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Excerpts from Jerry Moran's "Kansas Common Sense" newsletter
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There is a lot going on in our nation’s Capitol. Below are excerpts from Kansas U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran’s regular “Kansas Common Sense” newsletter.


Kansas City Region Designated a Tech Hub 

On Monday before returning to Washington, D.C., I was in Kansas City to announce that the Greater Kansas City Region has been designated as a Tech Hub by the U.S. Department of Commerce. This announcement represents official recognition of something we have known in Kansas and Missouri for a while: the Kansas City Region and the Animal Health Corridor have the concentration of expertise, research and development resources necessary to be a global bio and medical technology hub. This designation will attract public and private resources to grow this key technology area in Kansas and Missouri, further expanding the region’s capacity for innovation in the biotech sector.

This designation is the culmination of the first phase of a two-phase program called the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program, which was established as part of the CHIPS and Science Act that Congress enacted last year. I supported the CHIPS and Science Act to give organizations in Kansas the opportunity to help strengthen our national and economic security, particularly by increasing research in key technology areas, like biotechnology. As a designated Tech Hub, the KC BioHub will be able to move on to Phase 2 of the program and compete against the other 30 designated Tech Hubs for a federal implementation award of up to $75 million. I applaud the efforts of BioNexus KC and the other consortium of members in Kansas and Missouri on a successful Tech Hubs application.

I would like to thank U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, BioNexus KC President and CEO Dennis Ridenour, Greater KC Chamber President Joe Reardon, and UMKC President C. Mauli Agrawal for joining me in making this announcement.


Expensive fertilizer 

Last week, I called on Secretary Gina Raimondo, to revise how the Department of Commerce calculates duties on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco. Farmers in Kansas depend on affordable phosphate fertilizer to produce various crops, including corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, and sorghum. Over the last several years, the volatile fertilizer market and low commodity prices have severely impacted farmers in Kansas and nationwide. Farmers in Kansas need a reliable and diverse supply of crop inputs, including access to affordable fertilizers. As the lead Republican on the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the Department of Commerce, I will continue to ensure that we in Congress inform the agency and continue our work to avoid tariffs that will harm Kansas farmers and ranchers.


Finally, a FAA administrator

After more than 550 days without a permanent leader at the FAA, I voted to confirm Mike Whitaker to be the next FAA Administrator. This is a significant step towards resolving persistent challenges at the FAA. I congratulate Mr. Whitaker on his confirmation and look forward to working with Mr. Whitaker to ensure the FAA has the resources needed to promote safety and innovation within the nation’s airspace system.


Continued support for Israel 

On Tuesday, I met with representatives of AIPAC to discuss how the United States can best support Israel following the horrific attacks of on October 7. Congress will soon consider supplemental appropriations for Israel, and we spoke of our shared belief in the importance of this assistance for Israel to replenish its Iron Dome defenses against militant rockets and conduct operations against Hamas. Additionally, we highlighted Iran’s complicity in the bloodshed and the importance of deterring Tehran and its proxies from escalating the war. This includes enforcing existing sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and pursuing new ones to constrict Iran’s revenues used to support terrorism around the region. Israel’s right to exist and defend itself is not up for debate. The United States will support and defend our greatest ally in the Middle East as Israel acts against those who wish to destroy the Jewish state. 


Veterans Access to emergency medical transportation services 

This week the U.S. Senate passed an amendment that I introduced with Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) to protect rural veterans’ access to life-saving emergency medical transportation services. The VA Emergency Transportation Access Act would prohibit VA from implementing a rule to reduce reimbursement rates for special mode transportation providers, including ground and air ambulances, in the coming fiscal year. Under the current timeline, VA’s rule will go into effect in February 2024, which would lead to longer wait times for veterans during emergencies and disrupt the ambulance industry in Kansas and across the country.

By stopping this rule from being implemented in February, it will allow more time for VA to do its due diligence in creating reasonable and commonsense parameters for resetting reimbursement rates for these life-saving services. I am grateful to all of my colleagues who supported this amendment, and I urge swift passage in the House.