Farm Bill
This week, the Senate voted on the Farm Bill and related amendments. I opposed the bill because it shortchanged both taxpayers and southeastern farmers.
Veterans Employment Bill
Our nation is experiencing record levels of sustained, high unemployment, and unfortunately, the veterans who courageously served our country are bearing the brunt of this as they return from war and struggle to find jobs in a hurting economy. By enabling employers to post jobs targeted to specific military occupations on a website that simultaneously allows veterans to search for jobs in line with the skills they acquired during their military service, we can better connect employers with veterans whose skills would enhance their companies.
On Wednesday, I joined Senator Pat Toomey in introducing a bill that would set up a one-year pilot program at the Labor Department’s One-Stop Centers to reform and streamline how veterans search online for jobs. You may read more about it in this press release.
Resolution Honoring 10th Anniversary of National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Passes Senate
On Wednesday night, a resolution I, along with Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), introduced to honor the 10th anniversary of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) passed the Senate unanimously. Since its establishment, the NIBIB has supported research in furtherance of the development of scientific advances in the fields of biotechnology, imaging, and biomedical engineering, as well as advance the application of biomedical technology.
I am pleased that the Senate has chosen to recognize the remarkable impact that biomedical research supported by the NIBIB has had on patients over the past decade. I commend them for their strong commitment to research in the field of biotechnology, imaging, and biomedical engineering and for pursuing the next generation of life-saving treatments and technologies for our nation’s patients.
To learn more about the resolution, click here.
GAO Finds HRSA Failing Taxpayers, Patients, Due to Ineffective Management of Community Health Center Program
Yesterday, Senators Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), Michael Enzi (R-WY), and I sent a letter to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, asking HRSA for a management plan to address deficiencies and other concerns outlined in two reports the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released today that we had requested. These reports highlight management deficiencies by HRSA in overseeing the Health Center Program. GAO’s first report underscores the need for improved oversight by HRSA to ensure grantees comply with the Administration’s requirements. In the second report, GAO examines the health center’s collaboration and competition with other health providers in the community.
Though millions of underserved and low-income Americans are helped by the medical care and services they receive at health centers, the benefits of the program are more attributable to local health care providers than to HRSA’s administration. As the GAO reports detail, HRSA’s management of the program is inconsistent, inadequate, and inexcusable. Given the lack of strong internal controls and transparency, we are concerned that HRSA’s mismanagement of the program could potentially waste taxpayer dollars or jeopardize patients’ access to care.
Be sure to visit my website to read a summary of the reports’ findings.
Bill To Allow Off-Road Vehicle Use on Cape Hatteras National Seashore Passes House of Representatives
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a Rep. Jones’ bill to reinstate the Interim Management Strategy governing off-road vehicle use on Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). By rolling back mandates and requirements which were put in place in the wake of a consent decree filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the bill would enable off-road vehicle (ORV) and citizen access to a significant portion of this National Seashore.
I introduced a companion bill, the Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act, in the Senate. This bill is scheduled for debate during a June 27, 2012 committee hearing, and I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Senate will follow the House’s lead and recognize the importance of allowing our state’s residents to have access to North Carolina’s scenic treasures.