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Senate Passes My Legislation to Honor Women of the Six Triple Eight

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed my legislation to honor the brave women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion by awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal. The Six Triple Eight was the only all-black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II, and they were responsible for clearing out an overwhelming backlog of mail, making certain American troops received letters from home to boost their morale. The women of the Six Triple Eight deserve to hold a special place in history for their service to our country, and I appreciate the Senate passing this legislation and will work to advance it in the House of Representatives. Learn more about their service during WWII by clicking here or by watching the video below.

Pledges for Unity Mean Nothing Without Compromise

After President Biden’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday evening, I released the following statement:

Unity, bipartisanship, working together – I agree with President Biden that these are all things that should and can represent the federal government, but we are falling far short. Pledges for unity mean nothing without listening to those with opposing points of view, finding common ground with them and agreeing to compromises. The President demonstrated he was unwilling to work with Republicans by forcing his partisan $1.9 trillion relief package through Congress without a single Republican vote. Overreaching, partisan legislation that costs trillions of taxpayer dollars isn’t the right path forward.

While I am eager to work with the President and my colleagues on improving America’s infrastructure, the President’s $2.3 trillion proposal isn’t affordable, and it isn’t infrastructure. I also agree that we should focus on supporting families and education, but these things are achieved through creating jobs and opportunities, not by adding an additional $1.8 trillion spending package.

Even amidst this divisive political climate, I’ve seen through my work on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that we are capable of working together to get things done, especially on behalf of our nations’ veterans. I am committed to working with the President to continue serving our veterans by further implementing the MISSION Act, improving care for veterans suffering from toxic exposure and improving VA accessibility for minority and women veterans.

Discussing Ongoing Vaccination Efforts with CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky

On Monday, I spoke with Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Rochelle Walensky to follow up on our previous discussion at a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing in March.

During our conversation, we discussed the vaccine rollout and opportunities that would continue to encourage Kansans to receive the vaccine. We also spoke of the assistance the United States will be sending to India and other nations who are battling high COVID-19 mortality rates, as India’s COVID surge is a tragedy that America must help address to save lives and stymie new variants. Additionally, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I assured Dr. Walensky of my longtime support for adequate funding of the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to retain America’s position at the forefront of biomedical research. I’m grateful to Dr. Walensky for her time, and I look forward to continuing to work together during her tenure as Director of the CDC.

Introducing Data Privacy Legislation and Discussing Big Tech

Giving Americans Authority Over their Personal Data
More and more Americans are recognizing the need for a clear federal standard for data privacy that guarantees them the ability to determine how their personal data is used. This week, I introduced the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act to strengthen the laws that govern consumers’ personal data and create clear standards and regulations for American businesses that collect, process and use consumers’ personally identifiable data.

Americans need to be able to count on strong baseline responsibilities that businesses must uphold when collecting, processing and protecting their personally identifiable information. Without action from Congress, consumers will continue to be vulnerable to future threats against their personal data, and innovators and job creators will be plagued with regulatory uncertainty resulting from a growing patchwork of state laws. It is clear that Congress needs to act, and I encourage my colleagues to support the Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act as the federal standard for comprehensive privacy legislation.