Sen. Pat Roberts (R)!(Salina Journal) Roberts announces DoD grant to promote math, science skills: Sen. Pat Roberts’ office Wednesday announced $240,000 was awarded to Kansas STARBASE by the Department of Defense to promote math and science skills to youth. The STARBASE program, which has an academy in Salina, is operated by the Kansas National Guard. Instructors work with at-risk students at the fourth- through sixth-grades, helping them learn math, science and technology skills. STARBASE also has academies in Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita.Sen. Sam Brownback (R) !(Sen. Carl Levin statement) Brownback: U.S. must aid Iraqi refugees: Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Gordon Smith, Carl Levin, and Sam Brownback released the following statements on the signing of the Department of Defense Authorization Conference Report which contains provisions that would provide refugee status for Iraqis associated with the United States who are under threat of persecution. The provisions in the conference report addresses the massive refugee crisis unfolding in Iraq. This conference report requires the Administration to increase its efforts to resettle Iraqi refugees, to expand the scope of special immigrant visas for Iraqis who have worked for the U.S. government, and to improve our response to the overall refugee crisis. Already more than 4 million Iraqis have fled the country, and nearly 2 million more have been displaced internally. … Brownback said, “The current Iraqi refugee crisis is one of grief and sorrow. At over 4 million refugees and internally displaced people, this is a humanitarian problem cannot go ignored. The focus of this situation should be kept on assisting those affected. We must do our part both by aiding those nations that are absorbing the refugees and by stepping up efforts to resettle certain refugees in the United States. So many brave Iraqis have risked their lives and the lives of their family members to support our effort there. We thank them, we applaud them, and we will not leave them in their time of need.”