Roy Blunt, United States Senator for Missouri

St. Louis Beacon: Missouri, Illinois lawmakers make their mark on defense bills

Robert Koenig — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – Whether the topic is military justice or military camouflage, Super Hornets or small-diameter bombs, base closures or weapons proliferation, provisions backed by area lawmakers have progressed in the House and Senate defense bills.

Sections of the Senate Armed Services bill related to sexual assault prevention and prosecution – advocated by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and others – got much of the publicity last week, but other lawmakers also made their mark in that panel’s Defense Department authorization bill, as well as its counterpart approved by the U.S. House.

For example, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo – like McCaskill, a member of the Senate panel – helped gain approval for provisions (or report language) related to Boeing Co.’s Super Hornet, the small-diameter bomb (made in St. Charles), military mail, and cyberattacks.

And U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart, D-Belleville, a member of the House Armed Services panel, pushed a successful amendment to eliminate duplication in the 10 different combat uniforms (including camouflage variations) for the armed services. He also backed a “strategic ports initiative” that may benefit development in southern Illinois.

“With sequestration cuts looming at Scott Air Force Base and other sites through southern Illinois, the taxpayers can't afford this kind of waste,” Enyart said of “the bipartisan effort to save money by streamlining the uniforms policy for the military.”

Enyart commented after the House – paying little heed to a White House veto threat – voted 315-108 on Friday to approve its massive $638 billion defense authorization bill that would block a proposed new base-closing round, prevent President Barack Obama from closing the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and limit White House efforts to reduce further the number of nuclear weapons.

However, the House bill – backed by every member of the Missouri and southern Illinois congressional delegations – would mostly mirror the Senate committee’s action last week on efforts to deter sexual violence in the military. McCaskill had been among the lead sponsors of those provisions, which also were supported by Blunt in committee.

The White House backed such provisions, which included stripping commanders of their ability to overturn guilty verdicts in sexual assault cases, establishing a minimum sentence of dismissal for personnel convicted of such assaults, and expanding legal counsel available to victims of abuse.

Describing sexual violence as “a self-inflicted wound that has no place in the military," U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and some other Democratic lawmakers tried to amend the bill to allow victims to choose whether the Office of Chief Prosecutor or the commander would decide whether the case would go to trial. But that amendment failed in a 225-194 vote.

In a statement, McCaskill said the Senate panel’s provisions related to sexual assault prevention and prosecution “are historic, and will fundamentally change the way the military justice system treats these cowardly crimes-with better protections for survivors, and much stronger accountability for perpetrators.”

Blunt said the Senate committee’s bill – which would authorize about $13 billion less in military expenditures than the House bill – “is an important step in the right direction to give our Armed Services the resources they need to meet their critical mission defending America.” He and others had complained about the impacts of sequestration cutbacks on the military.

Enyart, a former adjutant-general of the Illinois National Guard, called the House legislation “a strong bill that funds our troops, draws down the military presence in Afghanistan, eliminates military waste and is good for the southern Illinois economy.”

That is partly because the bill would ban the use of funds to “propose, plan for or execute” an additional round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Enyart called that “good news for Scott Air Force Base in the short term” because that provision sends “a clear message that there is no interest in additional military base closures in the near future.”

On the topic of the continued presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, U.S. Reps. William “Lacy” Clay, D-St. Louis, John Shimkus, R-Collinsville and Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, Ill., voted with the majority to approve an amendment urging that a vote in Congress be held to authorize any U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan after Dec. 31, 2014 – Obama’s target date for bringing most troops home.

Voting no on that amendment were Enyart and U.S. Reps. Anne Wagner, R-Ballwin, and Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth.

Should Navy invest in more F/A-18 Super Hornets?

Both the House and Senate versions of the defense bill would authorize – but not appropriate – expenditures for aircraft, weapons, ships, personnel and the war in Afghanistan in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Differences between the two versions of the defense bill will have be worked out in a House-Senate conference committee.

Blunt said that he inserted language in the committee report on the bill that “sends a clear signal” to the Navy that he the committee is concerned with the delay in production of the F-35C tactical strike fighter, viewed as the successor to the Hornet. The message is that the Navy should consider buying more Hornets – which are assembled at Boeing’s Hazelwood plant – to fill the gap in the transition.

According to a Senate source, the Senate bill went along with the president’s budget request for no additional Hornets but for 21 EA-18G Growler jets – an aircraft similar to the Super Hornet that is also assembled at the Hazelwood plant. Last year’s defense bill had authorized purchase of 26 Super Hornets and 12 Growlers.

There are concerns in Congress about the cost and maturity of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the nation’s most expensive weapons system. In May, the Pentagon told Congress that the three versions of the strike fighter would reach “initial operational capability” in 2015 for the Marine Corps, in 2016 for the Air Force and in 2019 for the Navy. By then, the services will have enough of the aircraft on hand to wage war.

Meanwhile, the Navy is upgrading some of its F/A-18 Hornets and Growlers to improve the older aircraft’s survivability, electronics package and overall performance. The improvements include design work, engineering and enhancements to the avionics.

The new House-passed defense bill includes “additional funding for advance procurement of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet,” according to the House Armed Services committee.

Next-generation bomber, small-diameter bomb

As a new member of the Senate panel, Blunt helped add provisions – or language in the committee report that provides guidance to the Pentagon – that would:

• Require the Air Force secretary to brief the Senate and House defense panels on the status of the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) program, which is built in St. Charles. The briefing would occur no later than 90 days after the defense bill becomes law.

• Send a message, in report language, that developing a next-generation Long Range Strike Bomber is critical for national security. The current B-2 bombers fly out of Whiteman Air Force Base in western Missouri.

• Direct the president to prepare a plan to prevent the further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and North Africa. That directive is from a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Blunt and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

• Authorize the Pentagon to work with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure military voters get their absentee ballots in a timely manner.

• Require the Pentagon to develop a strategy for using the National Guard and reserve to support cyber missions of the U.S. Cyber Command. Blunt said this provides the authority needed for the Missouri National Guard to help defend Missouri’s Ft. Leonard Wood from harmful cyber intrusions.

Read more here.

Senator Blunt Congratulates Missourian & U.S. Presidential Scholar Cory Matzat

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) met today with Missouri native U.S. Presidential Scholar Corey Matzat and his family, who visited the Senator’s Washington, D.C. office.

Matzat received the 2013 Valedictorian title for Branson High School, achieved a top score on the ACT exam, and has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Before serving in Congress, Blunt was a high school and college history teacher, and he served for four years as the president of his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

“I enjoyed visiting with Corey and his family today, and I congratulate him on all of his achievements. This young man is an outstanding student with a truly bright future ahead of him, and I wish Corey all the best in his future endeavors,” said Blunt.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education and a presidentially-appointed White House Commission name up to 141 students nationwide as Presidential Scholars.

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Senator Blunt Meets With Missouri Health Care Leaders To Discuss Ways To Improve Access To Quality, Affordable Care

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s (Mo.) continued efforts to meet with job creators and health care providers across Missouri to discuss the challenges they face regarding the implementation of President Barack Obama’s health care law, the Senator spoke to Missouri health care leaders from Mercy this week, who were in Washington, D.C. representing the American Medical Group Association.

The meeting was attended by Donn Sorensen, Regional President of the Mercy’s East Communities in St. Louis, Mo. and Dr. Fred McQueary, President of Mercy Clinic North Central Communities in Springfield, Mo. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

“I enjoyed meeting with these leaders from Mercy to discuss ways we can work together to improve access to health care for patients across Missouri,” said Blunt. “Americans are rightly concerned about the impact and cost of President Obama’s health care takeover, and that’s why I’ll continue to support common-sense reforms that improve patients’ access to affordable, quality health care.”

A report by the Associated Press this week noted that “a glitch” could make the government’s health care overhaul “unaffordable for many low-wage workers.” Meanwhile, CBS News reported that “As companies scramble to prepare for a wave of new health care rules that go into effect next year, an increasing number have become pessimistic about the cost.”

Senator Blunt Meets With St. Louis Cultural Leadership Students

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) met this week with 27 high school students from the St. Louis Cultural Leadership program and answered their questions on a variety of important issues facing the nation. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

The St. Louis Cultural Leadership program teaches high school students from St. Louis, Mo. to recognize and resolve critical issues facing society through the lens of the African American and Jewish experience. Before serving in Congress, Blunt was a high school and college history teacher, and he served for four years as the president of his alma mater, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.

“I enjoyed meeting with the bright young students of the St. Louis Cultural Leadership program, and I have no doubt that they will become the future leaders as they apply the knowledge and skills they’ve gained through this program,” said Blunt.

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Senator Blunt Meets With Missouri FFA Students

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) met this week with Missouri students representing the National FFA Organization. The students visited Washington, D.C. from Carl Junction, Pierce City, East Newton, Cassville, and Sarcoxie, Mo. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

“America is facing a real challenge of feeding the world, and I’m proud to see these young Missourians rising up to become the next generation of leaders in the agriculture industry,” said Blunt.

During their meeting, Blunt answered a number of the students’ questions about the agriculture industry as well as other important issues facing the nation. Blunt serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

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Senator Blunt Praises Committee Passage Of FY14 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As America Celebrates Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s 238th birthday today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) praised the Senate Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week. Blunt is currently one of three U.S. Senators to serve on both the defense appropriations and authorizing committees.

“Our men and women in uniform and their families make tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedoms, and Missouri serves a vital role in the defense of our country,” said Blunt. “Our state is home to hundreds of thousands of active duty servicemen and women and civilian defense employees and private sector contractors, as well as several important military installations, including Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base. This bill is an important step in the right direction to give our Armed Services the resources they need to meet their critical mission defending America.”

Senator Blunt introduced or co-sponsored a number of amendments that were included in the base bill or passed during the mark-up, including:

• Report Language on F/A-18 Super Hornet and Navy Tactical Aircraft Shortfall: Senator Blunt’s report language, which was included in the base bill, sends a clear signal to the U.S. Navy that the committee is concerned with the delay in production of the F-35C tactical strike fighter. If nothing is done, the Navy will soon be forced to send aircraft carriers out to sea and sailors into harm’s way without sufficient aircraft to take off from its carrier decks. This increase in risk can cost lives. In the meantime, the Navy would be wise to invest in additional F/A-18 Super Hornets which provide a capable, combat-proven alternative that is available now.

• Briefing Requirement on the Status of the Small Diameter Bomb: The Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) is built in St. Charles, Mo. and sustains hundreds of jobs in the region. Senator Blunt drafted briefing requirement language, which was included in the base bill, that requires the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force to brief the congressional defense committees on the status of the entire SDB program no later than 90 days after enactment of the Act.

• Report Language on Development of the Long Range Strike Bomber: Senator Blunt’s report language sends a message to the U.S. Air Force and industry leaders that the next-gen bomber is critical for national security. This language was included in the base bill.

• Manchin-Blunt Legacy Model C-130H Engine Modernization: U.S. This bipartisan language, which was introduced by Senator Blunt and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (W.V.), will provide for the upgrade of engines in the C-130H program. The 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base has 11 C-130’s in the fleet.

• Shaheen-Blunt Strategy to Prevent the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Related Materials in the Middle East and North Africa Region: This bipartisan amendment, which was introduced by Senator Blunt and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), directs the president to prepare a strategy and implementation plan for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related materials in the Middle East and North Africa. The plan is due to Congress by March 31, 2014.

• Military Voting Improvement: Senator Blunt heard from the Department of Defense (DoD) about the need to improve the military mail system. He responded, and his amendment allows DoD to work with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure military voters get their absentee ballots in a timely manner.

• Cyber Expert Civilians in the National Guard to Protect Critical Infrastructure: There is a shortfall in the number of qualified cyber experts to meet the demand to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure. This amendment will be included into the committee’s directive to DoD to develop a strategy for using the Reserve components of the Armed Forces to support cyber missions of U.S. Cyber Command. Specifically, Senator Blunt’s amendment will require DoD to assess the benefits of hiring private sector civilians on a part-time basis to help the U.S. National Guard defend domestic critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. This amendment provides the needed authorities to the Missouri National Guard to aid in defending Ft. Leonard Wood from harmful cyber intrusions.

• McCaskill Sexual Assault Amendment: Senator Blunt co-sponsored U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill’s (Mo.) legislation to help stop sexual assault in the military. Aspects of the BE SAFE Act were accepted by the committee as an amendment.

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Joplin Globe: Joplin Regional Airport manager says FAA budget cuts ‘scary’

Debby Woodin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

Joplin’s airport manager says that failure of the federal government to stop sequestration cuts of air traffic controllers effective Sept. 30 puts airports and travelers on the verge of something “very scary.”

Steve Stockam this week attended a policy committee meeting of the U.S. Contract Tower Association in Washington, D.C.

He also called on Missouri’s senators, Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, and Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, to discuss options for trying to prevent budget sequestration cuts that would trim air traffic control jobs Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. The Federal Aviation Administration has scheduled 160 towers to close then, including Joplin’s.

An earlier round of furloughs and closures of 149 air control towers that went into effect at the end of April was halted after three days by congressional action because the lack of controllers stalled so many flights.

The cuts are taking place because the FAA has been under a mandate to cut its budget by $637 million this fiscal year. It has targeted tower closures or air traffic controller cuts for the nation’s smaller airports, those with fewer than 150,000 flights.

The April cuts delayed 40,000 flights and canceled nearly 2,000 within three days, causing Congress to act to stop those cuts and furloughs.

“The budget is a big issue with the sequestration,” Stockam said. “If there is new budget bill before Oct. 1, we have asked for language to fund all the contract towers, which is $150 million.”

Another option would be for Congress to pass a continuing resolution to protect the towers from the cuts, Stockam said.

Complicating the problem is a mute FAA.

“One of the things so frustrating is the lack of communication we’re having with the FAA,” Stockam said.

“Right now, the FAA is not speaking with us about the contract. This is a program that’s been going on for 50 years, and it’s always been a program of cooperation.

“We were stakeholders,” and sat around the table to hold discussions and resolve any issues facing the FAA. “For some reason, we’ve been totally blocked out of this process. So there is a high level of frustration and apprehension” among airport managers over this issue.

“We don’t believe the FAA has full understanding of the impact of this decision,” he said.

In April at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, where Joplin’s American Eagle flights come and go, “We were on the verge of something very, very scary for the flying public,” Stockam said. That will happen again in September, he said.

Stockam is trying to plan the airport’s budget for next year, a difficult chore while staring at the possibility of the tower closing, he said.

A last-ditch effort to protect those operations at the Joplin Regional Airport would be to see if the City Council would support the city paying for air traffic control.

That possibility could cost the city $250,000 to $300,000, Stockam said.

Blunt issued a statement saying the airport is important to travel, tourism and the economy of Southwest Missouri.

“I’ll continue working to ensure the Obama administration targets sequestration cuts in a smarter way to avoid unnecessary and irresponsible closures,” Blunt said in a statement issued by his office.

McCaskill spokesman Drew Pusateri said, “Claire’s priority is ensuring that these kinds of decisions are made with the safety of Missourians in mind, and in order for that to be accomplished, there will need to be closer and better communication between local communities and the FAA.”

Read more here.

Missourinet: Blunt talks priorities in debate of immigration legislation

Mike Lear — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

The U.S. Senate has begun debate of immigration reform legislation billed by President Obama as bipartisan, fair and common-sense.

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt (R) says he feels there are three issues with immigration.

“One is securing the border, two is what are the legitimate workforce needs of the country and how do you meet those workforce needs and three is what do you do with people who came to the country illegally or stayed illegally. My view continues to be that the American people will deal with two and three in a very responsible way if they think the government has figured out how to deal with 1.”

Blunt acknowledges that border security has improved now than it was five years ago, but says it can be tighter.

“I believe that the total awareness of the border … 100 percent awareness of what’s happening at the border … is possible, and we’re not there yet. Once you get to 100 percent awareness, what is the reasonable number of operational control?”

Blunt says he will co-sponsor an amendment that requires at least 90 percent of everyone crossing the border needs to be stopped. He says he will also sign on to two other amendments.

“I’ll be co-sponsoring an amendment with Senator [Mike] Lee (R-Utah) on completing the border fence and with Senator [Chuck] Grassley (R-Iowa) on how to measure our results of securing the border.”

The main tenants of the legislation will create a “pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants who have a clean criminal record and are employed. The bill would also modernize the legal system governing the immigration process.

Read more here.

Senators Blunt, Reed Introduce Bill To Build A Stronger Health Care Workforce

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (R.I.) introduced the “Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act” (S. 1152) to make it easier for students to pursue careers in health care.

“As our nation faces many health care challenges, including workforce shortages, it’s critical that we encourage medical students to pursue careers in primary and specialty care in underserved communities,” Blunt said. “This bill will help to build a stronger health care workforce while increasing access to quality health care for those who need it most.”

“Our nation faces a longstanding shortage of health care providers. In particular, the demand for primary care doctors is growing, but the supply is not keeping pace. This is a problem that is only going to get worse unless Congress acts,” Reed said. “The Reed-Blunt plan would give our medical workforce a booster shot and ultimately expand and improve access to health care.”

The bill authorizes $290 million total: including $20 million for each year FY14-18 for state scholarships, $20 million for each year FY14-20 for mentorships, and $10 million for each year FY14-18 for core competencies.

Specifically, the bill includes:

State Scholarship Programs. The bill expands on the success of the National Health Service Corps scholarship program by providing states federal matching funds help address health care workforce shortages in professional shortage areas designated by the state and approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Mentors for Medical Students. The bill would authorize grants to medical schools to increase mentorship opportunities for medical students who express interest in a primary care career upon graduation.

New Competencies. As the nation’s demographics and health care delivery system change, the health care workforce will face new challenges. The bill would authorize grants to medical schools to improve competencies in priority areas, including educational innovations in promoting the patient-centered medical home; integrating primary care and mental health and/or public health/prevention; cultural competency; team-based care; and other priorities.

Documentation Requirements for Cognitive Service. Medicare requires physicians providing evaluation and management services to complete extensive and burdensome documentation requirements. The bill would direct the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study within three years that examines how such requirements could be modified for electronic records, analyzes whether the requirements are excessive and potentially detract from patient care, and provides recommendations for less burdensome alternatives.

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Immigration 6/12/13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

St. Louis Beacon: Blunt concerned about NSA's data collection, especially 'future uses'

Robert Koenig — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON • In the 1970s when cases of secret government surveillance came to light, a Congress that had been lax in intelligence oversight leaped into action.

After a series of reports about spying on Americans, Congress set up intelligence oversight committees along with a special court to determine when domestic spying was called for.

This time around, it is unclear what Congress can and will do in the wake of disclosures about the National Security Agency's programs collecting telephone records and Internet data of millions of Americans.

Why? Because mechanisms for congressional and judicial oversight already were in place, and Congress apparently knew about the mass surveillance.

Nonetheless, some members of Congress are raising questions, and public reaction might well determine what, if anything, happens on Capitol Hill.

Missouri Sen Roy Blunt was a member until this year of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which was set up in 1975 after the government's excesses became known. In classified briefings he was "pretty well updated" on what the NSA was up to, he said this morning.

In addition, Blunt, as a House GOP leader, was a key member of the coalition that helped rescue the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which faced heavy opposition when it came up for re-authorization.

With that background, Blunt this morning raised questions about the substance of disclosures by NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

"One of my concerns is that when you have everything, it's almost like you don't have anything. You've got so many records that the only way you're ever actually likely to use them is in the rear-view mirror trying to reconstruct what happened after you've come up with the other facts, like the bombing in Boston," he told reporters.

"You're not going to stop anything. I can see why people are concerned, and I'm concerned, too," he said.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, introduced amendments over the years to prevent abuses by government agencies. In 2005, for instance, Durbin authored a provision in the Patriot Act to require individualized suspicion before surveillance can take place.

That wording was removed at the urging of then-President George W. Bush.

Durbin said that he is disturbed by the rececent revelations, but not surprised.

"It is this convergence of issues we're seeing, issues of security, privacy and technology, and each of these is moving with great force," Durbin said in an interview.

Durbin said he continues to believe in the standard of individualized suspicion — rather than blanket surveillance — as the standard that ought to be in place before before personal information can be obtained.

He believes that Congress needs to debate the issue but wonders how much pressure the Senate and House will receive from people growing increasingly comfortable with having details of their lives widely known.

"The obvious question is, will there will be enough concern from the public," he said.

Blunt, too, wants the issues aired— with a focus on Obama himself and the president's recent remark about the nation had moved beyond the 9/11 terrorist threat.

"I think we have not debated this enough and frankly, on all fronts, form drone use to records collection, the Obama administration has gone further than the Bush administration," he said.

"If we've moved beyond the post-9/11 terrorist threat, why would we continue to have such an extraordinary response both in records collection and drone usage and everything else to terrorism around the world?" he asked.

Read more here.

Defense Committee Mark-Up 6/12/13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

Senator Blunt Discusses Budgetary Concerns With Joplin Regional Airport Director

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Blunt (Mo.) met this week with the Director of Joplin Regional Airport, Steve Stockam, to discuss a variety of issues, including sequestration cuts and the backlog of airport improvement projects. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

“As always, it was good to talk with Steve about significant funding concerns facing the Joplin Regional Airport, which is important to travel, tourism, and the economy in Southwest Missouri,” Blunt said. “I’ll continue working to ensure the Obama administration targets sequestration cuts in a smarter way to avoid unnecessary and irresponsible closures.”

Along with 160 other contract air traffic control towers nationwide, Joplin Regional Airport’s tower is still slated to close on September 30, 2013. Joplin Airport was initially saved because it operates as one of 16 “federal cost-share” contract control towers, which means it provides some of the cost to operate the tower to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA.)

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Farm Bill 6/12/13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

Senator Blunt Co-Sponsors Important Immigration Amendments To Strengthen America’s Border Security

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) announced today that he will co-sponsor a number of critical immigration amendments aimed at strengthening our nation’s border security and improving the underlying Senate immigration legislation (S. 744).

Mental Health Legislation 6/12/13

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST

Senators Blunt, Rockefeller Introduce Legislation To Spur Investment, Jumpstart Job Creation In Low-Income Communities

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.) introduced a bipartisan bill today to make the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program permanent. The NMTC provides private investors with a 39 percent federal tax credit for investments made in businesses or economic development projects in some of the most distressed communities in the nation. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by U.S.

Senators Ben Cardin (Md.), Susan Collins (Maine), and Maria Cantwell (Wash.).
“The New Markets Tax Credit Program has already had a positive impact in Missouri, leading to more than $2 billion in investments and thousands of jobs,” Blunt said. “I’m glad to support this bipartisan bill to make this tax credit permanent so that we can continue to encourage investment, growth, and job creation in low-income communities nationwide.”

“A New Markets Tax Credit investment in Wheeling, West Virginia helped bring the Wheeling Stamping Building back to life,” Rockefeller said. “The building was once a bustling hub of the metal stamping industry. After deteriorating and sitting dormant for decades, the New Markets Tax Credit helped finance the restoration of the building that created 300 construction jobs. Now the building houses 350 full-time employees in a community that needs good jobs.”

Congress first authorized the NMTC program as part of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The fiscal cliff deal included a two-year extension of the tax credit program with $3.5 billion in annual credit authority provided for 2012 and 2013.
In Missouri, use of the NMTC Program can be traced either directly or indirectly to the creation of nearly 24,000 jobs between 2003-2010. More than 100 Missouri businesses have utilized the tax credit since it was created, for projects totaling $2.1 billion in investments between 2003-2010. Missouri ranks 5th in the United States in terms of the dollar amount of these tax credits in the state.

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Springfield News-Leader: McCaskill, Blunt join forces to better protect sexual abuse victims

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

We have all heard the laments aboutpolitical gridlock in Washington, D.C., stopping Congress from accomplishing anything from gun legislation to immigration reform.

However, there is one issue that has lawmakers reaching across the aisle to get something done — sexual abuse in the military. The news about sexual violence against both women and men in our nation’s military services is so egregious that usual political combatants have joined forces to fight the armed services with Washington’s own big guns.

Case in point: Missouri senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Roy Blunt, are working hand in hand on this issue. Blunt, who has stood up against McCaskill and the Democrats on plenty of national issues, said last month that he would be a co-sponsor of the BE SAFE Act co-authored by McCaskill and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with Representatives Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., in the House.

BE SAFE — Better Enforcement for Sexual Assault Free Environments — is one of a handful of bills intended to hold perpetrators accountable while better protecting victims of sexual violence. It would be included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.

McCaskill, a former prosecutor with plenty of experience handling sex crimes, has been hammering military witnesses. “The predators in your rank are soiling the great name of our American military,” she told a panel of 12 military chiefs of staff and judge advocate generals from all branches.

Blunt has been genuinely effusive about the work McCaskill has been doing for the past six years in the Senate. “Senator McCaskill has been, since the day she got here, trying to bring attention to this effort,” he said during a recent hearing.

Having someone with Blunt’s status join in this fight is important if Congress expects to get anything done. We appreciate the veteran lawmaker’s willingness to lend his considerable political weight to the effort and his example of cooperation and congeniality.

As we hear more stories of victims losing their military careers while perpetrators are too often promoted, and cases of those court-martialed having their convictions overturned by military brass, it becomes apparent that determined and bipartisan efforts in Congress are necessary.

With Blunt joining McCaskill, we have some big guns aimed at the problem.

Read more here.

USA Today: Op-Ed: No More Delay On Mental Health

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt...

Ozarks First: Ozarks Lawmakers Praise Senate's Passage of 5-Year Farm Bill

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate passed legislation Monday, in a 66-27 vote, that sets agricultural policy and funding levels for food stamps.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the farm bill, known as the "Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013" will cost taxpayers $500 billion over the next 10 years.

"The passage of the Senate bill is an important step in the right direction to give farm families in Missouri and nationwide much-needed economic certainty," said Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. "This bill provides a strong safety net for farmers of all Missouri commodities, and it extends critical livestock disaster programs for farm families who are still recovering from recent natural disasters."

"Just as we did last year, the Senate has passed a Farm Bill that saves taxpayers money, reduces our deficit, and provides Missouri's farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to plan for the future," write Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). "It will once again head to the U.S. House, where they can either fail rural America by refusing to act-just as they did last year-or they can approve this crucial, bipartisan measure, and provide a needed boost to the cornerstone of Missouri's economy."

McCaskill says the Farm Bill:

Will save $24 billion over 10 years, slightly more than the $23 billion in savings included in the 2012 Farm Bill
Ends the wasteful direct payments program, in which farmers received payments even when prices were high, often for crops they weren't even growing
Contains dairy programs that will help Missouri dairy farmers access additional resources in the face of rising input costs
Retroactively renews livestock disaster assistance programs to cover fiscal years 2012 through 2018, which will provide critical support in response to last summer's disastrous drought

"Considering that agriculture is Arkansas's top industry, passage of a farm bill is vital to our state's economic recovery," writes U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) "Like any other business, Arkansas's agricultural producers need certainty to be able to make important planting, purchasing and hiring decisions. A five-year farm bill will give our family farmers and ranchers the confidence to move forward with those decisions, and in turn, create jobs and opportunities in our communities."

"We've made significant improvement from last year's one-size-fits-all solution," adds Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). "My bio-preferred provision within the bill ensures that timber farmers have a greater advantage in today's global marketplace. We've also inserted strong market protections for southern farmers, and kept the catfish inspection program intact so our food's safe and healthy. All in all, this is a win for Arkansas."

The legislation is now up for a vote in the U.S. House.

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