Hello,

The holiday season is already upon us, and it continues to be busy in the Senate. I wanted to give you an update on what I’ve been working on recently and what it means for Kansans:

Fighting for Your Funds

By now, you’ve all likely heard of the collapse of MF Global, a major derivates broker to the agriculture industry. MF Global’s bankruptcy has left thousands of investors, farmers, ranchers and small businesses without access to hundreds of millions of dollars. As the ranking member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I have been working hard to get answers to this troubling situation and to see to it that these funds are returned.

Just this week, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to subpoena former MF Global CEO Jon Corzine to testify next week at a hearing explaining what went wrong. Since the news of the bankruptcy broke, I have been calling for answers from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which oversees futures brokers like MF Global, on why it collapsed.

Through no fault of their own, folks in Kansas and around the country have been hurt by the actions and subsequent bankruptcy of MF Global. They want to know what happened and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. More importantly, they want to know what is being done to get this money back in the hands of the rightful owners as soon as possible. We must find out what happened with MF Global. And, we must do so in a manner that restores faith in the futures markets and maintains them as a legitimate, trusted risk management option for numerous producers and small businesses.

Last week, at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, I called on CFTC’s chairman, Gary Gensler, to get to the bottom of the bankruptcy and to restore faith in the futures markets. You can click here to see a video clip of our interaction. You can also click here to see me discussing this issue on FOX News or click here for my interview on Nightly Business Report.

Keeping You Safe

It was recently brought to my attention that there’s been a major safety oversight in Kansas’ underground storage sites.

This oversight is in large part because of a court ruling a few years back that said the state was barred from inspecting underground gas storage sites. Since the ruling, the federal government has not acted, meaning that the 11 sites, containing over 270 billion cubic feet of gas, have gone unmonitored. So, in an effort to keep the public safe, I introduced legislation, along with Senator Jerry Moran, to protect Kansans from the threat of explosions by allowing states to monitor underground natural gas storage in the absence of federal action.

We have already lost two lives in Hutchinson in a 2001 explosion. So, we know the threat is real. Our first priority is to protect citizens from harm. We need strong oversight and in this case, I want it to be the state. I trust our folks on the ground to protect their fellow Kansans from what could be a real tragedy if ignored. There is simply a gap in jurisdictions and oversight. We ought to close that gap before an accident happens that takes another life or damages property. In the absence of clear federal action, it is the commonsense thing to do to allow states to step in. My bill will allow states to make this happen, and to monitor the wellbores in interstate underground gas storage facilities.

Honoring a Kansas War Hero

Last week, the U.S. Senate approved the Defense Authorization Act of 2012 with an amendment I introduced to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to a Kansas war hero, Chaplain Emil Kapaun.

Father Kapaun inspired many with his unshakable faith. His story is an inspiration to all of us of what it means to be a true hero. He is well-deserving of the Medal of Honor and I am pleased that with the inclusion of this provision, we’ve taken a huge step forward towards finally recognizing Father Kapaun’s countless acts of heroism on behalf of his fellow soldiers.

During the Battle of Unsan, during the Korean War, he was taken prisoner and fellow soldiers say he saved hundreds of lives on the battlefield and in prison camps. He escaped to steal food from nearby farms to bring back to starving prisoners, and cared for the sick and injured. He died as a prisoner in May 1951.

Thanks goes to the Kansas delegation for helping make this happen. Sen. Moran co-sponsored the amendment and Congressman Mike Pompeo offered similar legislation in the House.

Protecting Security of General Aviation Pilots

Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that effective immediately it will implement policy from a measure I championed through the Senate, to block the federal government from dismantling a program protecting the privacy of general aviation pilots.

The FAA made the announcement that they will publish the update in the Federal Register as soon as possible. The changes stop a recent decision by the Department of Transportation to end the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, which allows citizens and companies to opt out of having their noncommercial aircraft movements tracked by anyone, anywhere in the world who has an Internet connection, other than the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies. BARR simply prevents unauthorized, non-government authorities from knowing the location of private citizens.

I’m pleased that our nation’s pilots can now rest assured that, if they choose, their movements will not be monitored online for all to see. This significant program will continue to provide the aviation industry with safety and privacy. This is just one unnecessary federal regulation we’ve now successfully ended, but this fight is not over. I will continue to fight against any government actions and regulations that infringe upon the rights of Americans.

Friends in Kansas

It was great having friends from Garden City Community College stop by recently during their Washington trip. I enjoyed meeting Dr. Herbert Swender (seated) who is president of Garden City Community College. He took over as president in July. I look forward to working with him and his staff.

I was privileged to present an award to Joe Parten, owner of Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant in Wichita, for his dedication in employing individuals with mental illness. Joe sets a great example with the Wichita business community. Congratulations, Joe!

The Kansas Farm Bureau held its annual dinner in Manhattan right before Thanksgiving. Senator Moran and I presented a Senate resolution honoring Edie Dahlstenn who is retiring from the Bureau after a highly distinguished career. It was a great night with our farm leaders.

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 Facebook and Twitter sites.

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