Join me! For town hall meetings in Northwest Kansas next week

I will be hosting a series of town hall meetings across northwest Kansas from May 2 – 4. I look forward to hearing all of your concerns and giving you an update on what we are working on in the Senate Agriculture Committee and in the Senate. Hope to see you there!

EPA Funds Used to Attack AgricultureFor more information on the time and location of the town hall meetings, click here.

EPA Funds Used to Attack Agriculture

Earlier this month, it came to my attention that an anti-agriculture billboard in Washington State was actually funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The disturbing billboard is a bold example of exactly what Kansas farmers and ranchers complain about all the time: the EPA has an agenda that is antagonistic to producers.
Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and I wrote the EPA’s Inspector General, asking him to investigate how this federal money could be used to target farmers. We received his response last week. He agrees that an investigation of the grant used to fund this campaign for political purposes is warranted.

In the days since Sen. Inhofe and I called for an investigation, farmers and ranchers have contacted my office to thank us for standing up for them. We already know this campaign was malicious. Now we need to know what role the EPA had in it and whether they are properly monitoring the lawful use of federal funds.

Preventing another Attack from the IRS on Charities

Last year the IRS proposed an unnecessary and burdensome rule that threatened the security of charitable donors’ private information and would have had a chilling effect on charitable donations. Luckily they scrapped the plan. However, I introduced an amendment to the Taxpayers’ Protection Act last week, which will prohibit the IRS from simply recycling this short-sided plan and proposing a similar rule in the future. My amendment now in the mark makes sure that the IRS has clear direction on how best to approach taxpayer substantiation requirements. This amendment is similar to the stand-alone bill I introduced last year to block this proposed rule from going into effect.

Progress on the Kelsey Smith Act

Earlier this month, I introduced the Kelsey Smith Act to aid law enforcement’s response to emergencies when a person’s life is threatened. The Kelsey Smith Act is commonsense legislation that makes it easier for law enforcement to find our children if the nightmare of abduction ever becomes a reality, like it was with Kelsey. Our bill provides industry and law enforcement with the necessary tools to work together to do everything they can to find a loved one in danger when seconds count, while at the same time ensuring that all citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights are protected.

Congressman Kevin Yoder also introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives. After introduction of the bill, Kelsey’s mother, Missey gave a moving testimony in front of a House subcommittee. You can view that testimony here. The bill has now passed out of that subcommittee, and will be marked up by the full committee this week. I will keep you updated on the progress in the Senate.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Missey and Greg Smith, as well as Johnson County Sherriff Frank Denning and Robin Lewis, Chairman of the Kansas Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, last week. Because of their tireless efforts, the Kelsey Smith Act is already law in 22 states, and I will continue to fight to see that every American has the same Kelsey Smith protections.

Pressuring the White House for Answers on GITMO

I remain committed to stopping the White House from moving a single detainee from Guantanamo Bay to the United States mainland, particularly to Ft. Leavenworth. The White House continues to ignore the law and threaten to bring these terrorists to our shores – regardless of the lack of intelligence assessment that this move could bring to our communities and our men and women in uniform.

The president has failed to provide a legitimate plan with a suitable location to house these terrorists because it is simple: GITMO is the only suitable option. The president says he will soon name a site for the relocation, but I can assure you I will continue to use all the tools at my disposal to fight this short-sighted campaign promise.

I have already placed a hold on the president’s nominee for Secretary of the Army and General Counsel to the Department of Defense until the White House can assure me that no terrorists from GITMO will be coming to Ft. Leavenworth.

The president’s misguided political agenda puts his personal legacy ahead of the security of our communities, the wishes of the American people, and the law.

Join me to tell the White House that we do not want terrorists in our communities by signing by petition below.

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

You can visit my website for more information on what’s happening in Washington, D.C., and Kansas. You can also stay updated on all these happenings on my Facebook and Twitter sites.