Visiting Vangent in Lawrence

As a senior member of the Senate HELP and Finance Committees, Senator Roberts recently had the opportunity to tour and visit with employees at Vangent in Lawrence, a government contractor and call-center employing 1,300 in the area. Vangent services Medicare, Federal Student Loans among other agencies and is celebrating its 15th anniversary in Lawrence. Roberts thanked the employees for their service and outstanding work to administer the 1-800-MEDICARE hotline and efficiently process student loan applications.

Senator Roberts had the chance to listen in on one of the 1-800-MEDICARE calls that Vangent receives on a daily basis. They provide important information, which helps seniors decide which Medicare Part D plan is best for them depending on which medications they take.

Marine Corps Birthday Ceremony in Topeka

After attending a K-State game in Manhattan, Senator Roberts was honored to be a part of the 234th Marine Corps Birthday celebration in Topeka. The crowd of hundreds included students, Marines and other service members and their families. Topeka High School’s Junior ROTC Marine Corps hosted this event. Roberts congratulated the Principal, Dr. Linda Wiley and the entire staff for the way the USMC Reserve group fits so smoothly into the entire school.

Senator Roberts told the audience, “I was motivated by my own father who lied about his age to join the Marine Corps at age 42 in the midst of World War II. After I graduated from Kansas State, I decided I wanted to make a difference and I joined the Marines entering the Officer Candidate program in Quantico, Virginia. Serving in the Marine Corps is an experience I will always treasure. Thank you to another Marine, State Senator Bob Marshall (R-Fort Scott) and CWO Gunner Kelley for the invitation to speak and be recognized by the Marines in Topeka on our 234th birthday. In this time of military conflict, I deeply appreciate the many sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform to protect the American people. Semper Fidelis!”

Back in Washington, Senator Roberts was honored as the most senior Marine in the U.S. Senate at the annual cake cutting ceremony on the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps on Capitol Hill.

Cap and Tax

At a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senator Roberts expressed concerns that the current partisan cap and tax bill being pushed through the Senate will cost Kansas jobs and have dire financial consequences on rural communities across the country. Senator Roberts said, “Kansans have long supported renewable energy and continue to make investments in these industries. These decisions are based on a mix of market conditions and consumer demand, not because of this cap-and-tax scheme. Cap-and-tax proposals which try and ration domestic energy production would lead to higher unemployment rates and a net loss for Kansas in jobs and economic output.

"Three mid-sized Kansas communities are home to the refinery industry and under the bill that was railroaded out of the Senate Environment Committee recently, those communities and many others in rural Kansans have told us they will suffer severe consequences. The result will be higher taxes, job loss, and a greater dependence on volatile foreign energy.”

Health Care Reform

Senator Roberts remains committed to responsible health care reform that improves access to affordable insurance and health care for all Americans, while protecting the benefits of millions who would like to keep the coverage they have.

At a recent Senate Health Committee hearing where Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger testified, Senator Roberts echoed her concerns by saying, “There is no question that the spiraling cost of health insurance poses a huge threat to our small businesses. We know that the primary driver behind the rising costs of health insurance is the rapid increase in the cost of health care. Until we get health care cost trends under control, this reform will exacerbate, rather than solve, our current problems. Under the current proposals, I believe most small businesses in Kansas will be saddled with higher premium costs without having the benefit of the limited tax credits in the bill.”

Roberts has noted small business owners who want to provide health insurance to their employees are increasingly having to reduce their contributions or cut down on benefits to afford to do so. Some have been forced to drop their coverage altogether, contributing to Kansas’ rising uninsured rate.

Senator Roberts said, “The rushed health care reform proposals being debated behind closed doors could end up costing the taxpayer $2.4 trillion over ten years while doing nothing to lower the rising cost of care for patients and causing insurance premiums to rise. We should reduce costs for patients, increase transparency of health care costs and quality, eliminate pre-existing conditions, enact medical malpractice reform, offer incentives for healthy behaviors and encourage consumers to use health savings accounts to put them in charge of spending their health care dollar.”

Service Academy Nominations

Senator Roberts nominated forty-six young Kansans for appointments to U.S. Service Academies, including the Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, Co), Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY), Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD), and United States Military Academy (West Point, NY). “I am very pleased to announce this year’s nominees. These men and women are outstanding representatives of Kansas in every way, and I wish them the best of luck,” Senator Roberts said.

In making the nominations, Roberts followed the recommendations of his Academy Screening Board; a nonpartisan Board comprised of volunteers from across Kansas and is overseen by Karin Wisdom, Senator Roberts’ District Director in Wichita. As part of the decision-making process, board members conduct personal interviews with the applicants, as well as review their written applications, G.P.A, and standardized test scores. Once nominated by Senator Roberts, the applicants then must meet the individual admission requirements of each academy, which makes the final decision on who will receive an appointment of admission. Due to the limited number of openings at each academy, not every nominee will receive an appointment. The academies this spring will announce appointments for the class entering in June 2010. In March, Roberts will begin accepting applications for nominations to academy classes entering in June 2011. For more information, please visit: https://www.roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=AcademyNominations .

Honoring Veteran’s Day

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Senator Roberts made the following statement: “We honor the brave men and women who throughout our nation’s history have taken up arms in defense of our nation. They have defended our freedoms, often paying the ultimate sacrifice, to preserve the way of life we hold so dear. We pay tribute to their courage and dedication. Those now currently serving here at home and in Iraq, Afghanistan and all across the globe represent future generations of veterans. The many sacrifices they and their families are making serve as a daily reminder that freedom is not without cost. As a United States Senator and former Marine, I take the commitment to our nation’s veterans seriously and am honored to continue to work with my colleagues on behalf of them. Semper fi.”

Congress and President Approve Treece Buyout

In another major step forward for the community of Treece, Congress approved and the President signed into law legislation to provide the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to buyout Treece. The legislation will allow the EPA to protect and improve the lives of residents living with the daily threat of contamination and health related risks from long abandoned lead and zinc mining should a federal buyout be initiated.

Senators Roberts, Brownback, Representative Lynn Jenkins, and Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma all worked to include this authority in the Interior Appropriations Conference report, which was signed into law. “With this important first step, I look forward to working with Administrator Jackson and her team on a long term solution for residents of Treece. I applaud the EPA for going the extra mile, sending representatives to the area to listen to residents firsthand, and then understanding their special hardships. Together, I think we can now give these folks a little hope,” Senator Roberts said.

At Senator Roberts’ request, EPA sent key officials to Treece in August. Second District Representative Lynn Jenkins led a tour of the community as well as held a town listening session where residents could relay their concerns. Following this visit in September, EPA began blood and air quality testing at the request of residents.

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