Kansas Common Sense
Remembering the Battle of the Bulge 80 Years Later
This week, I was honored to represent Kansas and the U.S. Senate at the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and most costly battle for the Americans during WWII. We paid tribute to and honored the memory of the men who fought for freedom and the more than 10,000 Americans who remain there still, lying in eternal rest at the Ardennes American Cemetery and the Luxembourg American Cemetery.
At the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in Bastogne, I was humbled to speak with WWII veterans and share with them that we remember their victory 80 years later and continue to honor their grit and resolve.
May we never forget the price that was paid for the liberties we enjoy today.
Luxembourg American Cemetery
I closed my remarks by sharing an inscription that is on a smaller Battle of the Bulge memorial in Abilene, Kansas at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. It reads: “let us be glad that such heroes have lived, and mourn those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Let us indeed be glad that such heroes have lived, and let us strive to live our lives in a manner worthy of their sacrifice.
Protecting Kansans Property
This week, I joined Sen. Marshall and Rep. Mann announcing that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will no longer pursue its proposed Midwest-Plains and Plains-Southwest National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) in Kansas. Kansans have made their voices heard, and there will no longer be a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor across Kansas. This is great news for the impacted landowners and farmers and ranchers. I am grateful to the Kansans that partnered with me to send a clear message to the federal government that it cannot take action to overrule state regulators. These are the decisions that should be left up to Kansans, not Washington.
You can read more about this in KRSL here.
Our Farmers & Ranchers Need Immediate Assistance
Through no fault of their own, Kansas farm families are struggling to keep their heads above water, and it is critical they receive assistance as soon as possible to continue their operations. I will continue working with my colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ag Committee to provide certainty for our producers. If there is no assistance for our farmers and ranchers in the Continuing Resolution, I will not support the bill.
Discussing Priorities with Secretary of Transportation Nominee
This week, I met with President Trump’s nominee to serve as the Secretary of Transportation, former Congressman Sean Duffy. During our conversation, we discussed what his vision is for the department, as well as my transportation priorities and ways we can make the Department of Transportation more efficient to better support the needs of Kansans. We also discussed the importance of a safe and reliable aviation industry, the value of long-distance rail and improving our bridges and roads. I look forward to his testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce. 
Senate Passes My Comprehensive Veterans Legislation
This week, the U.S. Senate passed my bill, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, to better support veterans, caregivers and survivors by improving access to VA health care and benefits, expanding long-term care programs, strengthening programs for student veterans and military family members and more. It is fitting that this important legislation is named after an honorary Kansan, Senator Elizabeth Dole, who is a life-long advocate for veterans and their caregivers.
I appreciate the veterans, caregivers, survivors, veterans service organizations and advocates who shared their experiences with me and contributed important ideas and feedback that I was able to include in the legislation, specifically to increase mental health support for caregivers and protect the rights of veterans and their doctors to determine what is in a veteran’s best medical interest without interference from VA bureaucrats. I look forward to seeing it signed into law shortly to improve care, benefits and services for veterans and military families.
You can learn more about my legislation here.
Remembering Chris Bickle
Robba and I are deeply saddened by the news of Chris Bickle’s passing. Chris leaves behind a legacy of generosity and dedication to others. She and her husband Don have made an immeasurable difference in the community of Hays and our state. Their many philanthropic gifts have made the name Bickle synonymous with giving and their shared dedication to making our world a better place has done just that. I’m grateful for our years of friendship. My family’s thoughts and prayers are with Chris’ husband Don and their entire family. We will miss her greatly.
You can read Chris's obituary here.
Investigating Chinese Cyber Espionage
On Wednesday, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) and I led a hearing in the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband to uncover more information about a Chinese cyberattack on America’s telecommunications infrastructure confirmed by top U.S. intelligence officials earlier this month. The “Salt Typhoon” attack infiltrated major telecommunications companies in the U.S. and resulted in exposure of Americans’ personal data to Chinese hackers. The attack also brought into stark contrast the vulnerabilities of America’s telecommunications infrastructure for national security purposes.
During the hearing, I had the opportunity to engage with telecommunications and intelligence professionals who offered insights about the vulnerabilities that enabled this attack and how America can and should respond. Throughout the hearing, my colleagues and I stressed the critical importance of both hardening America’s networks against the matrix of threats facing domestic telecommunications infrastructure and establishing deterrence to ensure that China and other foreign adversaries are not emboldened to carry out future attacks. I emphasized, during the hearing, the importance of protecting small and rural telecommunications providers that serve hundreds of thousands of Kansans and millions of Americans.
In 2019, I joined my colleagues in sponsoring the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which established the “Rip and Replace” program to systematically remove telecommunications equipment subject to foreign adversary espionage and replace it with domestically made equipment. I was pleased to see the inclusion of provisions to fill a significant funding shortfall in this program included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congress must be proactive in addressing these threats, and programs like “Rip and Replace” demonstrate that Congress can take bipartisan action to secure our networks.
You can watch my opening remarks here.
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Introducing Legislation to Support Low-Level Blast Injury Research
This week, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and I introduced the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2024 to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other research partners to comprehensively study the impacts of repetitive low-level blast injuries on veterans’ mental health. This bill would require VA to create a ten-year research plan to establish the effects of repetitive low-level blast injuries, where benchmarks must be reported to Congress in order to develop further legislation and action for veterans who suffer with the effects of repetitive blast exposures.
Recent studies have tied low-level blasts, which servicemembers are exposed to during training and in combat, to high rates of brain and mental health conditions, including suicide. I have heard from Kansas veterans who were exposed to these kinds of blasts and are concerned about the impact to their own health. This legislation will help us start to better understand why and how blast exposures are impacting servicemembers and veterans and make certain VA is able to quickly incorporate these findings into clinical care for Kansas veterans to receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan. I would like to thank Sen. King for his support in this effort to make certain veterans have the evidence-based health care and benefits they deserve.
You can read more about this legislation in the Kansas Reflector here.
Meeting with Performance Contracting Group
This week, I met with Jason Henricks, CEO of Performance Contracting Group (PCG) from Lenexa. PCG has taken part in a number of high-profile construction projects, including the University of Kansas Health and Education building in Kansas City, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. PCG is structured through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which allows for employees to gain ownership as they work at the company. Strengthening ESOPs give employees a meaningful stake in their employer and allows companies to retain a productive and satisfied workforce.
I want to thank Jason for taking the time to meet with me in Washington, and I look forward to working with him to find additional ways to employ Kansans in this crucial industry to our economy.
Calling on VA for Executive Accountability
This week, I joined the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) in calling on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to prioritize accountability in VA’s annual executive appraisal cycle following two serious instances of mismanagement earlier this year. In July, VA announced a nearly $15 billion shortfall in their health and benefits accounts. In response, Congress passed an emergency supplemental to make certain veterans and their survivors received their benefit payments on time in October. In November, VA stated they did not need the supplemental funding that Congress had provided and, instead, VA had a surplus of funds. Additionally, VA’s Office of Inspector General announced this summer that senior executives at VA Central Office in Washington, D.C. had improperly awarded themselves $10.8 million in payments that Congress intended for VA staff members across the country working in high demand positions. As incoming Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I will continue to make certain that VA is a good steward of taxpayer dollars and does right by our nation’s veterans.
You can read my full letter to Sec. McDonough here.
Introducing Legislation to Improve Vetting for Law Enforcement Hiring
I introduced legislation that would allow for Peace Officer Standards Training (POST) offices across the country to conduct improved background checks on candidates seeking to be employed law enforcement in any given state. POST offices are responsible for setting the training and hiring standards for state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies but currently do not have access to the National Crime Information Center, limiting the scope of available information on prospective law enforcement officers. I want to thank Kansas CPOST Executive Director Doug Schroeder for working with me on this critical legislation that will support our law enforcement and deter bad actors from joining their ranks, and I look forward to working with my colleague Sen. Whitehouse to pass this legislation.
Tyson Foods Closure
As the largest employer in Lyon County, the Tyson Foods facility closing in Emporia is painful news for families and the community. It is my hope that Tyson Foods will continue working with the impacted employees to ensure a smooth transition in the next phase of their career, as well as opportunities within the Tyson Foods organization. I encourage affected employees to contact the Kansas Commerce Rapid Response team and the Kansas Department of Labor for assistance with this closure. I will work with local and regional leaders to make sure employees and their families can transition to new opportunities.
You can contact the Kansas Department of Labor here or the Kansas Department of Commerce Rapid Response page here.
Recognizing the Women of the “Six Triple Eight”
The new Netflix film "The Six Triple Eight" recognizes the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in WWII. In 2018, I was honored to meet some of these incredible women at Fort Leavenworth for the unveiling of a monument in their honor. I also had the privilege of introducing legislation in 2021 for the women of the 6888 to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
I encourage you to learn more about their service in World War II here.
Honoring Homer C. Nyber
Eighty years after being captured by Nazi forces in Germany, Kansas Airman Homer C. Nyber of Clay Center will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, where we can honor his service and sacrifice for our country. Thank you to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency for the work you do to bring our soldiers home and give them the burial honors they deserve.
You can read more about Homer Nyber in KSNT, here.
Capitol Tours
Christina Hobbs of Park City
Joseph Hobbs of Park City
Abby Lynn Johns of Gardner
Cooper Johns of Gardner
Dave Johns of Gardner
Griffin Johns of Gardner
Kelly Johns of Gardner
Jacquelyn Nawroth of Gardner
Warren Nawroth of Gardner
Advent Health
Molly Haase of Shawnee Mission
Kansas Bureau of Investigations
Tony Mattivi of Topeka
Kansas Housing Association
Trey George of Topeka
Matt Gillam of Leawood
Kelsey Herr of Gardner
Doug Smith of Overland Park
Josh Yurek of Topeka
Kansas State University
Chuck Rice of Manhattan
Oikos Development Corp
Michael Snodgrass of Kansas City
Performance Contracting Group
Jason Henricks of Lenexa
Kevin Yoder of Overland Park
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