Remembering 9/11
Today, we pause to remember the men and women who lost their lives 22 years ago in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. We will never forget the victims of those attacks or the heroes who saved lives that day.
We are grateful to the Americans who answered the call to defend our country in the wake of 9/11. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay.
Visiting with Kansans at State Fair
The Kansas State Fair is one of the state’s largest events, and each year I always look forward to visiting the State Fair each year. While at the fair this weekend, I visited with many Kansans who traveled from across the state to enjoy the rides, food, exhibit halls, livestock barns and countless educational opportunities.
This is the 26th year I have had a booth at the fair, and members of my staff are available each day to answer questions and provide information. Thank you to the Kansas State Fair Board Members and staff who put in hours of planning to make our fair a fun and educational event for all.
Click here to watch a recap of my time at the fair.
Ag Leadership Breakfast at the State Fair
While at the fair, I joined my colleagues Senator Marshall and Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Ron Estes along with agriculture leaders from across the state at the annual Ag Leadership Breakfast. There are many challenges facing agriculture today, and the breakfast was an opportunity to visit directly with Kansans about the ag economy and the importance of the upcoming Farm Bill. It’s vital that we make certain agriculture remains profitable so there is a next generation of farmers and ranchers in Kansas. Thanks to President Joe Newland, Kansas Farm Bureau and the State Fair Board for hosting this long-running event.
Introducing the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act
I recently introduced the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023 to provide VA with additional tools to address the growing backlog in claims from veterans and their survivors filing for disability compensation. This legislation would make it easier and faster for veterans to receive the benefits they earned as a result of their service to this nation. This bill would bolster employee recruitment for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and improve VA’s scheduling of veterans’ medical disability exams by increasing communication between contractors conducting disability exams, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), and veterans and their families.
In my role as the lead Republican on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am committed to making certain veterans receive their earned benefits in a timely and reasonable manner and without unnecessary hurdles. This bipartisan bill is based on my conversations with veterans and providers in Kansas, whose input and feedback is critical to the work that I do in Washington. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to get this legislation to the President’s desk to be signed into law as soon as possible.
Urging FERC to Reverse Ruling
This week, Sen. Marshall and I urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to adopt transmission rates fairer to Kansas. Our state is home to an abundance of energy production, but families and businesses have been paying inflated transmission costs as a result of FERC procedure that exports Kansas-produced energy outside the state. It is FERC’s statutory obligation to make certain costs are allocated in a manner that is roughly commensurate with the benefits received. I urge the commission to work with stakeholders to create a reasonable cost allocation plan that does not overburden Kansas ratepayers.
Read more here in the Kansas Reflector.
Meeting with the Association of the United States Army
Last week, while in Washington D.C., I was honored to receive the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Legislator of the Year award. As the Co-Chair of the Senate Army Caucus, Ranking Member on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, advocating for the Army has long been a priority of mine. I want to thank General Robert Brown, a previous Fort Leavenworth Combined Arms Center Commander, LTG Leslie C. Smith, Mark Haalen, and John Nobrega for meeting with me and presenting me with this award. The contributions AUSA makes daily for our Army and veterans are invaluable.
We discussed the importance of caring for soldiers and their families and recruiting future soldiers. Roughly 80% of recently recruited servicemembers come from military families. How we support and honor the capability of U.S. servicemembers – past and present – directly impacts the future success of the United States’ all-volunteer force.
AUSA plays a critical role in these endeavors. I want to thank AUSA chapters located in Kansas which support our Army – namely Rich Jankovich, President of the Fort Riley – Central Kansas Chapter, and Bryan Wampler, President of the Henry Leavenworth Chapter for your tireless efforts.
Introducing Judicial Nominee from Kansas
On Wednesday, I introduced Captain Richard Federico at his nomination hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Captain Federico was nominated to serve as a judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals which has jurisdiction over Kansas. Captain Federico is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and served in the military for 21 years. During his time in the military, he spent 13 years as a Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) and served as a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge. I look forward to continuing to follow his nomination in the United States Senate.
You can watch my full remarks here.
Nomination for FAA Administrator
On Thursday, President Biden nominated Michael Whitaker for the long-vacant position of FAA Administrator. By ensuring safe travel free of disruptions and advancing innovation in the aerospace industry, the FAA Administrator is a valuable part of American infrastructure. In light of Mike’s three decades of experience in the public and private sectors, I look forward to assessing this nomination with all urgency.
Speaking at the Groundbreaking for the for the KCK Community Center
Friday morning, I joined Dr. Greg Mosier and the Chair of the Board of Trustees Evelyn Criswell at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kansas City Kansas Community Education, Health and Wellness Center. Slated at 95,500 square ft, the downtown campus will provide technical and academic classes to meet the needs of local business. Its focus will be on automation engineering, commercial construction technology, general education diplomas (GED), and counseling. The campus will also house a primary health clinic and a youth enrichment and leadership space.
I helped secured a $2 million federal investment for the college’s commercial construction technology program. Thank you to President Mosier for inviting me to celebrate the groundbreaking and to the financial supporters who have allowed this project to become a reality. Thank you also to Mayor and Unified Government CEO Tyrone Garner, Chief Marketing Officer Kris Green, the Unified Government Commissioners, and all the community leaders who joined me as well.
Keynote at the Veterans Treatment Court Opening Ceremony
This week, I spoke at the opening of the Leavenworth County Veterans Treatment Court. This specialty court is designed to support justice-involved veterans, former servicemembers who have been detained by or are under the supervision of the criminal justice system and are struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues. The veterans treatment court is voluntary for eligible veterans and aims to provide a non-adversarial treatment strategy through collaboration with other agencies, such as the VA, to increase access to supportive services and prevent future criminal behavior.
Leavenworth District Court deserves praise for their long term commitment to creating this opportunity for veterans. I am grateful for the opportunity to help secure funding for these efforts. As a longtime advocate for establishing veterans treatment courts in Kansas, I support grant funding for them through my leadership positions on the United States Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations Committees. I will continue to make certain that those who have seen the horrors of war remain at the front and center of our attention, that we offer them the opportunity to live with the freedom that they have provided for us.
Thank you to Judge Dan Wiley, District Attorney Todd Thompson and their team for the invitation. I also want to express thanks to Chief Justice Marla Luckert, Retired Maj. General Clyde “Butch” Tate as well as former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss for their advocacy in the implementation of veterans treatment courts across Kansas.
Read more here in the Leavenworth Times.
Touring Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum
Last week, I joined the staff of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum for a tour of the museum which opened to the public in April of this year. This museum tells the story of Amelia Earhart – fit with 14 interactive and immersive STEM exhibits taking visitors through her adventurous life. Her legacy is honored and preserved for all generations at the museum, providing the inspiration necessary to ensure aerospace thrives within our state and country.
Before she became known as the “Queen of the Air”, Amelia Earhart was born in 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. At the time Atchison had a population of 500 people, and now, 126 years later, Atchison is home to almost 11,000 Kansans. Undeniably, our state has a long history in aviation and it is only fitting that Amelia was born in Kansas, which would later become home to the “Air Capital of the World”. Amelia’s life embodied the values we as Americans hold dear – resilience, determination, bravery, and perseverance, something we as Kansans can strive to emulate.
Last summer, my staff and I welcomed a statue of Amelia to the United States Capitol – three days after what would have been her 125th birthday. When visiting the Capitol, Kansans and Americans flock to see her statue. A replica stands at her museum in Atchison.
Thank you to Executive Director Mindi Love Pendergraft for the invitation to visit and to the President and Vice President of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation Karen Seaburg and Reed Burger, Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, Rick Berger and Jacque Pregont for joining me.
Read more here in the Atchison Globe.
Visiting Valley Hope of Atchison
After touring the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, I had the opportunity to visit the Valley Hope Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center. Located in Atchison, this center provides care for several counties in northeast Kansas and the KC metro area. Valley Hope has been serving patients for more than 50 years offering onsite detox, licensed clinicians, individual therapy, and 12-step sessions and group counseling. Over 300,000 patients have been served by their loving staff.
I am grateful for the work this center is doing to offer hope and freedom from addiction. Thank you to Major Gifts Coordinator Adam Ehlert for the invitation to visit and for the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Valley Hope Capital Campaign Karen Seaburg and Rick Berger, and Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson for joining me on this visit.
Meeting with K-State President Linton
I appreciated the opportunity to catch up with Kansas State University President Richard Linton during a walk through campus on Sunday morning. We discussed the recent rollout of K-State’s plan to grow and expand over the next decade. Glad to see Richard is doing well as he continues to battle cancer.
100th Birthday Celebration for Harold Nelson
On Sunday, I stopped by a celebration for Reverend Harold Nelson’s 100th birthday. Harold has served his nation and community as a tail-gunner in Italy during WWII and later as a pastor in Kansas. I first met Harold in 1996 while he was a Methodist minister in McPherson, and I am thankful for the many years I have known him.
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