Senator Roberts of Kansas

June Roberts Report...

June 16, 2010

Housing Award in Topeka
At Sheltered Living in Topeka, Senator Roberts recently received the Chester A. Sterling Friend of Housing Award from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka and celebrated the 20th anniversary of their affordable housing program.
Senator Roberts said, “Having a place to call home is important, and I applaud the people and organizations that work hand-in-hand to expand affordable housing in Kansas. This is possible due to the partnerships between non-profits like Sheltered Living, and community lenders. It also takes building contractors and subcontractors, suppliers, and workers. It takes institutions like the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka to make funding for affordable housing possible and since 1990, FHLBank Topeka has donated 10 percent of its earnings to the Affordable Housing Program. This program has awarded $33 million in grants for over 200 projects – giving thousands of Kansans a place to call home. I would like to extend my thanks to the staff, residents, volunteers, and grant providers that made these Sheltered Living upgrades possible, and to all who work tirelessly to increase housing opportunities across Kansas. Thank you again for this award and for the opportunity to see this working example of a housing private partnership firsthand in Kansas.”

Discussing Literacy on the KU Campus
Senator Roberts recently visited the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence to discuss the nationwide adolescent literacy problem at a roundtable discussion hosted by Dr. Don Deshler, Director of the nationally recognized KU Center for Research on Learning (CRL).
Professor Deshler briefed Senator Roberts and led a roundtable discussion about the adolescent literacy problem in America with KU professors and area educators. KU has developed specific literacy programs for use in Kansas and throughout the country. Earlier this month, Dr. Deshler testified on this topic before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee as part of the reauthorization process of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Senator Roberts is a senior member of the Senate HELP Committee, which has jurisdiction over renewing the ESEA. For more information on the KU Center for Research on Learning and the School of Education’s Special Education Department, visit: http://www.kucrl.org/ .

Berwick Nomination
Senator Roberts remains concerned about Dr. Donald Berwick, the President’s nominee to be the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Roberts said, “Dr. Berwick has a long history of statements supporting government rationing of health care, an issue that I have fought against vigorously throughout the health care debate. I will continue to ask the hard questions that need to be asked about Dr. Berwick and I will continue to fight against what I truly believe is government rationing of health care.”


To watch a recent floor speech on Dr. Berwick, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVdC2A12BSo .

Dr. Berwick has been quoted, “I am a romantic about the [British] National Health Service; I love it. All I need to do to rediscover the romance is to look at the health care in my own country,’ and, ‘If I could wave a magic wand...health care [would be] a common good– single payer...health care [would be] a human right– universality is a non-negotiable starting place...justice [would be] a prerequisite to health- equity is a primary quality goal.’”

Senator Roberts also participated in a colloquy on the Senate floor with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and physician and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) to discuss Dr. Berwick’s support for government control and rationing of health care. To view the Berwick colloquy, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5fniJ-Q25Q . Sen. Roberts said, “Dr. Berwick is a staunch advocate of government rationing of health care, an issue that I have fought against throughout the health care debate. Berwick has said, ‘The decision is not whether or not we will ration care—the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.’”

Additionally, this week, Senator Roberts sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and former Governor of Kansas, urging her to reconsider support for the nomination of Dr. Donald Berwick to be the Administrator for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In the letter to Sec. Sebelius, Senator Roberts stated, “I write to express my deep reservations regarding President Obama’s nominee for the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Donald Berwick. Despite your public support for Dr. Berwick and your comments that his controversial statements have been “taken out of context”, I urge you to take a closer look at his positions on government control and rationing of health care.

“With the federal government taking over an increased share of the health care market under the new health reform law, the CMS Administrator will become an even more important figure for patients and doctors across the country. My concern that we get the right person for the job has taken on a heightened significance. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, it is my responsibility to thoroughly vet this nominee. I will continue to examine Dr. Berwick's positions and background, and it is my sincere hope that you and I can cooperate throughout this process to ensure that Kansans and all patients, especially our seniors, are protected from government rationing.”

Big 12 Conference Reorganization
Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback thanked all who worked to ensure the Big 12 will continue as a strong and vibrant academic and athletic conference with the ten remaining schools. Senator Roberts said, “I am pleased the Big 12 is largely preserved for our universities, the state and the fans who have enjoyed the rivalry, and the benefits of membership in this conference. This effort was not just about sports, but was also about preserving the economic benefit the Big 12 has brought to Kansas communities, and to those up and down the heartland.”

Harmful EPA Regulations
Senator Roberts voted to further debate the resolution to disapprove EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions because they amount to a backdoor cap-and-tax regulatory scheme that will hurt Kansas consumers. Roberts is an original cosponsor of Senate resolution, S.J.Res 26, authored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to disapprove the “endangerment finding” published by the EPA on December 15, 2009.

Senator Roberts said, “The EPA’s efforts to sidestep the Congress and burden our fragile economy with regulations will mean that Kansans, and all Americans, are likely to see an increase in their utility bills, transportation costs, basic consumer goods and food. I am particularly concerned about the consequences for our farmers and ranchers.

“As a member of the Senate Agriculture and Senate Finance Committees, I will continue to fight against such proposals that damage our competitiveness in world markets, ration domestic energy and result in greater government bureaucracy. It is not in the best interests of the United States to unilaterally undertake mandatory carbon reductions until developing countries like China, India and Brazil agree to the same.”

Renaming Post Office to Honor Congresswoman Meyers
To honor Congresswoman Jan Meyers’ (R-KS) service to the people of Kansas’ third congressional district, Senator Roberts applauded the Senate for approving legislation to rename the post office at 9727 Antioch Road in Overland Park as the Congresswoman Jan Meyers Post Office. The House already passed this bill introduced by Congressman Dennis Moore (D-KS). In June, it was signed into law by the President.

“Jan Meyers has devoted her career to public service for the state of Kansas, and I am proud to have served with her in the House. This distinction honors Jan’s leadership to the state,” Senator Roberts said.

Representative Meyers served as city councilwoman in Overland Park from 1967 to 1972, and then in the Kansas Senate from 1972 to 1984. Beginning in 1984, she was elected six times to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District.

Recognizing Overland Park’s 50th Birthday
Overland Park recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Senator Roberts remarked, “As the second most populous city in Kansas, Overland Park plays an major role in our state’s economy and makeup. Thank you to OP Mayor Carl Gerlach for your leadership in Johnson County and making Overland Park - and our state - a great place to live, play and work. I always appreciate hearing from Mayor Gerlach and all Kansas mayors, with advice on issues before Congress affecting our local Kansas communities.”

A suburb of the greater Kansas City metropolitan area, Overland Park represents one third of Johnson County’s population. The city was incorporated on May 20, 1960 with a population of 28,085 and since then, the nationally recognized city has grown to more than 173,000 residents. To keep track of this year-long celebration of 50th anniversary events, go to http://www.opkansas.org/Things-to-See-And-Do/50th-Anniversary .

Marine Corps Bill
To recognize the service and sacrifice of the Marine Corps, Senator Roberts, a former Marine, continues to lead efforts in the Senate to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. The bill corrects a long standing disparity by which the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy by simply adding “and Marine Corps” to the title of the service. The Department of the Navy would become the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps and the Secretary would become the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. It does not move funds, change promotions or take away mission or jurisdiction.

Senator Roberts said, “By adding three words, we can credit the Marine Corps as a full service and publicly acknowledge that the Secretary of the Navy is also the head of the Marine Corps. We can acknowledge the Corps is on an equal footing with other services. And we can do this at a time when we are asking all of our servicemen and women to make great sacrifices for our country. It is not possible to overstate the service and sacrifice of any man or women who wears or has worn the Marine Corps uniform, whether in Iwo Jima 65 years ago or today.”

Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina has led the effort in the House of Representatives which passed the companion bill unanimously with a record 426 co-sponsors and Senator Roberts’ bill already has seventy-nine co-sponsors. To hear Senator Roberts discuss his Marine Corps Bill: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/roberts51110.mp3 .

To follow Senator Roberts on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SenPatRoberts . To watch Senator Roberts on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SenPatRoberts .



-30-