105 County Tour Marches On

It has been a great March. Although our Kansas basketball teams didn’t go as far in the NCAA Tournament as we all would have liked, and the weather doesn’t feel much like spring, my 105 county tour is in full force. Over the last few weeks, we held events in twelve more counties, visiting businesses, holding town hall meetings, talking to folks and asking what Kansans’ chief concerns are so far this year.

I can report we heard a common theme no matter where we stopped or who we were talking to – Kansans want big government’s over-reach to stop. The trust has eroded, and Kansans don’t see the federal government as a partner. It has become a huge adversary to their success – and to efforts to achieve the American dream. This is true in every walk of life in Kansas. Farmers and ranchers are tired of the EPA trying to regulate everything from dust to dry creek beds. Manufacturers and business owners are tired of OSHA regulators rewarded for the number of violations they can trump up. Health care providers are tired of HHS, CMS and the IRS interfering in the doctor-patient relationship.

Further, Kansans feel their own government does not trust them. They are concerned about the NSA spying on citizens. They see a federal government that doesn’t trust them to provide proper health insurance for their employees or to pay their employees a fair wage. They see their constitutional rights constantly under attack.

There has been a near total breakdown in trust, but Kansans are boot strap folks. Through hard work and perseverance they know they can succeed; they simply need the government to get out of their way and allow them to do so.

I have taken these frustrations to heart and turned them into legislative actions. I have introduced legislation that would make the Administration stop and think about the consequences of all their regulations before they harm business’ bottom line. I have joined every effort to defund, dismantle, repeal and replace the President’s onerous healthcare law. I have listened to the small business owners’ pleas to allow them to continue to pay their employees what they can to keep their doors open. Here is a video of the last Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing where I questioned the Secretary of Labor about the minimum wage and what he would tell a Kansas small business owner.

Click Here to Watch

And, with your help, I have beaten back this administration’s executive overreach on school nutrition and protected Kansan family farm values across generations.

Every stop on my 105 County Listening Tour is a boost. It never fails to amaze me how many good, hardworking, kind, community-minded folks we have. Here are some highlights from the most recent leg of my tour:

The first stop took us to Council Grove where I had the opportunity to speak with my friend and great small town newspaper man Craig McNeal, the Editor in Chief of the Council Grove Republican. Small papers are still providing great local news in towns across Kansas.

We then drove across town and had a very productive meeting with the crew at TCT Telecom, a great business serving a great community.

 

The next stop took us to Stockton in Rooks County where we had a town hall meeting with the Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Representative Travis Couture-Lovelady, and Kansas Senator Elaine Bowers. We had a very productive discussion about EPA regulations, Obamacare delays and how to repeal Obamacare, the IRS investigation, and the Farm Bill.

Then it was over to Osborne for the second town hall of the day where we talked about if and when the President will approve the Keystone pipeline, regulations on small business, and, of course, KU, K-State, and Wichita State basketball.

After lunch in Smith Center with Mayor Trey Joy, we had the incredible opportunity to visit the recently restored Home on the Range Cabin where Dr. Brewster Higley wrote our state song. We were joined by a great crowd to sing a round of our state song, and our state motto certainly rang true in this beautiful spot. Ad Astra per Aspera - to the stars through difficulty. Our ancestors handled a lot of difficulty, and Kansans today, following their lead, are as tough as ever.

From the Home on the Range over to the geographic center of the contiguous United States, our next town hall was out in the beautiful countryside of Lebanon, Kansas. We discussed the economy, the latest developments in the Ukraine, the attempt to raise the minimum wage, all in the early spring sunshine!

The next morning I was able to join the worship at Mankato United Methodist Church. I want to send a big thank you to Pastor Gerry Sharp for a great message and the entire congregation for their fellowship.

Then it was over to Beloit for a fantastic town hall and lunch that centered on health care issues.  We discussed the challenges facing our critical access and rural health care providers, the burden Obamacare is putting on the doctor-patient relationship and the struggles with new regulations facing hospitals. 

After our town hall I had the chance to tour the Mitchell County Hospital with Kansas Senator Elaine Bowers and Kansas Representative Susan Concannon. The hospital has an amazing staff, and they are doing incredible work.

Then it was off to another town hall in Lincoln County. People in Lincoln have Kansas common sense solutions, and are tired of the federal government interfering in their daily lives and pocket books.

Our last stop of the day was with some of the great Kansas veterans at the American Legion in Hillsboro. Semper Fi!

The next day we started in Cottonwood Falls with a spirited town hall in the beautiful and historic Chase County Courthouse.

Then I had the chance to visit with some of the impressive and hardworking folks providing Kansas with power at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Energy Center. I want to thank the folks at Wolf for the informative tour of their impressive facilities. Keep up the good work!

EPA Should Not Regulate Farm Ponds and Dry Creeks like the Missouri River

Over-regulation is a common concern throughout my 105 County Tour, so I am encouraging all Kansans to weigh in on newly proposed regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency - better known as the EPA. The EPA, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has proposed regulations that I believe would allow EPA to further expand its control and power, all under the guise of the Clean Water Act.

Farm ponds, dry creeks, and all water – storm – rain – ground, simply should not be regulated as if they are the Missouri River. Kansans should weigh in now to make sure common sense prevails.

Too often Kansans have felt that their way of life has been under attack or hindered by the EPA with the Clean Water Act and “navigable waters” as the excuse. From every corner of the state, I hear from farmers, ranchers, small businesses owners, and others who are tired of the federal government’s overreach and want this administration to work with them instead of against them.

I urge Kansans over the next 90 days to comment on these technical definitions and changes to the Clean Water Act. They lay the groundwork for continued environmental regulation and potential future regulatory efforts.  Let your voice be heard.

To make comments, go to: http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters

Standing with Hobby Lobby for Religious Freedom

Last week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties’ case against Obamacare’s contraception mandate. I stood with Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood when I joined the amicus brief on their behalf, and I continue to stand by them today.

Every American has a right to the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution. This right has been upheld time and again by the Supreme Court over the last 200 years. It is offensive and unconscionable that this White House would put the politics of Obamacare ahead of Americans’ religious liberty.  It is my sincere hope that the Supreme Court will see reason and not force religious employers to violate their beliefs.

Roberts-Harkin Bill to Help Co-ops and Charities Heads to President’s Desk

Bipartisan legislation I authored with Senator Tom Harkin that will make it easier for charities and cooperatives to continue to offer pensions to their employees has cleared both houses of Congress and will soon be signed into law by the President. The Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act of 2013 will ensure that charitable and cooperative associations are not swept into a loophole, which would require them to divert funds from critical services and jeopardize their ability to provide pension benefits to their workers.

I am glad the House and Senate have acted swiftly to pass this common sense protection for rural cooperatives and charities. I look forward to the President signing into law our bill which recognizes these unique plan structures by creating greater flexibility that enables employers to offer stable futures for their workers without passing the cost on to rural communities through increased costs for services.

This is common sense legislation that will help 136 Kansas co-op employers with 9,870 active employees. I am proud to have helped usher it through Congress and into law.

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 Facebookand Twitter sites.

If you wish to contact me about an issue or want more information, please visit my website, roberts.senate.gov.