President Obama’s Illegal Executive Amnesty

Today, I voted against the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015, which fully funds President Obama's illegal executive amnesty.

President Obama's executive amnesty is wrong, it has been rejected by the American people and, according to a federal court, it is illegal. When I was elected, I swore to uphold the Constitution. That is an oath I take very seriously, and I cannot support a bill that funds the President's illegal executive order.

The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, and it is our obligation to use that power to stop executive overreaches like President's executive amnesty. I cannot support legislation that allows actions that directly violate the separation of powers as defined in the Constitution.

Ending Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

This week, I joined Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker in introducing key legislation to enact a permanent, government-wide prohibition of taxpayer funding for abortion. Currently, similar policies, such as the Hyde Amendment, require annual passage and do not apply to Obamacare. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Actalso includes a provision requiring all health insurance plans offered by Obamacare exchanges to disclose coverage of elective abortion procedures.

Millions of Americans oppose the use of their hard-earned money to cover abortion services. This is true both of their tax dollars and of the premiums they pay to their health insurance providers.  However, Obamacare makes it difficult for consumers to know if a plan they are purchasing covers abortion.  

We need transparency.  Consumers have a right to know what their fees are paying for, so that they can choose an insurance plan that meets their needs and is in line with their beliefs and values. 

Our bill protects this right.  We ban all taxpayer funding for abortion, and we clearly inform consumers in health care exchanges which plans cover abortive services.

President Obama Vetoes Keystone Pipeline

Passing a bill to approve construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline was a major victory for American jobs and North American energy. A bipartisan majority has pushed this project for years, and within weeks of the bill passing Congress with bipartisan support, President Obama vetoed the bill.

The President put liberal special interest politics above the 42,000 jobs created by this project. I am deeply disappointed that President Obama vetoed this bill, despite the American people’s overwhelming support for construction of the pipeline. The President, once again failed to rise to the occasion. He put ideology above commonsense and a liberal agenda over American jobs.  The bill now comes back to the Congress, and I am sincerely hopeful we will muster enough support to override the President’s partisan and unwise veto.

 

Federal Bureaucrats Should Not Regulate the Internet

The Federal Communications Commission has approved a secret 317-page plan to regulate the Internet. Not only was the plan drafted behind closed doors, but FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has refused to publicly release its text.

The FCC’s plan abandons the “light touch” approach that’s worked for more than two decades in favor of a heavy-handed, government-knows-best approach. These new federal government controls mean consumer Internet access could be more expensive, less innovative, and less competitive, with slower service expansion.

Senate and House Republicans from their respective committees of jurisdiction have a better option: a six-page draft bill that would provide clear rules of the road and important legal certainty for consumers and innovators. This transparent, legislative approach is a far more effective way to promote an open Internet than the Obama administration’s big-government approach, which will stifle innovation and growth.

 

 

First Ag Committee Hearing as Chairman – and first victory

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, I held the first hearing of my chairmanship this week. Breaking with tradition, I heard the concerns of farmers and ranchers on the implementation of the Farm Bill before the testimony of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack.

This hearing was also our first oversight hearing of the one-year-old Farm Bill.  Our witnesses testified about the challenges and successes of the new farm bill. The Committee and the Secretary responded to concerns raised by our four witnesses and by others who have reached out to our Committee members.

USDA listened to the concerns expressed during our hearing regarding deadlines for producers to make decisions for commodity programs and took action as a result of the hearing.

USDA now has granted a one-month extension for producers making decisions on updating yield history and reallocating base acres, the first in a multiple-step process to sign up for Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), new commodity programs established in the 2014 Farm Bill. The initial deadline was February 27. The new deadline is March 31, the same deadline for making the one-time election to enroll in PLC or ARC for crop years 2014-2018.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has been working through implementation challenges in several states related to cover crops, software, yield history and other issues.  

I would encourage all producers to visit their local FSA office as soon as possible to make sure they have enough time and information to make these important decisions.   

I hope to continue this level of hands-on problem-solving in the Committee.

Click here to watch the hearing and read testimonies and opening statements from Tuesday’s Farm Bill implementation hearing. 

 

 

Kansas Listening Tour Continues

My listening tour of Kansas continued over the last few weeks, with stops spanning our great state.  Here are some of the highlights!

I toured the BNSF Railway Logistics Park with U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Congressman Kevin Yoder. Trade is one area where Congress and the Administration can agree.

I want to thank the Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. for hosting my Agriculture Roundtable. I invited key leaders in Kansas agriculture to sound off on the issues facing their industries. I am grateful for their candid and valuable advice. We have much work to do and these folks are the experts.

As Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, I am joining students for school lunch as the Committee begins work on child nutrition programs. I'll be visiting several schools to see how nutrition standards are implemented. I recently got to return to my high school, Holton High. The students and faculty were excellent hosts, and I was glad to be back with the Wildcats!

Thank you to the Western Equipment Dealers Association for inviting me to speak at their breakfast in Kansas City. I really enjoyed touring the Western Farm Show at the American Royal complex.

Many thanks to the High Plains Journal for hosting the Ford County Ag Producers Breakfast, and to the large contingent of producers who attended.

I was honored to join my friend Rebecca Escalante of the Dodge City LULAC Council 11079 and Representative Bud Estes at a reception honoring Gold Star Families in Dodge. May God bless all those who wear the uniform, and the families that support them here at home.

What a thrill to be at Fort Dodge to witness this fine, patriotic group of young men and women be inducted into my beloved Marines. To my new Comrades in Arms I say: "Semper Fi"

I had the immense pleasure of watching the Wichita State Shockers Men’s Basketball team with WSU President Bardo, and was able to congratulate Fred Van Vleet on the big win and for setting the all-time school assist record.

Check Senator Roberts’ Website, YouTube and Facebook Sites for Updates

You can visit my YouTube site for more information on what’s happening in Washington, D.C., and Kansas by visiting www.youtube.com/SenPatRoberts. It's a great place to find speeches and debates on the Senate floor, press conferences, interviews and Senate hearings. You can also stay updated on all these happenings on my Facebook and Twitter sites.