Kansas Common Sense: Touring Wichita to View Tornado Damage

Statement

Dear Friend,

Welcome to "Kansas Common Sense." Thank you for your continued interest in receiving my weekly newsletter. Please feel free to forward it on to your family and friends if it would interest them.

Congress was out of session for the spring district work period. This week, the Senate plans to resume consideration of S. 2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012, commonly referred to as the "Buffett Rule" bill. This legislation would require Americans, including many small businesses, earning more than $1 million per year to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes. I agree that all Americans should pay their fair share of taxes, and support the elimination of tax loopholes that are based on politics and not economics. Unfortunately, this tax increase on the wealthy will do little if anything to reduce the budget deficit, strengthen the economy, and create jobs. The "Buffett Rule" bill is quite simply a political messaging bill.

It is also possible that S. 1789, the Postal Reform bill, will be brought back to the Senate floor for consideration. I was disappointed when the Senate recently voted to delay consideration of this legislation that would help address the U.S. Postal Service's financial troubles. With the USPS plan to start closing post offices on May 15 if there is no reform in place, it is critical that Congress considers this legislation soon.

On Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning nearly 100 tornadoes, accompanied by straight line winds and torrential rain, hit Kansas as part of a massive storm system that ravaged the Great Plains. My thoughts and prayers go out to residents and business owners who suffered great loss and devastation. Amazingly, no fatalities and only a few minor injuries have been reported.

I traveled to Wichita Sunday afternoon to Governor Brownback, Congressman Pompeo, and local, county and state officials for a tour of some of the hardest hit areas and to receive an update on relief efforts. An initial damage estimate for Sedgwick County alone exceeds $280 million. As I witnessed the destruction at McConnell Air Force Base, Spirit Aerosystems, Pinnaire Mobile Home Park and other impacted residential areas in the Oaklawn neighborhood, It was clear that the estimate is much more than a number; it represents families, employees and business owners in need.

And less than 24 hours after the tornado, Kansans were already reaching out to meet those needs. One group that's making a difference is the Salvation Army, which provided shelter to more 200 people immediately after the tornado and has provided water and meals to more than 600 affected residents and first responders. Thank you to local commander Douglas Rowland and his wife Janet for their leadership.

Thank you to Mayor Carl Brewer and his fellow city council members, Chairman Tim Norton and his colleagues on the county commission, Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Randy Duncan, State Adjutant General Lee Tafanelli, and Kansas Division of Emergency Management Deputy Director Angee Morgan for taking time to visit with me and show me around the damaged parts of the community. A special thank you to Jeff Turner, CEO of Spirit Aerosystems, for exhibiting calm and courageous leadership during a most trying time for the company and his employees.

I pledge to do whatever I can to support the recovery effort in Sedgwick County and throughout our great state.

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