Finance Committee

Senator Pat Roberts won a key committee assignment on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction on a wide-range of legislation from tax and trade to health care, Medicare and Social Security, issues impacting all Kansas families. Kansas has not had a representative on the Senate Finance Committee since Senator Bob Dole left the Senate more than10 years ago.

Roberts joins the Finance Committee after four years of service as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "It has been my honor to work for the nation on efforts to improve our intelligence gathering capabilities, better enabling us to prevent terrorism at home and abroad," Roberts said. "But with the opportunity to bring a Kansas voice to the Finance Committee, I believe the time is right to make this move."

Senator Pat Roberts, a graduate of Kansas State University, recently spoke with the National Football League (NFL) Commissioner, Mr. Roger Goodell, urging him to allow Kansans to view televised coverage of the ever-optimistic and fighting Kansas State Wildcats at the Texas Bowl.

"Every Kansan should be able to cheer on their team, be it the Wildcats, the Jayhawks or the Shockers," Roberts said. "While I hope the parties can come to a long-term and mutually acceptable resolution, I do not believe K-State fans should be kept from seeing the Texas Bowl simply because they subscribe to a particular cable company."

Congress passed this month a comprehensive tax package to benefit taxpayers in Kansas and across the country. Senator Roberts voted for this bill that includes a two year extension of the deduction for college tuition and the deduction for teachers’ out-of-pocket classroom expenses. The package also extends and modifies the research and development tax credit, and extends several energy incentives to enhance energy independence and security. Senator Roberts said, "I have long said that Kansans should keep more of the dollars they earn, and this comprehensive tax legislation helps students, teachers, and all Kansans."

Korea recently rejected one of the first three shipments of beef from the United States, including one from a Kansas company. In response, Senator Roberts and many of his Senate Agriculture Committee colleagues urged U.S. trade officials to suspend negotiations on free trade agreements with South Korea unless they open their markets to U.S. beef. The trade agreement falls under the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee, which Roberts will join in January, enabling him to play a pivotal role in future trade negotiations with South Korea. After the first rejection of a U.S. beef shipment in November, Senator Roberts sent a letter to the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea asking for immediate resumption of beef trade based on sound science and according to international standards. The beef industry is one of the largest industries in Kansas – representing over $5 billion in annual revenue.

Senator Roberts supported the nomination of Wichita native Robert Gates to become the U.S. Secretary of Defense. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roberts had the opportunity to talk with the Secretary-designee about challenges we face in Iraq. Roberts also pointed out to the Secretary-designee that there are difficulties that the Kansas National Guard and other Guard units around the country face when replacing equipment used in missions abroad. National Guard members in Kansas have been deployed at a rate never before expected in support of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, their equipment, which must return to the state in support of the Guard’s primary mission to respond to national disasters at home, is compromised. Roberts told Gates he must be proactive on this issue in order to ensure that our Guard units are properly equipped.