Roberts Report- February

Welcome to the Roberts Report, a monthly newsletter of the latest news and issues regarding Kansas and the United States Senate. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Senator Pat Roberts’ office at (202) 224-4774 or visit our website at https://www.roberts.senate.gov.

Senator Roberts received the National Rural Health Association (NRHA)’s Legislative Award this month. Jodi Schmidt of Hays Medical Center presented him with the award for working to improve the health and well-being of rural Americans and providing leadership on rural health issues in Congress. As a member of the Senate Finance and Health Committees, and Co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, Senator Roberts is committed to finding ways to advance rural health issues, and provide access to quality and affordable health care for all Kansans.

Honoring Kansas’s 148th birthday in Topeka, Senator Roberts attended the 91^st annual Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas Banquet and Kansas Day festivities. He was honored to announce the oldest native son and daughter at the dinner. This year Bill Self, University of Kansas head men’s basketball coach was honored as Distinguished Kansan of the Year and Delano E. Lewis, former United States Ambassador to South Africa and past chief executive officer and president of National Public Radio, was recognized as Kansan of the Year. Bob Dixon, Mayor of Greensburg accepted the Distinguished Service Citation, on behalf of the residents of the city of Greensburg.

As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Roberts was disappointed the recent "stimulus" bill was not improved to provide the right incentives to stimulate the economy and create private sector jobs. He did not support the bill that passed and was disappointed it was not more of a bipartisan bill that offered real economic recovery instead of growing the size of government and wasting taxpayer dollars.

Senator Roberts said, "There is no question that putting money back in the pockets of American families and businesses stimulates the economy. When they have additional money in their pocket, they can use that money as they see fit – to save, to purchase a home or a car, to make an investment, or hire workers. Rather this $787 billion spending bill represents a long-standing majority wish list with the focus being to increase government spending and to grow the size of the federal government.

"This bill remains a honey pot for too many special interests," Roberts said. "It reinforces a growing and dangerous mindset that the government, not private enterprise, personal responsibility and hard work are the creators of wealth and prosperity. It reinforces for individuals, businesses, and state and local governments that the federal government is the source for funding – the honey pot. We should stimulate the economy not the government. I continue to look for ways to help our economy and I thank all the Kansans who contacted me about this legislation."

Senator Roberts was honored to recently receive the 2008 Wheat Advocate Award from the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). The award was presented to him by several Kansas wheat growers who were in Washington his office: John Thaemert, Jerry McReynolds, Joe Kejr, Paul Penner, Gary Millershaski, Larry Kepley and Dusti Fritz

As a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Roberts was proud to accept this award on behalf of the hardworking Kansas farmers and ranchers. The Wheat Advocate Award is given annually to Members of Congress who have demonstrated support for the wheat industry above and beyond the norm. Roberts will continue his efforts to be a voice for production agriculture.

Senator Roberts reminds all Kansans that except for the Kansas City area, most full-power television stations in Kansas have stopped broadcasting in analog and switched to digital broadcasting. This change provides a clearer picture, more programming options, and frees up airwaves for use by emergency responders. Households that rely on antennas to watch TV will likely need a digital converter box to continue receiving TV broadcasts. Households that subscribe to paid TV service, such as cable or satellite, do not need a digital converter box. The Kansas City stations new deadline for digital transition will be June 12, 2009. For more information on this switch, please call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit: www.DTV2009.gov .

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