As our kids head back to school this week and next, we put another Kansas summer in the books. We received some much needed rain in the east, but could still use more in the west. I am continuing my listening tour across the state where I am glad to get the advice and counsel of Kansans. Stay tuned to Facebook, Twitter and my website for updates on when we will be in your community.

Ft. Riley and Ft. Leavenworth Critical to Kansas

The U.S. Army has announced it will take another look at cuts to personnel and operations; this includes potential cuts to Ft. Leavenworth and Ft. Riley.

I understand how important both these posts are to our state and have circled the wagons with the Kansas delegation. We are making a very compelling and clear case to the Army that both Ft. Leavenworth and Ft. Riley are unique and tremendous assets to our national security, the Army, their communities, and the state as a whole. We will fight any ill-considered cuts to operations or personnel at our Kansas posts at every opportunity.

Protecting the First Amendment

The Majority Leader, Harry Reid has announced that on the first day the Senate reconvenes in September, we will vote to consider an amendment to the First Amendment.

The majority is upset about all the critical things that are being said about them and their agenda and they want to stop it. The Constitution, as written, does not allow them to silence their opponents, so they have decided they will try to amend the Constitution.

Incredible, right? Well, that is why the First Amendment begins, “Congress shall make no law…”

It doesn’t allow us to silence those who oppose us. That is why I am going to fight this amendment with everything I’ve got, along with any other proposals they bring up to stifle speech.  Hear some of my recent statements on this topic below.

Click Here to Watch

Lesser Prairie Chicken

I joined Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) in introducing a bill that would reverse U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) as a threatened species and provide an opportunity for state-based voluntary conservation programs to take effect. The Lesser Prairie Chicken Voluntary Recovery Act (S. 2677) would delist the LPC and prohibit FWS from making a listing determination for five years.

Just as we thought, in Kansas, the Lesser Prairie Chicken numbers are up in areas that have recently seen a little rain in this ongoing, multi-year drought. The increased rain amounts combined with ongoing conservation efforts confirm Kansans can protect the LPC and increase population numbers without the heavy-hand of the federal government.

Defending Farmers and Ranchers against EPA Agenda

In a recent meeting with Senate Agriculture Committee Republicans and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, I made it very clear that the EPA has unfairly targeted farmers, ranchers and rural America with burdensome regulations.

Kansans tell me the Agency’s work to regulate fuel storage tanks, prescribed burning of the Flint Hills prairie, cap and trade, pesticide permits, fugitive dust, let alone coal power and our water resources is an assault on our way of life. The rocky relationship between Midwest agriculture and the EPA is not new, but the latest round of proposed regulations is making many folks believe the rules are driven by an anti-agriculture agenda that is hurting the Kansas economy.

I argued against the Agency’s recent dismissal of concerns from Kansans regarding the proposed Waters of the U.S. rules. I took issue with the EPA’s recent campaign calling these concerns “myths.” To hear that the legitimate concerns of farmers and ranchers were categorized by the EPA as “silly” or “ludicrous” is truly frustrating.

I strongly oppose the “Waters of the United States” proposed rule and have cosponsored and voted for legislation to prevent the EPA from finalizing the rule. I am an original cosponsor of S. 2496, the Protecting Water and Property Rights Act, and  S. 1006, the Preserve the Waters of the United States Act, and have also cosponsored Senator Rand Paul’s Defense of Environment and Property Act, S. 890.

Town Hall Meetings: Listening to the Concerns of Kansans

I’m on statewide listening tour with stops in Atchison, Hiawatha, Troy, Eureka, Derby, Andover, Olathe, Bonner Springs, Leavenworth, Ottawa, Paola, Wamego and Junction City.

Kansans have a lot of concerns to share. People are very upset about the crisis with the border children. They are mad at President Obama for igniting the crisis and mad at the President for suggesting we spend billions while also ignoring the rule of law. Let me be clear, I am opposed to amnesty and have opposed it at every turn.

Along with many of my colleagues, I have long said that any talk of immigration reform must first start with securing the border. This demand wasn’t punitive or mean spirited. It was commonsense. We knew that if we changed the pathway to citizenship before closing the gaping holes in our border security we would have a flood of new illegal immigrants. We were right.

President Obama didn’t listen. He ignored Congress. He ignored the border state Governors. He unilaterally enacted policies emboldening desperate parents to send their children to the United States through human traffickers and drug cartels. Now our southern border has been flooded with children who have illegally entered the country, and our border security apparatus doesn’t have the manpower or the resources to cope.

New town hall meetings are currently in the works. I’ll share the upcoming schedule in my next Roberts Report.

Visit my Facebook page, my Instagram, or my Twitter feed for some pictures and highlights of our most recent listening tour stops – and upcoming schedules.

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 FacebookandTwitter sites.

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