WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today applauded the U.S. House of Representative’s unanimous consent of the “Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act,” which he introduced and U.S. Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (Mich.) co-sponsored to encourage President Barack Obama to appoint a special envoy to promote religious freedom among religious minorities in the Middle East. The bill overwhelmingly passed the U.S. Senate on July 10, 2014, and will now head to the President’s desk. To read the bill, click here.

“As we continue to witness disturbing violence against religious minorities in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, I’m pleased both chambers of Congress have passed this bipartisan bill to demonstrate that the U.S. takes religious freedom very seriously,” said Blunt. “I urge the President to sign this bill into law quickly and appoint a special envoy to promote religious freedom among all persecuted religious communities in these critical regions.”

Blunt recently spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to urge U.S. officials to aggressively protect the rights of religious minorities throughout the world, specifically calling for the release of Meriam Ibrahim and her family in Sudan, as well as Pastor Saeed Abedini in Iran. Please click here to watch his remarks.

“It is a tragic fact that in much of this region, the freedom to worship in keeping with one’s conscience is in doubt,” Levin said. “Passage of this legislation strengthens America’s role in protecting religious minorities from violence, persecution and fear.”

Additional Background Information:

As the New York Times recently reported, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has forced remaining Christians to flee Mosul, subjecting what’s left of these centuries-old faith communities in Iraq to unprecedented violence and displacement.

Blunt and Levin originally introduced legislation to protect religious minorities in the Middle East in June 2011. Blunt also introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in November 2013 to appoint a special envoy in the Near East and South Central Asia. In December 2013, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly passed Blunt’s bipartisan legislation. U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (Va.) introduced a companion bill in the House.

In addition to Blunt and Levin, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), John Boozman (Ark.), Dan Coats (Ind.), Susan Collins (Maine), John Cornyn (Texas), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), and Roger Wicker (Miss.). 

In October 2013, Blunt joined U.S. Senators Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) in aletter to Secretary of State John Kerry noting recent reports of more frequent, targeted attacks against Coptic churches and individuals in Egypt “warrants a clear U.S. response.” In August 2013, Blunt reiterated his calls for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting and protecting religious freedoms throughout the region. 

Blunt serves on both the defense authorizing and appropriations committees, and he is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

COLUMBIA (AP) – Brady Deaton has been leading his namesake institution that targets international development since his retirement last year as chancellor of the University of Missouri.

University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe said after Deaton retired that the university was honoring Deaton with the Brady and Anne Deaton Institute for Leadership and International Development, which focuses on how the university can be more effective in influencing international development.

The institute had a $301,921 operating budget for FY2015, with about $236,000 going toward Deaton’s salary and benefits.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports Deaton so far has divided his time between Columbia and traveling to conferences or events. Deaton said his job is to advocate for the university and be a liaison between the research community, the policy community and the university.

EASTON, Kan- A Kansas man was injured in a Saturday afternoon accident in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Pontiac Solstice driven by Joseph Edward Wallace, 72, Winchester, was eastbound on Kansas 192 just east of Easton. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It overturned and struck a tree in the south ditch.

Wallace was transported to KU Medical Center.

The KHP reported Wallace was properly restrained at the time of the accident

KANSAS CITY (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a public health alert because a Kansas City company refused to recall uninspected chicken products.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Saturday it issued the public health alert after Kansas City-based VU Foods wouldn’t recall breaded chicken products after it was determined they hadn’t been inspected. The USDA says the products bear the establishment number “P-45038” inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the label. They were also labeled for use in restaurants only.

The problem was discovered in mid-July by the state of Missouri, which notified federal authorities. The USDA says it hasn’t received reports of illness from eating the products.

The federal agency continues to detain the products and is working to get the products back from restaurants.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 226,000 additional vehicles over a defective air bag that has affected much of the global auto industry.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Saturday that Nissan North America Inc. is recalling certain lines of its Infiniti, Maxima, Pathfinder and Sentra cars for the model years 2002 to 2004.

It had previously announced a recall of more than 438,000 vehicles.

The move is prompted by faulty air bags that have been blamed for the recall of millions of cars in recent years, including those made by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda and Toyota.

The air bags systems were made by Tokyo-based Takata Corp. The air bag inflators can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the air bags are deployed. That can potentially cause serious injuries.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Comcast has canceled a promotional event at the home of a Kansas state senator.

The cable company announced the open house in a recent news release that paired Republican Sen. Julia Lynn of Olathe and promotional language about its home security service.

After queries from The Kansas City Star about an elected official endorsing a commercial service, Comcast moved the event to another home. Comcast spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert says Comcast didn’t provide Lynn with any free products, equipment or services.

Earlier this year, a Senate committee that Lynn chairs introduced a bill to keep cities from starting their own TV or broadband services. The measure died in the committee.

Lynn says she thought the Comcast demonstration would give her a better understanding of how security technology works.

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — Cherokee County officials say an audit of the county treasurer’s office shows that more than $23,000 is missing from county bank accounts.

County Commissioner Richard Hilderbrand said Friday that the special audit of funds from 2011 shows a difference of more than $18,000 between what the bank account shows and what the treasurer’s office shows. In 2012, the difference climbs to more than $23,000.

Juanita Hodgson, who has been treasurer for 12 years, says while she doesn’t know the exact cause of the discrepancy, she believes the problem could be human error.

The Joplin Globe reports that Hilderbrand says an auditor is expected to give the board a formal letter the first week of August that will show the findings in detail.

 

By KHI NEWS SERVICE

TOPEKA — Officials with the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC) announced today that the Topeka-based health care quality improvement organization is joining with similar nonprofits in Nebraska and the Dakotas to form the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network.

The new multi-state organization has been awarded a contract by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to work with hospitals and other medical providers on a range of initiatives, including those aimed at reducing avoidable patient readmissions and hospital-acquired infections and promoting the effective use of health information technology. The contract award was announced by CMS officials late last week.

“While this contract reflects a regional approach to quality improvement initiatives, KFMC will continue providing services and working with providers in Kansas to offer quality improvement expertise, education and technical assistance,” said Rebecca Bailey, a KFMC spokesperson.

The other quality improvement organizations in the new network are CIMRO of Nebraska, North Dakota Health Care Review Inc. and the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care.

The Great Plains network will be one of more than a dozen regional networks across the nation working under the new CMS contracts.

“Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) have always supported beneficiaries with a nationwide infrastructure dedicated to improving the quality of health care”, said CMS Chief Medical Officer Patrick Conway. “Under this new QIO program structure, I am excited about the positive impact QIOs will have, working in collaboration with national and local organizations. CMS and QIOs are building momentum in transforming health care delivery by supporting learning systems, improving efficiency and value, and achieving better health outcomes for beneficiaries.”