Topeka Visit
Senator Roberts traveled to Topeka during the Memorial Day Congressional recess. He was the keynote speaker for the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce luncheon where he talked about a range of issues including immigration, taxes and the global War on Terror.
He also attended the kick-off for the Partnership for Life Campaign sponsored by the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute. The campaign provides financial support and aims to help the Cancer Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center gain National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation.
Also in Topeka, Senator Roberts hosted a Pandemic Flu Planning Conference with Sen. Sam Brownback, Governor Sebelius and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar. Senator Roberts has been an outspoken advocate on the need for pandemic flu preparations and awareness. Last October, he introduced legislation with Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to help prevent recurring shortages of flu vaccine and strengthen our vaccine delivery infrastructure so that the nation is able to respond to a crisis.
Death of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi
As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Roberts issued the following statement on the death of Al-Zarqawi:
"The American people can be proud as we have dealt a damaging blow to Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
General Hayden, Director of the CIA, stressed this obviously was a joint success with regard to both human intelligence and signals intelligence – and a result of greater cooperation among our military forces, intelligence assets and Iraqi forces. Let me also express my appreciation for the sacrifice of the men and women in uniform and intelligence officers who have persevered in this effort. Their success is America’s success."
Internet Safety Awareness
To call attention to dangers the nation’s youth face on the Internet, Senator Roberts recently supported a resolution to designate the month of June National Internet Safety Month. Threats posed to children on the Internet include: access to sexually explicit content, information on drugs or alcohol, exposure to hate or cult groups, instructions to make explosive devices and risk of harassment or solicitation from online predators. For more information on Internet Safety please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Netsmartz, a program providing tools for parents to educate children and teens on internet usage: http://www.netsmartz.org/.
Respect for our Fallen Heroes
Senator Roberts applauded the approval of the Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act, a bill to prohibit demonstrations and picketing of military funeral services. The President recently signed the bill into law. The bill establishes a 300 foot buffer from the cemetery property that would impede access and restricts protests within 150 feet of the entrance. The measure prohibits picketing that disturbs or disrupt the peace within one hour before and after a funeral service, unless given consent by the cemetery director. The restrictions only apply to cemeteries that are part of the National Cemetery Administration and Arlington National Cemetery.
Roberts said, "As a former Marine, I am pleased the Congress and the President has acted to protect the dignity and honor of military funeral services. Loved-ones of our fallen men and women in uniform have already made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We must allow them the right to mourn without being thrust into a political circus."
