A Champion for Regulatory Reform

Senator Roberts is taking aim at job-killing federal regulations. He has introduced legislation to enforce President Obama’s executive order directing agencies of the federal government to review regulations to ensure they don’t harm the economy.

“I applaud the president for recognizing his administration is inflicting volumes of regulations upon ordinary Americans that occasionally border on the ridiculous,” Roberts said. “Now let’s give this executive order teeth. Let’s make it law. Let’s really look at the size and scope of our government and return it to its role as a partner in America’s success rather than an impediment to it.”

Senator Roberts’ bill, the “Regulatory Responsibility for our Economy Act,” ensures the president’s order is carried out to review, modify, streamline, expand, or repeal those significant regulatory actions that are duplicative, unnecessary, burdensome, or would have significant economic impacts on Americans.

The legislation also ensures that regulations implemented by the administration consider the economic burden on American businesses, ensure stakeholder input and promote innovation. It also closes other existing loopholes that the administration has been using to bypass stakeholder input on regulations. The bill is gaining ground in the Senate. So far, 30 senators have signed on as cosponsors.

You can hear Senator Roberts explain why the bill is so important for Kansans by clicking here.

Boeing Tanker Contract - A Win for Kansas

Ten years of Senator Roberts’ work on the Boeing tanker issue culminated with outstanding news for Kansas. On February 24, the Department of Defense announced the KC-X next generation aerial refueling tanker contract had been awarded to Boeing, bringing thousands of jobs to Kansas. The news finally ensures a safe and modern tanker to the men and women in the Air Force.

"I am relieved that a safer and better plane will finally replace the Eisenhower era KC-135 tankers we use today,” Roberts said. “The men and women of our Air Force deserve the best tools available to carry out their critical, strategic and global mission. Their safety should be our number one priority. I am also pleased to see that the Air Force awarded the most highly-skilled, experienced workforce to build the tanker. I am proud of our workers at Boeing Wichita who can outcompete anyone and look forward to seeing that first tanker finished and out of the hanger.”

The award will create 7,500 new jobs at a time when the aviation industry and nation need them the most. The economic impact to Wichita and the state is an estimated $388 million.

Senator Roberts has been a strong advocate of replacing the aging 50 year-old tanker with an American made plane. Roberts first called for a replacement to the KC-135 in 2001 as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. At an Armed Services Committee hearing, Roberts held up a piece of corroded metal from a KC-135 illustrating the decrepit state of the aircraft men and women in uniform were forced to fly. He noted then the significant maintenance requirements of the tanker and that 40 percent of the fleet was grounded at any given time.

You can click here to hear Senator Roberts’ comments at the press conference with Governor Brownback and other members of the congressional delegation celebrating Boeing’s win.

Healthcare Forum and Listening Session in Topeka

Senator Roberts recently held a health care forum and listening session at the Kansas Hospital Association in Topeka. He invited health care provider and patient organizations from throughout the state on both sides of the debate. Each group expressed their concerns and fired off questions about Obamacare and the way it’s being implemented. Senator Roberts enjoyed the candid discussion and promised to hold similar meetings in the future so he could address their concerns in Congress. Senator Roberts it co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.

Leadership on Senate Agriculture Committee

Senator Pat Roberts was voted the top Republican, or “ranking member,” on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, continuing his leadership on behalf of Kansans, rural communities and production agriculture.

"I am honored to continue working on behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers in this new position," Roberts said. "Our nation is blessed with the safest, highest-quality and most affordable food and fiber in the world. Production agriculture faces a serious challenge: doubling output over the next 40 years to meet global hunger demands. Yet our producers face critical hurdles in meeting this challenge. Often, the federal government is the source of their frustration. I look forward to being a champion for those who feed a troubled and hungry world, while looking for new ways we can propel our industry and our rural communities into the next generation."

Roberts’ priorities for the 112th Congress include maintaining the production agriculture safety net, expanding trade opportunities for farmers and ranchers, conducting oversight of regulations that threaten the competitiveness of America’s farmers, and maintaining the security and science-based sustainability of food and agriculture sectors.

You can click here to watch his opening comments at his first committee hearing as ranking member.

Roberts makes history as the first member of Congress to serve as both chairman and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Commodity Classic in Great Bend

Senator Roberts gave the keynote address at the annual Commodity Classic in Great Bend. In his speech, he vowed to be a champion for production agriculture while maintaining a balanced budget and getting our country’s fiscal house in order:

“I have made clear to my colleagues that agriculture will do its part,” he told farmers. “But I have also made clear that any reductions to agriculture spending must be fair and proportional to what all other federal agencies and programs are being asked to give. I have also made clear that we must maintain a safety-net for our producers and that if we are going to take a hard look at USDA spending everything must be on the table – that includes the 84 percent of current USDA spending that has nothing to do with commodity and conservation programs. We all know that prices have been high before and they’ve always come back down. That is why one of my top priorities as ranking member is to preserve a safety-net. I promise you I will do everything I can for you in this fight.”

Roberts also participated on a panel with former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Larry Combest (R-Tex.). The two answered questions on the minds of local farmers about farming regulations and the next farm bill.

Chamber of Commerce Meetings in Southwest Kansas

Senator Roberts visited with local businessmen and women at several area Chamber of Commerce meetings, including Dodge City, Garden City, and Liberal. The Senator had a frank discussion at each location about federal spending, immigration, government regulations, healthcare, highway funding, agriculture policy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Here’s an excerpt of his speech: “Now, there’s been a good deal of discussion about cuts to discretionary spending programs. While that is an important conversation to have, simply reducing discretionary spending is not enough to put us on sound financial footing. Entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – account for nearly 60 percent of federal spending. Yet, the president’s budget request does nothing to move us toward needed, bipartisan reforms of entitlement spending.

“To do nothing is not an option. Passing the buck on entitlement reform endangers these programs for future generations and saddles those generations for the cost of inaction today. I stand with my Senate colleagues: ready, willing, and able to work with the president to reign in spending, address entitlement reform, and get our country back on track. Our current path is unsustainable. In the words of Kansas’ favorite son, President Dwight Eisenhower, ‘Continued deficit spending is immoral.’”

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

Visit Senator Roberts’ 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 his speeches and debates on the Senate floor, press conferences, interviews and Senate hearings. You can also stay updated on all these happenings on the senator’s Facebook and Twitter sites.

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