url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senators-press-army-secretary-on-retirement-benefits,Senators press Army secretary on retirement benefits,2014-12-29,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators press Army secretary on retirement benefits Saturday, November 29, 2014 By:  Kristina Wong A bipartisan group of senators is urging the Army to immediately reverse a policy that would force some officers to lose as much as $1,000 per month in retirement benefits. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), along with 13 other senators, urged Army Secretary John McHugh in a letter this week to reverse a policy where officers being asked to retire would do so at their highest enlisted rank if they spent fewer than eight years as an officer.  Murray and Isakson say the policy is unfair to those who have been selected for retirement under budget cuts, but are just short of the eight years.  The senators say this would affect a ""significant number of captains and majors who are former non-commissioned officers."" This year, the Army required 19,000 captain and majors to go through early separation boards. Of those, the Army is scheduled to involuntarily cut 1,188 captain and 550 majors, according to the News Tribune. The Army reached a post-9/11 peak of 570,000 troops in 2010, and is scheduled to go down to as few as 420,000 under defense budget cuts by 2019.  Murray and Isakson wrote that many of the soldiers who will be affected had answered the Army's call for more officers as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ramped up.  ""Many are being retired at enlisted ranks they have not held in years. This is particularly disturbing because had they ignored the Army’s call for officers most would have been promoted at least once more and been eligible to retire at a higher enlisted rank,"" they said.  “To demote these soldiers in retirement is an injustice that devalues their service and will materially disadvantage them and their families for the rest of their lives,"" they added.  The letter was also signed by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Bernard Sanders (D-Vt.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).  ""We strongly urge you to take the necessary steps to rectify this situation in order to allow these soldiers to retire at the rank they have earned and appropriately honor their service to our nation,” Murray and Isakson wrote.  Defense officials have been urging members of Congress to reverse or relieve the defense cuts imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act, which doubled planned defense cuts of $500 billion over 10 years.  The cuts were proposed by the White House as way to force lawmakers to agree on tax and spending reform to, but they failed and the cuts kicked in last year.  However, Defense officials also say military benefits have become too expensive, and exceed those for civilian workers, and need to come down either way.  Lawmakers have so far been unable to overturn the cuts, with members of both parties opposing lifting the cuts, replacing them with cuts elsewhere, or lifting cuts on other domestic spending too.  The issue of military benefits is highly contentious, and has been holding up the Armed Services Committees' finalization of a 2015 defense bill. House lawmakers oppose an increase of military insurance co-pays and a reduction housing allowances, but senators favor them.  Lawmakers expect to tackle the issue when a commission on military benefits finishes recommendations in February, and when the Pentagon submits its 2016 budget request in March. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/boys-girls-state-teaches-valuable-lessons,"Boys, Girls State teaches valuable lessons",2014-12-28,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Boys, Girls State teaches valuable lessons Friday, November 28, 2014 By:  Bradee Williams This year, nearly 2,000 boys and girls were chosen for Boys State and Girls State, a program for gifted students at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, including 11 students from Smith-Cotton High School. Alec Wilkin, Blake Allee-Lightfoot, Keelly Jones, Ethan Yazell, Steven Bradbury, Bradley Burton and Derek Patton were chosen to participate in Boys State, while Shelbi Davis, Kendall Ott, Rachel Dement and Sarah Hughes were picked for Girls State, which is hosted a week later. The students are chosen based on their leadership, academics and character. The program, which has been run by the American Legion for 75 years, gives students the opportunity to build and run their own government for a week in the hallways of the UCM campus. The goal at the end of week is to win Model City, honoring whichever city has been deemed the best. The students choose classes to attend, select jobs and make laws for their respective cities, learning from first-hand experience how governments are run. They also get the chance to listen to speeches by important Missouri governmental figures, such as Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt. The students, selected by their high school counselors, vote for the leaders of their government chosen out of a pool of previous attendees. These include a governor, a vice chairman, a secretary of state and other members of an official board. The candidates belong to either the Federalist or the Nationalist parties, which are assigned to them before they arrive along with the cities they represent. “I really understand the importance of everyone’s vote. Every individual has something to say, and sometimes it comes down to what each person thinks,” said senior Steven Bradbury, who was in charge of the state fair and was the athletic director for his city. The athletic director organizes the sports teams’ competitions against the 15 other cities in Boys State. There are five sports to choose from, ranging from basketball to Frisbee, which everyone is required to participate in. Bradbury also acknowledged the hard work he put into making his city is something to be proud of. “Sometimes I would work so hard during the day that I would go to sleep at 2 a.m.,” he said. “Then I would get up early the next morning and start all over again. We all just really wanted to be the best.” Shelbi Davis, a senior at Smith-Cotton, was one of the girls chosen to participate in Girls State. She was assigned to be on highway patrol, securing the “highways” against traffic violators. She said, “I learned to work with different types of people, and that’s something that will benefit me in the future.” Sarah Hughes was in the House of Representatives and had the opportunity to go to the capital in Jefferson City and discuss bills and legislation. Blake Allee-Lightfoot and Bradley Burton were other senior participants. At Boys State, Allee-Lightfoot ran his own business, Light-Horn Credit Inc., and was appointed county chairman. “It was a great experience,” he said, “I was glad to be part of such a great group of people.” Burton was the capital police chief and the election judge. He said of the program, “It gives you an outlook on how the real world is and gives you the knowledge you need to succeed for the rest of your life.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/airport-bill-one-of-296-obama-signs,Airport Bill One of 296 Obama Signs,2014-12-27,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Airport Bill One of 296 Obama Signs Saturday, December 27, 2014 By:  Keith E. Domke It’s never happened before, and it may never happen again. An actual act of Congress and the signature of the sitting president of the United States enacted a law centered on and only on St. Clair. And, when people look hard enough back on the 113th session of Congress, they will see that the Franklin County community forever is linked with golfer Jack Nicklaus and the passenger pigeon. President Barack Obama’s signing of Senate Bill 2759 climaxed a December that featured both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives first approving the bill before it was forwarded to the leader of the free world. The bill authorizes the closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport. It states that it is “a bill to release the city of St. Clair from all restrictions, conditions and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance and closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport.” Additional language in the bill provides details regarding the closure process and the transfer of assets, revenues and equipment as well as the monetary value of the property and the worth of the unamortized federal grants turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration. The legislation was a stand-alone bill, meaning nothing else was attached to it. It was sponsored by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and cosponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt, both of Missouri. U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer worked it through the House. A review of the 113th Congress provided by The Associated Press showed the airport closure bill was one of 296 signed into law by Obama before Christmas, the second-lowest total for any two-year Congress in records dating to the 1940s. The session that President Harry S. Truman dubbed the “do-nothing Congress” of 1947-48 enacted more than 900 laws. Leaving the Capitol before the holidays, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that lawmakers should have achieved more, “but that’s what we got.” During the session, each party accused the other of scuttling bills for political purposes ahead of November’s elections, which gave Republicans firm control of the House and Senate in 2015. But, the St. Clair airport bill wasn’t one of those. In fact, it passed with no trouble in both chambers. “It may come as a surprise to many Missourians, but a municipality such as St. Clair cannot close an airport which it owns and operates without permission from the federal government,” Luetkemeyer said in a press release when it was announced that the House passed the bill. The Associated Press reported that though Obama signed scores of bills into law in the days leading up to Christmas as the session came to a close, they were mostly minor. One of the two mentioned was honoring golfer Jack Nicklaus with a Congressional Gold Medal for his “excellence and good sportsmanship.” Another actually was recognizing the 100th anniversary of the extinction of passenger pigeons. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/a-possible-ferguson-solution-cameras-on-cops,A possible Ferguson solution: Cameras on cops,2014-12-26,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"A possible Ferguson solution: Cameras on cops Wednesday, November 26, 2014 By:  Michael Doyle WASHINGTON — The Ferguson fallout will include more police officers nationwide wearing cameras as part of their uniforms. Lawmakers like Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., are talking about federal funding. Researchers are digging into data about costs and benefits. Cities that already have equipped police with cameras are fielding questions from those that are considering it. “The officers have welcomed them, and I think the community has, too,” April R. Harris, treasurer of the Greensboro Police Foundation in North Carolina, said in an interview Wednesday, recalling that “before we had the cameras, we had here in Greensboro a couple of police situations where it was, ‘He said, she said.’” The Greensboro Police Foundation raised more than $100,000 to purchase the cameras for the city’s police department. While the fundraising drive was a success, the need for it also underscored one of the challenges ahead: the cameras can be costly. The cameras’ use, moreover, can open up unanticipated conflicts. Harris noted, for instance, that there are now questions about whether the video taken by a camera worn by an officer amounts to a personnel record that’s exempt from public release. There’s no doubt, though, that the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson is prompting much more interest in the cameras that can capture an ambiguous encounter. “Since Ferguson, the agencies will look more closely to see, ‘How can we make this happen?’ but also, ‘How can we do it right?’” Lindsay Miller, senior research associate at the Police Executive Research Forum, said in an interview Wednesday. Miller, co-author of an extensive Justice Department-funded study of police cameras, noted that, even before Ferguson, the cameras often first deployed “in smaller and mid-sized agencies” have in the last year or two been adopted by larger agencies. Charles Katz, an Arizona State University criminology associate professor, agreed Wednesday that the Ferguson incident will accelerate the use of body-worn cameras. No good public estimate exists for how many law enforcement agencies currently deploy officers with cameras. The agencies that do use them vary widely in size and sophistication. The two-officer police department in Miller’s hometown in rural Missouri uses body-worn cameras, and so, as part of a test run, does the Los Angeles Police Department. The Police Executive Research Forum study included a survey with responses from 254 law enforcement agencies, 63 of which reported using body-worn cameras. The analysts identified tangible benefits that include better documentation of evidence, increased police accountability and a reduction in the use of force. A yearlong study of the Mesa Police Department in Arizona, for instance, found that camera-wearing officers had 40 percent fewer public complaints, and 75 percent fewer use-of-force complaints, than they had without wearing cameras. Camera-wearing police in Rialto, Calif., had an 88 percent reduction in citizen complaints. But with the benefits come costs and questions. Individual cameras can cost in the range of $800 to $1,200, although TASER International markets an “ultra-durable on-officer camera” for $399. Thirty-nine percent of agencies responding to the Police Executive Research Forum survey identified price as a primary reason for not ordering the cameras. Private fundraising, akin to what happened in Greensboro, has been one solution. The Los Angeles Police Department raised nearly $1.3 million in private funds for officer cameras, which began as a pilot project last January. Another solution could be federal aid, of the sort being suggested by McCaskill. “She is specifically looking at options for prioritizing federal resources that go to local police departments, so that body cameras come first, before other equipment,” McCaskill spokeswoman Sarah Feldman said in an interview Wednesday, stressing the idea is “not a mandate.” Other questions, beyond funding, include: – How much discretion will individual officers have to turn off the cameras for certain particularly sensitive encounters, such as meetings with informants or during work at crime scenes? – How will the privacy interests of victims be protected, and how will those privacy interests be balanced against the public’s? – How will the video recording of encounters change the behavior of citizens and officers alike? The questions are prompting states and municipalities to come up with different answers, on policies ranging from how long video recordings are stored to who has a say in the video recording. Pennsylvania legislators, for instance, passed earlier this year a law waiving the previous requirement that police obtain consent before video recording another person. In some other states, the old two-party consent rules still apply. Police unions, too, weigh in, and sometimes voice resistance. In New York City last year, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association pushed back against U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin’s order that the city initiate a pilot program equipping officers with cameras in selected precincts. The pilot program has begun, though union leaders maintain that mandated use of body cameras is a workplace condition that should be negotiated as part of an overall labor contract. Scheindlin insisted on trying the cameras as part of a ruling that struck down the city’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy. “The recordings should also alleviate some of the mistrust that has developed between the police and the black and Hispanic communities,” Scheindlin wrote, adding that “video recordings will be equally helpful to members of the NYPD who are wrongly accused of inappropriate behavior.” Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/11/26/248308_a-possible-ferguson-solution-cameras.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/national-status-for-liberty-memorial-is-expected-to-be-a-boon,National status for Liberty Memorial is expected to be a boon,2014-12-26,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"National status for Liberty Memorial is expected to be a boon Friday, December 26, 2014 By:  Matt Campbell The long-sought designation of Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial as official national memorial to the Great War was, ironically, tucked into a war-spending bill. The must-pass bill approved this month finally capped a legislative effort that had been stalled for years. “We’re just grateful they were able to find an appropriate bill to hang it onto to get the thing passed,” said Matt Naylor, president and CEO of the National World War I Museum. “It speaks to the ingenuity of the Congress people.” The rise in stature is expected to greatly enhance the museum’s ability to court fundraisers, to expand a national advisory board and to attract visitors and traveling exhibits. “This enables us to have conversations with prospective funders on a national scale that might otherwise see us as a more parochial or regional museum,” said Naylor. “This is potentially a very good thing for us.” Memorial leaders had a successful fundraising event in New York recently and are planning future events. Liberty Memorial already had the designation of being the “national museum” for World War I. Now it can add “national memorial” to its title as well. The monument’s board will explore whether to tweak the museum’s logo or brand. The designation was sponsored by local U.S. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, Sam Graves and Kevin Yoder and by Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt. “This designation honors the courage and sacrifice of all those who served in World War I,” McCaskill said in a statement. “It’s my hope that the Liberty Memorial’s new, national status — which finally matches its national significance — shines a spotlight on the site’s unique and extraordinary historical value.” The legislation was a compromise with backers of a separate memorial in Pershing Park in Washington, D.C. Both may now call themselves national memorials. But Kansas City’s is far larger and has by far the most extensive collection of materials from World War I in the country. The memorial also is home base for the national commission established to commemorate the centennial of the war. Attendance to the war museum here already is up about 30 percent over last year, and attendance at exhibits and programs is up about 500 percent. Liberty Memorial officials expect even more attention in coming years with the centennial of the United States’ entry into the war. Next summer, the Australian War Memorial will send an exhibit of war art to Kansas City. It will be the first time the museum in Canberra has sent part of its collection overseas. The national designation for Liberty Memorial will make more opportunities like that possible. “This will enable us to bring other exhibitions and programs to the museum and memorial that otherwise may not come to the United States, or certainly to the Midwest,” Naylor said. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article5025201.html#storylink=cpy Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senators-query-rideshare-services-lyft-uber-on-privacy,"Senators query rideshare services Lyft, Uber on privacy",2014-12-23,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators query rideshare services Lyft, Uber on privacy Tuesday, December 23, 2014 By:  Mike Snider Ridesharing services Lyft and Uber are picking up more attention from the U.S. Senate. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) sent letters to both companies raising concern about their privacy and data security policies. Their letters, released today but dated Dec. 19, raised the same issues that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) raised with Uber in the wake of reports that Uber executive Josh Mohrer tracked a reporter's Uber rides without her permission. Senator blasts Uber for weak response to spy scandal Another press report that the senators' letter references includes a Uber job applicant having access to the company's database of customer records. ""Such allegations, if true, appear contrary to Uber's claim that it has a 'strict policy prohibiting all employees at every level from accessing a rider of driver's data' with exceptions for a 'limited set of legitimate business purposes,' and the allegations raise questions about Uber's enforcement of its own policies,"" their letter says. Also noted by the senators: media reports that Uber's ""God View,"" which tracks consumers' real-time locations, is easily accessible to employees and, regarding Lyft, that a company spokeswoman had access to customers' travel logs. Both companies were asked to have a top official brief the Commerce Committee on data security practices and privacy. McCaskill chairs the consumer protection subcommittee, while Nelson chairs the science and space subcommittee. The senators also asked for information on the companies' public and internal policies pertaining to their practices on privacy policies, third party data sharing, consumer data retention and notification and data breach protections. Uber did not immediately return a request for comment on the senators' requests. But Lyft provided the following statement: ""We share Senator McCaskill and Senator Nelson's commitment to consumer privacy and look forward to responding to their letter to discuss this important issue. The respect and rights of our users are at our core as a company, and we have continued to upgrade our existing privacy safeguards to enhance user protection."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/fight-against-isis-gets-independent-watchdog-as-mccaskills-wartime-contracting-reforms-kick-in,Fight Against ISIS Gets Independent Watchdog as McCaskill’s Wartime Contracting Reforms Kick-in,2014-12-23,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fight Against ISIS Gets Independent Watchdog as McCaskill’s Wartime Contracting Reforms Kick-in Senator’s landmark legislation that overhauled wartime contracting practices requires designation of Inspector General to guard against waste, fraud, abuse of taxpayer dollars overseas Tuesday, December 23, 2014 WASHINGTON – Nearly two years to the day after Congress passed into law Senator Claire McCaskill’s sweeping overhaul of wartime contracting practices, military action against the so-called “Islamic State,” or ISIS, is triggering those reforms to ensure accountability and oversight of the effort.  McCaskill’s wartime contracting reforms, the most substantial overhaul of how the federal government contracts during wartime since World War II, gained final approval in December 2012 after a sustained six-year effort. That effort made good on a campaign pledge McCaskill issued in 2006. One provision of the Comprehensive Contingency Contracting Reform Act requires the designation of a lead Inspector General to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in overseas military contingencies—and requires that Inspector General to make regular reports to Congress. The Defense Department announced this week that Jon T. Rymer, the Pentagon’s Inspector General, will serve as the lead inspector general for Operation Inherent Resolve, and that Rymer will submit biannual reports to Congress, with the first to be delivered in April. “This is exactly the kind of accountability and oversight that’s needed to protect taxpayer dollars when America takes military action—especially after the stunning waste we saw in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said McCaskill, a former prosecutor and Missouri State Auditor. “As the critical mission against ISIS is executed, these reforms should help strengthen Americans’ confidence that our resources are being used effectively and efficiently.” McCaskill’s legislation has improved contracting practices and accountability across the federal government by: Elevating oversight responsibility, improving management structures, expanding planning requirements, and reforming contracting practices during overseas contingency operations; Requiring departments and agencies to assess contracting risk in overseas contingency operations and reduce unnecessary reliance in areas including private security contracting; Establishing responsibilities for Inspectors General to oversee all aspects of overseas contingency operations; Improving the contracting process through greater transparency, competition, and professional education; and Instituting additional provisions for accountability by contractors and the federal government, including limits that require proof that development projects are sustainable, prior to providing funding for such projects in overseas contingencies. McCaskill’s wartime contracting provisions build upon recommendations issued in 2011 by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, created through legislation passed in 2007 by McCaskill and former Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, and modeled after President Harry Truman’s crusade to combat the wasteful war profiteering that occurred during World War II. In its final report to Congress, issued after three years of investigation, the Commission found that the U.S. had squandered up to $60 billion through waste and fraud on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/wartimecontracting to learn more about McCaskill's work to reform wartime contracting practices. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-nelson-raise-concerns-over-uber-and-lyft-privacy-policies,"McCaskill, Nelson Raise Concerns Over Uber & Lyft Privacy Policies",2014-12-23,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill, Nelson Raise Concerns Over Uber & Lyft Privacy Policies Senators demand answers from ride-sharing companies on privacy protection, data securities practices Tuesday, December 23, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Bill Nelson have sent letters to the CEOs of ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft, raising concerns about the companies’ privacy policies and demanding answers on current privacy and data security practices. “Some media reports have suggested that Uber lacks responsible data-security practices and potentially disregards the protections articulated in its privacy policy,” the Senators, both senior members of the Commerce Committee, wrote in their letter to Uber. “For example, the press has reported that the general manager of Uber’s New York operations tracked and accessed a reporter’s travel logs on multiple occasions, though the reporter never consented to being tracked or having her data accessed. According to another press report, an individual interviewing for a job at Uber reportedly had access to the company’s database of customer records, including actual travel records of Uber riders. Such allegations, if true, appear contrary to Uber’s claim that it has a ‘strict policy prohibiting all employees at every level from accessing a rider of driver’s data’ with exceptions for a ‘limited set of legitimate business purposes,’ and the allegations raise questions about Uber’s enforcement of its own policies.” The Senators also expressed concern with media reports that Uber’s “God View” of customer’s geolocation and other data is easily accessible to staff across the company, as well as media reports that a Lyft spokeswoman had access to customers’ travel logs. McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, and Nelson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Science and Space, requested Uber and Lyft provide companies of all public and internal polices pertaining to their practices on privacy policies, third party data sharing, consumer data retention and notification, data breach protections, and other policies. The Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the Federal Trade Commission, which since 2002 has brought more than 50 enforcement actions against companies that have put consumers’ data at risk or failed to honor the terms of their privacy policies. The Senators’ letters to Uber and Lyft can be found HERE and HERE. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/liberty-memorial-bestowed-national-world-war-i-memorial-designation,Liberty Memorial bestowed national World War I memorial designation,2014-12-21,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Liberty Memorial bestowed national World War I memorial designation Sunday, December 21, 2014 By:  Chris Oberholtz KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City has gained national status after President Barack Obama signed legislature Friday officially recognizing the landmark. This comes after the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would designate it as the nation's World War I Museum and Memorial. Other monuments with that status include the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The legislation passed the House of Representatives in May and passed the Senate on Dec. 12 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation provides an additional designation for the museum, which was deemed as ""America's National World War I Museum"" by Congress after President George W. Bush signed the legislation in 2004. ""Having two United States presidents sign legislation to recognize the National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial is incredibly special,"" museum president Matthew Naylor said. ""We not only view this as recognition of the museum, but also as a tribute to the 80,000-plus Kansas City area residents who established the museum and Liberty Memorial after World War I as well as those who have generously supported the museum throughout the years. Naylor said several members of Congress from the area supported the effort, including senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Sam Graves and Kevin Yoder. Both Blunt and McCaskill serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee and pushed for the provision in this year's annual defense bill. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/clay-applauds-presidential-task-force-21st-century-policing,Clay Applauds Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Policing,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,William Clay,C001049,lacyclay.house.gov,,,legacy,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2014 MEDIA CONTACT: STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029 Clay Applauds Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Policing Urges Panel to Review Use of Force, Address Diversity Gap, Recommend Independent Investigations & Prosecutions of Fatal Police Shootings WASHINGTON. DC Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri praised yesterday's White House announcement of the formation of an urgent presidential task force on 21st Century policing. The task force, which will be chaired by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey and former Assistant U.S. Attorney General Laurie Robinson, will conduct hearings in Washington and across the nation to engage citizens in honest and sometimes difficult conversations about how to reconnect local law enforcement to the communities they serve, and how to make best policing practices the norm in more departments. They are to report back to the President in 75 days. I want to thank President Obama for forming this urgent task force to address the root causes of mistrust, the use of excessive force, a lack of diversity and a failure of accountability that occurs in far too many local police departments,said the Congressman. And I'm especially proud that the President has appointed Brittany Packnett, one of my outstanding former congressional staffers, to serve on this panel. Mr. Clay added, If we're serious about bridging the gulf of mistrust that exists in far too many communities between local police and the citizens that they are sworn to protect, then this task force must have the courage to drill down to the root causes of why persons of color are often subjected to excessive force by police. My hope is that the panel will also examine whether in the case of a fatal police shooting, the investigation should immediately be transferred for independent review and possible prosecution. That would be a giant step towards restoring credibility and transparency in communities who too often fear the very officers who should be providing them with a sense of peace and security. -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/colbert-says-farewell-with-a-little-help-from-washington,Colbert says farewell with a little help from Washington,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Colbert says farewell with a little help from Washington Friday, December 19, 2014 By:  Alexandra Jaffe (CNN) -- Comedian Stephen Colbert bid farewell on his final show Thursday night with the help of a pantheon of celebrities, including Washington notables and dignitaries. Everyone from National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, CNN's own Jake Tapper — and even former President Bill Clinton, tweeting — appeared during the 23-minute finale, all singing ""We'll Meet Again"" along with Colbert. Here's our unofficial list of other members of the Washington political and pundit class that helped send off Colbert on Thursday night: Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker New York Mayor Bill de Blasio D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton Former President Bill Clinton — texting UN Ambassador Samantha Power Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno Former secretary of State Henry Kissinger Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington Vice founder Shane Smith Journalist Matt Taibbi Commentator Andrew Sullivan CNN anchor Jake Tapper NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw CBS News anchor Charlie Rose Yahoo news anchor Katie Couric Former NBC anchor David Gregory CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour CNN commentator Jeff Toobin NPR host Terry Gross New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof New York Times columnist Paul Krugman New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd Presidential biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist Activist Gloria Steinem NIH Director Francis Collins Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/half-of-dr-ozs-medical-advice-is-baseless-or-wrong-study-says,"Half of Dr. Oz’s medical advice is baseless or wrong, study says",2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Half of Dr. Oz’s medical advice is baseless or wrong, study says Friday, December 19, 2014 By:  Terrence McCoy It’s not hard to understand what makes Dr. Oz so popular. Called “America’s doctor,” syndicated talk-show host Mehmet Oz speaks in a way anyone can understand. Medicine may be complex. But with Dr. Oz, clad in scrubs and crooning to millions of viewers about “miracles” and “revolutionary” breakthroughs, it’s often not. He somehow makes it fun. And people can’t get enough. “I haven’t seen a doctor in eight years,” the New Yorker quoted one viewer telling Oz. “I’m scared. You’re the only one I trust.” But is that trust misplaced? Or has Oz, who often peddles miracle cures for weight loss and other maladies, mortgaged medical veracity for entertainment value? These questions have hammered Oz for months. In June, he was hauled in front of Congress, where Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) told him he gave people false hope and criticized his segments as a “recipe for disaster.” Then last month, a study he widely trumpeted lauding coffee bean weight-loss pills was retracted despite Oz’s assertions it could “burn fat fast for anyone who wants to lose weight.” Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) questioned TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz about his claims that certain products are ""miracle"" workers during a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on June 18, 2014 (Senator Claire McCaskill via YouTube) And now, his work has come under even greater scrutiny in the British Medical Journal, which on Wednesday published a study analyzing Oz’s claims along with those made on another medical talk show. What they found wasn’t reassuring. The researchers, led by Christina Korownyk of the University of Alberta, charged medical research either didn’t substantiate — or flat out contradicted — more than half of Oz’s recommendations. “Recommendations made on medical talk shows often lack adequate information on specific benefits or the magnitude of the effects of these benefits,” the article said. “… The public should be skeptical about recommendations made on medical talk shows.” The study is part of an ongoing debate about medicine on television. There’s clearly a market for doctor talk shows. “The Dr. Oz Show” ranks in the top five talk shows in the United States, bringing in a haul of roughly 2.9 million viewers per day. And the talk show “The Doctors,” also studied in the paper, nets around 2.3 million viewers per show. These days, Oz considers disease in terms of marketability. Cancer, he told the New Yorker, “is our Angelina Jolie. We could sell that show every day.” But some doctors have expressed alarm at Oz’s willingness to sell it. “Although perhaps not as ‘sexy’ as Dr. Oz would like, the public needs more information about the effects of diet as a whole on cancer risk,” commentedone paper titled “Reality Check: There is no such thing as a miracle food” in the journal of Nutrition and Cancer. It lambasted Oz’s assertion that endive, red onion and sea bass can decrease the likelihood of ovarian cancer by 75 percent.   “Mehmet is now an entertainer,” New York doctor Eric Rose told the New Yorker. “And he’s great at it. People learn a lot, and it can be meaningful in their lives. … [But] sometimes Mehmet will entertain wacky ideas — particularly if they are wacky and have entertainment value.” Oz, for his part, said he’s only trying to give people all the options out there. He said data shouldn’t stop patients from testing out things like raspberry ketone — a “miracle in a bottle to burn your fat” — even if it’s never been tested on people, according to Slate. “I recognize that oftentimes they don’t have the scientific muster to present as fact,” Oz said at a U.S. Senate hearing, adding that he “personally believes in the items I talk about in my show.” “But, nevertheless, I give my audience the advice I give my family all the time. I give my family these products, specifically the ones you mentioned. I’m comfortable with that part.” But researchers with the British Medical Journal weren’t nearly so comfortable. They selected 40 episodes from last year, identifying 479 separate medical recommendations. After paging through the relevant medical research, they found evidence only supported 46 percent of his recommendations, contradicted 15 percent and wasn’t available for 39 percent. The study was not without its limitations, however. The researchers conceded it was difficult to parse “what was said and what was implied.” And some of the recommendations were extremely general — “sneezing into your elbow prevents the spread of germs” — and consequently difficult to find in medical research, let alone substantiate. Still, the article was a withering assessment of Oz and the whole doctor talk show business. “Consumers should be skeptical about any recommendations provided on television medical talk shows, as details are limited and only a third to one half of recommendations are based on believable or somewhat believable evidence,” the paper said. “… Decisions around healthcare issues are often challenging and require much more than non-specific recommendations based on little or no evidence.” But Oz considers himself an iconoclast trying to shake up a stodgy medical community. “Much of medicine is just plain old logic,” he told the New Yorker. “So I am out there trying to persuade people to be patients. And that often means telling them what the establishment doesn’t want to hear: that their answers are not only the answers, and their medicine is not the only medicine.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/heres-what-experts-say-about-the-advice-on-dr-oz-and-the-doctors,Here’s What Experts Say About the Advice on Dr. Oz and The Doctors,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Here’s What Experts Say About the Advice on Dr. Oz and The Doctors Friday, December 19, 2014 By:  Alice Park Many Americans get their health advice not from their doctor, but from daytime television. But how good are those recommendations? Reporting in the BMJ, Canadian researchers analyzed two medical TV talk shows—The Dr. Oz Show and The Doctors—and found that only 46% of the recommendations on The Dr. Oz Show and 63% on The Doctors were supported by evidence. 15% of advice given on Oz and 14% of advice on The Doctors contradicted the available published evidence in journals. “The bottom line message is for people to be really skeptical about the recommendations made on these medical television shows,” says study co-author Christina Korowynk, associate professor of family medicine at the University of Alberta. “They should look for more balanced information to be presented, and understand that they need all of that information in order to make an informed decision.” They measured 80 major recommendations made on the two shows from January to May 2013 against evidence gleaned from published studies in medical databases. They looked at both consistency—how much the conclusion was supported by the studies—and believability, which included the quality, number and type of study. On average, Korownyk’s group found that both shows mentioned how the advice might specifically help a person in only about 40% of the recommendations, and they mentioned the amount of benefit, another aspect of useful health advice, in less than 20% of recommendations. (Harms were mentioned in less than 10% of the recommendations, and costs in less than 15%). She says that without such information on how much benefit and harm a particular recommendation might have, it’s hard for people to make informed choices about whether the advice is right for them. Korownyk and her colleagues aren’t the first to cast doubt on the quality of advice given on the shows. In June a Senate subcommittee heard testimony from Oz on false advertising of weight loss claims and Sen. Claire McCaskill queried the doctor about the statements he made on the show. “I do personally believe in the items that I talk about on the show,” he said at the hearing. “We have to simplify complicated information. We have to make the material seem interesting and focus on the ‘wow’ factor.” Representatives for The Doctors said in a written statement to TIME: “The Doctors was never contacted about the study or the article. Our producers and doctors all do their due diligence to make sure information provided on the show is sound, relevant and timely—often debunking the myriad of medical myths that abound in the media and across the internet.” Members of The Dr. Oz Show wrote: “The Dr. Oz Show has always endeavored to challenge the so-called conventional wisdom, reveal multiple points of view and question the status quo. The observation that some of the topics discussed on the show may differ from popular opinion or various academic analyses affirms that we are furthering a constructive dialogue about health and wellness.” Korownyk acknowledges that the exact impact of television health advice isn’t clear, since the study didn’t investigate how many of the recommendations people adopted and whether they had an effect on their health. But the advice is clearly reaching people. “What we’d love to see is a process on these shows where the evidence is reviewed in a critical manner, and presented in a balanced, objective way so the audience can understand,” she says. “As physicians, we are moving toward that, and we’d love to see the broader television personalities doing the same sort of thing.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/missouris-senator-mccaskill-part-of-stephen-colbert-sendoff,Missouri’s Senator McCaskill part of Stephen Colbert sendoff,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Missouri’s Senator McCaskill part of Stephen Colbert sendoff Friday, December 19, 2014 By:  Mike Lear Missouri’s senior U.S. Senator, Claire McCaskill, was among the dozens of other elected officials, comedians, singers, actors, and a couple of Muppets on the finale of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” last night. The show, centered on a fictional conservative anchorman played by Stephen Colbert, is ending its 9-year run. Colbert is about to become the host of the Late Show after David Letterman leaves in May. McCaskill and the other guests sang “We’ll Meet Again” in one of the show’s final segments. She had been a guest on the program at least twice. Along with a picture, McCaskill tweeted, “So much fun to be a part of an amazing group asked by [Colbert] to sing him off his last show.  Gonna miss that jerk.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/gop-likely-to-court-moderate-democrats-in-senate,GOP likely to court moderate Democrats in Senate,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"GOP likely to court moderate Democrats in Senate Thursday, December 18, 2014 By:  Nicole Guadiano WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware said Republicans have asked to work with him next year on a wide range of issues. And Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has noticed that her GOP colleagues ""are all being very nice"" to her. They and other moderate Senate Democrats expect to be in high demand as Republicans prepare to take over the Senate in the next Congress and will need Democratic allies to push their agenda. Most Senate bills require 60 votes to overcome the threat of a filibuster. Republicans will claim 54 votes next year, six shy of that mark. As a result, they're seeking help from moderate Democrats on issues such as transportation, tax reform, trade and energy. ""It will be the way that we can maybe bring compromise together in very effective ways,"" said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. ""So I'm counting on some of them."" Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said he thinks moderate Democrats will agree that ""we've got to lighten the burden that's costing millions of jobs in over-regulation."" ""I think they got that message in the results of this election,"" Inhofe said. Democrats lost nine Senate seats in November's elections. That includes seats held by four Democrats who resigned and five moderates who were defeated. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana was the latest to go down when she lost a Dec. 6 runoff election. Come January, there will be about a dozen moderate Democrats left in the Senate, down from at least 18 in 2011. Those who remain include former governors who are used to finding paths to compromise. ""If we want to get something done, we know one thing,"" said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a former governor. ""The formula for success is not what we just came off of, the four years I've been here."" Progressives fear that, even in smaller numbers, moderate Democrats can do big damage to the advancement of a populist economic agenda by voting to help cut entitlement benefits, pass trade deals that move jobs overseas or cut taxes for corporations. ""The worst possible thing for Democrats going into 2016 would be if we paper over the differences with Republicans by only focusing on small-bore, lowest common denominator ideas, or even worse, if Democrats help pass unpopular right-wing ideas into law, hiding what Democrats really stand for,"" said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Moderate Democrats may be willing to work on trade deals, tax reform or budget deals, said Matt Bennett, spokesman for the centrist think tank Third Way. But they're not going to vote for ""veto bait,"" such as a repeal of the Affordable Care Act or sanctioning President Obama for his executive order on immigration, he said. ""There are places where you could see Democratic moderates really trying to find ways to say yes, but they're not going to compromise their principles to do it,"" Bennett said. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said the opportunity for getting things done with Republicans diminishes ""if the fringe over there tends to pull them to the right."" Republicans and Democrats should be able to work together on legislation to fund long-term transportation projects, strengthen U.S. cyber defenses, lower corporate tax rates and break barriers to exports, Carper said. He said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., also has spoken with him about pairing Republican-backed legislation to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline with bipartisan energy conservation legislation. ""There are going to be plenty of opportunities for people — both Democrats and Republicans — to serve as a bridge in the new Congress to pull folks toward the center,"" Carper said. ""Otherwise, we'll never get anything done."" While in the majority, Senate Democrats have relied on support from moderate Republicans, such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of only three Senate Republicans who voted to pass the 2009 economic stimulus package. During the White House effort to build support for the bill, Vice President Biden repeatedly called Collins on her cell phone when her signal kept fading as she traveled through Maine. Collins said moderate Democrats will play a key role helping to shape legislation in the next Congress. ""Judging from what I experienced, I would say they'll be very much in demand,"" she said. Contributing: Deirdre Shesgreen and Christopher Doering Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/president-names-packnett_--local-activist-and-educator----to-task-force-on-policing,President Names Packnett -- Local Activist And Educator -- To Task Force On Policing,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"President Names Packnett -- Local Activist And Educator -- To Task Force On Policing Thursday, December 18, 2014 By:  Jim Howard Brittany Packnett says she’s made a career of “listening intently and intensively” to the needs of young people.  The former third-grade teacher, current Ferguson activist and executive director of Teach for America in St. Louis will now put her listening and leadership skills to use as a member of President Barack Obama’s task force on 21st-century policing. Packnett says her first priority will be to “stand with and help speak for… disenfranchised young people, young people of color, often living in low-income communities that we serve through Teach for America, who have a voice that deserves to be heard because they want to be able to live into the fullness of their potential.”  She says she’s thankful to the president and others involved in her selection to the task force for listening to people from “Ferguson and around the country who have been active in this work.” She says she’s also thankful to represent those interests and the interests of the community’s children.  “I see it as an opportunity to begin the important work of setting forth a more just community in our future.” Packnett, who just turned 30, says it’s important that the task force have a voice from the St. Louis area.  “We’ve seen that this is an issue that touches all corners of the country, but most certainly we’ve seen Ferguson and St. Louis be a flash point. So as St. Louis is my hometown, I’m looking forward to also bringing that perspective as well” to the task force. U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., praised Packnett’s selection. “As a young woman, a St. Louis County native and an educator, she has the leadership skills and commitment to help find national solutions to these systemic issues,” said McCaskill. The task force will conduct its first listening session in Washington, D.C., next month.  The president is asking for its recommendations by March 2.  Two decades of community policing The Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services office, also known as COPS, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Besides two decades of experience, the office has access to an almost unending list of research and articles on what works and what doesn’t work in policing.  Additionally, it can mobilize a network of law enforcement professionals to aid local departments at almost a moment’s notice, as it did with Ferguson immediately after the Michael Brown shooting.  So, with all of that experience and scholarship available, what more can a task force operating under a 90-day window really do? Ron Davis, the director of the COPS office and the task force's executive director, says that even with all of that experience and research available, the task force still has important things to do: ""to identify what (COPS programs) are doing, what we’re not doing, to identify the gaps and to make the kind of recommendations that are actionable, that we can actually move on.” In addition to COPS and the task force, the Justice Department also provided nearly $5 million in grant funding earlier this year for a national initiative to bridge the divide between local communities and their law enforcement agencies. The consortium will work with five communities to look at several aspects of community policing.  The lessons learned from these communities will be made available to communities and law enforcement professionals across the country. The pilot sites are to be announced next spring. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-backed-security-clearance-bill-clears-the-senate,McCaskill-backed Security Clearance Bill Clears the Senate,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill-backed Security Clearance Bill Clears the Senate Senators’ bipartisan legislation would increase accountability in background check process Thursday, December 18, 2014 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate this week gave unanimous approval to the Security Clearance Accountability, Reform, and Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation backed by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill aimed at better protecting the country’s secure facilities and sensitive information by strengthening accountability in background checks. “When it comes to conducting background checks on the individuals who handle America’s most secure secrets and institutions, there is no room for error,” said McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight and former Missouri State Auditor. “Considering the kinds of threats we face as a nation, security clearance background checks must be conducted with the utmost level of oversight, integrity, and accountability.”   This legislation would direct the Office of Personnel Management to terminate or place on leave any employee that is involved in intentional misconduct affecting the integrity of background investigations, including falsification, fraud, or other serious misconduct. Individuals employed or contracted by the Office of Personnel Management that are intentionally involved in such misconduct would also be debarred or suspended. Additionally, the legislation would direct the President to review and update guidance for agencies to: (1) determine whether a position requires a security clearance; (2) implement such guidance, including quality controls; and (3) review (at least every five years) and, if necessary, revise the designation of a position as requiring access to classified information or secure government facilities. Following the systemic problems with the security clearance background check process highlighted by security leaks from contractor Edward Snowden and the tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, McCaskill revealed that USIS, the company responsible for conducting the background investigations for both Snowden and Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, was under criminal investigation. After McCaskill questioned the fact that USIS had two separate contracts with the federal government—one to conduct background investigations, the other to oversee background investigations conducted by contractors, including USIS itself—the federal government stopped allowing private contractors to oversee their own work in security clearance background checks. McCaskill has led additional efforts to bring accountability to the security clearance process, including two other related pieces of bipartisan legislation. The first— the Security Clearance Oversight Reform (SCORE) Act—became law in October of 2013. This legislation allows the Inspector General of Office of Personnel Management to use resources from the agency's $2 billion Revolving Fund to more thoroughly investigate cases where the integrity of the background check process may have been compromised. The second bill, would require OPM to implement an automated search of public records and databases on every individual with a security clearance at least twice, at random times, every five years. As it stands now, once a person obtains a security clearance no additional reviews of that person's background are conducted until their security clearance is renewed. Depending on the level of security clearance, that interval could be up to 5, 10, or even 15 years. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-packnett-brings-terrific-perspective-to-presidential-commission,McCaskill: Packnett Brings ‘terrific perspective’ to Presidential Commission,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill: Packnett Brings ‘terrific perspective’ to Presidential Commission Senator praises naming of Brittany Packnett, Executive Director of St. Louis Teach For America, to President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing Thursday, December 18, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today praised the selection of Brittany Packnett—the Executive Director of Teach For America in St. Louis—to serve on President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. McCaskill released the following statement: “Brittany is going to bring a terrific perspective to this commission—and can help bridge this panel’s goals, with the important work being done by the Ferguson Commission. As a young woman, a St. Louis County native, and an educator, she has the leadership skills and commitment to help find national solutions to these systemic issues.” Packnett is currently Executive Director of Teach For America in St. Louis, a position she has held since 2012. Packnett is also a member of the Ferguson Commission in Missouri. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/national-guard-addresses-mccaskill-concerns-with-mental-health-contracts,National Guard Addresses McCaskill Concerns with Mental Health Contracts,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"National Guard Addresses McCaskill Concerns with Mental Health Contracts Senator applauds Guard progress on oversight, service improvements for psychological health support services Thursday, December 18, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is praising the National Guard’s efforts to improve mental health services for Guard members and improve management and oversight of its psychological health contracts—successfully addressing concerns she raised last year over inadequate services and poor accountability. McCaskill sent a letter to General Frank Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, after receiving an update that the Guard is successfully addressing her concerns that management and oversight of contracts may have resulted in inadequate mental health care services, and the failure to properly transfer patient files. “I was pleased to learn that the National Guard is now addressing many of the deficiencies in contract management and oversight by converting [Directors of Psychological Health] contracted positions to federal positions,” McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial & Contracting Oversight and former Missouri State Auditor, wrote in the letter. “The National Guard’s psychological health program has informed the Subcommittee that, after a review of the program, they have found that converting contract positions to federal positions would provide advantages over the current contracted structure, as well as provide projected cost savings of between $6 million and $7 million per year across the program… It is encouraging that the National Guard is performing cost benefit analyses of their contracted programs and finding savings for taxpayers while also increasing the services they will be able to provide to members of the National Guard.” Full text of today’s letter is available HERE and below: Dear General Grass: I am writing in regards to my June 19, 2013, request regarding contracts for the coordination of mental health services at Air National Guard Wings and National Guard bases across the country.  I thank you for your July 31, 2013, response and the subsequent briefings your office provided to my staff. As you are aware, in March 2013, the National Guard awarded a $200 million firm-fixed-price contract for psychological health support services at National Guard bases, including Air National Guard Wings, to Goldbelt Glacier Healthcare Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Goldbelt Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation, and National Sourcing Inc.   The Subcommittee received information showing that the National Guard’s management and oversight of the contract may have resulted in inadequate mental health care services for members of the National Guard.  According to this information, it appeared that the National Guard failed to ensure proper transfer of patient files from a previous contractor which may have left ongoing cases vulnerable.  It also appeared that the responsibilities of the Directors of Psychological Health positions had been reduced, which may have affected the level of service and care that National Guard members received.  I was pleased to learn that the National Guard is now addressing many of the deficiencies in contract management and oversight by converting these contracted positions to federal positions.  The National Guard’s psychological health program has informed the Subcommittee that, after a review of the program, they have found that converting contract positions to federal positions would provide advantages over the current contracted structure, as well as provide projected cost savings of between $6 million and $7 million per year across the program.   The National Guard has also found that converting the contracted workforce to a federal workforce will, “provide increased capability versus contracted providers,” as well as, “enhance provider stability and longevity.”  It is encouraging that the National Guard is performing cost benefit analyses of their contracted programs and finding savings for taxpayers while also increasing the services they will be able to provide to members of the National Guard. As the National Guard continues to expand the psychological health program, I ask that you continue to keep my staff informed of your progress. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-congressman-wm-lacy-clay-d-missouri-regarding-president-10,STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI REGARDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ACTIONS TO RESTORE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND EASE ECONOMIC RESTRICTIONS WITH CUBA,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,William Clay,C001049,lacyclay.house.gov,,,legacy,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2014 MEDIA CONTACTS: STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029 STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI REGARDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ACTIONS TO REESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND EASE ECONOMIC RESTRICTIONS WITH CUBA NOTE: The following is a first-person statement from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri I applaud President Obama's decision to replace our failed, 50-year isolation policy against Cuba. His actions to restore diplomatic relations and to ease significant economic restrictions are smart, strategic, and long-overdue. By establishing normalized diplomatic and financial relations with Cuba, President Obama has also opened the door to grow American jobs by greatly enhancing agricultural exports and trade in life sciences technology which are critical to economic growth in the St. Louis region and across Missouri. Having traveled to Cuba myself on a diplomatic mission, I can attest to the fact that even though they still suffer harsh oppression from the current regime, the Cuban people long to restore their historic friendship with the United States. I am convinced that the best way to advance human rights and political freedom in Cuba is to increase our direct engagement, and I am hopeful that Congress will build on today's historic announcement by acting to end the economic embargo that was imposed in 1961. That failed policy has done nothing to advance freedom or strengthen our national security, but it has caused innocent people to suffer for generations. Removing it would be in the best interests of the American and Cuban people."" -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-announces-success-in-keeping-southwest-airlines,"Congressman Cleaver Announces Success in Keeping Southwest Airlines Route from Kansas City to Washington, D.C.",2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"KANSAS CITY, MO – Congressman Cleaver is pleased to announce that yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled their intent to allow Southwest Airlines to permanently operate a route from Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The airline had previously been running a daily nonstop flight between the two cities on a temporary basis, since February 1, 2014. Frontier Airlines had previously operated this route before its sale in January. Congressman Cleaver, along with other Members of the Missouri and Kansas Congressional Delegation, wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in March in support of Southwest’s application to maintain the slot on a permanent basis. In addition, the Congressman personally spoke to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and emphasized his strong support of the route. “This is a great victory for the entire region, because this is a connection to our nation's capital for the constituents of Missouri's Fifth District, and for the entire region,” Congressman Cleaver stated. “Southwest’s MCI-DCA service is clearly in the public interest, providing additional options for travelers and a greater number of available seats between the two cities and connecting across the nation.” More than 2.4 million people who reside and work in the Kansas City metropolitan area can now rely on this daily, nonstop service. Southwest currently utilizes a 143-seat Boeing 737-700 aircraft for the route, providing approximately fifty percent of the seats in this market in just one daily roundtrip flight. The Congressman looks forward to the ease with which Missourians and Kansans can travel to our nation’s capital on a permanent basis. Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. For more information: John Jones – john.jones2@mail.house.gov (202) 225-4535",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/new-federal-budget-bill-lets-political-parties-cash-in,New federal budget bill lets political parties cash in,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"New federal budget bill lets political parties cash in Tuesday, December 16, 2014 By:  Lindsay Wise WASHINGTON A provision in the $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill that President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law this week will open up new sources of cash for the nation’s two political parties. Eleven paragraphs added to the bill as a last-minute rider increase the amount individuals can donate to national parties by almost tenfold, to $1.5 million per two-year election cycle. The previous limit was $194,400. The money can be deposited only in accounts designated for specific purposes, such to finance a presidential nominating convention, renovate a party’s headquarters or defray expenses related to election recounts and “other legal proceedings.” Parties will have to disclose the names of anyone who contributes to the accounts. Advocates of the rider say it will get taxpayers off the hook for paying for political conventions and increase accountability in political fundraising. But those who oppose the change complain that it will open the floodgates of big money in elections. “Elections are supposed to be battles of ideas, not playgrounds for wealthy special interests to buy the loyalty of politicians,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who voted against the spending bill last week in protest. “Since the Supreme Court gutted our campaign finance laws, we’re left with a situation where those special interests have a growing ability to try to buy a government to their liking,” McCaskill said in a statement. “That’s why now is not the time to be giving millionaires and billionaires even more influence over campaigns.” The rider blows up one of the few remaining campaign contribution limits, said Robert Weissman, the president of Public Citizen, a liberal advocacy group and research center in Washington. “The sums of money involved have nothing to do with empowering regular Americans in any way,” Weissman said. “This is only about the parties’ ability to solicit donations from the super-rich.” Public Citizen, League of Women Voters and several other advocacy groups sent a letter to the president, urging him to veto the spending bill to halt what they describe as “the most corrupting campaign finance provisions ever enacted.” But the White House has said he won’t. Obama isn’t very happy about some aspects of the spending bill, but he thinks the overall legislation is a better deal than he could get in the next Congress, both houses of which will be controlled by Republicans, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday aboard Air Force One. “So the president made a tactical decision to go ahead and support this piece of legislation,” Earnest said. Obama campaigned for president on a platform that included tightening campaign-finance laws, but he hasn’t followed through on that pledge, Weissman said. “This administration really hasn’t done anything at all to improve the campaign spending corruption of our democracy. And they said they objected to this, but they permitted it to go through,” he said. “They even pushed for votes for the bill to go through.” Both Democrats and Republicans stand to benefit from easing the limits on contributions to their national committees. The change will affect the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, as well as each party’s campaign committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate. An infusion of cash might be especially handy for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which ended the November midterm elections $20 million in debt. Officials at the committee have denied that they were involved in inserting the campaign finance rider into the omnibus, as did the DNC and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Politico and other news organizations have reported that the language was drafted by a Democratic attorney from Seattle, Marc Elias, at the behest of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who they said negotiated the addition of the rider with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Elias’ firm has represented the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Although no one accepts public responsibility for the rider, its unlikely origins can be traced to the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, named for a 10-year-old girl who died of cancer. Obama signed that measure into law last year. It allots $12.6 million annually for pediatric cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. The cost was covered by ending public funding for political conventions. Members of Congress complained at the time the research bill passed that it was “purely symbolic” and in reality did nothing to increase the amount of money available to support biomedical research. Last week, however, Boehner pointed to the Gabriella Miller bill as the reason it was necessary to add the controversial campaign-finance rider to the omnibus bill. “This provision was worked out in a bipartisan way to allow those who are organizing political conventions to raise the money from private sources as opposed to using taxpayer funds,” Boehner said. Democratic lawmakers such as McCaskill and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who balked at the rider, found themselves in rare agreement with tea party activists, who usually support looser campaign-finance restrictions. In this case, however, those activists are worried that easing just the contribution limits for national campaign committees will give an unfair advantage to the establishment wings of both parties. The omnibus rider won’t “create a level playing field for candidates who are outside the Beltway,” David N. Bossie, the president of the political action committee Citizens United, said in a statement. “What congressional leaders are doing is what they do best: protecting incumbents and the two-party system,” Bossie said. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus argues that the rider will have the opposite effect, increasing fairness in political fundraising. “Lately, we’ve seen an influx of money into organizations that have no contribution limits; some don’t have to disclose their donors to the public,” Priebus wrote in a recent USA Today opinion piece. “Because of Congress’ vote, some of the money that might have gone to those organizations could instead go to the national parties, in a completely transparent process.” Priebus apparently is referring to the so-called dark money that “super” PACs and other groups can accept from unnamed contributors, unlike the national parties, which must release donors’ names publicly. More than 1,200 super PACs spent a total of $346 million on midterm elections in 2014. Lesley Clark contributed to this report. Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/12/16/5388913/new-federal-budget-bill-lets-political.html#.VJGKkyvF-JE#storylink=cpy Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/opinion-sex-assault-in-the-military,Opinion: Sex Assault in the Military,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Opinion: Sex Assault in the Military Tuesday, December 16, 2014 By:  U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill To the Editor: Re “Military Sexual Assault Unresolved” (editorial, Dec. 8): Your editorial questions my opposition to the Military Justice Improvement Act in the Senate. It isn’t just my prosecutorial experience informing my opposition to the bill; after testimony from hundreds of witnesses, acongressionally created expert panel — majority civilian, majority women — rejected the bill because it would do nothing to reduce assaults or retaliation against survivors. You focus on this bill but don’t mention 36 major reforms that recently became law to protect victims and hold military commanders accountable, or a new slate of reforms in this year’s defense bill. You also don’t mention that rape is a vastly underreported crime anywhere it occurs, not just in the military. Your editorial dismisses new data showing significant progress, with fewer incidents and rising confidence from victims, with one in four victims now reporting, up from one in 10. There is an honest policy disagreement regarding which changes will better support survivors and increase accountability. The historical data supports our recent reforms, and the recent data shows that we are making meaningful progress. CLAIRE McCASKILL Washington, Dec. 11, 2014 The writer, a former sex-crimes prosecutor, is a United States senator from Missouri and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/ksdk-mccaskill-congratulates-missouri-florists-for-bringing-white-house-holiday-decorations-to-life,KSDK: McCaskill Congratulates Missouri Florists for Bringing White House Holiday Decorations to Life,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today congratulated Kim Brannan and Jenn Thomasson, St. Louis-based florists of Stems floral shop, on their coveted role in bringing Christmas cheer to the White House.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/area-lawmakers-make-mark-on-budget-policy-bills_--growler-funding-sexual-assault-prosecution,"Area Lawmakers Make Mark On Budget, Policy Bills -- Growler Funding, Sexual Assault Prosecution",2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Area Lawmakers Make Mark On Budget, Policy Bills -- Growler Funding, Sexual Assault Prosecution Monday, December 15, 2014 By:  Jim Howard Were area members of Congress to sum up this session in a single word, that word would most likely be “Growler.”  The funding for 15 of Boeing’s high-tech E/A 18G Growlers, which are built in St. Louis, is included in the $1.1 trillion government funding package approved by the Senate over the weekend. Support for the Growler is the one thing most frequently mentioned by Missouri lawmakers.  That bipartisan support helped secure nearly $1.5 billion to keep the Growler going through the end of 2017. U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., serve on the Armed Services Committee, with Blunt also serving on the Appropriations Committee. While Blunt voted for the omnibus funding plan, McCaskill voted against the final bill, even though she has long supported the Growler. McCaskill voted against the final package because of two provisions in the bill. One rolled back protections for what some consider risky practices on Wall Street, and the other sharply increased the amount wealthy donors can give to political parties.  Blunt, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., all voted for the bill, but Durbin accused House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, of giving ""a taxpayer handout to Wall Street just in time for the holidays."" He said, he voted for the measure because it included ""dozens of job-creating Illinois projects."" U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, said the annual economic impact of the Growler’s construction on the state’s economy is $640 million.  Besides Boeing's 15,000 local employees, Wagner said nearly 100 local employers in the supply chain also benefit from Growler production. Earlier this year, Wagner along with U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-University City, sent a letter to their congressional colleagues to back the construction of additional Growlers for the Navy. The plane’s advanced electronics allow the Growler to disrupt enemy radar and jam a wide spectrum of radio communications and electronic equipment.     The Warthog has its fans U.S. Rep. Vickie Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Congress also approved $337 million to keep the A-10 Warthog flying through 2015, albeit with potentially reduced flying time. Hartzler, who has Whiteman Air Force Base in her district, is one of the many members of Congress fighting efforts by the Air Force to ground the plane. The Air Force wants to shift maintenance personnel from the A-10 to the new F-35, but Hartzler, other members of Congress and a significant number of service members strongly back the Warthog as the only plane that provides close-cover support to U.S. ground troops. Blunt said says that funding for the plane is safe for now, but its fate “in the coming fiscal year will continue to be an open debate.”  The Air Force did not return phone calls requesting comment. As part of a compromise to keep the A-10 flying and help the Air force shift personnel to support the F-35, Hartzler said, the Air Force is getting an additional $350 million.  She also said that the Government Accounting Office will study what if any alternatives there are to the A-10. Guns, butter, manufacturing and tourism According to information provided by Blunt’s office, the funding package also includes more than $4 billion in appropriations for ammunition for all branches of the military.  Some  that funding will go to the Lake City Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo., which supplies conventional ammunition to all military services, other government agencies and U.S. allies for training and combat purposes. Speaking to reporters a few days before the Senate vote, Blunt also pointed to agriculture research funding that he pushed, as benefiting Missouri. More than $4 billion is being allocated to the two largest Agriculture research agencies: the Agriculture Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Two other measures co-sponsored by Blunt include legislation to boost innovation in manufacturing by funding a network of public, private and academic “hubs” across the country.  A second bill re-authorizes the so-called “Brand USA” public-private partnership to increase spending by foreign tourists visiting the U.S. In 2013, Blunt said, under Brand USA, more than a million more foreign visitors spent $3.4 billion. Durbin identified several provisions important to the Metro East area, including $23 million to help fight crime and drug activity in East St. Louis public housing and money toward design and construction of potential levees in the East St. Louis and Wood River areas. Durbin also sponsored language in the bill to require third-party oversight of the Army Corp of Engineers while they work to fix the Wood River levee.  National Defense Authorization Act Every year Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act.  The measure sets funding levels for everything from pay and benefits to how much the Pentagon may spend on military operations along with establishing congressional policy priorities for the military. Last year McCaskill sponsored sweeping changes in how the military deals with sexual assault cases. A Pentagon report released earlier this month showed that reporting of such cases is up and that victims of sexual assault are significantly more satisfied with how commanders are handling their cases. This year’s bill includes several more sexual assault reforms sponsored by McCaskill, along with several other provisions. The additional measures addressing sexual assault include: Eliminating the “good soldier” defense in must sexual assault cases Allowing victims the ability to express a preference as to whether their cases will be tried in military or civilian court  Allowing survivors to challenge their discharge or separation from service Extending sexual assault protections to the Military Service Academies Other of McCaskill's provisions prohibit tax dollars from funding certain infrastructure projects in Afghanistan.  To receive U.S. funding, projects greater than $1 million would have to be sustainable and subject to annual audits and inspections. “For too long, we’ve been spending millions of dollars on projects in Afghanistan that can’t be responsibly secured or maintained,” McCaskill said. Another provision backed by McCaskill would require health insurance for service members and their families to cover breast-feeding equipment, support and counseling.  Such coverage is available in most private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. POW/MIA recovery and accounting efforts will be assigned to a single agency under the Pentagon rather than dispersed across several agencies. McCaskill said this provision would address mismanagement and a lack of accountability. Finally, Blunt, McCaskill and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, sponsored companion measures in the NDAA, to designate Liberty Memorial in Kansas City the country’s official World War I Museum and Memorial. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/bill-upping-status-of-world-war-i-museum-advances,Bill upping status of World War I museum advances,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bill upping status of World War I museum advances Monday, December 15, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's Liberty Memorial in Kansas City is one step closer to gaining ramped up national status. The U.S. Senate last week passed legislation that would designate the landmark as the nation's World War I Museum and Memorial. Both Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee and pushed for the provision in this year's annual defense bill. The bill now heads to the House for approval. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/blunt-going-back-on-intelligence-committee-mccaskill-ranking-on-aging,Blunt going back on Intelligence Committee; McCaskill ranking on Aging,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blunt going back on Intelligence Committee; McCaskill ranking on Aging Monday, December 15, 2014 By:  Chuck Raasch WASHINGTON • Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is returning to the Senate Intelligence Committee while Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will be the top-ranking Democrat on the Aging Committee in the new Congress that convenes next year. Republicans announced their committee assignments today, Democrats did so last week. Here is a rundown: • Blunt. Besides the Intelligence Committee, Blunt will serve on the committees on Appropriations; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Rules and Administration. Blunt previously was on Intelligence, and has been a critic of the committee Democrats' decision to release a report condemning the U.S. for using torture in the treatment of terrorism suspects in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. • McCaskill. On top of the Aging Committee, she will be on Armed Services; Commerce; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. • Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. will be on Appropriations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and Aging. •Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. has drawn Appropriations; Judiciary; and Rules. Durbin and Blunt are also in their respective party's leadership. Durbin will be minority whip, the second-ranking position behind the Minority Leader Harry Reid in the 114th Congress. Blunt will remain the fifth-ranking Republican as vice chair of the Republican Conference, and his party will be in control of the Senate in 2015. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/missouris-blunt-gets-spot-on-intelligence-committee-mccaskill-named-top-democrat-on-aging-panel,"Missouri’s Blunt gets spot on Intelligence Committee, McCaskill named top Democrat on Aging panel",2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri on Monday landed a spot on the secretive Senate committee that oversees the nation’s intelligence agencies. Blunt will give up his seat on the Senate’s Armed Services committee, but will remain on the committees on appropriations, commerce and rules. Blunt also serves on the defense appropriations subcommittee. “I’m pleased to rejoin the Senate Intelligence Committee at a time when the nation continues to face real threats from enemies who wish us harm,” said Blunt, who previously was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2011 and 2012. “I look forward to building on my experience working on these issues in the House and Senate,” he said. “I also plan to stay fully engaged in the discussion surrounding the relocation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and working to ensure that facility stays in Missouri.” Blunt’s fellow senator from Missouri, Democrat Claire McCaskill, was named to the top Democratic position on the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging. Democrats’ loss of Senate control means that McCaskill will step down from the leadership of two subcommittees on consumer protection and financial oversight. But she indicated in a statement Monday that the new assignment as ranking Democrat on the Aging committee will enable her to continue to fight consumer scams, many of which target seniors. “I’m eager to continue our work to protect consumers and seniors, to make sure Congress is living up to the promises we’ve made to them, and to help ensure their government is working for them,” McCaskill said. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article4502201.html#storylink=cpy",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-congratulates-missouri-florists-for-bringing-white-house-holiday-decorations-to-life,McCaskill Congratulates Missouri Florists for Bringing White House Holiday Decorations to Life,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Congratulates Missouri Florists for Bringing White House Holiday Decorations to Life Senator helped St. Louis-based florists, Kim Brannan and Jenn Thomasson, secure spot on the White House holiday decorating team Monday, December 15, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today congratulated Kim Brannan and Jenn Thomasson, St. Louis-based florists of Stems floral shop, on their coveted role in bringing Christmas cheer to the White House.  “Kim and Jenn created a beautiful display,” McCaskill said. “It makes me so happy to know that we helped them bring their design talent and St. Louis flair to the White House this holiday season. I’m very proud of them both.” Senator McCaskill’s office worked with Kim and Jenn to help them secure a spot on the White House holiday decorating team. The Ladue mother-daughter pair were two of 80 designers selected from a pool of over 1,000 applicants. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-named-to-top-democratic-spot-on-senate-aging-committee,McCaskill Named to Top Democratic Spot on Senate Aging Committee,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Named to Top Democratic Spot on Senate Aging Committee Senator pledges to use new post to continue bolstering protections for seniors, consumers Monday, December 15, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today released the following statement after Senate leadership announced that she has been named to the top Democratic position on the Senate Special Committee on Aging in the next Congress: “I’m looking forward to working closely with my friend Senator Susan Collins, and I’m eager to continue our work to protect consumers and seniors, to make sure Congress is living up to the promises we’ve made to them, and to help ensure their government is working for them.” The Aging Committee’s purview over all issues related to older Americans gives McCaskill a powerful new perch from which to combat scam artists targeting seniors—and all consumers—as well as a broader position with which to protect Social Security and Medicare. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect consumers. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/after-year-of-the-recall-auto-watchdog-needs-an-enforcer,After 'Year of the Recall' Auto Watchdog Needs an 'Enforcer',2014-12-14,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"After 'Year of the Recall' Auto Watchdog Needs an 'Enforcer' Sunday, December 14, 2014 By:  Paul A. Eisenstein Barring a last-minute hitch, Mark Rosekind is about to step in as the nation's top auto safety regulator. He'll be filling a post that has been empty for the better part of 2014 -- a year that has seen some of the biggest safety controversies in automotive history. A scientist by training and, since 2010, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Rosekind is expected to be approved by the Senate as the next director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In that post, he will be dealing with a slew of major issues, including the ongoing recalls of defective Takata airbags and General Motors ignition switches. It has been a record year, with about 700 auto-related recalls covering almost 60 million vehicles - nearly twice the previous peak set in 2004. Some of the defects have resulted in deaths to drivers and passengers. NHTSA has been sharply criticized for its handling of several high-profile recalls, including for GM and Takata, even as its modest budget has stretched its resources to the limits. ""2014 is, without a doubt, the year of the recall,"" said Mike Rozembajgier, a vice president at Stericycle, a company that has worked with various automakers on handling safety-related service actions. The 'Enforcer' Rosekind has told Senators hearing his nomination that NHTSA needs to become ""the enforcer,"" taking a much tougher approach to safety and, in particular, moving faster on recalls when safety problems become apparent. ""I've been concerned with the slowness across all of the agency's recalls,"" Rosekind told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee earlier this month, adding that ""NHTSA needs to be the enforcer."" NHTSA has been without a permanent administrator since David Strickland announced he would depart the agency a year ago. His stand-in, David Friedman, became caught up in a swirl of problems that critics say he never could fully get a handle on, starting with the announcement by GM last February that it would recall 2.6 million vehicles because of defective ignition switches now linked to 38 deaths. ""When you see trouble in the forecast you have to confront it immediately, and NHTSA didn't do that,"" said Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA Administrator during the Carter Administration who has remained active in the auto safety field. Part of the problem, Claybrook stressed, is a lack of funding; the agency has been given only $140 million annually for its enforcement budget. There are currently just nine NHTSA investigators to pore through the 75,000 safety complaints it has so far received this year, with another 16 who can follow up in the field. The staff at NHTSA's safety investigation office has been stalled at 50, with a budget flat at $10 million, for the past decade. In a year marked by intense political bickering on Capitol Hill, the breadth of the automotive safety problems facing NHTSA has led to some unusual bipartisanship. A budget deal reached by Congress this month will give the agency $11 million in additional funding, bringing its 2015 budget to $830 million. But that is still $13 million less than the White House wanted. New tech is needed Cash isn't the only challenge NHTSA faces. ""We need to increase not just the people, but also the technology"" the agency uses, Rosekind testified. It is, for one thing, looking to do a better job of linking out to automakers who must, by law, report safety-related issues. And it needs to improve its public side, among other things making it easier for motorists to report problems and track down recalls that impact the vehicles they own. During last week's hearings, Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and staunch safety advocate, lamented that NHTSA ""is neither feared nor respected"" by the auto industry. Observers say that as the agency's new chief, Rosekind will have to strike a delicate balance. He needs to show automakers that lapses won't be tolerated, while also being willing to listen to their perspective on safety issues. ""It's hard to predict"" how Rosekind will work with the industry, said a cautious Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Co.'s President of the Americas. ""One of the things we're looking for is to work together to take care of our customers so they have safer vehicles - and confidence in those vehicles."" While Rosekind will take over a battered, criticized and overworked NHTSA, Stericycle's Rozembajgier says the crises of the last year actually create the potential for all sides ""to work together in an efficient manner."" Safety advocate Claybrook cautiously agrees, adding that ""people are coming together"" around the problem. She also believes that Rosekind is the right choice for the job because he will bring a scientist's understanding of the basic problems NHTSA will face, while also having some real world business experience. And Rosekind learned about the politics of Washington in his job with the NTSB. Don't expect things to slow down for the new NHTSA chief. NHTSA is still battling with Takata over the ongoing airbag recall. And tighter enforcement seems likely to keep the rate of recalls, in general, higher than they have been over the past decade. If approved by the full Senate, as now seems guaranteed, Mark Rosekind will need to use the holiday break to gear up for a tough year ahead. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/the-113th-congress-had-positives-for-the-st-louis-region-members-say,"The 113th Congress had positives for the St. Louis region, members say",2014-12-14,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The 113th Congress had positives for the St. Louis region, members say Sunday, December 14, 2014 By:  Chuck Raasch WASHINGTON -- Think Congress has its critics? Some of the fiercest have just left the building, closing the door on the republic's 113th version of the people's houses. ""Do-nothing,"" Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, groused. ""We wasted a lot of time and capital with the American people. It is a sad legacy."" One of ""the least productive and the most needlessly obstructed Congress(es) in the history of the country,"" said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. One ""riddled with partisan politics and dysfunction and obstructionism,"" added Sen.Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. But the Congress that began with leadership challenges to Republican House Speaker John Boehner; cost one of his top lieutenants (Majority Leader Eric Cantor) his job; was marked halfway by a government shutdown, and ended with right- and left-wing revolts and a kitchen-sink spending bill that even the people who voted for it said had major flaws, may also have opened the door for more legislative action in 2015. The massive $1.1 trillion spending bill that passed both Houses in the final hours of the 113th survived with bipartisan support, setting a 10-month course for most of the current year's spending questions. That clears the decks for more traditional debate over federal agency-by-agency spending decisions, when Republicans take control of the Senate for President Barack Obama's last two years in office. The one exception: That kitchen-sink spending bill was written in a way that almost certainly guarantees a fight early next year over Obama's controversial immigration reform executive order. Republicans, now in control of both sides of the Congress, have promised to return to more ""regular order"" of passing spending bills for the 2016 budget that have been abandoned in the partisan rancor of the Obama years. So in that way, the scorned 113th was a prelude for legislative action on everything from immigration to health care, under more sharply drawn partisan lines as the country heads toward the 2016 presidential election. But local members of congress say the session produced several positive elements: --It expedited the planning process for water projects important for commerce and recreation on the rivers that flow through St. Louis and the region. --It furthered the transformation from direct government price support payments to more of a crop insurance model for farmers, cutting projected future spending, protecting taxpayers, and making sure farmers get more ""skin in the game,"" in the words of Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, who helped write the legislation. --That new farm bill included more than $2.4 billion for agricultural research, important to the region's agribusiness and universities. --Congress reformed the way the military handles sexual assault allegations, an effort led by McCaskill and others. ""We have changed forever the ability of victims to be protected and supported,"" she said, ""and that is a huge, huge get."" She'll push for similar reforms on sexual assault on college campuses in 2015, and her bill has bipartisan support. --The 113th Congress expanded mental health coverage, an initiative led by Blunt and others. He says the reforms address long-ignored needs to equate mental and physical health in insurance and treatment. --It produced international promotion legislation for tourism that Blunt, a sponsor, said will benefit the region. --And it resuscitated an airplane built in a St. Louis Boeing plant -- the EA 18 Growler -- that was on the Navy's endangered list at the beginning of the year. As one of its last acts, Congress designated $1.46 billion to keep the line open for 15 more planes. ""This is huge"" for the region's economy and the country's defense, said Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin. She used her position as a new member of House Republican leadership to push for its inclusion under strict spending limits enacted by theCongress. Wagner's elevation to Republican leadership in the House was one of the Missouridelegation's notable story lines in 2014. Depending on the outcome this week of a disputed Arizona House race, the GOP in 2015 could have its largest House majority since Herbert Hoover was president in 1929. Concurrently in 2015, Blunt and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. -- both members of their party's Senate leadership -- will switch positions. Blunt's party will now run committees and the flow of legislation, Durbin's will assume the minority role. Republicans have vowed to return to more ""regular order"" in the way Congressdoes its business -- what Blunt calls ""the constitutional, public way of doing business."" That is likely to produce more legislative action, but also more potential Obama vetoes. It will also provide a clearer ideological debate between two branches of government, and between Democrats, who in the final days of the session saw revival of their liberal wing under Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Republicans, who will control both houses for the first time under Obama. ""What we will be able to do with the Republican Senate is put bills on the president's desk,"" predicted Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville. ""Part of Sen. Reid'sfailure was in trying to protect his Senate majority, in not moving legislation."" Under those circumstances, he said, ""it was tough to have that public policy debate about the role of government -- what we should, what we shouldn't be doing."" Many remain dubious that this new Republican Congress will produce legislation that Obama will sign, and votes to repeal Obamacare would certainly lead to a veto and more images of a government that is fighting old battles and isn't working. But Republicans have identified low-hanging fruit that could be considered early in 2015, might pass presidential muster, and would challenge the public expectation that the GOP Congress and Obama will be locked in perpetual gridlock for the next two years. One is a change to Obamacare, authored by Davis, that House Republican leaders have identified as an early legislative goal in 2015. The ""Hire Our Heroes Act"" would exclude veterans from the employer mandate threshold of providing health care if those veterans already are covered under military or Veterans Administrationhealth care. Davis said it has bipartisan support, addresses high veteran unemployment, and adheres to a ""piecemeal"" strategy of trying to improve Obamacare even as Republicans concurrently move to repeal it. ""I am not really worried about the legacy of this Congress, because frankly when you look at the polling, people don't like either party in Congress,"" Davis said. ""...That doesn't mean that we have to throw our hands up in the air and stop doing our job."" McCaskill said she believes her side will listen to any possible improvements to Obamacare, but old divisions run deep. ""I have said from Day One that I am at the table if we can improve the bill, make it simpler, make it better for people, make it less cumbersome for employers in this country,"" she said. ""I want to help improve the bill. I have not yet had a partner that wants to do that across the aisle."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/congress-st-clair-airport-can-close,Congress: St. Clair Airport Can Close,2014-12-13,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Congress: St. Clair Airport Can Close Saturday, December 13, 2014 By:  Keith E. Domke The city was given a huge, early Christmas present topped with a big red bow this week by the 113th session of the United States Congress when both legislative chambers passed the bill that closes the St. Clair Regional Airport. Now, it’s up to President Barack Obama and whether he is going to play Santa’s chief elf or Mr. Scrooge as to whether the bill becomes law. The U.S. House of Representatives late Tuesday afternoon approved S.B. 2759 after it had cleared the Senate last week. The House had the legislation on its docket as part of its general session and didn’t take long to pass it by a voice vote. All that is necessary now for the bill to become law is Obama’s signature. “It’s not a done deal yet, but what’s happened has given us hope,” Mayor Ron Blum told The Missourian on Wednesday. “This has been a cooperative effort by a large number of people. “We’ve actually had an act of Congress occur for a positive thing in St. Clair. It’s incredibly good news. We can now start to really plan our future.” State Rep. Dave Hinson of St. Clair called The Missourian from Washington, D.C., shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday with the news. Hinson was in the nation’s capital on other business when he heard the bill would be brought up in the U.S. House, so he attended the session. “It passed the House today,” Hinson said of the bill. “It’s cleared its hurdles.” Hinson said there was no debate on the bill before it passed on a voice vote. The same thing happened in the Senate late last week, he said. Hinson said he believed there should be no objection by Obama. He also said it is his understanding that the president has 10 business days to act on the bill after it has passed both chambers. That would give him until Dec. 23. Online information about the bill states it was passed by both chambers in identical form, adding that it goes to Obama who can either sign it or veto it. U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt cosponsored S.B. 2759, “A bill to release the city of St. Clair from all restrictions, conditions and limitations on the use, encumbrance, conveyance and closure of the St. Clair Regional Airport.” U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer worked the bill through the House. “It may come as a surprise to many Missourians, but a municipality such as St. Clair cannot close an airport which it owns and operates without permission from the federal government,” he said. “A few years ago, local officials of St. Clair asked members of the Missouri delegation for help to facilitate authorization to close the airport. I am pleased that the House and Senate have now both passed legislation ... to allow the city to pursue its own efforts to improve the local economy once federal taxpayers are made whole.” St. Clair has been trying for years to close the airport located on the north side of the city and use the 80-acre parcel for much-needed retail development. City officials had been working with the FAA and MoDOT on the closure process. Without the bill, permission would have had to be granted by the FAA because the city obtained and used federal grants to make improvements at the facility as late as 2006. “St. Clair has been financially burdened with maintaining and operating this struggling airport year after year, and closing it will allow the city to move forward with economic development plans supported by the local community,” Luetkemeyer said. “This legislation ensures the city will pay back any taxpayer dollars that were put into the airport and will transfer any salvageable airport and aviation equipment back to the state.” The airport has operated in the red every year since the city started keeping track of its specific revenue and expenses several years ago. Today, only five tenants rent hangar space there. The bill releases the city of St. Clair from all restrictions, conditions and limitations on the use of conveyance and closure of the regional airport. It would allow the city to close the airport once it pays back any previously received FAA funds and transfer all salvageable equipment to MoDOT for the improvement of Missouri aviation. “The city of St. Clair is very supportive of this effort, including the mayor, city council, school board and local Chamber of Commerce,” Luetkemeyer said.  “In addition, the Missouri Department of Transportation has indicated closure of the airport will not have an adverse impact on aviation in the state.” The Missourian also has supported closure of the facility through editorials and columns. “We now can move forward,” Blum said. “I think what we’re doing here will help St. Clair in the future. We have the opportunity to lay a path for long-term success. “We didn’t give up. We’ve shown our true character. We’re giving ourselves the opportunity to have a bright future.” The mayor said that McCaskill has been the true workhorse in helping the city get this bill through both chambers and to the president. History Earlier this fall, the bill was introduced into the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and was “ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.” The bill originally was filed on July 31. The committee sent it to the full Senate in September. Additional language in the bill provides details regarding the closure process and the transfer of assets, revenues and equipment as well as the monetary value of the property and the worth of the unamortized federal grants turned over to MoDOT and the FAA. City officials have been going back and forth with FAA and the MoDOT officials on the closure process. MoDOT has stated it does not oppose closure. In May, after two years and several decision deadline extensions, the FAA ruled the city of St. Clair was not in violation of its federal obligations in regards to its regional airport as alleged in a complaint filed by one of the tenants. The complaint, filed by airport tenant Jim DeVries of Pacific on behalf of himself and other current and former tenants, was dismissed. DeVries and other current and former tenants have filed several complaints with the FAA and have tried other means relating to the airport in an attempt to keep it open. The Missourian tried to reach DeVries for comment. He would not respond. He also had not posted anything on his personal blog, which he calls “The St. Clair Airport Blog,” since the bill was passed. DeVries often uses his blog as ammunition to ridicule the city and make accusations. Shortly after the bill was moved through to the full Senate, a post appeared on DeVries’ airport blog that had a Frederick, Md., dateline on it. It stated that, “The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and three other general aviation groups have urged key members of the U.S. Senate to forgo legislation that could close St. Clair Municipal Airport and instead follow established FAA procedures for the potential closure of airports that have accepted federal grants.” The post quoted a Sept. 16 letter from AOPA President Mark Baker. The AOPA website stated that in addition to Baker, the presidents of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association and National Air Transportation Association signed the letter. About a month ago, DeVries posted on his blog that the airport bill “is probably dead.” “If this passes, it’s a win for St. Clair and a win for aviation in general,” Blum earlier told The Missourian. “Funding is tight for everyone. Allowing us to close our airport will allow us to work on bringing in some much-needed retail development. It also will benefit the FAA and MoDOT because it will mean one less airport for them to worry about as far as funding. “I think it’s a good deal all the way around.” More than a year ago, an amendment attached to a U.S. Transportation Bill allowed for closure of the airport, but it died after no action was taken on it. Blunt and McCaskill had co-sponsored Amendment 1801 which was worded almost identically to this year’s bill. Blunt Press Secretary Genny Carter told The Missourian at the time that the amendment was offered, but “never made pending and never voted on before the THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development) bill had cloture filed.” “The cloture vote failed and consideration of the bill itself was stopped,” Carter said. “So the amendment is filed, but no action was taken on it.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-votes-against-spending-bill,McCaskill Votes Against Spending Bill,2014-12-13,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Votes Against Spending Bill Senator slams secretive, last-minute provision that ‘further opens the floodgates of big money’ in elections Saturday, December 13, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill tonight voted against a $1 trillion “omnibus” spending bill, citing a secretive, last-minute addition to the bill that would “open the floodgates” for huge financial donations from wealthy contributors to political parties and committees. McCaskill released the following statement: “This just isn’t the way to govern. This bill includes important provisions for causes I support, like a boost to the E/A-18 Growler production line, critical for airborne electronic attack, and certainty for our military and veterans. But now is not the time to further open the floodgates of big money in our elections with a secretive, last-minute provision that got little or no public debate. We should be working to limit money in politics, not giving millionaires and billionaires even more influence over political parties.” The $1 trillion omnibus spending bill would allow for a huge increase in the amount of political contributions that wealthy individuals can make toward political parties. McCaskill also cited discomfort with provisions on financial reform that “could once again find taxpayers bailing out Wall Street’s bad bets”—and others that could allow for a process whereby the pensions of millions of retirees across the country could be dramatically reduced. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-introduces-body-camera-legislation,Congressman Cleaver Introduces Body Camera Legislation,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"The “Cam Act” Requires State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Who Receive DOJ Grants Have Their Officers Wear a Body Camera.  Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II has introduced The ""Camera Authorization and Maintenance Act of 2014"" or the ""CAM Act,"" a bill to encourage police officers to wear a body camera. ""This legislation is important to any and all members of the public who encounter a law enforcement officer, and it is important for the officers themselves,"" said Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II. ""The goal is to increase transparency, protect the rights of all parties involved, and to provide better evidence for any police investigation, both for the citizens and the officers."" The bill would: Require that all state and local law enforcement agencies who receive Department of Justice grants have their officers wear a body camera.  Create a grant program to help agencies purchase the equipment.  Set guidelines for the use of body cameras. Create a task force to study and make recommendations on community policing and to determine protocol in body camera training.  The task force is also required to study the effectiveness of the usage of body cameras one year after implementation of the policy and the impact that citizen review boards could have on police misconduct. Provide for a report on the Department of Defense 1033 program. Due to the impending end of the 113th Congress, this legislation will be reintroduced in the 114th Congress. Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/levin-says-farewell-to-senate,Levin says farewell to Senate,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Levin says farewell to Senate Friday, December 12, 2014 By:  Todd Spangler WASHINGTON – In speech after speech this morning, U.S. senators stood to praise the 36-year career of Michigan’s Carl Levin, referring to him as a “senator’s senator” who taught many of them how a legislator should act and cheering a bipartisan approach many said should be a model for the chamber. “I will think of Carl Levin fondly one way: his shoulders slightly stooped, his hand grasping a piece of paper, him walking quickly toward me with his head down, peering over his ubiquitous glasses saying, “Claire, have you read the language?” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., becoming emotional as she recounted her time with Levin on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “He understands the hazards of a misplaced comma. He understsands the danger of using an ‘and’ insteadf of an ‘or,’” said McCaskill. “He understands that is the essence of our work — that we craft language that lives up to our purpose and ideas.” It was just one of a series of remembrances for Levin, a Democratic former Detroit City Council president first elected to represent Michigan in 1978. Retiring after six 6-year terms, Levin, 80, delivered his farewell speech from the floor, urging colleagues to reject soundbite politics and — as he has done in the past — encouraging both parties to protect the political minority in the chamber. Calling minority protections “the singular hallmark” of the Senate, he urged the chamber to turn back a precedent set by the Democratic majority he is part of last year to hamper minority filibusters on presidential nominations, saying it violated the Senate’s set process for changing the rules. “Protections of the minority make the Senate more than just a place to slow things down,” he cautioned. “Those protections make it a place where we work things out. It is those protections which produce compromise.” For Levin’s colleagues — including many of the who supported that change — it was yet another reminder of the Michigan Democrat’s standing in the Senate and as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has continued to churn out bipartisan products despite a hyperpartisan atmosphere. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., called him the “best lawyer in the entire Senate,” saying when Levin “gives you his word, that’s it. You don’t worry.” Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and a member of the Armed Services Committee, called Levin “a remarkable leader” who runs perhaps “the best run committee” in the Senate or House. “Why can’t the rest of the Senate work the way the Armed Services Committee works?” asked Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, and a junior member of the committee. “The reason is because we don’t have enough Carl Levins.” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said simply that if someone was asked what the headline of today’s proceedings was it would be, “Mr. Integrity retires from the Senate.” It seemed even to get to always composed Levin, reacting after the speeches and, earlier, with his voice cracking as he concluded his own farewell address and noticed his older brother, U.S. Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak, sitting in the chamber nearby and his family sitting in the gallery. Levin is Michigan’s longest-serving U.S. senator ever but his accomplishments far outdistance his longevity. While remaining a staunch liberal, he has been an indefatigable supporter of the state’s dominant auto industry and charted a reputation for bipartisanship in producing annual defense authorizations and running investigations into corporate wrongdoing. Not only has he fought successfully against Pentagon overspending through the years, he has been part of congressional inquiries into the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, abusive credit card practices, the Enron scandal, offshore tax havens and more. Just this week, his work in trying to get to the bottom of treatment of detainees after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was noted in an Intelligence Committee report criticizing harsh interrogation techniques used by the CIA. Levin, in a farewell speech that saw him praise his staff, said he and wife Barbara will stay in Michigan. He said congressional gridlock created by partisan politics was not part of his decision to retire and he departs with “unabashed confidence” in the Senate’s ability to persevere. Saying he hoped the next Congress would attack the “growing gap in our society between a fortunate few and the vast majority of Americans whose fortunes have stagnated or fallen,” he called for improvements to education, worker training and research which should be paid for “by closing egregious tax loopholes that serve no economic purpose.” He decried the soundbite journalism practiced off the floor of the Senate, saying it only seems to exacerbate polarization in Washington. Comments uttered offhand to a reporter in a hallway, he said, “lead too often to less thoughtful discourse and that has helped drive rhetorical wedges between us.” But he reserved his strongest comments for the Democratic majority’s use of the so-called nuclear option last year which broke the filibuster on presidential nominations. While Levin said there is no question any president regardless of party should be able to get their nominations confirmed, bypassing the regular process for changing the rules damages the nation and should be overturned.. “That precedent will not serve the country well in the future. It leaves the minority with no protection, diminishing the unique role of the Senate,” he said, hoping it will be changed next year. Several senators stepped forward to hug Levin as he concluded his speech, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who will become Michigan’s senior senator with Levin’s departure. She noted he “outlasted disco and the Soviet Union” and said Levin’s “heart is in Detroit, where he was born and raised” and still lives. “Everywhere you look,” she said, “you see evidence of Sen. Carl Levin’s hard work” from the riverfront in Detroit and funding for the M-1 Rail along Woodward Avenue to coastal and maritime preserves along the Great Lakes. “You have given so much and we are grateful,” she said. Several other senators spoke, Republican and Democrat alike. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called him “perhaps the greatest intellect” in the Senate. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland noted Levin was such a stickler for detail he sometimes sent him notes correcting typographical errors in his bill drafts. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who is also retiring, recounted their long friendship and hoped they could remain close friends despite “all the times the (University of Iowa) Hawkeys beat the Wolverines in the future.” It was McCaskill’s speech, however, which set the emotional tone for the morning, coming from a tough-as-nails former prosecutor who serves with Levin on Armed Services. “This is a senator’s senator. There are no sharp elbows. There is no harsh rhetoric. ... Carl is methodically doing the grind it out work of the Senate. ... He has taught me more than I can ever say. And we will try to live up to the ideal he has set for all of us.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/national-wwi-museum-at-liberty-memorial-receives-designation-from-congress,National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial receives designation from Congress,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial receives designation from Congress Friday, December 12, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial will soon be designated as the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The designation comes after the U.S. Senate passed a bill as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, according to a news release.  The bill recognizes Liberty Memorial as a World War I memorial, similar to other nationally recognized memorials such as the National World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The bill now moves to the White House where it awaits a signature from President Barack Obama.  “This recognition from Congress is a tribute to the foresight and dedication of the 80,000-plus Kansas City area residents who took the initiative to establish and build the Liberty Memorial and Museum shortly after the end of World War I,” National World War I Museum President and CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor said in a news release. “We are grateful to each of the members of Congress, including local Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Sam Graves and Kevin Yoder, for leading this effort to officially recognize Liberty Memorial.” This is the memorial's second official recognition from Congress. The first designation came in 2004 and deemed the museum ""America's National World War I Museum.""  The National World War I Museum holds the most diverse collection of WWI objects and documents in the world, according to the news release. The museum is also celebrating the Centennial commemoration of World War I and is hosting special events. For a full list, visit theWorld War I Museum’s website .  Click here to read the full news release. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/bill-shaped-by-mccaskill-for-nations-defense-passes-into-law,Bill Shaped by McCaskill for Nation’s Defense Passes into Law,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Bill Shaped by McCaskill for Nation’s Defense Passes into Law McCaskill’s national defense and security priorities included in annual defense bill Friday, December 12, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate’s passage of the annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act: “This is a win for our national security. In a time of constantly-evolving threats and priorities, we need a responsible, thorough framework for our country’s defense. This legislation further builds on our sweeping, bipartisan reforms that are changing how the military handles sexual violence, it fixes the Pentagon’s troubled POW/MIA recovery efforts, it guards against tax dollars being spent on Afghan infrastructure without any oversight, and it finally gives official designation to Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial. I’m pleased my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have gotten it across the finish line, and I look forward to the President signing it.” McCaskill successfully won the inclusion of a number of her national security priorities into the legislation, including: Provisions of the Victims Protection Act—a bipartisan package of additional reforms to supplement the sweeping changes passed into law by Congress last year on how the military justice system handles sexual violence. The Victims Protection Act—sponsored by McCaskill along with Republican Senators Kelly Ayotte and Deb Fischer—will: Eliminate the “good soldier” defense for servicemembers accused of sexual assault under most circumstances, Allow victims formal input on whether their case is tried in military or civilian court, Allow survivors to challenge their discharge or separation from service, Strengthen the role of the prosecutor in advising commanders on going to court-martial, Boost accountability of commanders for setting appropriate command climate, And extend protections to the Military Service Academies Fixing POW/MIA recovery efforts: Establishes a single Pentagon agency responsible for handling POW/MIA recovery and accounting efforts, which McCaskill discovered had been plagued by mismanagement and a lack of accountability Terminating funding for unsustainable Afghan infrastructure projects: Prohibits taxpayer funding from being used on projects in Afghanistan that cannot be overseen by American personnel Along with Senator Roy Blunt, securing World War I memorial status for Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial: Successfully designates the Liberty Memorial as the country’s official World War I Museum and Memorial Establishes a World War I Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington DC, and authorizes the World War I Centennial Commission to improve and develop the site Requiring TRICARE—health insurance provided to members of the military and their families—to cover breastfeeding equipment, such as breast pumps, along with support and counseling, as required by most private health plans under the Affordable Care Act Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/column-honoring-the-sacrifice-of-our-pow-and-mia-heroes,Column: Honoring the Sacrifice of our POW and MIA Heroes,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Column: Honoring the Sacrifice of our POW and MIA Heroes Friday, December 12, 2014 FOR PUBLICATION A column by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (539 words) As we prepare to close the books on another year, it’s important to take stock of the freedom and security we too often take for granted, and pay tribute to the men and women who fight every day to make that possible. Truly honoring the sacrifices of our troops, however, requires more than just gratitude, it requires action. We’ve got more work to do to uphold the sacred promises we make to our men and women in uniform, and ensure our veterans receive the highest quality honor and care when they return home. But many of those veterans, dating back to wars almost half a century ago, never came home. And the efforts to recover them have not been worthy of their sacrifice. Now, we’re changing that. Nearly two years ago, I discovered that efforts to recover the estimated 83,000 Americans who remain prisoners of war or missing in action—POW/MIA—were in disarray. The Pentagon’s recovery efforts were a web of systemic mismanagement and overlapping bureaucracies, lacking coordination and leadership, resulting in a complete mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. Tens of thousands of families did not know the status of search efforts, or the likelihood that their loved ones would one day be recovered. After waging a nearly two-year battle, we’ve finally achieved needed changes. This week, Congress gave final approval to my bipartisan legislation—which now heads to the President’s desk—directing the Secretary of Defense to create a single, streamlined agency to oversee these POW/MIA-recovery efforts. My legislation, which was included in this year’s annual defense bill, makes one single agency responsible, with one federal official in charge, where previously, there had been neither. With no one in charge, no one was held accountable. I felt passionately about getting this right, because the status quo was unacceptable, and was unworthy of our troops. When I led a Senate hearing to demand answers from officials in charge of our POW/MIA recovery efforts, they described disagreements about jurisdiction, organization, and even the central question of how many personnel are still unrecovered. But my frustration with these officials was nothing compared to the shock I felt when reports surfaced that the Pentagon was staging phony “arrival” ceremonies for POW/MIAs using military props and remains that had already been returned to the U.S. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I couldn’t imagine how painful these revelations must be for families — many of whom have fought for decades to recover the remains of loved ones who were lost overseas. These families deserve nothing less than complete honesty from the government their loved ones fought for. All this was an unpleasant reminder of the unconscionable mess I found years ago at Arlington National Cemetery, where records were incomplete and lost, oversight was non-existent, and in some cases, the remains of our war heroes weren’t even buried in the right location.  But as with the situation at Arlington—as anyone who knows me can tell you—when I’m upset, I don’t sit around and complain. I forge solutions, fight for accountability, and find a way to fix a broken system. And when it comes to the men and women who have sworn to protect us, I’ll never stop fighting for them. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is the daughter of a World War II veteran and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-blunt-secure-world-war-i-memorial-status-for-kansas-citys-liberty-memorial,"McCaskill, Blunt Secure World War I Memorial Status for Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial",2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill, Blunt Secure World War I Memorial Status for Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial Missouri Senators’ efforts to honor WWI memorial with national designation pay off Friday, December 12, 2014 WASHINGTON – Missouri’s U.S. Senators McCaskill and Blunt today announced that they have successfully included a provision in this year’s annual defense bill that designates Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial as the nation’s “World War I Museum and Memorial.” “This designation honors the courage and sacrifice of all those who served in World War I,” said McCaskill, who is the daughter of a WWII veteran. “It was an honor to work with Senator Blunt to get this done. And it’s my hope that the Liberty Memorial’s new, national status—which finally matches its national significance—shines a spotlight on the site’s unique and extraordinary historic value.” “Missourians are deeply proud of our World War I heroes, and America's National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial is the only museum in the United States that is dedicated to honoring these heroes and telling the important story of this war,” said Blunt. “I’m very pleased that with the passage of this important bill, the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City will get the recognition it deserves nationwide.” Both Senators are members of the Armed Services Committee. This provision — which adds to the Museum’s 2004 designation as “America’s National WWI Museum” — increases the historic significance of the Liberty Memorial, elevating its status in the same vein as other nationally recognized sites such as the National WWII Memorial. Additionally, the bill establishes a WWI Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington, D.C. and authorizes the World War I Centennial Commission to improve the site and develop and build additional commemorative elements. The World War I Museum and Memorial contains the world’s most diverse collection of WWI objects. In 2014, the museum ranked as one of the top 25 museums in the United States according to TripAdvisor, and was recently recognized by USA Today as one of the top 10 museums that “bring military history to life.” ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/mccaskill-bids-farewell-to-colleague-and-armed-services-committee-chair-senator-carl-levin,"McCaskill Bids Farewell to Colleague and Armed Services Committee Chair, Senator Carl Levin",2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Senator Clarie McCaskill bid farewell to retiring Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, who she called her ""mentor"" in his role as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. A committee...",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/hannibal-elementary-school-gets-computers-thanks-to-federal-program,Hannibal elementary school gets computers thanks to federal program,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Hannibal elementary school gets computers thanks to federal program Thursday, December 11, 2014 HANNIBAL, Mo. (WGEM) - Some Hannibal students at Eugene Field Elementary now have more technology to help them in the classroom.The school accepted five used HP Compaq computers from U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill.  The computers were donated through a federal program promoting technology in the classroom.   ""We have two of the computers being utilized in our fourth grade classrooms,"" Business Manager Rich Stilley said.  ""One in the library, we have another one that is centrally located for staff and students to use in studying and we have one in our special ed department."" Officials with the district say they've formatted the computers to be compatible for student programs. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-plan-to-end-funding-for-unsustainable-afghan-infrastructure-projects-included-in-annual-defense-bill,McCaskill Plan to End Funding for Unsustainable Afghan Infrastructure Projects Included in Annual Defense Bill,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Plan to End Funding for Unsustainable Afghan Infrastructure Projects Included in Annual Defense Bill Senator’s provision to cut taxpayer funding for wasteful Afghan Infrastructure Fund is one step closer to becoming law Thursday, December 11, 2014 WASHINGTON – This year’s annual defense bill will include provisions by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to prohibit taxpayer funding from use by the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, and to prohibit unsustainable projects that cannot be overseen by American personnel. “For far too long we’ve been spending millions of dollars on projects in Afghanistan that can’t be responsibly secured or maintained,” said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor. “I think Americans today will have a little more confidence in how their taxpayer money is being spent if we can get that money back from halfway around the world and use it on infrastructure—our roads and bridges in particular—where it’s sorely needed.” The provisions come after sustained pressure from McCaskill on the Obama Administration to prevent waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars on unsustainable infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. The legislation prohibits funding for construction projects in Afghanistan greater than $1 million that cannot be audited and physically inspected by US government personnel or designated representatives, and necessitates a determination that the project has been coordinated with the government of Afghanistan and that adequate arrangements have been made for project sustainment. McCaskill this summer penned a letter to the U.S. Agency for International Development demanding answers on the cost and sustainability of the Tarakhil power plant, which has cost the U.S. more than $300 million, and generated less than 3% of the power it was built to produce. McCaskill also quizzed General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, on concerns raised by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction regarding the dwindling oversight of taxpayer-funded projects in the country as the U.S. drawdown of troops continues. Earlier this year, McCaskill called for action from the State Department to implement safeguards over contracts to stop the waste of tax money. The Inspector General's report came nearly one year after McCaskill had formally requested that the office review the contracts. Last year, McCaskill introduced a Senate budget resolution to end funding for the projects and redirect those resources for use in construction of roads in the United States. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/accountability to learn more about McCaskill's fight to strengthen accountability.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/fighting-sexual-assault-on-campus,Fighting sexual assault on campus,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fighting sexual assault on campus Wednesday, December 10, 2014 By:  Eboni Williams Congress is grappling with how to combat sexual assault on college and university campuses, and held a Senate hearing Tuesday on the Campus Accountability and Safety Act (CASA). The focus: the relationship between local police departments and school authorities, amid a rising tide of statistics indicating sexual violence on campuses is growing. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, said campus sexual assault rates increased 50% from 2009 to 2012. This year the Obama administration has tried to pressure universities to give victims better support. A White House task force issued recommendations under the heading Not Alone. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently provided CBS News with a list of 90 colleges and universities that, as of Nov. 26, 2014, have open sexual violence investigations under Title IX, the federal civil rights statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination including via harassment or violence. Although Columbia University in New York City is not on the list, it became a focus of media attention after undergraduate Emma Sulkowicz launched a protest called Carry that Weight. Sulkowicz has pledged to carry a mattress with her everywhere she goes on campus until the man she says sexually assaulted her is no longer at the school. In August, Columbia responded with a new ""Gender-Based Misconduct Policy."" A school spokesperson says the policy makes Columbia the national leader in addressing gender-based misconduct in higher education, alth0ugh some activists say it doesn't go far enough. Among the main features: an increase in the number of full-time employees for the school's Rape Crisis/Anti-Violence Support Center from 3 staffers to 9, plus the addition of a second such center to expand reach; round-the-clock access via telephone to professionally trained staff and peer advocates; and mandatory training of freshmen about issues of consent and bystander response . The process by which the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) handles complaints stemming from sexual assault cases on college campuses is long and specific. First, the OCR decides whether to open an investigation at all. If does so, it then interviews the parties involved in a given case, reviews documentary evidence, and begins making site visits. If a school is found in violation of Title IX, it is given a chance to negotiate a so-called voluntary resolution agreement. Ultimately, if a school resists all recommended remedies, the Department of Education has the authority to terminate all of its federal funding. ""The most important aspect of the DOE complaint isn't the potential for financial punishment, but is really the media microscope the filing puts the school under,"" says one former university student who spoke on condition of anonymity because she is a named complainant in a current federal filing. She went on to say that the complaint shines a harsh spotlight that can tarnish a school's brand, and that can provide a strong incentive to enact policies that are rooted in prevention and support for victims of sexual violence. CBS News asked Liz Roberts, Program Director for Safe Horizon -- a U.S. agency serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and rape -- what changes she wanted to see for victims on college campuses. She said most important is that victims want to be believed when they come forward. Roberts said a feeling of powerlessness is a huge part of the experience of being a victim of sexual violence, and so what's needed most are policies that let survivors decide how to proceed. Schools should not tell the accusers what to do, Roberts said, but instead give them the tools to make informed decisions. ""Having policies....that place victims' safety at the center"" is Roberts' paramount concern. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the State University of New York (SUNY) has adopted a uniform sexual assault prevention and response policy for its campuses, one of the first states to do so, according to a release obtained by CBS News. It says the policy provides for a singular definition of consent, statewide training of campus police and administrators, and a confidentiality and reporting protocol. The proposed federal legislation weighed by the Senate this week, and co-sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), aims to create incentives for schools to protect their students by establishing training standards for campus personnel, developing an annual nationwide survey about students' experience with sexual violence, and increasing fines for violations -- i.e., each violation of the federal Clery Act, which requires public disclosure of crime statistics by colleges, would carry a penalty up to $150,000, versus the current $35,000. Horizon director Roberts, who is also the agency's deputy CEO, shares the belief that the focus of policies regarding sexual assault on college campuses should be less about punishing a school, and more about ensuring the safety of every student. She says that in the government's effort to address the problem, what is often lost is the survivor's voice. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-obama-climate-change-plan-is-too-aggressive,McCaskill: Obama climate change plan is too aggressive,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill: Obama climate change plan is too aggressive Wednesday, December 10, 2014 By:  Deirdre Shesgren WASHINGTON – Sen. Claire McCaskill is pushing the Obama administration to give states more time and flexibility to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. In a letter to Washington's top environmental regulator Wednesday, McCaskill, D-Missouri, said utility companies cannot realistically meet the initial targets set out in the president's proposed ""Clean Power Plan,"" which aims to curb global warming. McCaskill joined with four other moderate Democrats in urging the Environmental Protection Agency to nix incremental, state-specific goals for reducing carbon emissions and instead allow states to reach the final requirements at their own pace. The draft environmental rule — unveiled in June as the cornerstone of Obama's climate change initiative — calls for a 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions from the nation's power plants by 2020 and a 30 percent reduction by 2030. Power plants are the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., generating about 38 percent of heat-trapping gases. For each state, the EPA proposal sets an annual emissions target that the state must hit, starting in 2020 and continuing through 2030. Under the proposal, Missouri — which generates 83 percent of its energy from coal-fired power plants — would have to achieve a 21 percent reduction in carbon emissions per megawatt hour of electricity by 2030, with interim targets in the decade leading up to that final goal. EPA officials said each state's rate reductions were set based on what's feasible given its current energy mix. As it's currently drafted, the plan could force Missouri's coal-fired power plants to dramatically change the way they operate, for example, by improving efficiency, switching to natural gas or closing. McCaskill's push comes after months of criticism of the climate change proposal from congressional Republicans. Among the most vocal, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, said the president's plan will hike Missourians' electricity bills and stifle the economy. He and others have said they will try to block the plan from taking effect. ""Senator Blunt has been very vocal in his opposition to this gross government overreach, and he is calling on the EPA to withdraw the rule entirely,"" said his spokeswoman, Amber Marchand. ""He believes the Obama administration has a responsibility to stop all activity surrounding the rule until the EPA adequately studies the impact to ratepayers and shares that information with Americans publicly."" McCaskill and other Democrats are seeking to tweak the plan, not kill it. They say the plan is ""front-loaded"" and doesn't give utility companies enough time to make infrastructure investments and other upgrades necessary to reduce emissions. ""It results in a requirement for steep reductions that would occur in as little as six months after EPA has approved the state plans,"" states the letter, signed by Sens. McCaskill, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. ""Each state should have the responsibility of developing its own glide path, in its EPA approved state plan, necessary for achieving its final goal by 2030,"" the Democrats' letter says. ""In so doing, each state could shape the contour of its glide path to attaining its 2030 goal based on its own unique circumstances and limitations."" David Doniger, director of the climate and clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, said the McCaskill letter reflects complaints from the power sector. ""The standard line from industry is 'Don't do this to me — or if you are going to do it, do it later, not now,"" he said. Doniger said while McCaskill's push is not as aggressive as the GOP attacks, it would still dramatically weaken the EPA plan. If left to their own devices, he said, states ""wouldn't do anything until very late in the game, if at all."" And unraveling the interim targets, he said, would undermine the Obama administration's efforts to get other big carbon-emitting countries, such as China, to reduce their emissions. ""We need near-term action to directly address the threat to the climate and to create this positive cycle with other countries who we're trying to get to cooperate,"" he said. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskills-book-party-giveaway-signed-copies-of-gone-girl,McCaskill's book party giveaway: Signed copies of 'Gone Girl',2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill's book party giveaway: Signed copies of 'Gone Girl' Wednesday, December 10, 2014 By:  Judy Kurtz WE HEAR: Guests at Sen. Claire McCaskill’s annual “Chili, Books & Beer” get-together will be going home with a bookworm’s dream: a copy of Gone Girl personally signed by author Gillian Flynn. The Missouri Democrat’s bipartisan shindig is a yearly gathering of the members of her 2006 Senate class. The chili and beer part of the evening comes with a side of literary chitchat, as each guest arrives equipped with his or her favorite book of the year to exchange.  While Gone Girl, a 2012 novel that was adapted into a thriller flick starring Ben Affleck earlier this year, takes place in a fictional town in McCaskill’s home state, ITK hears that the lawmaker wanted to provide her colleagues with some fun, non-legislative reading. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senators-dont-let-rolling-stone,Senators: Don't let Rolling Stone article get in way of fixing 'broken' system,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators: Don't let Rolling Stone article get in way of fixing 'broken' system Wednesday, December 10, 2014 By:  Allie Grasgreen It didn’t take long for Rolling Stone’s disputed article describing an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia to come up at a Senate hearing on campus sexual assault Tuesday that featured testimony from Sens. Claire McCaskill and Kirsten Gillibrand. McCaskill (D-Mo.) said she’s “saddened and angry” by the magazine’s “bad journalism,” which she said is a setback for survivors of sexual violence. She and others at the hearing also called for more robust and accommodating institutional support for young women and men like Jackie, the young woman profiled in the magazine article, published last month. “This is not a crime where you have rampant false reporting or embellishment,” McCaskill said. “Our problem is victims are too frightened to come forward. … I want to make sure we overcome [the article] and don’t allow it to slow our determination to make sure victims have every support they need.” McCaskill testified briefly, alongside Gillibrand, at the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing exploring the role of law enforcement in campus sexual assaults. The senators worked together on the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, which would increase protections for students and hold colleges more accountable for addressing and preventing crimes. “I refuse to let this one story become an excuse for Congress not to fix a broken system,” Gillibrand said. McCaskill told the few senators in the room that she wants feedback on the legislation, which she and Gillibrand announced in July alongside several bipartisan co-sponsors. McCaskill said she hopes to introduce the bill and move it toward passage next year. In his opening remarks, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse stressed the importance of police involvement in campus violence against women. When law enforcement gets involved in such cases, Whitehouse said, it sends an important societal signal that violence against women is treated as a crime. “I’m concerned that law enforcement is being marginalized when it comes to the crime of campus sexual assault,” Whitehouse said. “I’m concerned that the specter of flawed law enforcement overshadows the harm of marginalized law enforcement.” Sen. Chuck Grassley added that he hopes lawmakers move soon to pass the Campus Safety and Accountability Act, of which he is a co-sponsor. “It’s high time to make sure a crime is a crime wherever it’s committed,” Grassley said. “When it’s treated universally the same way, we’ll see less rape on campus.” Colleges need to do a better job of communicating to students their options regarding law enforcement, Whitehouse suggested, or risk permanent mistrust in the system among victims who won’t be willing to come forward because they’re uncertain about the repercussions. “Marginalizing the men and women who are trained professionals in the task of investigation is a move in the wrong direction,” Whitehouse said. “If we don’t increase and improve the role of the criminal justice system in these cases, victims will pay the price.” On a panel following McCaskill and Gillibrand’s testimony, one practitioner insisted that campus adjudication processes should be integrated with – not separate from – police investigations. In all cases, she and other witnesses said, the victim’s wishes and well-being should be at the center of decision-making. “Campus-based adjudications don’t work,” said Peg Langhammer, executive director of the Day One sexual assault and trauma center in Rhode Island. “Police need to be involved, but it has to be a team approach.” The CASA requires colleges to sign memoranda of understanding with local law enforcement to clarify roles and responsibilities. That provision should provide for better and more uniform fact-finding, investigations and adjudication on campuses, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, another of the bill’s co-sponsors. “The lack of a process with integrity and accuracy is what discourages a lot of survivors from coming forward,” Blumenthal said. “I think that the University of Virginia experience … should intensify and increase our determination to make this process worthy of the courage of survivors that do come forward.” It’s unclear what actually happened to Jackie, whose story formed the centerpiece of the Rolling Stone article, Blumenthal said. But whatever happened should “redouble our determination” to review and improve campus processes, he said. Gillibrand said that regardless of any conflicting points in Jackie’s account, many key facts – such as administrators allowing self-declared perpetrators to remain on campus – are not in dispute. “It has never been about this one school and it is painfully clear that colleges and universities across the country have a real problem,” she said. “I hope this story will not ultimately overshadow the stories of thousands of brave women and men.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/on-new-epa-rulemccaskill-leads-colleagues-in_pursuing-commonsense-adjustments-to-protect-consumers,On New EPA Rule—McCaskill Leads Colleagues in Pursuing Commonsense Adjustments to Protect Consumers,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"On New EPA Rule—McCaskill Leads Colleagues in Pursuing Commonsense Adjustments to Protect Consumers With feedback from Missouri consumers and employers, McCaskill presses environmental agency to alter timeline Wednesday, December 10, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is leading a group of moderate Senators today in an effort to protect consumers from unreasonable utility rate hikes—expressing concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution from the country’s power plants, and telling the agency to protect Missouri consumers and employers by making commonsense changes to the content and timeline of the proposed rule. “Numerous stakeholders in our states have raised various important concerns related to the proposed rule,” the Senators wrote. “Among those are several common themes that we have heard repeatedly and believe must be addressed in the final rule. These concerns relate to the initial reduction obligations the electric power sector must meet by 2020, the short timeframes required for states to develop their implementation plans, and the treatment of cross border renewable resources.” The Senators’ letter continues: “We recognize that climate change is a significant global threat that requires serious action to be taken at both the national and international levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to best achieve these goals, however, changes must be made to the current proposal. Although numerous stakeholders have raised a wide range of issues that need to be addressed in the final rule, we are highlighting these three concerns as priorities to be addressed so that greater flexibility can be incorporated, thereby minimizing negative impacts on electric reliability and consumer rates across the country.”  McCaskill said she recognizes the need to address the emission of carbon pollution but expressed concern that the EPA’s 2020 timeline does not accurately reflect the lead time needed for necessary infrastructure investments and upgrades. She urged that each state should have the responsibility of developing its own more flexible path to achieve the final goal by 2030. McCaskill also asked that the comprehensive evaluation of reliability impacts be conducted after state plans are finalized, as well as expressed concerns about how the proposed rules credit renewable energy generation across state lines, an issue of special concern to Missouri given the amount of wind energy the state purchases from Kansas.  McCaskill has consistently served as an independent voice on issues of energy security. She is a longtime supporter of the swift approval and construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, recently voting again to approve the project’s construction. Earlier this year, McCaskill called on President Obama to implement an explicit timeline for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline permit, highlighting the repeated delays in the approval process over the last several years. McCaskill was also a strong supporter of Ameren Missouri and Westinghouse on their application to design and build a modular nuclear unit for export in Missouri. Full text of today’s letter is available HERE and below: Dear Administrator McCarthy, We are writing to express some of our concerns regarding the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the nation’s power plants.  Numerous stakeholders in our states have raised various important concerns related to the proposed rule.  Among those are several common themes that we have heard repeatedly and believe must be addressed in the final rule.  These concerns relate to the initial reduction obligations the electric power sector must meet by 2020, the short timeframes required for states to develop their implementation plans, and the treatment of cross border renewable resources.  First, we have concerns that the CPP as proposed, under which emission reductions are front loaded by assuming that building blocks one and two directly affecting fossil-fueled electric generating units will be fully implemented by 2020, does not accurately reflect the lead time needed for necessary infrastructure investments and upgrades.  In fact, it results in a requirement for steep reductions that would occur in as little as 6 months after EPA has approved the state plans.    For example, the re dispatch of natural gas combined cycle generation up to a 70 percent capacity factor will require a substantial additional build out of transmission infrastructure and natural gas pipeline capacity.  Similarly, outages of individual electric generating units will be required so that coal fired power plants can be upgraded to achieve improvements in generating efficiency.  And, as generation is taken off the grid, additional electric transmission lines and infrastructure will need to be built in order address voltage and other grid management concerns. In order to minimize the costs to consumers and potential reliability concerns, as recently highlighted in a report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the final rule must provide adequate time for the design, permitting, and construction of such large scale capital intensive infrastructure.. To address this concern, we urge the elimination of initial 2020 targets in the final rule.  Rather each state should have the responsibility of developing its own glide path, in its EPA approved state plan, necessary for achieving its final goal by 2030.  In so doing, each state could shape the contour of its glide path to attaining its 2030 goal based on its own unique circumstances and limitations.  In developing its glide path, the state would establish enforceable milestones for phasing in the reductions during the interim period, and demonstrate that such measures will achieve the final goals. This approach would preserve the overall reductions achieved by the Clean Power Plan, while enhancing the state flexibility that is already a part of EPA’s proposal. Furthermore, the CPP provides for ambitious deadlines for states to develop and submit plans to achieve CO2 emission reduction targets under the CPP, further exacerbating the issues discussed above.  The proposed rule gives states only 13 months from the issuance of a final EPA rule to prepare and submit their plans to EPA, with the possibility of only a one year extension for individual state plans and a two-year extension for multi state plans.  These brief timelines will not allow for the full regional and national analysis as multiple states change key portions of the energy generating infrastructure in ways the will have many complicated and interconnected outcomes. To assure the reliability of the electric grid, NERC and the various other regional transmission authorities must have an opportunity to evaluate the state plans.  Due to the interconnections of the electricity grid across state boundaries, a comprehensive evaluation of potential reliability impacts can be accomplished only after all state plans are finalized, so the impact of each respective state on its neighboring states can be considered.  This is challenging to accomplish on the ambitious proposed schedule while maintaining strong electric reliability and reasonable cost to consumers and businesses. Finally, we have heard concerns about how the proposed rules credit renewable energy generation across state lines.  Given the uneven distribution of easily exploitable renewable energy resources across the nation, much of the renewable generation built in one state has been incorporated into the rate base of another state. While multi-state implementation plans could moderate this issue there are other significant hurdles that would prevent states from entering such compacts.  Therefore, the final rule needs to incorporate a mechanism to account for the renewable energy credits that have been included in rates of utilities located across state lines. We recognize that climate change is a significant global threat that requires serious action to be taken at both the national and international levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  In order to best achieve these goals, however, changes must be made to the current proposal.  Although numerous stakeholders have raised a wide range of issues that need to be addressed in the final rule, we are highlighting these three concerns as priorities to be addressed so that greater flexibility can be incorporated, thereby minimizing negative impacts on electric reliability and consumer rates across the country.   Thank you for your consideration of this important request. McCaskill’s letter was also signed by Senators including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/blunt-mccaskill-push-postal-service-to-delay-closure-of-local-mail-center,"Blunt, McCaskill push Postal Service to delay closure of local mail center",2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blunt, McCaskill push Postal Service to delay closure of local mail center Tuesday, December 9, 2014 By:  Deirdre Shesgren WASHINGTON – Missouri's two U.S. senators have asked the U.S. Postal Service to delay closing 82 mail processing facilities -- including one in Springfield scheduled to shutter next month. The Springfield mail processing center has been spared once before -- it was targeted for closure last year but got a temporary reprieve after the Postal Service postponed some consolidations. As many as 200 workers at the Springfield facility could be forced to relocate or lose their jobs if the agency goes through with its current plans. But the push for another delay -- led by Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., among others -- faces long odds. The postal service is in the midst of a dramatic downsizing, as officials seek to adjust to a big drop-off in mail volume and other financial pressures that have put the agency in the red. A self-funded government agency, the USPS has suffered from declining revenue in stamp sales and other services, as more consumers use email and the Internet to communicate. The Postal Service's cutbacks have faced stiff resistance in Congress, with lawmakers from rural states calling mail service a lifeline for their constituents. McCaskill and others have tried to pass a sweeping postal reform bill that would help the agency save money without slashing services. But that legislative effort has stalled. And in the meantime, USPS officials began a broad restructuring, closing about 300 facilities since 2006. The second phase of the consolidation is set to start in January and will involve the closure of as many as 82 mail processing and distribution centers around the country -- including the Springfield facility and one in Cape Girardeau. In Springfield, workers have already started bracing for bad news. Chris Bentley, executive board president of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, said the transfer of Springfield's mail processing operations to a Kansas City facility would cost jobs and hurt consumers. ""We wish that people would take us off the chopping block altogether,"" Bentley said. ""We want all the postal workers in Springfield to be able to stay there and keep doing a good job."" In a Dec. 1 letter, McCaskill, Blunt, and 28 other senators urged Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to hold off on the consolidations, saying the agency has not adequately examined the impact the closures would have. They pointed to a report by the Postal Service's inspector general, which found that USPS did not complete federally mandated feasibility studies. Without that information, the lawmakers said, ""it's impossible to fully understand the effects of consolidation decisions or adequately inform local customers or consider issues important to them."" Blunt, the only Republican who signed the letter, said the closure of one center could ""have the impact of overwhelming the facility you move to,"" among other problems. John LaBombard, a spokesman for McCaskill, said if the Postal Service agrees to another delay, it could give lawmakers a new window to pass a reform bill that would improve the agency's financial calculations. ""If the USPS postpones the closures for a few months and we can get moving on postal reform early (in the) next Congress, we may be able to get the USPS to further postpone the closures until there is some legislative clarity,"" he said. Sue Brennan, a spokeswoman for the Postal Service, said officials are working on a response to the Senate letter. But she suggested that agency officials were not eager to wait for promised legislative action. ""With major volume decreases in first-class mail, the Postal Service has significant excess capacity in its network and cannot sit idly by and do nothing,"" Brennan said. ""The Postal Service firmly believes that the operational changes being implemented are necessary. In the process, the Postal Service has sought to minimize impact to customers and employees."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/campus-sexual-assaultmccaskill-rallies-colleagues-support-for-bipartisan-bill,Campus Sexual Assault—McCaskill Rallies Colleagues’ Support for Bipartisan Bill,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Campus Sexual Assault—McCaskill Rallies Colleagues’ Support for Bipartisan Bill Senator discusses the importance of reforms to protect students, strengthen accountability and transparency for institutions, law enforcement; Addresses recent controversy surrounding Rolling Stone coverage of alleged gang rape at UVA Tuesday, December 9, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today testified before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism on her legislation to combat sexual assaults on college campuses—a bipartisan effort to protect and empower students, and strengthen accountability and transparency for institutions and law enforcement.   “What we can do is make sure that information now provided to survivors in the military is available to young women and men who are assaulted on college campuses,” said McCaskill, a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes. “So they know what their choices are at the moment of reporting. So they understand what the consequences are if they decline to go to the hospital, or if they decline to talk to law enforcement, that they are taking on a chance that justice will never truly be obtained in terms of holding their perpetrator accountable. So it’s in that framework that we’ve tried to work out a bill that will strengthen the support services for victims. A victim who is assaulted on a Friday night needs to know, on that Friday night, where she can call and where she can go for confidential support and good information, which we hope gives her the encouragement to make the choice to move forward in the criminal justice system.” View video and high-resolution photos of today’s testimony HERE and HERE. McCaskill responded to the recent controversy surrounding Rolling Stone’s retraction of a story on an alleged assault at the University of Virginia, saying: “I am saddened and angry about the bad journalism in Rolling Stone concerning an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia. I am saddened and angry because it is a setback for survivors in this country. This is not a crime where you have rampant false reporting or embellishment. This is a crime that is the most underreported crime in America and will remain so. And our problem is not victims coming forward and embellishing, our problem is victims are too frightened to come forward.” In July, McCaskill and a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, to take aim at sexual assaults on college and university campuses by protecting and empowering students, and strengthening accountability and transparency for institutions—including establishing stiff penalties for non-compliance with the legislation’s new standards for training, data and best practices. McCaskill called the legislation, “a truly bipartisan bill… all of us look forward to introducing it and moving it forward toward its passage next year…” and thanked co-sponsor Senator Gillibrand, who also testified, “for her passion and her focus on this issue,” saying when united, the two are “a force to be reckoned with.” Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the chairman of the Subcommittee, praised the Senators’ efforts on the issue, saying, “Senators McCaskill and Gillibrand have worked tirelessly to shed a light on the scourge of sexual assault on our college campuses and in our military. Senators McCaskill and Heller are lead cosponsors and worked very, very hard, along with Senators Gillibrand and Grassley and others, on legislation that makes comprehensive changes in the area of campus sexual assault. We hope this hearing will help inform their work.” Read a copy of McCaskill’s ‘Sexual Violence on Campus’ report HERE. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-bill-requiring-tricare-to-cover_breastfeeding-services-included-in-defense-bill-,McCaskill Bill Requiring TRICARE to Cover Breastfeeding Services Included in Defense Bill,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Bill Requiring TRICARE to Cover Breastfeeding Services Included in Defense Bill Senator’s provision to provide members of the military and their families coverage consistent with private sector is one step closer to becoming law Tuesday, December 9, 2014 WASHINGTON – This year’s annual defense bill will include a provision by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to require TRICARE—health insurance provided to members of the military and their families—to cover breastfeeding equipment, such as breast pumps, along with support and counseling, as required by most private health plans under the Affordable Care Act. “As someone who was a single, working mother, I know firsthand the importance of comprehensive, affordable healthcare for new moms,” said McCaskill, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. “I’m proud we’ll be able to get this commonsense legislation one step closer to the finish line, so that new mothers in the military and military spouses can have access to the same high standard of services we’ve achieved in the civilian sector under the health care law.” More than 50 medical, family, and healthcare groups, including the National Women’s Law Center, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Nursing endorsed McCaskill’s legislation. Full text of their letter can be found HERE. The National Military Family Association has also endorsed the bill. Currently, as part of breastfeeding support, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance plans to cover breast pump rental or provide breast pumps for new moms, as well as lactation counseling and support. With TRICARE, members of the military and military spouses have been left to pay the full costs out of pocket for these services. TRICARE benefits are not subject to the mandates of the ACA that affect private health insurance plans. As such, when the Health Resources and Services Administration determined that breastfeeding equipment and support should be covered by health insurance companies under the provisions of the ACA, this requirement did not extend to TRICARE.  Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/healthcare to read highlights of McCaskill’s fight to improve our nation’s healthcare system.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-meets-with-attorney-general-nominee-,McCaskill Meets with Attorney General Nominee,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Meets with Attorney General Nominee Senator sits down with Loretta Lynch Tuesday, December 9, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today met with United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and nominee for Attorney General of the United States, Loretta Lynch. “Our nation’s top lawyer is a critical post,” McCaskill said. “As the events that unfolded over the past few months in Ferguson highlighted, the position of Attorney General is an important backstop in our nation’s legal system and can positively reinforce Americans’ trust in the rule of law amid intense legal controversies. I’m impressed by Ms. Lynch’s qualifications and confident in her ability to fulfill the duties of U.S. Attorney General.” Click HERE for a photo of today’s meeting. Loretta Lynch, who holds a B.A. and J.D. from Harvard University, currently serves as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where she has successfully prosecuted numerous cases of corruption in the public and private sectors. Prior to her current post, Ms. Lynch was a partner at Hogan & Hartson, a drug and violent crime prosecutor, and chief assistant to the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-plan-to-fix-pow/mia-recovery-efforts-included-in-defense-bill,McCaskill Plan to Fix POW/MIA Recovery Efforts Included in Defense Bill,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Plan to Fix POW/MIA Recovery Efforts Included in Defense Bill Once law, Senator’s proposal will create single POW/MIA agency to ensure accountability of efforts Tuesday, December 9, 2014 WASHINGTON – Following a nearly two-year effort, this year’s annual defense bill will include a plan by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill that directs the Secretary of Defense to designate a single organization to handle POW/MIA accounting efforts.   “This is a critical step in the right direction,” said McCaskill, the daughter of a World War II veteran. “For too long our country’s POW/MIA recovery efforts have been stymied by mismanagement and a lack of oversight. These crucial reforms will centralize a currently decentralized process and hopefully allow the accounting mission to proceed more effectively and efficiently than it has in the past.” McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been at the forefront of the fight to address systemic mismanagement of the Pentagon's POW/MIA recovery efforts. In May, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved McCaskill’s plan to strengthen POW/MIA recovery efforts by establishing a single agency responsible for those efforts, with one federal official in charge. The amendment to this year’s annual defense bill—which follows a similar recommendation by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel—addresses the key deficit identified by the Government Accountability Office and McCaskill, which is that there was no one agency or official in charge to coordinate and be held accountable for POW/MIA recovery. This is the first official step in restructuring POW/MIA accounting following McCaskill's investigation last year into the troubled recovery efforts. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans to read highlights of McCaskill’s work to deliver for our veterans.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/photos/campus-sexual-assaultmccaskill-rallies-colleague-support-for-bipartisan-bill,Campus Sexual Assault—McCaskill Rallies Colleague Support for Bipartisan Bill,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today testified before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism on her legislation to combat sexual assaults on college campuses—a bipartisan effort to protect and empower students, and strengthen accountability and transparency for institutions and law enforcement.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/campus-sexual-assaultmccaskill-rallies-colleagues-support-for-bipartisan-bill,Campus Sexual Assault—McCaskill Rallies Colleagues Support for Bipartisan Bill,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today testified before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism on her legislation to combat sexual assaults on college campuses—a bipartisan effort...,1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-cia-report-would-never-happen-in-north-korea-or-china,McCaskill: CIA report 'would never happen in North Korea or China',2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill: CIA report 'would never happen in North Korea or China' Monday, December 8, 2014 By:  Martin Matishak The release of a report on CIA enhanced interrogations techniques ""would never happen"" in less open and accountable nations, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said on Monday.   The assessment, which could be released as soon as Monday, “exposes what the world already knows, and that is that the United States engaged in torture,” McCaskill said during an interview with CBS. “But my feeling about this is that this is a gut-check moment for our democracy. The world knows we tortured. But does the world know yet that we'll hold up our values and hold our government accountable?” she said.   McCaskill added that the report “would never happen in North Korea or China or Russia. But in the United States, we hold our government accountable. And I think that process is so important, so fundamental to our democracy that it's essential that this report comes out.”   She stressed that the White House and Congress must have authority over the CIA.   “Now, if this report doesn't come out, then we all need to get comfortable with the fact that in America, the CIA has no oversight,” McCaskill warned.   The report is the result of a probe by the Senate Intelligence Committee into the CIA’s enhanced interrogations during the George W. Bush administration.   The Obama administration and many within the intelligence community have been scrambling in advance of its pending release out of fear for potentially violent blowback around the world.   McCaskill, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the public would ultimately decide whether the report’s release is a “learning moment for us.”   She said the incoming panel chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), himself a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has been “up front about how important it is that we get beyond this ever happening again in terms of using torture."" In addition, the report itself “will help us all understand whether or not the torture was effective,"" according to McCaskill. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-on-torture-report-gut-check-moment,McCaskill on torture report: 'Gut check moment',2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill on torture report: 'Gut check moment' Monday, December 8, 2014 By:  Lucy McCalmont Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill said Monday that she supports the upcoming public release of a Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA interrogation practices, calling it a “gut check moment.” “It exposes what the world already knows and that is that the United States engaged in torture, but my feeling about this is that this is a gut check moment for our democracy,” the Democrat said on “CBS This Morning.” McCaskill said the release of the report is “essential” in holding the government and specifically the CIA accountable. “This report would never happen in North Korea, or China or Russia,” she added. “If it doesn’t come out, then we all need to get comfortable with the fact that in America, the CIA has no oversight.” Others, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, have warned that release of the report could lead to violence in countries around the globe. The report details the CIA’s treatment of detainees in a program set up by President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks. The White House said last week that it “welcomed the news” that the long-delayed report will be made public this week, despite confirmation from the State Department that Secretary of State John Kerry called Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein to discuss his own concerns over the timing and possible fallout from the report’s release. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-release-cia-torture-report,McCaskill: Release CIA torture report,2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill: Release CIA torture report Monday, December 8, 2014 By:  Chuck Raasch WASHINGTON • On CBS ""This Morning,"" Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said that a report on whether the CIA tortured al Qaida suspects should be released publicly as a ""gut-check moment"" to show that Americans hold their government accountable. But her Missouri counterpart, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said late Monday the release would be ""unhelpful and unnecessary."" Some, including the head of the House Intelligence Committee, have warned that release of the 480-page report, set in the coming days by Senate Democrats, could incite violent reactions around the world. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told CNN on Sunday that it was a ""terrible idea"" and that allied governments around the world and U.S. intelligence said release of the details ""will cause violence and death."" Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who will relinquish that position when Republicans take control in January, is in favor of releasing the report. McCaskill said this morning that the report ""exposes what the world already knows. And that is that is that the United States engaged in torture."" She added: ""This report would never happen in North Korea or China or Russia. But in the United States, we hold our government accountable, and I think that process is so important, so fundamental to our democracy, that it is essential that this report comes out."" She said that ""if this report doesn't come out, we all need to get comfortable with the fact that in America, the CIA has no oversight."" Other Senate Democrats, including Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., have long called for release of the report. Durbin wrote this letter to the CIA in March after allegations that the CIA had searched Senate Intelligence Committee computers, something that Durbin called potentially unconstitutional. But Blunt said the report is not ""full picture of what happened. ""The release of this report is both unnecessary and unhelpful in our efforts to fight terrorists,"" he said, in a statement issued by his office. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/missouri-lawmakers-tout-bill-for-world-war-i-coin,Missouri lawmakers tout bill for World War I coin,2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Missouri lawmakers tout bill for World War I coin Monday, December 8, 2014 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri lawmakers are touting a bill headed to President Barack Obama that would create a commemorative coin honoring veterans of World War I. The legislation approved by Congress this past week is meant to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the war, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. It's sponsored by Missouri Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, as well as U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and lawmakers from other states. The National World War I Museum is located in Kansas City. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senate-removes-judge-from-office-,"Senate removes judge from office, Dec. 8, 2010",2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate removes judge from office, Dec. 8, 2010 Monday, December 8, 2014 By:  Andrew Glass On this day in 2010, for the first time in more than two decades, the Senate voted to oust a federal judge. All 96 senators present found Louisiana District Judge G. Thomas Porteous guilty of having betrayed the legal profession by soliciting cash payments from attorneys with business before his court. This was one of four articles of impeachment that had been brought against Porteous by the House. Some senators supported Porteous on the other three articles, with 27 voting in his favor on the one concerning meals, trips and car repairs that he was accused of receiving from a bail bondsman. The senators also voted 94-2 to disqualify him from holding future federal office. Since a quorum is required at all times for impeachment deliberations to proceed, at least half of the Senate’s members sat in the chamber during the lame-duck session for nearly the whole day. After the Senate had rendered its verdict, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who had chaired the impeachment investigation, said: “The fact that we set aside everything that we were doing and came together and sat as a Senate and listened to the arguments and deliberated extensively about this impeachment should be reassuring to every American.” Porteous had been nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1994. He had been suspended with pay since 2008. In a statement, Porteous said, “I am deeply saddened to be removed from office, but I felt it was important not just to me but to the judiciary to take this fight to the Senate…. While I still believe these allegations did not rise to the level of impeachable offenses as a constitutional matter, I understand how people of good faith could disagree.” The vote marked the eighth time the Senate has removed a federal judge from office. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/column-united-they-stand_--on-this-issue,Column: United They Stand . . . On This Issue,2014-12-07,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Column: United They Stand . . . On This Issue Sunday, December 7, 2014 By:  Bill Miller Sr. It was refreshing to see that Missouri’s two U.S. senators are united in the issue of urging the U.S. Postal Service to delay the planned consolidation of up to 82 USPS mail processing centers, including two in Missouri. Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in “demanding” a delay in the consolidation. Of note is the word “demanding.” The letter was sent to USPS after the agency’s inspector general found that the Postal Service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidation and failed to inform the public of those impacts. The consolidation is bound to impact mail service, which already has delay problems, such as the time it takes for even first class mail from St. Louis to reach Franklin County. Service is especially slow for second class periodicals. We don’t blame the local postal employees. The majority of them are doing the best they can with the resources they have to handle the mail, which is heavier at this time of the year. It is not only on this issue that our two U.S. senators have been united. Since one is a Republican (Blunt) and the other is a Democrat (McCaskill), they have set aside party differences on policies to do what is best for their constitutents. Now if President Barack Obama would try to work with members of Congress on pressing issues, there would be progress. President Obama has a high level of conceit in that he believes he always is right, but now more and more he is having trouble making a decision. He worries about his place in history rather than working to solve the nation’s problems.  Now there are some people, we realize, who probably don’t believe being united on this postal issue is that big of a deal. While it may not be, but to us, it’s still significant because the issue affects many Missourians. The Missouri senators said in their letter that there is no reason the USPS cannot delay its consolidation to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets. “It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary time line.” The letter was signed by more than 20 senators. Revised service standards are expected to be published Jan. 5, 2015. Because the USPS is losing billions of dollars every year, it continues to try to cut costs. Service is affected. For a long time we have wondered about the future of the USPS. It does have tough competition from private companies that give good service.  The USPS, to survive, needs financial help from the federal government. People do wonder if other federal agencies are subsidized, why isn’t the postal service? Why is it expected to survive on its own? Make  a profit?   The federal government wastes so much money. The money that is spent on foreign aid, for instance, is huge and much of it never reaches the people it is supposed to  help. If those aid gifts could be trimmed, and that money used to support USPS, the agency wouldn’t be at the brink of failure. This should be a discussion point in Congress, which has looked upon the USPS as a “loser” and there has been a “don’t touch” attitude by lawmakers. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/ec-from-dc/ec-from-dc-december-5-2014,"EC from DC - December 5, 2014",2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"CONGRESSMAN CLEAVER HELPS LEAD THE WAY FOR CHANGE Trust must exist between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. It is imperative. This week has shown there is much work that must be done. In fact, the last few months have shown that. And perhaps no one knows that better, than those of us in Missouri. In the weeks and months that followed the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, I worked, along with Congressman Clay, who represents that area, and others, to initiate a change in law enforcement. I believe a fundamental shift needs to take place in moving away from a military-style response, and toward a more community-based, proportionate-response, style of policing. I was very pleased this week, when the President announced his desire to strengthen community policing as well, and improve mutual trust between those charged with protecting the public, and citizens. President Obama released the Administration's Review of Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition. A very long name but a goal that is summed up pretty quickly. All members of law enforcement deserve the best tools and training available. This is critical in order for them to serve our communities, and to protect those of us living in them. However, we should not turn our cities into war zones. The President's voicing of his intentions and priorities was an important first step, and I am honored and encouraged that many of those priorities are ones I have championed for many months. The White House has provided several examples of potential improvements, including: ensuring that all equipment available for acquisition by law enforcement agencies has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose; including training requirements that address appropriate use and deployment of equipment; broadening transparency of the 1033 and other agency equipment repurpose programs; and requiring police officers to wear body cameras. In August of this year, Congressman Clay and I wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. In it, we asked him to review the 1033 Program. The next day, we met with Secretary Hagel at the Pentagon, to talk about the militarization of local law enforcement, and some of the inherent dangers we saw in this trend. It is through the 1033 Program, that surplus Department of Defense equipment is often times distributed to local law enforcement agencies. I was encouraged by his response then, and continue to be encouraged in the wake of the President's response now. I believe it is important, as we advocate for change, to do so in a way that commands respect, an open mind, and a receptive ear. The thousands of you in Missouri's Fifth District have conducted yourselves in just that way. I am stopped repeatedly in Washington by colleagues, who tell me how impressed they are by the response of those in the Fifth District to the Michael Brown case, that of Eric Garner, and others. As one Member of Congress said to me, ""Your constituents seem to understand the importance of standing up - and speaking out - for what they believe in, but doing it without causing more pain and tragedy in the process."" As always, I could not be more proud to represent you. I think there are many factors contributing to the measured, yet passionate voices, coming from our district. And the good relationship we enjoy with law enforcement plays a pivotal role. Sure, there are issues, problems, and concerns sometimes, but a long line of good local law enforcement leaders has benefitted us greatly. It is my hope we can continue working together, listening to one another, and moving forward in a positive and productive way, as we tackle these and other deep and meaningful issues. CONGRESSMAN CLEAVER KEEPS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON KANSAS CITY This was a very good week for our area on a couple of fronts. As you know, I have been working for years to bring more national recognition to our area, and to the groundbreaking work being done at the Liberty Memorial and National World War I Museum. I am happy to report that the appropriate designation for the Liberty Memorial passed a big hurdle this week, when the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Within it, was our provision, which means very soon the Liberty Memorial will be known as America's National World War I Museum and Memorial. NDAA is now on its way to the Senate. During the 112th Congress, the WWI Centennial Commission was established. The Commission is currently planning, developing, and executing programs, projects, and activities that will commemorate the centennial of World War I. Our provision also broadens the scope of that Commission, which will increase its depth, and continue growing national awareness about the museum - and all it has to offer. ANOTHER ACHIEVEMENT TO HONOR AMERICA'S INVOLVEMENT IN WORLD WAR I Paying tribute to the end of World War I battlefield hostilities, while honoring the memory, service, and sacrifice of more than four million brave Americans, is the goal of a bill I introduced in Washington with Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-5). The American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act, cosponsored by 301 other Members, passed the House of Representatives this week by a vote of 418 to 3. Just hours later, this bipartisan legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent and is now on the way to the President for his signature. In 2018, we will mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice with Germany, which ended World War I battlefield hostilities. It has taken far too long for us to adequately honor the men and women in this country, who served so courageously during this war. Now is the time. H.R. 2366 directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of this centennial. Our country has used commemorative coins to memorialize its significant conflicts, including the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. But until now, no coin existed to honor the brave veterans of World War I. I say -- it's about time. NEW REPORT SHOWS DRAMATIC RESULTS The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report this week showing that patient safety has improved dramatically over the last few years. And the Affordable Care Act is given some of the credit for these vast, positive changes. According to the report, reforms of the ACA have contributed to the following: In 2013 alone, there were 800,000 fewer hospital-acquired conditions 35,000 fewer patients died in hospitals And $8 billion was saved in health spending The ACA is credited with playing a key role in these patient safety improvements. One example? Medicare payment incentives to hospitals to improve the quality of care. Another example given was the HHS Partnership for Patients initiative. I will keep working as the law is fully implemented, to make sure all in Missouri's Fifth District, have not only the patient safety you deserve, but health and economic security as well.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/ebola-drives-interest-in-more-biomedical-research,Ebola Drives Interest in More Biomedical Research,2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Ebola Drives Interest in More Biomedical Research Friday, December 5, 2014 By:  Emily Ethridge Lawmakers are using the Ebola outbreak to call for a broader investment in biomedical research and public health funding to avoid scrambling to respond to a specific disease. Top appropriators from both parties say they are committed to investing in biomedical research, particularly the National Institutes of Health. But the parties have not agreed on how to boost that funding, and lawmakers also have criticized some of the government’s public health preparations. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee funding the Department of Health and Human Services, has introduced a bill (HR 5797) that would provide $5 billion for the Public Health Emergency Fund. The fund is meant to hold resources that the HHS secretary can distribute when a public health emergency is declared, but it has been funded only twice since its establishment in 1983, according to DeLauro’s office. “The Public Health Emergency Fund has been largely ignored, and that needs to end,” DeLauro said in a statement. “Not using every resource available to deal with issues like H1N1, Ebola, or Enterovirus D68 is an abdication of our responsibilities.” In the Senate, Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., called for hearings into whether HHS’s Project Bioshield is failing to properly identify and respond to threats. The program is aimed at speeding the development, acquisition, and availability of medical countermeasures for a variety of threats. McCaskill said the project has been too focused on anthrax, and not prepared enough for influenza and other infectious diseases. In addition, lawmakers have questioned why more hospitals were not better prepared to handle Ebola patients, noting that some hospitals criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for not providing better protocols. “One of the things that Ebola has shown us very clearly is Mother Nature always has the upper hand,” and HHS will need to build up the country’s capacity for training, equipment, and high-containment facilities, said Nicole Lurie, HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-keeps-national-spotlight-on-kansas-city,Congressman Cleaver Keeps National Spotlight on Kansas City,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"Kansas City - Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II, Missouri's Fifth District Representative, is bringing further national recognition to our area, and to the groundbreaking work being done at the Liberty Memorial and National World War I Museum.  For years, the Congressman has successfully led the effort to get the appropriate designation for the Liberty Memorial – soon to be known as America's National World War I Museum and Memorial. Now - by way of an update -- Congressman Cleaver's designation effort, which is part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed the House of Representatives, by a vote of 300-119. The NDAA is now on its way to the Senate.   Spearheaded by Congressman Cleaver, the 112th Congress also established the WWI Centennial Commission. The Commission is planning, developing, and executing programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I.  The provision that passed today also broadens the scope of that Commission, which will increase its depth, and continue growing national awareness about the museum -- and all it has to offer.    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/-more-work-needed-to-end-us-military-sexual-assault-hagel,More work needed to end U.S. military sexual assault: Hagel,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"More work needed to end U.S. military sexual assault: Hagel Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  David Alexander (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday the Pentagon had made ""real progress"" in combating sexual assault in the U.S. military but needed to take further action to ensure victims were not subjected to retaliation when they reported the crime. Releasing preliminary findings from the Defense Department's annual report on military sexual assault, Hagel said the Pentagon's three-year crackdown on sex crimes was ""beginning to have an impact."" An anonymous biennial survey released with the department's report to President Barack Obama showed a drop of more than 25 percent in total cases of unwanted sexual contact over the past two years, to 19,000 cases in 2014 compared with 26,000 in 2012. The total number of sexual assaults actually reported to authorities by U.S. troops rose 8 percent to 5,983, compared with 5,518 the previous year. Officials said the figures showed military personnel were becoming more confident about filing complaints over sexual assault, which is widely underreported. But Hagel said more than 60 percent of women who reported a sexual assault in 2014 ""perceived some kind of retaliation, often in the form of social retaliation by co-workers or peers."" The findings drew mixed reaction from lawmakers in Congress. Senator Claire McCaskill, a former sex crimes prosecutor, said the figures showed a positive trend, with fewer total incidents and higher reporting by victims. But she added, ""We have to do more on retaliation."" Representative Jackie Speier, who has sought more aggressive reform, said the 2014 data showed ""a hostile culture for survivors remains the rule, not the exception."" She and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand vowed to continue pushing legislation removing sexual assault prosecutions from the military chain of command and placing them in the hands of independent attorneys. The Pentagon began a crackdown on military sexual assault three years ago after a spate of high-profile incidents sparked public outrage and demands for action by the president and Congress. Hagel told reporters that ""overall, the data shows that while there have been indications of real progress, measurable progress, over the last two years ... we still have a long way to go."" The Pentagon chief unveiled four new initiatives to combat sexual assault, including an effort to ""prevent professional and social retaliation."" ""We must tackle this difficult problem head on, because, like sexual assault itself, reprisal directly contradicts one of the highest values of our military, that we protect our brothers and sisters in uniform."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/as-congress-winds-down-growler-military-sexual-assault-on-agenda,"As Congress winds down, Growler, military sexual assault on agenda",2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"As Congress winds down, Growler, military sexual assault on agenda Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Chuck Raasch WASHINGTON • As Congress wraps up 2014, two defense-related issues of local interest were in the headlines here Thursday. • The House passed, 300-119, a $585 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that recommends that five EA-18 Growlers made in St. Louis be added to the Navy's fleet, but members of Missouri's congressional delegation say action in Congress next week could bump that number to 12. The Boeing-made Navy planes, which are designed to jam enemy electronics ahead of invading ground and air troops, were on the Navy's chopping block, a victim of the sequestration budget limits instituted by Congress. The Navy said it needed 22 more, but couldn't fit them in its 2015 budget. But the NDAA recommends five additional ones, at $450 million, be built. And the Appropriations Committee earlier this year said it found $975 million for 12. Depending on how negotiations on a short-term budget blueprint go before Congress adjourns next week, that could be the amount that survives. The Sen also has to pass the defense act. ""We will see what happens with the budget deals next week and what the Senate says,"" said Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. ""I am feeling fairly optimistic that we will get 12."" She said under the Appropriations spending, Boeing would make two Growlers a month and that it would extend the current construction program through 2017. Members of Missouri's delegation have promoted the plane as a big jobs bill for the St. Louis region as well as an important weapons system.  Te only member of the St. Louis-area delegation to vote against the bill was Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. Clay has championed the Growler but said in a statement that he opposed the bill because of spending in other defense categories. • Meanwhile, last-minute skirmishing over military sexual assault reforms flared up again this week, with some senators making a last-minute attempt to take military commanders more out of the chain of command in deciding whether to prosecute alleged sexual offenses Sen. Claire McCaskill, who authored a series of sweeping reforms on military sexual assault that passed a year ago, hailed a Pentagon report released this week that showed that more service members are reporting sexual assaults, and that more feel comfortable with the reforms that give alleged victims more rights, more independent legal counsel, and toughen penalties against offenders.  McCaskill said it was good news that one out of four service members who were assaulted were now reporting it, up from one out of 10 just two years ago, according to a Rand Corporation study, and that roughly three in four who did report say they would recommend others do the same. McCaskill called that ""a remarkable change"" in just two years. praising the new Pentagon report, but also saying that much work needed to be done to thwart retaliation in the ranks. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who clashed with McCaskill during the original passage of the reforms a year ago, said the Pentagon's report showing 62 percent of women in the military who reported being harassed or attacked a ""screaming red flag."" She and allies are making last-minute attempts to take commanders more out of the loop. Proponents of that plan say commanders sometimes protect those serving under them. But McCaskill and others say it's important to keep commanders in the chain of command. McCaskill said she also was concerned about the high number of service members when reported retaliation after reporting, but noted that a majority of the retaliation was ""peer to peer."" The reforms she co-authored made it a crime under military justice to retaliate against someone who alleged assault. McCaskill said the Pentagon is expected to report in April the number of service members prosecuted for retaliation. McCaskill said the Pentagon survey showed confidence in the rank-and-file on how the new reforms were working and that refuted the argument for taking commanders out of the process,. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/claire-mccaskill-numbers-on-military-sexual-assaults-going-the-right-way,Claire McCaskill: Numbers on military sexual assaults going the right way,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Claire McCaskill: Numbers on military sexual assaults going the right way Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Steve Kraske Sexual assaults in the military: down. Reports of incidents: up. “Exactly the combination we’re looking for,” said Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill as new legislation on military sexual assaults that she sponsored takes hold. The U.S. military on Thursday is expected to issue a new report on the latest assault statistics. Those stats are expected to show the combination McCaskill outlined. “Assuming news accounts are correct — reporting of assaults being up and incidents of assault being down are exactly the combination we’re looking for,” McCaskill said in a statement. “I’m sure there’s more work to do, and I’m anxious to hear how victims feel about the services and support offered to them when they report an assault.” Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article4271726.html#storylink=cpy Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/fighting-fraud-against-seniors,Fighting fraud against seniors,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Fighting fraud against seniors Thursday, December 4, 2014 In her ongoing effort to protect seniors from scam artists, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill last week questioned prepaid debit card companies and retail stores on their role in preventing consumers — particularly seniors — from falling victim to phone scams in a hearing in the Senate Special Committee on Aging. While in the past, the committee and McCaskill’s Consumer Protection Subcommittee have heard from law enforcement, regulators and phone companies, McCaskill used this hearing to shed light on the role of the private sector in stopping fraudsters from using prepaid debit products or wire transfer services to trick consumers into sending them money. “The use of prepaid products to help scammers defraud customers is rising year to year,” McCaskill said. “So while the prepaid debit card companies aren’t the problem, because they are the front lines — interacting directly with the consumer — they are in an ideal position to be a part of the solution.” McCaskill, chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection Panel, pressed witnesses on the level of industry-wide coordination of best practices and standards to combat fraud at the point of sale, the degree to which private companies collaborate with law enforcement and the extent to which consumers are protected from fraud when they buy prepaid products. McCaskill previously chaired a hearing on phone scams — or “robocalls” — and next month plans to introduce legislation designed to combat robocalls by strengthening enforcement authorities, better preventing the falsification of caller ID information to commit fraud, and encouraging telecommunications providers to more aggressively implement technologies to stop fraudulent calls from reaching consumers in the first place. As much as $649 million may have been lost to phone scams in 2013 alone and according to a study by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, nearly one in five seniors has been a victim of elder financial abuse. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/house-nears-passage-of-585b-defense-bill,House nears passage of $585B defense bill,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"House nears passage of $585B defense bill Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Donna Cassata The House on Thursday headed toward passage of a $585 billion defense policy bill that gives President Barack Obama the authority to expand U.S. military operations against Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria. The sweeping legislation authorizes spending for the nation's defense, from construction of ships, planes and war-fighting equipment to a 1 percent pay raise for the troops, while maintaining the prohibition on transferring terror suspects from the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States. The bipartisan legislation traditionally garners strong support, but several lawmakers complained that they were barred from a fresh vote on authorizing military force. In an effort to expedite the bill in the lame-duck session, leadership allowed no amendments. ""These wars deserve a debate,"" said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. ""We're getting more deeply involved in the war in Iraqand Syria."" If passed as expected, the measure heads to the Senate, where Republicans are divided over the inclusion of unrelated provisions expanding wilderness areas in the West. Proponents of the bill hope to finish the bill next week and send it to Obama for his signature. This year, work on the bill has added poignancy as the chairmen of the Armed Services committees in the Senate and House are retiring. Democrat Carl Levin is leaving after representing Michigan for 36 years in the Senate; California Republican Howard ""Buck"" McKeon is stepping down after a 22-year career in the House. The bill is named for both men. The overall legislation endorses Obama's latest request to Congress in the 4-month-old war against Islamic State militants who brutally rule large sections of Iraq and Syria. Obama sought billions for the stepped-up operation and the dispatch of up to 1,500 more American troops; the bill provides $5 billion. The administration also pressed for reauthorization of its plan to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels battling the forces of President Bashar Assad, with that mandate expiring Dec. 11. The legislation would extend that authority for two years. The bill would provide the core funding of $521.3 billion for the military and $63.7 billion for overseas operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where fighting has lasted more than a decade. The bill would prohibit the retirement of the A-10 Warthog, the close-air support plane often described as ugly but invaluable. The Pentagon sought cuts in military benefits. Lawmakers compromised by agreeing to make service members pay $3 more for co-pays on prescription drugs and trimming the growth of the off-base housing allowance by 1 percent instead of the Pentagon's deeper 5 percent recommendation. The legislation would change the military justice system to deal with sexual assault cases, including scrapping the nearly century-old practice of using a ""good soldier defense"" to raise doubts that a crime has been committed. The bill includes a bipartisan plan crafted by three female senators — Democrat Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Republicans Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Deb Fischer of Nebraska — that would impose a half-dozen changes to combat the pervasive problem of rape and sexual offenses that Pentagon leaders have likened to a cancer within the ranks. The measure would give accusers a greater say in whether their cases are litigated in the military or civilian system and would establish a confidential process to allow victims to challenge their separation or discharge from the military. In addition, it would increase the accountability of commanders and extend all changes related to sexual assault cases to the service academies. Officials told The Associated Press that the number of sexual assaults reported by military service members increased 8 percent in 2014, suggesting victims are far more willing to come forward and seek help or file complaints than in years past. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pentagon-reports-on-sexual-assaults-mccaskill-looks-for-improvements,Pentagon Reports On Sexual Assaults; McCaskill Looks For Improvements,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pentagon Reports On Sexual Assaults; McCaskill Looks For Improvements Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Jim Howard The Pentagon is set to release its first report today on the effectiveness of more than 30 reforms aimed at curbing sexual assaults in the military.  Congress approved the measures last year at this time and President Barack Obama signed them into law in January.       U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., one of the sponsors of the legislation, said she’s hoping the report shows an increase in the number of reported sexual assaults because that would indicate confidence in the reforms on the part of victimized service members. Ultimately, the goal is for the military to see fewer incidents of sexual violence. McCaskill also wants to see “whether or not they feel they have been served appropriately and protected appropriately as they try to hold their perpetrators accountable.” Even before the release of the report, McCaskill told Missouri reporters Wednesday that work needs to be done. “We’ve got to continue to look at ways to improve the process and the rules around sexual assault and the uniform code of military justice, and we also have to look to make sure the reforms are working,” McCaskill said. Every year Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act for the coming year. Known as the NDAA, it establishes policy priorities for the Pentagon, as well as establishing funding levels for everything from troop strength to pay and benefits for active members of the military.  Just as with last year’s reforms, McCaskill’s new language is contained in the NDAA.  The House is expected to take up the measure as early as today, with senators voting on the legislation next week. McCaskill’s office released a primer on things to look for in the Pentagon report.  It also contains an outline of several of the key provisions approved last year, including: Commanders can no longer overturn convictions. Victims reporting a sexual assault now get their own independent lawyer. Convictions carry a mandatory minimum sentence of a dishonorable discharge. The statute of limitations has been eliminated in sexual assault cases. Key provisions of the sexual assault reforms sponsored by McCaskill in this year’s NDAA include: Eliminating the so-called “good soldier” defense under most circumstances. Allowing victims a formal say in whether their case is tried in military or civilian court. Extending protections to the military service academies. McCaskill says the additional reforms “are commonsense ways to keep empowering survivors and holding commanders accountable to curb these crimes.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pentagon-sexual-assault-claims-drop-among-military-women,Pentagon: Sexual assault claims drop among military women,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pentagon: Sexual assault claims drop among military women Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Rowan Scarborough and Jacqueline Klimas Sexual assaults in the military are down and victims are more likely to report the crime, according to the latest numbers released Thursday that advocates say show recent changes are beginning to make a dent in what had become a crisis for the Pentagon. Figures released by the Rand Corp., an independent government-supported research center, estimated that 20,000 men and women in the military’s 1.3 million active force said they were the victims last year of sexual assault — a catchall term that encompasses unwanted sexual contact, or attempts, up to and including rape. Both men and women reported fewer assaults, Rand said. Meanwhile, about 25 percent of victims said they reported the crime, up from just 10 percent two years earlier. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who has made stamping out sex crimes a top priority, declared at a press briefing that the military has seen “measurable progress” but “we still have a long way to go.” While overall reporting increased, it remained low among men, only 10 percent of whom reported the crime, suggesting “we have a long way to go in fighting the cultural stigmas that discourage reporting among men,” Mr. Hagel said. Rand reported one surprise. Its survey’s intrusive questioning found that there were “more penetrative assaults than previously thought.” Nearly half of women (4,214) who said they were assaulted, and one-third of men (3,850), were victims of “penetrative” attacks, the report said. Lawmakers largely praised the report, saying that it showed the military was listening to outrage among those on Capitol Hill, though they acknowledged there is still work to be done, especially to eliminate retaliation against those who do come forward. “The report that the Defense Department released today provides some hard evidence that we’re making progress to end the scourge of unwanted sexual contact,” said Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The steps that we have taken in Congress and in the military are having an effect.” One area where the data showed no improvement from 2012 is retaliation. More than 60 percent of victims who reported an attack perceived some form of retaliation, though most of that is social retaliation among peers, said Sen. Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat. A smaller portion of victims have seen retaliation from superiors, though even that doesn’t rise to the level of top-level commanders who are making decisions about which cases should be prosecuted, she said. Stung both by the high number of unreported assaults and several high-profile cases, Congress and the Pentagon pushed for changes last year. Among those changes were mandatory dishonorable discharges for those convicted of sexual assault and a review by the secretary of the service if a commander declined to bring a case to trial that a staff judge advocate recommended to prosecute. While many saw the report as a positive step forward, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat, said the new statistics back up her push to strip military commanders of their ability to prosecute sexual assault cases. She wants to place that decision with a military lawyer outside the chain of command, which she said will cut down on retaliation. “For a year now we have heard how the reforms in the previous defense bill were going to protect victims, and make retaliation a crime,” she said. “It should be a screaming red flag to everyone when 62 percent of those who say they reported a crime were retaliated against — nearly two-thirds — the exact same number as last year.” Ms. McCaskill, who opposes Ms. Gillibrand’s proposal, said that while retaliation is too high, the problem wasn’t commanders. She said nearly three-fourths of victims were happy with their commander’s response and would recommend other victims to report the crimes. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/this-is-what-it-looks-like-when-women-come-out-of-the-shadows,This Is What It Looks Like When Women Come Out of the Shadows,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This Is What It Looks Like When Women Come Out of the Shadows The reason for optimism amid more reports of military sexual assault Thursday, December 4, 2014 By:  Eliza Gray It could be easy to get discouraged reading about the Pentagon survey Thursday that found reports of sexual assault in the American military are on the rise. But a closer look at the numbers gives reason for optimism: There are more reports of assault because more women are reporting those assaults rather than staying silent. “This is a remarkable change in terms of victims being willing to talk to people in the military about what happened to them,” Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), one of the key advocates of military sexual assault reform in Washington, said Thursday afternoon at a news conference with fellow lawmakers. Reported assaults hit 5,983 in the 2014 fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, up 8% from last year and up from 3,604 in 2012. But the proportion of service members who said they were assaulted decreased by roughly 27%. Among those who were assaulted, one in four reported it, a sharp increase from one in 10 in 2012. MORE: The sexual assault crisis on America’s campuses Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes in the U.S. because of the stigma survivors face. Raising the rates of reporting, therefore, is a key goal as reformers look to hold perpetrators accountable and reduce the number of assaults. That was true for Congress when it passed a number of reforms to the military’s handling of sexual assault over the last several months. And the rise in reports, along with promising responses from victims about being satisfied by the way their cases were handled, indicates a shift in culture that is moving in the right direction. The military isn’t the only institution that has seen an increased culture of reporting: higher education is moving in this direction, too. Earlier this year, a government report showed that the number of sex crimes reported by colleges themselves rose 52 percent between 2001 and 2011, with a particularly sharp rise in 2010 and 2011. MORE: Here’s the real reason college sex reports are rising The military report was not all good news. Reports of retaliation remained high, especially among peers, raising questions about how much better the broader culture in the military really is. But at a moment when awareness of violence against women has hit a high water mark after highly publicized incidents on campuses, in the military, in professional sports and in Hollywood, Thursday’s news holds out promise that victims will continue to feel more empowered to come out of the shadows across the country. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/photos/mccaskill-ayotte-fischer-levin-hold-press-conference-reacting-to-military-report-on-sexual-assaults,"McCaskill, Ayotte, Fischer, Levin Hold Press Conference Reacting to Military Report on Sexual Assaults",2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, Kelly Ayotte, Deb Fischer, and Carl Levin held a press conference today to react to a new report that show a drop in the number of sexual assaults in the U.S. military, combined with an increase in the number of victims coming forward to report such assaults.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/mccaskill-ayotte-fischer-levin-react-to-military-report-on-sexual-assaults,"McCaskill, Ayotte, Fischer, Levin React to Military Report on Sexual Assaults",2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, Kelly Ayotte, Deb Fischer, and Carl Levin will hold a press conference today at approximately 2:45pm ET to react to a new report that media accounts say will...",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/auto-safety-nominee-wants-finer-data-tools,Auto Safety Nominee Wants Finer Data Tools,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Auto Safety Nominee Wants Finer Data Tools Wednesday, December 3, 2014 By:  Matthew L. Wald WASHINGTON — President Obama’s choice to lead the nation’s top auto safety agency told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the agency, long criticized for failing to spot defects in cars, now faces so many consumer complaints that it has trouble keeping up. “We’re not even talking about connecting the dots, we’re just talking about the overload of having that many,” said Mark R. Rosekind, at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. The number of annual complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recently jumped to 75,000 from 45,000, or about 60 percent, he said, with only nine people to analyze them. And there are only 16 field investigators, he said. But Dr. Rosekind added that the problem was not just the number of data analysts, and he pointed to other industries that may offer innovative ways to interpret the data. For example, he said that aerospace and food safety organizations have well-developed ways for spotting problems among masses of data; government needs to take advantage of advanced technology like that, he said. Dr. Rosekind’s nomination comes at a time of uncertainty and turmoil at the agency, which has been without a permanent leader for nearly a year. The safety agency faces an internal review of its operations by the Transportation Department, its parent agency, as well as an investigation by that department’s inspector general. At the same time, the auto industry has increasingly become engulfed in a safety crisis, spurred by revelations that General Motors failed for more than a decade to a disclose a dangerous defect in millions of older cars that it has now linked to 36 deaths. More than 50 million vehicles — a record number — have been recalled in the United States this year. Dr. Rosekind, a psychologist who is a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, which analyzes accidents and makes recommendations, received a mostly friendly response from both Democrats and Republicans. But several lawmakers took the opportunity to urge Dr. Rosekind, if he is confirmed, to take a harder line with automakers and their suppliers. “These companies are way more afraid of a civil lawsuit than they are of N.H.T.S.A,” said Senator Claire McCaskill, the Missouri Democrat who presided over the hearing. “I think it’s really important that you keep that at the top of your list in terms of priorities. If you are not feared and respected, then you cannot do a good job.” She added, “I don’t think N.H.T.S.A. is either feared or respected at this point.” She pointed to the refusal of the Takata Corporation, an airbag manufacturer, to expand a recall that has been limited to certain geographic areas to the rest of the nation, despite the urgings of the safety agency. While there was no apparent opposition to Dr. Rosekind’s nomination, it was not clear whether the Senate would act before the session ends. But the ranking Republican member of the committee, John Thune of South Dakota, reiterated his criticism of the White House for leaving the post vacant for so long. The highway safety agency’s last permanent administrator, David L. Strickland, a former Senate committee staff member, quit nearly a year ago to take a job with a Washington law firm, part of a flow of government officials into the private sector, where they do work for the companies they formerly regulated. When Mr. Strickland left, in January, David J. Friedman took over as acting administrator, only eight months after he arrived at the agency, and served in that job until August of this year. Before coming into government service, he had worked on fuel economy and safety issues at an environmental group, the Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Rosekind’s opening statement mostly discussed auto safety, which has been the subject of multiple congressional hearings. He told the committee that safety was “a very personal priority for me since my earliest days,” because his father, a San Francisco police officer, was killed in the line of duty by a driver who ran a red light. “Through this single and profound event in my own life, I share in the individual and personal stories of so many people who have been affected by preventable tragedy on our roadways,” he said. Dr. Rosekind has been one of the five members of the National Transportation Safety Board since June 2010. Before that, he had his own consulting company, Alertness Solutions, for 12 years, and before that, he was the director of the fatigue countermeasures program at NASA’s Ames Research Center. A psychologist trained at Stanford and Yale, he completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship program in sleep and chronobiology at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. One issue frequently confronting the National Transportation Safety Board, and on which Dr. Rosekind has often shown expertise in public hearings, is how automatic systems can present information to a human operator. With the approach of automotive collision-warning systems and even self-driving cars, N.H.T.S.A. will face those issues, too. Already it is trying to position itself to regulate electronics in cars that could distract drivers. The N.T.S.B. is an independent agency, with no regulatory authority, and Dr. Rosekind had no administrative responsibilities. The agency that Dr. Rosekind has been nominated to head, which has an annual budget of about $800 million, sets various standards for cars and highways. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-building-trust-between-police-community-is-a-national-problem,"McCaskill: Building Trust Between Police, Community Is A National Problem",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill: Building Trust Between Police, Community Is A National Problem Wednesday, December 3, 2014 By:  Jim Howard For months following Michael Brown’s shooting, the national and international media have focused on Ferguson and the St. Louis region. But when the White House held meetings earlier this week to discuss questions raised by the shooting and the decision not to indict the police officer who shot Brown, it did not invite any elected, community, faith or law enforcement leaders from Missouri.  The president did meet briefly with several young activists from the St. Louis area and other parts of the country, but one participant says the president mostly listened and did not respond directly to their stories.  U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., does not see the omission of Missouri leaders from the meetings as a slight. While area leaders do have much to share the rest of the country, McCaskill said she believes the White House is deliberately trying to broaden the current focus on policing and race away from recent events in Ferguson and onto a broader national conversation. “They’ve gotten an awful lot of input from St. Louis and Ferguson and they have not had as much input from the rest of the country that also has a serious problem,” said McCaskill. She also said the White House was trying to “take some of the pressure off the people in Ferguson and St. Louis, by making the country realize, this isn’t just about buildings burning in Ferguson… last week, but this is a much broader question.” McCaskill added that “most of the people who are going to be key in working on this issue have spent a lot of time with the people of Ferguson.”  Specifically, McCaskill said that Ron Davis, the director of the Justice Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services Office, “has been on the ground in Ferguson for a great deal of time,” along with several members of the Justice Department’s community relations team.  Davis has also been named to the president’s Task Force on 21st-Century Policing, which is supposed to recommend how to build trust between local police departments and the communities they serve.  The president wants those recommendations on his desk within 90 days.  In addition to Davis, the White House named two individuals respected in both law enforcement and the civil rights community as co-chairs: Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who also serves as president of the Major Cities Chiefs of Police Association; and Laurie Robinson, a professor at George Mason University and a former assistant attorney general. To date, the White House has not named any other members of the task force, nor has it said when it will.  McCaskill said she is hopeful that a Missourian will be named to the panel.  “I have made suggestions to them of names I think would be terrific,” she said. Lessons learned on community policing In a phone call with Missouri reporters Wednesday morning, McCaskill said that as she looks back over the past several months, “one of the biggest mistakes the country made was to move away from the very aggressive efforts that were made during the '90s in community policing.”  One major problem, said McCaskill, is the “us versus them mentality of policing.” “The vast majority of police officers are only trying to protect people in all neighborhoods from crime, but how they do that, and whether or not they are seen as part of the community, or as an adversary force, is really important,” she said. In an effort to illustrate the importance and value of community policing, McCaskill says she asks business leaders whether they know the names of any Ferguson police officers or whether they’ve ever invited an officer responsible for patrolling in their neighborhoods to be part of a business meeting. McCaskill says the country needs to re-establish a sense of belonging through community policing. An officer needs to be “seen as part of the community rather than by some, as a bully, somebody who is harassing people as opposed to someone who is there to protect the vast majority of citizens who just want to go to work… raise their children… and don’t want to be victims of crime.” As a prosecutor in Kansas City in the 1990s, McCaskill said she saw how community policing “worked in very, very crime-ridden neighborhoods.  I saw how the neighborhoods came together to support the police because the police were there as members of their community, not there as someone who had an us-versus-them mentality.”  She says she plans “to see if I can push the needle in that direction, toward more community police work.”   Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/nfl-brass-admits-it-made-crucial-mistake,NFL brass admits it made 'crucial mistake',2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"NFL brass admits it made 'crucial mistake' Troy Vincent testifies before Senate committee Wednesday, December 3, 2014 By:  Sara Fischer WASHINGTON (CNN) —During a surprisingly emotional appearance before a congressional panel on Tuesday, Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, admitted the league made a ""crucial mistake"" in its initial punishment of Ray Rice and got choked up when describing his commitment to improving their policies. ""I've committed my life, worked for the last 20 years as an advocate against domestic violence in an effort to keep others from experiencing this lifetime pain,"" Vincent said, his voice strained. ""I relate to the twenty million victims -- survivors -- of domestic violence, sexual abuse, in every community across our great nation."" Under pointed questioning from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, and Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, who serve on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, before which Vincent appeared, the NFL executive admitted the league should have acted sooner in punishing the Baltimore Ravens running back. Rice was seen in two separate videos assaulting his then-fiancee, now wife, Janay Rice. The NFL initially handed down a two-game suspension for the star, before deciding to rethink the punishment and suspend him indefinitely. ""I don't think there was a need for a second video to impose a proper discipline,"" Vincent told Thune, the committee's top Republican. ""We failed in that particular area ... we made a critical mistake."" The first video, posted by TMZ in January, shows Rice dragging the unconscious Janay out of a hotel elevator. The second video, released in September, shows Rice hitting her with such great force that it knocks her unconscious, before he proceeds to drag her out of the elevator. The league has consistently denied that it saw the second video before it was posted online by TMZ. But, as Thune pointed out in the hearing, the league admitted in a June testimony that it suspected that a full video of the incident did exist. Vincent said regardless of whether the league had access to the video, or knew of its existence, it should have taken action sooner. ""As we look at our personal conduct policy, we failed,"" Vincent said. ""The commissioner failed to impose the proper Ray Rice penalty in the beginning."" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has also denied having ever been granted access to the second video, telling CBS in September, ""We asked for anything that's pertinent, but we were never granted that opportunity."" According to Vincent, the NFL is working to hard reform their process of dealing with issues of domestic violence, with the goal of both preventing and punishing such misbehavior. ""We believe that wearing a uniform of NFL player is a privilege,"" he said. ""It is not a right. Every member of the NFL community must embrace this unique leadership role that we play in our society and the trust that you place in us."" But at the same time, Vincent stressed his commitment to ensuring that players receive fair due process. ""I support the interests of all players in a fair process,"" Vincent said. ""I have led these efforts. I know that a majority of our current and former players are terrific husbands, fathers and men who have made incredible contributions to their communities."" Vincent said he expects the full investigation into the Ray Rice episode to conclude ""at any time"" and he believes the report will be made public. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/nominee-pledges-tough-approach-to-auto-safety,Nominee Pledges Tough Approach to Auto Safety,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Nominee Pledges Tough Approach to Auto Safety Nominee Pledges Tough Approach to Auto Safety Wednesday, December 3, 2014 By:  Siobhan Hughes WASHINGTON— Mark Rosekind, nominated to be the top U.S. auto-safety regulator, pledged to lawmakers on Wednesday that he would bring a “fresh set of eyes” to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aiming to turn the page on a difficult period for the agency. The Senate is racing to confirm Mr. Rosekind, a fatigue scientist, before Congress adjourns for the year amid frustration that the agency missed multiple opportunities to identify safety defects. NHTSA for years either overlooked or failed to grasp evidence identifying a deadly ignition-switch defect in General Motors Co. vehicles, according to a congressional report that was released earlier this year. A new crisis emerged more recently amid revelations of exploding Takata Corp. air bags that are used in millions of vehicles. Many lawmakers believe the car industry simply doesn’t take NHTSA seriously. “If confirmed, you have my commitment that I will maintain an aggressive focus on continuing to improve NHTSA’s safety record,” Mr. Rosekind told the Senate Commerce Committee. “To this task, I will bring a fresh set of eyes and a different perspective honed over the years as a safety professional and manager.” Senators appeared generally receptive to Mr. Rosekind but cautioned that he’s taking on an agency with a big task at a time when a spate of deadly defects has rattled the industry and its regulators. “If you are not feared and respected, then you cannot do a good job,” Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), who chaired the hearing, told the nominee. Drawing on his experience as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Mr. Rosekind replied with detailed answers about the types of workers, systems, and safety culture that he wanted to bring to the agency. In the process, he appeared to be making an early plea for increased resources for an agency that some Democratic lawmakers feel is understaffed and overwhelmed. Over and over, Mr. Rosekind flagged that the number of complaints pouring in to NHTSA has jumped to 75,000 a year from 45,000, but said that only nine staffers were assigned to look at the complaints. He also said that the regulator needed to think about a better use of computer systems to improve its ability to sift through the data. “It’s not just about the individual personnel, but it’s the technology,” Mr. Rosekind said. With only nine people in a defects-investigation office reviewing a complaint database, “we’re not even talking about connecting the dots; we’re just talking about the overload of having that many complaints.” The top job at NHTSA has gone unfilled for almost a year, complicating congressional efforts to hold the agency accountable. The man who has been the face of the agency for the past year, David Friedman, frequently frustrated lawmakers with his answers to their questions, like when he declined to label stalls a serious safety issue, on the grounds that drivers might be able to safely steer their vehicles to the side of the road. During his tenure, NHTSA also initially supported limiting recalls of cars with certain Takata air bags to some hot and humid regions, based on the available data. “You have to go with the data,” Mr. Rosekind said in response to a question from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) about whether such a regional recall made sense. But when data don’t exist, “that is where common sense and other kinds of decision making need to come in,” Mr. Rosekind said. The son of a San Francisco police officer who was killed in the line of duty by a driver who ran a red light, Mr. Rosekind emphasized the importance of putting names and faces to auto deaths. He also said that while it was important to correctly identify safety problems, the work didn't stop there. “None of it matters, if it doesn’t get fixed,” Mr. Rosekind said. The response was aimed at Democratic senators who are frustrated that the auto industry has stopped short of conducting complete recalls. Their ire was trained most recently on Takata, which has resisted a demand from regulators to expand a recall to include driver-side air bags on a nationwide basis. Takata has argued that available data don’t support the need for a broader repair campaign or pinpoint a safety defect. “We cannot be shy; we cannot withhold all of the tools to help,” Mr. Rosekind said. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pro-sports-under-new-pressure-on-domestic-violence,Pro sports under new pressure on domestic violence,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pro sports under new pressure on domestic violence Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Major league sports faced new pressure from Congress to clamp down on domestic violence. Officials from the top four professional leagues and their players associations testified Tuesday at a Senate hearing where senators expected a better turnout, CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports. The committee's ranking Republican member was critical of all four leagues for not sending their commissioners to the hearing. The NFL's executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, was there instead of commissioner Roger Goodell. Vincent became emotional during his testimony on a topic that, for him, hits close to home. ""I relate to the 20 million victims, survivors, of domestic violence,"" Vincent said. Vincent said abuse was a way of life growing up -- his mother was beaten as he and his brother watched. The former all-pro cornerback now works in the league's front office and admitted they made mistakes in how they handled the discipline of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice punched his then-fiancee in a casino elevator and was originally suspended two games. The league made that suspension indefinite after video of the incident surfaced. Just last week, Rice won his appeal and was reinstated to the NFL. ""We've accepted the criticism we've received, and we are committed to being part of the solution,"" Vincent said. But the problem is not isolated to football. Vincent was joined by representatives from the NBA, MLB and NHL, as well as their players unions. Each talked about what they are doing to curb violence off the playing field. Sen. Claire McCaskill voiced her frustration that while individual teams have taken action against baseball players who were charged with abuse -- the league has not. ""Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has never sanctioned an MLB player for domestic violence, never in 22 years,"" McCaskill said. Since the Rice incident, other leagues have been more proactive with punishment. The NBA suspended Jeffery Taylor for 24 games without pay in November after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. And the NHL suspended a Los Angeles Kings player in October after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse. On Tuesday the NHL slapped the LA Kings with a $100,000 fine after that player violated his suspension by participating in a team practice. In a statement the Kings said, ""This was clearly a mistake ... It is incumbent upon us to be more vigilant in managing this situation."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/reports-of-unwanted-sexual-contact-in-military-drop-27,Reports of unwanted sexual contact in military drop 27%,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Reports of unwanted sexual contact in military drop 27% Wednesday, December 3, 2014 By:  Tom Vanden Brook WASHINGTON — The number of troops reporting unwanted sexual contact dropped 27% to 19,000 in 2014 compared with 2012, according to Pentagon figures obtained by USA TODAY. The statistics for overall reporting are based on an estimate of the total military population. They are called overall prevalence reports. Meanwhile, the number of troops reporting sexual assaults jumped 63% over the same period to 4,608 from 2,828 in 2010. Despite the lower numbers of unwanted contact, 62% of women who experienced and reported unwanted sexual contact — anything from groping to rape — said they had been retaliated against, most saying they felt social retaliation from peers or co-workers. Moreover, in 2010, almost the same number of troops — 19,300 troops — reported unwanted sexual contact as in 2014. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the statistics indicated deep-seated problems that require reform. She has advocated reforms that would remove commanders' authority over sexual assault cases. ""Let me be clear, a estimate of 20,000 cases of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact a year in our military, or 55 cases a day, is appalling, and remains at 2010 levels,"" Gillibrand said in a statement. ""There is no other mission in the world for our military where this much failure would be allowed. Enough is enough, last December the President said he would give the military and previous reforms a year to work and it is clear they have failed in their mission."" The lower number of reported unwanted sexual contact indicates the military has begun to turn the tide on the crisis, according to a senior Defense Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report is being released on Thursday. There are fewer assaults, and troops are reporting more often because they feel more confident that their commanders will take the complaints seriously, the official said. Last year, President Obama asked for the report and demanded progress, saying reforms would be likely if none was made. ""If I do not see the kind of progress I expect,"" Obama said last year, ""then we will consider additional reforms that may be required to eliminate this crime from our military ranks and protect our brave service members who stand guard for us every day at home and around the world."" The issue of sexual assault among troops took on urgency in 2013 when the Pentagon released the report showing an estimated 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact in 2012, which ranges from groping to rape. That represented an increase of one-third compared with approximately 19,300 cases reported in 2010. A number of high-profile cases, including Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair's court-martial for sexual assault, fueled calls for reform in the military justice system. Changes in federal law since then have changed the way the military handles sexual assault cases. Commanders can no longer overturn jury convictions, an issue that gained notoriety in 2012 when an Air Force general threw out a rape verdict against a pilot in his command. In Congress, two camps have formed to change the way the military deals with sexual assault among troops. One, led by Gillibrand, D-N.Y., would remove commanders' authority to decide the cases that go to trial and created a separate system for dealing with sexual assault cases. The other faction, fronted by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and largely supported by the Pentagon, includes requiring civilian review of decisions made by commanders to decline to prosecute cases. ""Pending the report's public release tomorrow, assuming news accounts are correct — reporting of assaults being up and incidents of assault being down are exactly the outcomes we're looking for,"" McCaskill said. ""I'm sure there's more work to do, and I'm anxious to hear how victims feel about the services and support offered to them when they report an assault."" The crisis also prompted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to order each service branch to re-screen troops in ""positions of trust,"" posts in which they hold sway over subordinates. Army investigators combed through more records of 20,000 soldiers and disqualified 588 of them, and sought to kick nearly 80 from the Army entirely. Sinclair, the Army general tried for sexual assault, took a plea deal to avoid jail time. He acknowledged an extramarital affair with a subordinate and was forced to retire at the rank of lieutenant colonel and fined $20,000. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senators-mccaskill-blunt-to-postal-service-postpone-planned-closings-of-mail-facilities,"Senators McCaskill, Blunt to Postal Service: Postpone Planned Closings of Mail Facilities",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators McCaskill, Blunt to Postal Service: Postpone Planned Closings of Mail Facilities Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Missouri U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, along with a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues, has demanded a delay in the planned consolidation of up to 82 U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail processing facilities after the USPS Inspector General found the Postal Service failed to fulfil its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations, and failed to inform the public of those impacts. “We strongly urge the USPS to delay implementation of any mail processing consolidations until feasibility studies are completed and there has been adequate time for public comment and consideration of those comments,” the senators wrote. “Completed feasibility studies should include service standard impacts worksheets based on the revised service standards expected to be published on Jan. 5, 2015. There is no reason that the USPS cannot delay its consolidations to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets. It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary time line.” The letter was signed by more than 20 senators. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/defense-bill-includes-mccaskill-ayotte-fischers-additional_reforms-to-continue-curbing-sexual-assaults-in-the-us-military,Defense Bill Includes McCaskill-Ayotte-Fischer’s Additional Reforms to Continue Curbing Sexual Assaults in the U.S. Military,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Defense Bill Includes McCaskill-Ayotte-Fischer’s Additional Reforms to Continue Curbing Sexual Assaults in the U.S. Military After last year’s defense bill enacted historic reforms to the military justice system, supplemental reforms in the bipartisan Victims Protection Act take a step closer to final passage Wednesday, December 3, 2014 WASHINGTON – One year after Congress passed into law sweeping changes to how the military justice system handles sexual violence, the U.S. Senate and House will soon vote on a bipartisan package of additional reforms sponsored by U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), and Deb Fischer (Neb.). The current version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act will include provisions of the Senators’ bipartisan Victims Protection Act—a set of policies to supplement those that were already enacted in last year’s annual defense bill. The Victims Protection Act would: Eliminate the “good soldier” defense for servicemembers accused of sexual assault under most circumstances, Allow victims formal input on whether their case is tried in military or civilian court, Allow survivors to challenge their discharge or separation from service, Strengthen the role of the prosecutor in advising commanders on going to court-martial, Boost accountability of commanders for setting appropriate command climate, And extend protections to the Military Service Academies. The Victims Protection Act received unanimous approval in the Senate earlier this year, but had not yet received consideration in the U.S. House. The Senate and House will vote on the final negotiated version of the defense bill—including these new reforms—in the coming days. The Pentagon is also presenting a report this week to President Obama on progress combatting sexual violence in the ranks. “A year ago, a sexual assault survivor in the U.S. military faced a daunting landscape, but things are different now,” said McCaskill, a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes and senior member of the Armed Services Committee. “We’re already seeing positive signs as a result of the historic reforms we passed last year—but even if this week's report shows the continued progress we're hoping for, these additional reforms are commonsense ways to keep empowering survivors, and holding commanders accountable to curb these crimes.” “These measures are important steps that will build on the reforms passed last year to prevent sexual assaults in our military, strengthen prosecution of such crimes, and provide victims with the support, care, and resources they need. Our legislation changes the status quo by holding commanders more accountable for treating victims with dignity and respect, and helps ensure that perpetrators will be fully prosecuted under the law. Our bill also removes the ‘good soldier defense,' so that defendants are prosecuted based on the evidence and nothing else,"" said Ayotte. “We remain committed to ensuring that victims are supported, and I will continue to closely scrutinize our military's progress in implementing these reforms.” “Though we have already passed a series of significant, historic reforms to curb sexual assault in the ranks, we remain focused on achieving the intended results,” Senator Fischer said. “I am encouraged by the impact these changes have made: reporting is up and assaults are down. This is precisely the goal of our legislative efforts. We will continue to promote policies, like those within our Victims Protection Act, that empower victims and hold perpetrators accountable.” As part of last year’s annual defense bill: Commanders were stripped of the ability to overturn convictions, and are now held accountable under rigorous new standards. Every victim who reports a sexual assault gets their own independent lawyer to protect their rights and fight for their interests—a reform that has no parallel in the civilian justice system. Civilian review is now required if a commander decides against a prosecution in a sexual assault case when a prosecutor wants to go to trial. Dishonorable discharge is now a required minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a sexual assault. It is now a crime for any servicemember to retaliate against a victim who reports a sexual assault. The pre-trial “Article 32” process, which came under scrutiny following a recent case at the Naval Academy, has been reformed to better protect victims. And the statute of limitations in these cases has now been eliminated, a particularly important development in a sustained battle against sexual assaults. As these reforms have been implemented across the military, the Pentagon recently released figures showing a spike in reporting of sexual assaults, indicating increasing confidence in the military justice system from victims of sexual assault. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/initial-reports-sexual-assaults-down-reporting-of-crimes-up-mccaskill-this-is-exactly-the-combination-were-looking-for,"Initial Reports: Sexual Assaults Down, Reporting of Crimes Up— McCaskill: ‘This is exactly the combination we’re looking for’",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Initial Reports: Sexual Assaults Down, Reporting of Crimes Up— McCaskill: ‘This is exactly the combination we’re looking for’ Senator reacts to news accounts that military will show incidents of sexual violence have dropped while rate of victims coming forward has gone up Wednesday, December 3, 2014 WASHINGTON – Initial news accounts tonight indicate that a comprehensive report to be issued tomorrow by the U.S. military will show a drop in the number of sexual assaults combined with a rise in the number of victims willing to come forward to report such crimes. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes and senior member of the Armed Services Committee released the following statement: “Pending the report’s public release tomorrow, assuming news accounts are correct—reporting of assaults being up and incidents of assault being down are exactly the combination we’re looking for. I’m sure there’s more work to do, and I’m anxious to hear how victims feel about the services and support offered to them when they report an assault.” Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/violence to learn more about McCaskill's fight to curb sexual violence.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-backs-bipartisan-effort-to-protect-military-families-from-financial-abuse,McCaskill Backs Bipartisan Effort to Protect Military Families from Financial Abuse,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill Backs Bipartisan Effort to Protect Military Families from Financial Abuse Senator joins 39 Senate colleagues in support of plan to close loopholes in the Military Lending Act Wednesday, December 3, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has joined a bipartisan group of 40 Senators in a letter of support sent to the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding a plan to better protect troops and their families from financial abuse. The letter, sent to U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, expresses strong support for the proposed new rule to help prevent lenders from charging excessive fees and taking advantage of military families. Congress originally passed the Military Lending Act (MLA) following a 2006 Pentagon report that found that “predatory lending undermines military readiness, harms the morale of troops and their families, and adds to the cost of fielding an all-volunteer fighting force.”  This law capped the annual interest rates for consumer credit to service members and their dependents at 36% while giving Defense Department the authority to define what loans should be covered.  In 2007, the Department implemented regulations that narrowly applied to only three types of loans: (1) one-time payday loans for less than $2000, (2) closed-end vehicle title loans of fewer than 181 days, and (3) tax refund anticipation loans. In the proposed changes to the MLA, first announced in September, DOD seeks to close existing loopholes in the current MLA rule.  Today’s letter voices strong support for the proposed rule, arguing that the changes strike a better balance between protecting service members and their families while maintaining access to good credit.  “As our service members are asked to take on even more tasks in defense of our nation, we should take every opportunity to protect them and their families here at home, especially from unscrupulous lenders,” the Senators wrote.  “We strongly support the proposed MLA rule and urge that the final MLA rule be similarly robust in enhancing protections for service members and their families, producing significant cost savings for DOD, and improving military readiness.” McCaskill, the daughter of a WWII veteran, has led numerous efforts to increase accountability and quality of veterans services, including launching a veterans customer satisfaction survey in Missouri, leading an investigation that revealed mismanagement of POW/MIA recovery efforts and subsequently authoring an amendment to restructure DOD’s management of POW/MIA matters. The comment period for the proposed rule ends on December 26, 2014. The full text of the letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is available below: The Honorable Chuck Hagel Secretary U.S. Department of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301-1000 Re: Limitations on Terms of Consumer Credit Extended to Service members and Dependents Docket ID: DoD-2013-OS-0133 Dear Mr. Secretary:             We are writing in response to the Department of Defense (DOD) proposal to update the implementing rules for the Military Lending Act (MLA).             By enacting the MLA as part of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, Congress sent a clear bipartisan message that protecting service members and their families from predatory and high cost lending was of paramount importance to their financial security and military readiness. This concern was reiterated in the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which stated that “the conferees are concerned that the Department must remain vigilant to eliminate continuing, evolving predatory lending practices targeting service members and their families, and believe the Department should review its regulations implementing section 987, to address changes in the industry and the evolution of lending products offered since 2007, continuing use of predatory marketing practices, and other abuses identified by consumer protection advocates, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs.” As a result of this required review of the current MLA rule, DOD in its proposal now recommends closing existing MLA loopholes.  We believe this strikes a significantly better balance than the current MLA rule between protecting service members and their families on the one hand and maintaining access to non-predatory credit on the other.  As such, this proposal also does a much better job of reflecting Congressional intent.  Specifically, we support the proposal to expand the MLA’s “definition of ‘consumer credit’ to cover a broader range of closed-end and open-end credit products.”  In so doing, the rule proposes that these products be treated in a manner generally consistent with the decades-old requirements of the Truth in Lending Act.  This comprehensive approach is essential to preventing future evasions.  As DOD notes in its proposed rule, “the extremely narrow definition of ‘consumer credit’ permits creditors to structure credit products in order to reduce or avoid altogether the obligations of the MLA.”  For example, MLA protections currently can be avoided by simply adding a day to the term of a payday loan or by lending just one additional cent so that the payday loan no longer qualifies as “consumer credit” subject to the MLA protections.    Contrary to Congressional intent, these evasions threaten military readiness.  According to DOD, “each separation of a service member is estimated to cost the Department $57,333, and the Department estimates that each year approximately 4,703 to 7,957 service members are involuntarily separated due to financial distress.”  In addition to the estimated cost savings DOD has identified, we give great weight and deference to DOD’s statement that the proposed MLA rule “would reduce non-quantifiable costs associated with financial strains on service members. High-cost debt can detract from mission focus, reduce productivity, and require the attention of supervisors and commanders.”  As a result, we strongly agree with DOD’s view that the proposed MLA rule not only has the potential to produce substantial cost savings, but also enhance military readiness. In August of last year, a number of us wrote, “service members and their families deserve the strongest possible protections and swift action to ensure that all forms of credit offered to members of our armed forces are safe and sound.”  Indeed, as our service members are asked to take on even more tasks in defense of our nation, we should take every opportunity to protect them and their families here at home, especially from unscrupulous lenders.  For all these reasons, we strongly support the proposed MLA rule and urge that the final MLA rule be similarly robust in enhancing protections for service members and their families, producing significant cost savings for DOD, and improving military readiness. Sincerely, Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/veterans to read highlights of McCaskill’s work to deliver for veterans.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-to-auto-safety-nominee-agency-must-be-feared-and-respected-,McCaskill to Auto Safety Nominee: Agency Must Be ‘feared and respected’,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill to Auto Safety Nominee: Agency Must Be ‘feared and respected’ After GM ignition switch and Takata airbag recalls, Senator questions transportation expert and nominee Dr. Mark Rosekind on better oversight for safety agency Wednesday, December 3, 2014 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned Dr. Mark Rosekind, who has been nominated to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on how the agency can better exercise authority and oversight of the auto industry, in light of ignition switch problems at General Motors and airbag malfunctions at Takata that have both been linked to a number of consumer deaths. “It’s become fairly clear to me in the hearings we’ve had on both the ignition switches at GM and the Takata hearing, that these companies are way more afraid of a civil lawsuit than they are of NHTSA,” said McCaskill, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance. “And I think it’s really important that you keep that at the top of your list, in terms of priorities. If you are not feared and respected, then you cannot do a good job policing the safety of automobiles in this country. You have to be feared and respected. And I don’t think NHTSA is feared or respected at this point.” McCaskill also questioned Carlos Monje Jr., nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the Department of Transportation, on how to improve the safety of crude oil moving by rail, and communication with first responders in the event of an accident in a major metropolitan area. “Kansas City and St. Louis are the second and third largest freight rail hubs in the country. And obviously we are very aware of the increase in the movement of crude by rail across our country. It is one of the reasons I support the [Keystone] pipeline, because I think that product is going to move, we’re not going to stop it from coming out of the ground. So the question is, how do we move it a way that is most safe, both to the environment and to the people of this county?” McCaskill requested the Committee expedite the confirmation process for the nominees, in order to have an opportunity to confirm them before the end of the year. Earlier this year, McCaskill led the Senate’s investigation into recent recalls at General Motors. McCaskill led three Senate hearings into issues surrounding 2.6 million vehicles recalled for defective ignition switches that have been linked to a number of deaths, and also held a hearing on bipartisan rental car safety legislation that she has introduced.  In November, McCaskill called on the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against Takata, an airbag company which identified and then covered up airbag safety problems that resulted in five deaths. McCaskill subsequently grilled automakers on their lackluster response to the more than 14 million vehicles currently subject to recalls or service campaigns due to airbag rupture risks. Continuing her support for whistleblower protections and auto safety, McCaskill recently announced her support for a bipartisan bill to reduce the number of Americans killed or who suffer serious injury as a result of unreported defects in automotive products. The bill, cosponsored by Republican Senator John Thune and Democratic Senator Bill Nelson, incentivizes employees in the automotive industry to voluntarily report faulty products to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect American consumers. ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/photos/mccaskill-to-auto-safety-nominee-agency-must-be-feared-and-respected,McCaskill to Auto Safety Nominee: Agency Must Be ‘feared and respected’,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned Dr. Mark Rosekind, who has been nominated to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on how the agency can better exercise authority and oversight of the auto industry, in light of ignition switch problems at GM and airbag malfunctions at Takata that have both been linked to a number of consumer deaths.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/domestic-violence-in-professional-sportsmccaskill-grills-league-representatives,Domestic Violence in Professional Sports—McCaskill Grills League Representatives,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill grilled representatives from the four major sports leagues on the rate of domestic violence in professional sports, and whether the leagues are adequately protecting...",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/video/view/mccaskill-to-auto-safety-nominee-agency-must-be-feared-and-respected,McCaskill to Auto Safety Nominee: Agency Must Be ‘feared and respected’,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned Dr. Mark Rosekind, who has been nominated to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on how the agency can better exercise authority.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-announces-another-achievement-to-honor-america-s,Congressman Cleaver Announces Another Achievement to Honor Americas Involvement in World War I,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"The American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act, introduced by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) and Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05), and cosponsored by 301 other Members, passed the House today by a vote of 418 to 3. “This bill allows us to pay tribute to the end of World War I battlefield hostilities while honoring the memory, service, and sacrifice of over four million outstanding Americans,” stated Congressman Cleaver. “The year 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice with Germany, ending World War I battlefield hostilities. It’s taken far too long for us to adequately honor the more than four million men and women from the United States who served during World War I. Now is the time to pay our tribute.” Video of Congressman Cleaver speaking in favor of the bill on the House Floor is available here. The legislation, H.R. 2366, directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of this centennial. The United States has used commemorative coins to memorialize its significant conflicts, including the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Until now, no coin existed to honor the brave veterans of World War I. Funds raised from the sale of the coins will support the World War I Centennial Commission.  Led by Congressman Cleaver, the 112th Congress established the WWI Centennial Commission to plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I.  The commission has not been authorized any federal taxpayer dollars and is funded through donations and potential coin sales. In addition to the American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act, Congressman Cleaver secured passage of an amendment to designate the Liberty Memorial at America's National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the “National World War I Museum and Memorial.” The amendment will redesignate Pershing Park in Washington, DC as the “National World War I Memorial.” The amendment, part of the National Defense Authorization Act, is up for final consideration this week. Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/column-the-militarys-report-card,Column: The Military's Report Card,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Column: The Military's Report Card Tuesday, December 2, 2014 By:  U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill This week, one year after historic reforms were signed into law, we find out if more survivors of sexual assault are coming forward and if the number of assaults is going down. One year ago, a sexual assault survivor in the U.S. military faced a daunting landscape. Resources for survivors were limited. There was nobody whose job it was to fight for victims' interests. If a survivor had the courage to come forward, they were subjected to an often-invasive pre-trial process in which every aspect of their personal lives could be aired. Their attacker might be convicted, only to receive a slap on the wrist -- or even have his conviction thrown out entirely by a military commander. Things are different now. Historic reforms in last year's defense bill mean commanders have been stripped of the ability to overturn convictions, and are being held accountable under rigorous new standards. Every victim who reports an assault now gets their own  independent lawyer to protect their rights and fight for their interests -- a reform with no parallel in the civilian justice system. Civilian review is now required if a commander decides against a prosecution when a prosecutor wants to go to trial. Dishonorable discharge is now a required minimum sentence for those convicted. It is now a crime for any servicemember to retaliate against a victim who reports a sexual assault. And the pre-trial Article 32 process has been reformed to better protect survivors. When President Obama signed our reforms into law one year ago, a healthy policy debate was still ongoing in the Senate over whether some additional reforms -- or even an alternate system entirely -- were needed. While that debate played out, the president gave military leaders one year to implement the defense bill and show significant progress. And so this week, those military leaders will give their report to the president. Here are three things to watch for, that would mean our reforms are working: Reporting going up. Virtually everyone who debated how to curb sexual assaults in the military agreed on one thing -- progress would mean an increase in the number of reports of such crimes. Because that would mean more victims having the confidence to come forward and trust the system. As Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, my friend and colleague with whom I debated these policies, said: ""And today's [prosecution] record is not horrible. One in 10 go to trial, and then once they go to trial, the conviction rate is extremely high. That's not the problem in the system. The problem in the system is no one trusts the system, so they don't enter the system. They don't trust they can possibly have justice..."" In recent months, we've seen an initial spike in reporting -- and now we'll be looking to whether that trend continues. If reporting goes up, that's a major signal that our reforms are working. Incidents of assault going down. This one is easy to understand -- and it's our ultimate goal -- fewer incidents of sexual violence against our troops. What our troops have to say. This week's report should also include direct feedback from our troops on their experiences with the military justice system. If we see majorities of our servicemembers rating those experiences highly -- if they are feeling protected and empowered as it relates to preventing and punishing sexual violence -- then we know our reforms are working. But even if this week's report shows the progress we're hoping for, it's sure to also demonstrate areas where we need to continue working -- and as we look at those areas, we must ensure the remedies we propose address the problems that exist. A few months ago, a package of additional reforms by Senators Kelly Ayotte and Deb Fischer, and I, was approved unanimously in the Senate. Our bipartisan Victims Protection Act would generally eliminate the ""good soldier"" defense for servicemembers accused of sexual assault, and allow victims formal input on whether their case is tried in military or civilian court. It would allow survivors to challenge their discharge or separation from service, strengthen the role of the prosecutor in advising commanders on going to court-martial, boost accountability of commanders for setting appropriate command climate, and extend protections to the Military Service Academies. These additional reforms are needed, and I'm working as hard as I know how to ensure they're included in this year's annual defense bill. Ultimately, I think that all stakeholders in this debate can find common ground and agreement in our hope that this week's report on sexual violence in the military will demonstrate real, and lasting progress -- and show that a system that includes a role for commanders, and holds them accountable with historic reforms, will work for survivors. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is a former courtroom prosecutor of sex crimes and a senior member of the Armed Services Committee. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/ferguson-activists-get-their-say-in-the-oval-office-obama-announces-plans-for-reform,Ferguson Activists Get Their Say In The Oval Office; Obama Announces Plans For Reform,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Ferguson Activists Get Their Say In The Oval Office; Obama Announces Plans For Reform Tuesday, December 2, 2014 By:  Jim Howard Ashley Yates’ meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office Monday began with a Twitter feed about a dead body in the street. That was Aug. 9, and her curiosity led her to where others were gathered near Michael Brown’s body. “And that led from there to trying to seek some answers and the next day being tear-gassed for the very first time,” she said in a phone interview Monday night. Yates, who says she’s been “tear-gassed” seven or eight times since, is a co-founder of Millennial Activists United.  Of the many groups protesting the shooting death of Michael Brown, MAU is one of the most recognized. She joined a handful of other young activists, including several from St. Louis, in a meeting with Obama where she says he paid close attention as they recounted their life experiences. “He mainly wanted to listen. … He didn’t really have too much to say in direct response” to the personal stories from the group, “but he did take them into account and he did make it clear that he heard us,” Yates said. On the grand scheme of things Yates says she and others are “fighting for black liberation at large. We are fighting for black equality and to make sure that we are treated as the American citizens that they say we are.” But she also says that it is important to stay grounded in such a big effort and to remember individually who they are also fighting for on a smaller scale.  For Yates, one of those people is her 7-year-old cousin, Aryion.  “He’s a tall kid for 7. He’s a slender, tall kid with a haircut and complexion close to the president’s and he’s an amazing young athlete. He loves to run everywhere,” she said. In thinking about her young cousin, Yates says she is reminded of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed last month in Cleveland after allegedly pointing a toy gun at police and Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown: “All of these young boys who didn’t get the chance to make it home,” she said. Yates says she told the president of Aryion’s love of running. “I want to be able to make sure that just because he is a black person living in this country that his running is not seen as an indication that he did something wrong, and it is also not seen as an indication that he needs to be stopped and harassed, and it is not seen as an indication that he is a threat and therefore needs to be gunned down. “Every day I wake up thinking of him and several other people that are close to me in my life and how I want to be able to make sure that they make it home.” The very invitation to meet with the president is what Yates, who grew up in Florissant and lives in St. Louis, finds most inspiring about her visit: “Just the fact that people such as myself are here and we were welcomed into the White House because of the work that is happening on the streets; because of the value of people power” is important. “We saw a true agitation of the system, which elicited a response from the White House to actually reach out to people who had been on the front lines, to say ‘You know what, we have heard your cry, you have affected the status quo,’” she said. Three Meetings and Several Proposals The White House is backing a $263 million spending plan to increase the use of body cameras by police, expand training for law enforcement agencies, add more resources for police department reforms, and multiply the number of cities where the Department of Justice works with local police. The three-year spending plan includes $75 million in matching funds to pay for as many as 50,000 body cameras. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., says she has found widespread agreement that “body cameras protect police and civilians alike, which is why I’m working to prioritize federal resources to expand their use.” The use of body cameras was raised in a hearing conducted by McCaskill on the militarization of local police departments earlier this year. The president is also appointing a task force to begin a national conversation on finding ways to build trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. Attorney General Eric Holder will work with the task force to conduct meetings in several regions of the country. The president says those meetings will focus on listening to the concerns of community members and local police.  Finally, the president wants to issue new rules on several federal programs that either pay for or provide surplus military equipment to local police departments. A White House review of the programs found a lack of consistency in how the programs are “structured, implemented and audited.” The president instructed his staff to report back to him with specific recommendations within 120 days. Some of the examples of improvements the White House is looking for include; Develop a consistent list of controlled property allowable for acquisition by local police departments and ensure that all of the equipment on the list has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose. Require local civilian (non-police) review of and authorization for local law enforcement agencies to request or acquire equipment. Develop a database that includes information about controlled equipment purchased or acquired through federal programs. U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-University City, supports the president’s review of the Pentagon’s 1033 program. Both he and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in August to ask for a close examination of the program. In a printed statement, Clay said, “I applaud President Obama for his administration’s prompt and extensive review of the Pentagon’s 1033 military surplus transfer program and other programs that convey surplus equipment to local law enforcement agencies.” Cleaver said the president is going in the right direction with his call for new rules on the distribution of such equipment. He said smaller departments that don’t have the resources to properly train their officers to use such equipment should not have access to such equipment. Clay, when asked whether the president should visit the St. Louis area, said he believed the region first needed to make progress on several issues before such a visit would be appropriate. For Clay that includes starting an“honest conversation about bridging the racial gap, attacking the racial disparities of the region and looking at the economic conditions that make Ferguson possible.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pentagon-report-on-mccaskill-sexual-assault-revisions-due-this-week,Pentagon report on McCaskill sexual assault revisions due this week,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pentagon report on McCaskill sexual assault revisions due this week Tuesday, December 2, 2014 By:  Chuck Raasch WASHINGTON • A Pentagon report on military sexual-assault reform that is due any day could tell much about future battles over the issue involving Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. The report is expected to tell how the military has implemented reforms in a McCaskill-sponsored bill, passed last year, aimed at strengthening alleged victim rights and toughening offenders' sentences. But a bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday, arguing that change has not come fast enough in the military, decided to try one last time in this Congress for further reforms. Those senators, led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, want to attach their proposed changes to the Defense Authorization bill that is working its way through Congress. But the possibility of amendment is remote with Congress winding down its business. Gillibrand's proposal would remove commanders from having a say in deciding whether to prosecute members of the military for sexual assault, leaving that decision to military prosecutors. At a press conference, the senators brought as their ally they former chief prosecutor for the U.S. Air Force. Retired Col. Don Christensen, who just recently became president of a sexual-assault survivors group called Protect Our Defenders, said that commanders are sometimes ""enablers."" and should be left out of prosecutions. Defenders say commanders should be involved as part of the military's chain of command. McCaskill did not respond to this new push by Gillibrand. The two senators have clashed over the best way to tackle military sexual assault reform during the current Congress, but they also have partnered on a separate push to strengthen reporting, training and prosecution guidelines for sexual assaults on college campuses. Therefore, McCaskill has a lot at stake in the upcoming Pentagon report. Writing in the Huffington Post, McCaskill said her legislation that passed a year ago this week ushered in ""historic reforms,"" and pointed out that it has backstops and checks on commanders, including ""civilian review if a commander decides against a prosecution when a prosecutor wants to go to trial."" She also said that her legislation now guarantees that alleged victims get independent lawyers and that minimum sentencing of dishonorable discharge is applied to any military member found guilty of sexual assault. McCaskill said she will be primarily looking for three things in the Pentagon report: • Whether sexual assault reporting is up in the military • Whether actual incidents are going down; •What troops have to say about the changes. ""When President Obama signed our reforms into law one year ago, a healthy policy debate was still ongoing in the Senate over whether some additional reforms--or even an alternate system entirely--were needed,"" McCaskill wrote in Huffington Post. ""While that debate played out, the President gave military leaders one year to implement the defense bill and show significant progress. And so this week, those military leaders will give their report to the President."" Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/senate-committee-puts-spotlight-on-domestic-violence,Senate Committee Puts Spotlight on Domestic Violence,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Committee Puts Spotlight on Domestic Violence Tuesday, December 2, 2014 By:  Steve Eder WASHINGTON — With deepening concerns about domestic violence among professional athletes, members of a United States Senate committee on Tuesday chastised the four major sports leagues for failing to police their players and falling short in supporting victims. The problem, the members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said, has come into sharp focus in the nearly three months since video surfaced of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée in a hotel elevator. The senators called on the leagues and player associations — which were represented at the packed hearing — to be tougher addressing domestic violence and to do more for victims. “When a celebrity athlete is charged with committing domestic violence, it uniquely reverberates through society in unique ways,” said Senator Jay Rockefeller, Democrat of West Virginia, the chairman of the committee. The hearing came five days after an arbitrator overturned the National Football League’s indefinite suspension of Rice, calling it “arbitrary.” The ruling marked the latest setback for N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has faced widespread criticism in light of the Rice case for not doing enough to curb domestic violence. The league has pledged to overhaul its personal conduct policy. Last month, The New York Times reported in a two-part series that N.F.L. teams often have close relationships with local law enforcement agencies, which can favor the player and isolate victims. Further, The Times reported on how victims can feel trapped, in part, by the close team culture and the emphasis on avoiding distractions. Both the players and the leagues came under fire. Members of the committee cautioned that players should not “hide” behind collective bargaining agreements to avoid suspensions. Some even suggested that the N.F.L.’s tax-exempt status should be revoked if it does not improve its handling of domestic violence cases. Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, said the domestic abuse issues extend to all of the leagues — and that they must do more to hold players accountable. “Perpetrators know if they can only get their victims to recant, refuse to cooperate, threaten their financial future, threaten the futures of their families’ financial status, or put them on an airplane to Venezuela — if they can accomplish those things — then nothing will happen,” McCaskill said. Still, the N.F.L. and the Rice case were at the center of the hearing, with Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, calling the N.F.L’s handling of the Rice case “completely inadequate” and sending a “mixed message” to fans. Each of the four major sports leagues — the N.F.L., Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League — were represented by an executive as well as a players’ association official. Troy Vincent, a former N.F.L. player who is now a league executive, testified that the league and its players understand the anger and that reforms are underway. In light of the Rice case, the N.F.L. has announced several measures, including hiring domestic violence experts, introducing more counseling and mandating stricter penalties for players caught committing domestic violence. “We recognize that we have to break the culture of silence,” said Vincent, who choked back tears earlier in the hearing as spoke of abuse in his own home as a child. None of the league commissioners appeared at the hearing — a point that drew the ire of Rockefeller, who will soon retire at the end of his fifth term. “When witnesses refuse to show up and testify, my experience tells me that they are afraid of something,” Rockefeller said in his opening statement. “Given the scope and severity of this problem, I find their absence troubling.” Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/us-senators-call-for-delay-in-consolidating-usps-facilities,U.S. Senators Call for Delay in Consolidating USPS Facilities,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Senators Call for Delay in Consolidating USPS Facilities Tuesday, December 2, 2014 By:  Michele Skalicky Missouri's U.S. Senators are calling for the USPS to delay consolidating mail processing facilities. Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Claire McCaskill joined a bipartisan group of colleagues Monday to demand the delay of the planned consolidation of the facilities, two of which are in Missouri. They sent the letter after the USPS Inspector General found that the Postal Service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations and failed to inform the public of those impacts, according to a news release from Blunt's office. They're asking that feasibility studies be completed and that the public to have enough time to comment before a decision is made.  According to the letter, ""There is no reason that the USPS cannot delay its consolidations to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets.  It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary timeline."" A Springfield processing center is among two Missouri facilities facing consolidation.That move, which will shift operations to Kansas City, is scheduled for April 2015. Last month, A USPS spokesperson did not indicate how many jobs would be affected Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/domestic-violence-in-professional-sports_-mccaskill-grills-league-representatives-,Domestic Violence in Professional Sports - McCaskill Grills League Representatives,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Domestic Violence in Professional Sports - McCaskill Grills League Representatives Senator: for pro athletes and leagues, ‘with great power and influence comes great responsibility’ ‘Professional sports must do a better job of setting an example to young people and to victims’ Tuesday, December 2, 2014 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today grilled representatives from the four major sports leagues on the rate of domestic violence in professional sports, and whether the leagues are adequately protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable. “The bright light of public attention needs to be turned on at a very high wattage at a problem that exists in the shadows in a very dark and scary place,” said McCaskill, a former sex crimes prosecutor. “With great power and influence comes great responsibility… professional sports must do a better job of setting an example to young people and to victims of domestic violence, who face very difficult decisions as they struggle with holding their abusers accountable.” McCaskill continued: “There has been little or no effort to independently get the facts, rather just use the predictable outcome that very few who are abused will have an adequate support… to come forward and hold their abuser accountable. And so by and large professional sports teams have relied on the failure of the criminal justice system to get convictions as their excuse as to why very few players have been held accountable.” At today’s hearing, McCaskill posed a number of questions to representatives from the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League—on whether the leagues are adequately addressing, punishing, and adjudicated cases of domestic violence. “What we really have to do here is look to see what you are doing independently to investigate these cases, and independently determine what the facts are, because that’s how the NFL got in trouble. Because Roger Goodell didn’t see it as his responsibility to ask the question, ‘is there another tape, and I need to see it before we do punishment?’ And I think we should say for the record that Major League Commissioner Bud Selig had never sanctioned a player for domestic violence. Never, in 22 years. Now, teams have, but at the commissioner level that has never occurred.” McCaskill has also focused on issues of abuse in college sports, using a recent Commerce Committee hearing to grill NCAA President Mark Emmert on the professionalization of college sports. McCaskill recently sent a letter to the NCAA, along with Senators Jay Rockefeller and Cory Booker, questioning whether the NCAA is exercising proper oversight of its member institutions to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to protect student-athletes from exploitation. She joined Senators Rockefeller and Booker in sending a separate letter to 65 schools that are members of the top NCAA conferences asking similar questions about school policies. Earlier this year, McCaskill announced the results of her unprecedented nationwide survey of how sexual assaults are handled on college campuses, which demonstrated a disturbing failure by many institutions to comply with the law and with best practices in how they handle sexual violence against students. The survey, which represented 440 institutions currently educating more than five million students across the country, found that 22 percent of institutions give athletic departments oversight of cases involving athletes. Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/violence to learn more about McCaskill’s work to curb domestic and sexual violence.  ### Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://cleaver.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-applauds-president-obama-s-decision-to-strengthen,Congressman Cleaver Applauds President Obamas Decision to Strengthen Community Policing,2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Emanuel Cleaver,C001061,cleaver.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, President Obama released the Administration’s Review of Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition. This review is part of a broader effort to strengthen community policing and fortify the trust that must exist between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. “In the weeks and months since the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, I have worked, along with Congressman Clay, to spur a fundamental shift in local law enforcement, away from military-style response and toward a community-based, proportionate-response style of policing,” stated Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II. “Our local police officers and law enforcement deserve the best tools and training available to protect and serve our communities. But we should not turn our cities into warzones. Today’s announcement is a positive first step, and I am encouraged to hear that many of the most important priorities we have championed will move forward. Additionally, I am pleased and proud to see that the White House has included, as examples, many of the recommendations and strategies Congressman Clay and I put forth this past August.” The White House has provided several examples of potential improvements, including: ensuring that all equipment available for acquisition by law enforcement agencies has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose; including training requirements that address appropriate use and deployment of equipment; broadening transparency of the 1033 and other agency equipment repurpose programs; and requiring police officers to wear body cameras. On August 21, 2014, Congressman Cleaver and Congressman Clay authored a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel calling for a review of the 1033 program. On August 22, 2014, Congressman Cleaver and Congressman Clay met with Secretary Hagel to discuss in depth the militarization of local law enforcement. The conversation, which was productive and positive, addressed urgent concerns about the militarization of local law enforcement agencies through the distribution of surplus Department of Defense equipment via the 1033 Program. Both Members asked the Secretary to review the program and to respond with his recommendations quickly. Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the House Financial Services Committee and also serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://lacyclay.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-congressman-wm-lacy-clay-d-missouri-regarding-president-9,STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI REGARDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ACTIONS TO REFORM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MILITARY SURPLUS TRANSFER PROGRAMS,2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,William Clay,C001049,lacyclay.house.gov,,,legacy,"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2014 MEDIA CONTACTS: STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029 STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI REGARDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ACTIONS TO REFORM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MILITARY SURPLUS TRANSFER PROGRAMS AFTER THE TRAGEDY IN FERGUSON, MO NOTE: The following is a first-person statement from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri I applaud President Obama for his administration's prompt and extensive review of the Pentagon's 1033 military surplus transfer program and other similar programs that convey surplus equipment to local law enforcement agencies. The preliminary findings of that review, as requested by myself and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D) Missouri shortly after the police killing of Michael Brown, Jr., substantiate many of our most urgent concerns about these programs, including repeated transfers from multiple federal agencies without coordination; inadequate training for local law enforcement agencies who receive the surplus equipment; and little or no oversight over how the equipment is used in the field. This past August, I personally witnessed thousands of my unarmed constituents who, while peacefully exercising their constitutional rights, were targeted by local police wielding military sniper rifles equipped with night-vision scopes. That should not happen in America. Some of the preliminary recommendations announced today include: Ensuring that all equipment available for acquisition by law enforcement agencies has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose; including training requirements that address appropriate use and deployment of equipment; and broadening transparency of the 1033 and other agency equipment repurpose programs. I also strongly support the President's plan to create a $75 million matching fund to help local enforcement agencies equip their officers with body cameras. If widely implemented, that single change would not only establish real transparency when force is used during a police incident, it would also substantiate the fact that the vast majority of police officers carry out their duties with bravery and integrity. I am developing legislation to further that goal as an urgent national priority. My hope is that all these efforts will spur a national discussion about how to achieve a fundamental shift in local law enforcement, away from military-style responses, and towards a more community-based policy. -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mccaskill-blunt-call-for-delay-in-usps-consolidation,"McCaskill, Blunt Call for Delay in USPS Consolidation",2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"McCaskill, Blunt Call for Delay in USPS Consolidation Monday, December 1, 2014 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Missouri Senators are calling for a delay in the planned consolidation of up to 82 U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail processing facilities, including one in Springfield, Mo.  U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, along with other colleagues, sent a letter to the USPS Inspector General after it was announced the Postal Service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations and failed to inform the public of those impacts.  ""We strongly urge the USPS to delay implementation of any mail processing consolidations until feasibility studies are completed and there has been adequate time for public comment and consideration of those comments,"" the Senators wrote in the letter. ""Completed feasibility studies should include service standard impacts worksheets based on the revised service standards expected to be published on January 5, 2015.” “There is no reason that the USPS cannot delay its consolidations to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets,” the letter continues. “It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary timeline."" To read a copy of the letter, click the link above. Along with Blunt and McCaskill, the letter was signed by the following Senators: Tim Johnson of South Dakota Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts Sherrod Brown of Ohio Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken of Minnesota Bob Casey of Pennsylvania Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota Mary Landrieu of Louisiana Mark Pryor of Arkansas Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California Joe Manchin of West Virginia Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden of Oregon Maria Cantwell of Washington Robert Menendez of New Jersey Jon Tester and John Walsh of Montana Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders of Vermont Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/missouri-senators-weigh-in-on-us-postal-service-consolidations,Missouri senators weigh in on U.S. Postal Service consolidations,2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Missouri senators weigh in on U.S. Postal Service consolidations Monday, December 1, 2014 By:  Erin Ragan Both of Missouri's senators on Monday sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service requesting a push back of consolidations for mail processing facilities. The planned consolidations of up to 82 mail processing centers across the country will affect two Missouri facilities -- one in Cape Girardeau and one in Springfield -- in the spring. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill were included in a group of senators who sent the letter to the postmaster general Monday, in which the senators allege the postal service is not following its own guidelines for evaluating service standards and considering issues for local customers. The postal service, according to a news release from McCaskill's office, ""failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations, and failed to inform the public of those impacts."" The senators base their argument on a report issued by the office of the USPS inspector general, which found the postal service did not complete service standard impact evaluations and worksheets as part of area mail processing feasibility studies. The worksheets, according to the senators, provide the public with an understanding of the consolidations and their potential effects, and can mean an opportunity for people to weigh in on changes. ""There is no reason that the USPS cannot delay its consolidations to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets,"" the senators wrote in the letter. ""It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary timeline."" This isn't the first time McCaskill and Blunt have faced off with the postal service over cuts to services and facilities. McCaskill has opposed moving to five-day delivery and closing rural post offices, while Blunt in August sent a letter to the postmaster general voicing concern over allegations of intentional delays of mail at the Cape Girardeau processing and distribution center. Delays were reported to the office of the inspector general for the postal service after the first phase of consolidation, which stopped origination of mail in Cape Girardeau and shifted it to St. Louis. Cape Girardeau's dissemination of mail, which is part of the processing service, is set to end in April with the second phase of consolidation. The facility, at 475 Kell Farm Drive, will serve only as a distribution hub from that point forward. Employees from the facility recently held a demonstration opposing the consolidation as part of a national day of action for postal worker unions. The employees said they were concerned about the potential for mail service to slow down even more than it has since half of processing operations were moved to St. Louis and how that would detrimentally affect postal service customers. A spokesperson for the postal service said there are no delays in mail coming through the Cape Girardeau facility. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/mo-senators-call-for-usps-to-delay-consolidations,MO senators call for USPS to delay consolidations,2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,MO,Claire McCaskill,M001170,www.mccaskill.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MO senators call for USPS to delay consolidations Monday, December 1, 2014 MISSOURI (KFVS) - Some Missouri senators have called for USPS to delay a planned consolidation of up to 82 U.S. Postal Service mail processing facilities, including two in Missouri. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill joined a group of their colleagues in sending a letter. It was sent after the USPS inspector general found the postal service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations and failed to inform the public of those impacts. You can click here to read a copy of the letter. Print Email Tweet",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z