink
Ari Storch of Overland Park
Kansas Funeral Directors Association
Donna Mathena-Menke of Topeka
Joshua Meyer of Concordia
Pam Scott of Topeka
American Academy of Ophthalmology
Andrew Kalina of Overland Park
Paul Weishaar of Wichita
State Rep. Bill Clifford of Garden City
Sara Krachmalnick of Kansas City
Travis Mitchell of Kansas City
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