Ben Chandler

Chandler Tours Central Kentucky VA Medical Centers

2012-02-14T19:10:33Z

WASHINGTON (February 14, 2012)—In honor of National Salute to Veteran Patients Week, Congressman Ben Chandler today toured the Lexington VA Medical Center and the Berea Community Based Outpatient Clinic. He toured the Thomson-Hood Veterans Center in Jessamine County yesterday.

“Kentucky veterans have risked their lives and have sacrificed so much to protect our homeland and our way of life,” said Congressman Chandler. “They deserve the very best care and the most modern facilities. The facilities I’ve seen this week take their responsibility to care for our veterans very seriously, and I am proud to join them in honoring the men and women who have given so much to protect and preserve all we hold dear as Americans.”

Congressman Chandler has a history of advocacy for the Leestown Road VA medical center and other VA Medical Centers. In 2004, when the Leestown facility was threatened with closure, Chandler fought to keep it open by joining the community and veterans throughout Central Kentucky to oppose the closure.

The National Salute to Veteran Patients is celebrated during the week of Valentine’s Day each year as an opportunity to say thank you to a special group of men and women, the more than 98,000 Veterans of the U.S. armed services who are cared for every day in VA medical centers.

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Chandler Urges Congress to Move on STOCK Act

2012-02-02T15:04:11Z

WASHINGTON (February 2, 2012)—Congressman Chandler today joined with the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog coalition in urging House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to bring H.R. 1148, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act, to the House floor for a vote. Chandler is a cosponsor of the bill.

“Members of Congress and their staff are not above the law,” said Congressman Chandler. “The American people have the right to demand that their elected office serve them – not themselves. The STOCK Act ensures that those who abuse information learned in the course of serving the public are held accountable, and I urge the House Majority to bring this bill to a vote as quickly as possible.”

With the President urging Congress to pass the STOCK Act in his State of the Union address and with the Senate overwhelming voting 93-2 on Tuesday to move forward on debate with a companion bill, Cantor has delayed a mark-up on the bill in the House.

In a letter signed by every member of the Blue Dog Coalition, the group said insider trading by Members of Congress is “unacceptable, and it should be illegal.” They also said the legislation was needed to “restore the American people’s faith in our government” and urged Cantor to bring the bill to the floor for a vote “without delay.”

The full text of the letter can be read here.

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Congressman Chandler Visits Strode Station Elementary School

2012-01-27T18:32:02Z

Congressman Chandler speaks to a social studies class at Strode Station Elementary School in Winchester, Ky. The fifth grade students are learning about the different branches of government.

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Chandler Response to State of the Union Address

2012-01-24T22:51:03Z

WASHINGTON (January 24, 2012)—Tonight, Congressman Chandler released a statement responding to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“Our economy is improving, but there is much more work to be done. The President’s call to boost American manufacturing is one way to move us further down the road to economic recovery by putting people back to work doing jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. As we’ve seen in Central Kentucky, our local economies succeed when manufacturers create jobs and invest in innovation. We need a fair economy that works for the middle class and for those who play by the rules, and I believe it’s time for those in Washington to put the best interests of the country above the interests of political parties.”

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From the SBA: Deadline for Kentucky Private Non-Profit Organizations to Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans is February 6

2012-01-10T14:36:15Z

ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) in Kentucky that Feb. 6 is the deadline to submit Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications. The loans are available from the SBA because of the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that occurred on April 12 through May 20, 2011.

Eligible non-critical PNPs located in Anderson, Ballard, Bath, Boone, Boyd, Bracken, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carlisle, Carroll, Carter, Christian, Clay, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Grant, Graves, Grayson, Green, Greenup, Hancock, Harlan, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Hopkins, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Lawrence, Lee, Lewis, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Mason, McCracken, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Robertson, Rowan, Spencer, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Washington, Webster and Wolfe counties in Kentucky are eligible to apply to SBA. Examples of eligible non-critical PNP organizations include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers and colleges.

The SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs such as ongoing operating expenses for eligible non-critical PNP organizations. This assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered any physical property damage. Loan amounts can be up to $2 million, and the interest rate is 3 percent with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To obtain disaster loan information and application forms, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded from www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Forth Worth, TX 76155.

PNPs affected by the disaster may also apply for disaster loans electronically from SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return economic injury applications is February 6, 2012.

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For more information about the SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, visit the website at www.sba.gov.

Statement on Payroll Tax Cut

2011-12-21T17:31:26Z

WASHINGTON (December 21, 2011)—Congressman Chandler today released a statement on the payroll tax cut for middle class families:

“It’s time to stop playing politics with our country’s wellbeing. By placing politics over common sense, the House majority is walking away from a tax cut for working class Americans already approved with bipartisan support by the Senate. This tax cut would put $1,500 back in the pockets of the average middle class family and protect Medicare for our seniors. I’m greatly disappointed by the failure of the House majority to compromise for the good of the country, and I call on the Republicans to get back to Washington and bring this legislation to a vote.”

Chandler Calls for Formal Review of Lexington Post Office

2011-12-09T16:58:54Z

Congressman Chandler today called upon the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a formal review of a United States Postal Service study that recommends closing the mail center in Lexington.

“I think it’s important we take this next step to ask for an investigation of the closure proposal from the Postal Service,” said Chandler. The closure of the Lexington facility would result in the loss of over 300 jobs and delay mail service, particularly in rural areas of Central Kentucky where mail would travel upwards of two hundred miles round trip.

“I strongly believe the GAO needs to look into the situation further before considering closure,” Chandler added. “I realize the Postal Service has operating concerns, but closing the Lexington facility is the wrong way to deal with the Postal Service’s fiscal problems, and could harm our region in the long run. I’ve also been in touch with Mayor Gray, who supports this audit request, and I look forward to working with him in this process. ”

In a letter to the United States Comptroller General, Chandler requested an audit of the July 2011 USPS report, which proposes transferring the processing operations in Lexington to facilities in Louisville and Knoxville, TN. The Lexington facility has been rated a highly efficient center, and its centralized location makes it an appropriate choice for mail processing and distribution in Kentucky.

The full letter can be read here.

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Scott County WWII Veteran Receives Purple Heart

2011-11-28T19:07:21Z

WASHINGTON (November 28, 2011)—Today at the Scott County Courthouse, Congressman Chandler presented Master Sergeant Joseph Schmidt of Georgetown with a Purple Heart for his service in WWII.

After enlisting in the United States Army in 1940, Mr. Schmidt served valiantly as a pilot during WWII in both Germany and the Pacific Theater, earning the WWII Victory Medal and the Army Occupation Medal for his efforts. While serving in the campaigns of New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon, he was part of one of the first units to land in the Philippines. He also served in the Korean War.

Mr. Schmidt was working on an air field in Leyte when he was hit in the chest by shrapnel during combat. Despite being wounded, he decided to stay with his unit for the remainder of the battle. He is being awarded the Purple Heart for this act of bravery.

“Mr. Schmidt is a person of courage and determination, who put his life on the line to protect and defend our nation in its time of need,” said Congressman Chandler. “We could never thank him enough for all he has sacrificed for his country.”

Mr. Schmidt was born in 1922 and enlisted into the army at age 18 in Tampa, FL. He left the army after over 20 years of service in July 1962. At the time, he was serving as Army Advisor to the Kentucky National Guard in Frankfort. After retiring, Mr. Schmidt remained in Kentucky with his wife and worked at the Bluegrass Army Depot until he retired.

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Chandler Congratulates UK Professor on Prestigious Award

2011-11-18T16:43:48Z

WASHINGTON (November 18, 2011)— Congressman Chandler today congratulated Professor Jonathan Golding of the University of Kentucky on being named the Kentucky Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Dr. Golding teaches psychology at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences.

“Our country will rise or fall based on how well we educate our young people,” said Congressman Chandler. “And it’s because of great teachers like Dr. Golding that I’m confident Kentucky has a bright future. Between his dedication to his students and his commitment to academic excellence, he is a deserving recipient of such a prestigious honor. I congratulate Professor Golding and the University of Kentucky on this impressive achievement.”

Dr. Golding received his Ph.D. from the University of Denver in 1986 and joined the Department of Psychology faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1988. He received the Chancellor's Award for Teaching in 1994 and 1998 and the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award in 2006.

The U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country-those who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. Sponsored by CASE and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Dr. Golding is the first professor from the University of Kentucky professor to receive the award since 1997.

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