With the holidays around the corner, I want Kansans to be aware of the American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Program. The American Red Cross will receive and distribute holiday cards to service members, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad. This card campaign also includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

I encourage any Kansan interested to send their holiday greetings to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

For more information on this program, please visit: www.redcross.org/holidaymail. To reach service members by the holidays, cards need to be postmarked no later than December 7.

As a United States Senator and former Marine, I am constantly humbled by the personal sacrifices made by our service members, past and present, and their families, whose service ensures America’s safety and freedom.

Today I was honored to speak to the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), the oldest and largest national organization representing senior meal programs. Meals on Wheels provides critical services to seniors, especially those who may live alone or in rural areas. Bottom line: They serve meals to our nation’s seniors in need.

Unfortunately, last year USDA decided that senior nutrition programs are no longer eligible for bonus commodities. Bonus commodities are extremely important to Meals on Wheels programs. They are essentially free of charge plus the price of shipping. These bonus commodities allow groups that serve seniors to stretch their budget further and extend their reach to more in need, which is especially critical in this economy.

Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa and I are urging USDA to reinstate bonus commodities to improve our valuable nutrition programs in Kansas and across the country. We sent a letter, signed by a bipartisan group of Senators, urging USDA to restore this eligibility to our nutrition programs.

As co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, a member of the Senate Ag and Health Committees, and a member of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I have the opportunity to address many of these issues that directly impact senior nutrition programs and I will continue to fight to improve our critical senior nutrition programs. In 2008 I was honored to receive MOWWA’s prestigious National Leadership Award, however, I want to extend a big thank you to MOWAA for all of their hard work to protect these valuable senior nutrition programs.

It was nice to catch up with some old friends today - National Biodiesel Board Member and Kansas Soybean Commissioner Harold Kraus of Hays, Bob Henry of Robinson, and Dennis Hupe of Topeka, all of the Kansas Soybean Association, who stopped by my Washington office today.

We discussed the biodiesel tax incentives that currently are set to expire at the end of this year and of course the current cap and trade proposals before Congress which would have dire consequences on Kansans and especially rural communities across the country. As I have expressed many times before, I reiterated that the cap-and-tax proposals which try and ration domestic energy production would lead to higher unemployment rates and a net loss for Kansas in jobs and economic output. Three mid-sized Kansas communities are home to the refinery industry and under the bill that was railroaded out of the Senate Environment Committee recently, these three communities and many others in rural Kansans have told us they will suffer severe consequences. The result will be higher taxes, job loss, and a greater dependence on volatile foreign energy.

I appreciated visiting with these Kansans today and thank them for stopping by my office to update me on issues affecting Kansans.

After attending the KSU game in Manhattan, I was honored to be a part of the Marine Corps Birthday celebration tonight in Topeka. It was a pleasure to speak to the crowd of hundreds including students, Marines and other service members and their families. Topeka High School’s Junior ROTC Marine Corps is an outstanding unit. These young people are impressive to the max. The Principal, Dr. Linda Wiley, and the entire staff are to be congratulated for the way the USMC Reserve group fit so smoothly into the entire school.

As I told the students tonight, I was motivated by my own father who lied about his age to join the Marine Corps at age 42 in the midst of World War II. After I graduated from Kansas State, I decided I wanted to make a difference and I joined the Marines entering the Officer Candidate program in Quantico, Virginia. Serving in the Marine Corps is an experience I will always treasure.

Thank you to another Marine, State Senator Bob Marshall (R-Fort Scott) and CWO Gunner Kelley here in Topeka for this kind invitation to speak here tonight. It was an honor and a privilege to be recognized by the Marines in Topeka on our 234th birthday. In this time of military conflict, I deeply appreciate the many sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform to protect the American people. Semper Fidelis!

Today I spent the day in Lawrence and had the opportunity to tour and visit with employees at Vangent, a government contractor and call-center employing 1,300 in the area. Vangent services Medicare, Federal Student Loans among other agencies and programs. I received an update on their operations and congratulated Vangent on its 15th anniversary in Lawrence.

I enjoyed the chance to listen in on one of the 1-800-MEDICARE calls that Vangent receives on a daily basis. They provide information, which helps seniors decide which Medicare Part D plan is best for them depending on which medications they take. This is an important service they provide to seniors.

While speaking to the employees, I thanked them for their service and outstanding work to administer the 1-800-MEDICARE hotline and efficiently process student loan applications.

I also caught up with Kerry Weems, who was head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Washington, as he is now the new vice president of health strategy for Vangent. Thank you to Vangent for the opportunity to participate in this 15th anniversary celebration and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Today we honor the brave men and women who throughout our nation’s history have taken up arms in defense of our nation. They have defended our freedoms, often paying the ultimate sacrifice, to preserve the way of life we hold so dear. On this Veterans Day, we pay tribute to their courage and dedication. They always will have our unfailing gratitude.

Those currently serving here at home and in Iraq, Afghanistan and all across the globe represent future generations of veterans. The many sacrifices they and their families are making serve as a daily reminder that freedom is not without cost. Let us especially pause to remember those who were lost or injured just last week at Ft. Hood. That tragedy shows us that service and sacrifice can come at home or abroad.

As a United States Senator and former Marine, I take the commitment to our nation’s veterans seriously and am honored to continue to work with my colleagues on behalf of them. In Kansas, there are more than 250,000 veterans throughout the state to whom I extend my heartfelt thanks. With gratitude from one veteran to all others throughout this great nation, Semper fi.

I would like to recognize two outstanding Kansans, Sgt. Maj. Warren J. “Bud” Smith and retired Col. Charles R. Rayl, who were both recently inducted into the Hall of Fame Museum of the Kansas National Guard.

Sgt. Maj. Bud Smith served in the Kansas Army National Guard from September 1966 through the early 1970's as a sergeant at the Kansas Military Academy Officer Candidate School and he developed a training program that is now standard practice. In 1998, his family was selected as “Fort Leavenworth’s Great American Family.” Smith now serves as the National Guard program manager representing all Army and Air National Guard personnel in the country.

Ret. Col. Charlie Rayl, of Cottonwood Falls, is an old friend of mine and an accomplished rancher, attorney and community philanthropist. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1964 and served in the 14th Air Cavalry during the Vietnam War. Rayl remained an officer in the National Guard until his retirement in 1994.

I proudly serve on the National Guard Congressional Caucus, which was formed to serve on behalf of National Guard and Reserve members as their voice in the Senate on defense issues. It is an honor to work on these issues and represent outstanding Kansas National Guardsmen like Bud Smith and Charlie Rayl. As a former Marine, I appreciate the sacrifices these two Kansans have made to our state and this great nation. I commend them on their induction into the Hall of Fame of the Kansas National Guard Museum.

As a former Marine, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone associated with Fort Hood during this tragic time. The safety and security of our military men and women, as well as the many civilians that support them both here and abroad will remain our top priority as we move forward.

Rest assured, the military is taking this incident extremely seriously and will continue to investigate in order to protect our military families, friends and supporters. I am proud of our military police, who are the best in the world, for handling such a shocking situation.

In this time of military conflict, I deeply appreciate the many sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform to protect the American people.

I was proud to be honored as the most senior Marine in the U.S. Senate today at a cake cutting ceremony on the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

Marines have a rich history when it comes to our birthday. Our 13th Commandant Lt. Gen. John Lejeune’s order in 1921 summarized the history, mission and traditions of the U.S. Marine Corps and directed that order be read to all Marines throughout the world on 10 November of each year, the birthday of the Corps, founded in 1775.

Since the original 1921 order, the annual birthday celebration has grown and evolved. In 1952, the Commandant, Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., formalized the cake-cutting ceremony and other traditional observances. It’s tradition, and now Marine Corps policy, for the first piece of cake to be presented to the most senior Marine present and the second piece to the most junior Marine. Private Shakiyla Rivera was the most junior Marine present at the ceremony today. Born in 1991, she reported for duty in August 2009 at the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC.

It was a privilege to be recognized by the Marines on our 234th birthday. In this time of military conflict, I deeply appreciate the many sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform to protect the American people. Semper Fidelis!

October is National Breast Cancer awareness month and my Washington staff wore pink to honor and support those who have struggled in the battle against breast cancer, especially a staff member of mine.

Unfortunately, too many of us have had a loved one affected by breast cancer. October is a good reminder that early detection is a critical component to beating cancer. I have supported legislation to reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program which has increased screenings throughout the country. This program and its investments have made great strides in better identifying and treating numerous forms of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is 97 percent.

I am particularly proud of the University of Kansas Cancer Center and all they do to improve cancer care and treatments available throughout the state of Kansas. Instead of traveling out of state, Kansans can stay closer to get cutting-edge treatments. The KU Cancer Center is working to achieve the National Cancer Institute - “Cancer Center Designation” in the coming years which I support wholeheartedly.

This October, I hope we all honor those struggling with cancer for their perseverance and dedication. As a senior Senator serving on the Senate Health Committee, I will continue to do my part to support cancer awareness.