Even beyond the short-term economic impacts of work at McConnell, the investments at the base secure it as an economic driver for another generation in Kansas.
The Wichita Eagle — Moran: Too many veterans slipping between cracks
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said the Veterans Administration is still “allowing too many veterans to slip between the cracks.” Speaking last week at a town meeting in WaKeeney, Moran said that veterans’ health care is the No. 1 complaint his office receives, the Hays Daily News reported. Congress passed the Veterans Choice Act in 2004, which allows veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA health facility or who have to wait more than 30 days for treatment to seek care at a non-VA facility. But Moran contends the VA is fighting the law and making it difficult for veterans to qualify. “If you need proof that big government doesn’t work well,” Moran said, “the VA is a pretty good example.” – Phillip Brownlee
The Kansan — Moran focuses on cooperation and optimism
Sen. Jerry Moran was the guest speaker at the meeting of the Rotary Club of Newton Tuesday evening at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Greg Claassen, a ventriloquist, provided the group with entertainment.
As a member of the Rotary, Moran said he was appreciative of the work done by club members to help the community.
“Our ability to keep civic clubs going strong is a challenge. It’s harder and harder to get young people to engage,” Moran said. “If you really want to make a difference in our world, if you really want to make a difference in our country, you do it one person at a time.”
Moran went on to speak about how he encourages young people who grew up in Kansas to stay in Kansas.
“My interest in politics really revolves around growing up in small town Kansas, and I believe that rural America is something that’s worth trying to keep around,” Moran said. “You have a senator that focuses a lot of attention on agriculture, on farming and ranchers, on community hospitals and healthcare, trying to keep our hospitals doors open, physicians in our community and our pharmacies on Main Street.”
In Washington, people don’t often understand how keeping a local grocery store open impacts a small town economy, Moran stated.
“We are a small part of a big country, and the things that are important to us are hardly recognized or understood,” Moran said. “We have to figure out…how to work with people who don’t always agree with us, who have different backgrounds and don’t know anything about us…There’s a whole variety of things in which we have no choice but to figure out how we work together.”
“We’ve got to get our federal deficit and debt under control. It is an economic issue that will harm us greatly in our ability to create jobs and improve people’s jobs and live the American dream, but it’s also a moral issue. We apparently are willing to accept the benefits that government provides us, but we are apparently are unwilling to pay the tab for doing so. Americans need to figure out whether they want those benefits and if they do, then I think we ought to expect the people that get the benefits to actually pay for them,” Moran said.
When asked if he thought things would get better or worse after the next presidential election, Moran replied, “I believe that every day that you get up or I get up, we have to be optimistic. I’ve always looked at elections like New Year’s Day — when there’s an election and there’s a new person leading our country, it’s like the beginning of the new year. It’s new resolutions, new hope, new opportunity.”
Cherokee County News-Advocate — Sen. Moran sees consequences of historic wheat harvest firsthand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Gayle Smith today to prioritize donations of wheat in U.S. food aid to reduce food insecurity across the globe and the oversupply of wheat that is contributing to low prices.
“As I’ve been traveling across Kansas, I’ve witnessed the historic wheat harvest, surplus of high-quality wheat and resulting low wheat prices,” Sen. Moran said. “I’m hopeful we can utilize the current abundance of wheat stocks to provide even greater assistance to those in need to reduce food insecurity and support wheat farmers in Kansas and across the country.”
The Senate Fiscal Year 2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill supports food aid by providing additional funding for the Food for Peace program and maintaining elevated funding levels for the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.
The text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Smith,
Thank you for your leadership in administering our nation’s food aid programs. The United States leads the world in the fight against global hunger, contributing nearly half of all in-kind donations to food insecure nations. Our country’s food aid programs embody the inherent generosity of the American people.
The U.S. wheat industry has a long and successful history of partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and private humanitarian organizations in helping to reduce global hunger. Wheat is the most consumed commodity worldwide, making up 20 percent of the calories and 20 percent of the protein consumed by the world’s poorest. Approximately 600,000 metric tons of wheat were donated through U.S. food aid during the most recent marketing year.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 directly supported U.S. food aid efforts by providing a significant increase in funding for the delivery of food aid to populations in need. The Senate FY2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill continues our strong support for food aid by providing additional funding for the Food for Peace program and maintaining elevated funding levels for the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.
Following a historic wheat harvest in Kansas and other states, there is a surplus of high quality wheat available on the market. The current abundance of wheat stocks offers an opportunity to provide even greater assistance to those in need through increased shipments of wheat. During the procurement process for in-kind commodity donations in the future, I encourage you to prioritize the utilization of wheat to help those in need.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and once again, for your leadership in making U.S. food aid a source of pride for Americans.
Yours truly,
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran
KRVN: SEN. MORAN SEES CONSEQUENCES OF HISTORIC WHEAT HARVEST FIRSTHAND, CALLS ON USDA AND USAID
Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee – called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Gayle Smith today to prioritize donations of wheat in U.S. food aid to reduce food insecurity across the globe and the oversupply of wheat that is contributing to low prices.
“As I’ve been traveling across Kansas, I’ve witnessed the historic wheat harvest, surplus of high-quality wheat and resulting low wheat prices,” Sen. Moran said. “I’m hopeful we can utilize the current abundance of wheat stocks to provide even greater assistance to those in need to reduce food insecurity and support wheat farmers in Kansas and across the country.”
The Senate Fiscal Year 2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill supports food aid by providing additional funding for the Food for Peace program and maintaining elevated funding levels for the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.
The text of the letter is below and available here.
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Administrator Smith:
Thank you for your leadership in administering our nation’s food aid programs. The United States leads the world in the fight against global hunger, contributing nearly half of all in-kind donations to food insecure nations. Our country’s food aid programs embody the inherent generosity of the American people.
The U.S. wheat industry has a long and successful history of partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and private humanitarian organizations in helping to reduce global hunger. Wheat is the most consumed commodity worldwide, making up 20 percent of the calories and 20 percent of the protein consumed by the world’s poorest. Approximately 600,000 metric tons of wheat were donated through U.S. food aid during the most recent marketing year.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 directly supported U.S. food aid efforts by providing a significant increase in funding for the delivery of food aid to populations in need. The Senate FY2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill continues our strong support for food aid by providing additional funding for the Food for Peace program and maintaining elevated funding levels for the McGovern-Dole Food For Education Program.
Following a historic wheat harvest in Kansas and other states, there is a surplus of high quality wheat available on the market. The current abundance of wheat stocks offers an opportunity to provide even greater assistance to those in need through increased shipments of wheat. During the procurement process for in-kind commodity donations in the future, I encourage you to prioritize the utilization of wheat to help those in need.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and once again, for your leadership in making U.S. food aid a source of pride for Americans.
Yours truly,
Hays Daily News: Moran blasts VA for poor treatment of veterans
WaKEENEY — Just up the road from the Kansas Veterans Cemetery and with several veterans in the audience, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., on Wednesday criticized the agency tasked with overseeing veterans’ health care.
Approximately 20 people gathered to hear and question Moran at the Western Electric Cooperative community room at the Trego County stop of his listening tour while Congress is on break.
Two years after a scandal showing negligence within the Veterans Administration, Moran said the department still is mismanaged.
“I believe the VA is allowing too many veterans to slip between the cracks,” he said.
“If you need proof that big government doesn’t work well, the VA is a pretty good example,” he said.
Veterans’ health care is the No. 1 complaint his office receives now, he said.
Moran said Congress is focused on implementing the Veterans Choice Act, a law passed in 2014 in response to the discovery the VA was lying about wait times for veterans to see doctors.
Internal investigations that year showed at least 35 veterans had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix Veterans Health Administration, and nationwide, thousands of veterans waited 90 days or more to see a doctor, if they saw one at all.
The Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 provides veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA health facility or who have to wait more than 30 days for treatment from a VA facility can seek care at a non-VA facility, such as their own doctor or local hospital.
“That, in my view, is a really, really good thing for veterans,” Moran said. “It is also a good thing for our health care delivery system in our home towns. Just like our schools need every student, our hospitals need every patient.”
But, he said, the VA is fighting the law.
“The VA doesn’t like this at all,” he said. “They’re making it difficult for veterans to qualify. They’re slow in paying the bills.
“The VA has testified that veterans don’t want this law,” Moran said. “That can’t be true. If they don’t like it, it’s because of the experiences they’ve had in trying to get in it and getting the services they need.”
The senator told the audience his office had been contacted by a veteran from Moran’s hometown of Plainville who needed a colonoscopy. The veteran wanted it done at the hospital there, but the VA told him he could not because there is a clinic less than 40 miles away in Hays. However, colonoscopies are not among the services in the Hays outpatient clinic, so the VA told the veteran he had to go to its hospital in Wichita.
A veteran in the audience suggested the VA hospital system be done away with and veterans be allowed to choose their medical providers.
“If we can prove this works, that’s the direction I think that this can go,” Moran said.
“There may be specialized services that only the VA can provide,” such as mental health care for veterans suffering from PTSD, he said. “But there is a lot of opportunity for us to downsize the big volume of VA and put people at home.”
He urged those in attendance to help make sure veterans are using the Choice Act, even if that person is ready to give up on it. He said veterans facing difficulty with getting care at home should contact his office or officials with the VFW or American Legion for help.
“Make sure someone connects with this veteran so that if they’re willing, we force the VA to do what they’re supposed to do and care for these people,” he said.
Op-ed: Addressing poverty in rural America
Via The Ottawa Herald
One of the key tenets of the American Dream is the promise that if you work hard, you can get ahead. This dream doesn’t discriminate — regardless of the circumstances you’re born into, hard work will lead you to success. Generations of Americans have lived, worked and raised families believing in that idea.
Despite honest living and persistence, millions in our country still struggle to get ahead financially. This is especially true in rural communities where the challenges of poverty differ significantly from urban areas. When access to higher education, health care, affordable housing, social and financial services, and job opportunities is limited, the path toward upward mobility is challenging.
As someone who grew up in small-town Kansas, the issue of rural poverty hits close to home. While representing Kansans in Congress, I have made it a priority to highlight this often overlooked struggle and have proposed policy solutions to help drive Americans, both urban and rural, up the economic ladder. For example, I’m working to make certain all Kansans can access high-speed internet and get care from their local Critical Access Hospital, as well as ensure our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned in a timely fashion.
Many rural, low-income families lack both affordable housing and access to credit: two major factors in determining one’s mobility. And unfortunately, as the cost of compliance with new government rules and regulations grows, community banks and local lenders are increasingly being squeezed out of their local economies. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I’ve proposed legislative solutions to relieve this burden, but it is clear solving this issue will require a series of policy and regulatory changes coupled with broader economic growth.
In Kansas, much of that economic growth depends on the health of the agriculture industry — a major pillar of our economy — which determines the financial well-being of nearly 250,000 Kansans. As the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m tasked with drafting annual legislation to prioritize funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration — agencies whose work impacts growth and mobility in rural America. My bill (S. 2956) includes critical improvements to rural infrastructure such as water and waste systems and upgrades to electric and telephone services. It also strengthens the farm safety net to keep family farms viable in tough economic conditions, which in turn helps keep Main Street businesses that rely on agriculture afloat. These policies improve the economic viability of small town America.
Rural economic interests, while often overlooked, must be represented in all policy debates on Capitol Hill — agricultural or otherwise. With that in mind, I cofounded the bipartisan Senate Economic Mobility Caucus in 2012 to bring together policymakers to examine mobility challenges and develop ways to overcome them. Since the caucus’ inception, we have conceived numerous bipartisan policies, including some that are now law. Most recently, the caucus hosted an event to convene experts from various backgrounds focused specifically on economic mobility through a rural lens. To see such strong interest in the topic was encouraging and I will continue to stress the importance of rural-specific considerations during policy debates.
While each of these steps represents progress, much work remains to enable all Americans to become economically mobile and financially secure. I will continue to do all I can during my time in the United States Senate to help restore the confidence that every man, woman and child has a real opportunity to achieve their own American Dream.
Jerry Moran represents Kansas in the U.S. Senate.
Via The Hutchison News
One of the key tenets of the American Dream is the promise that if you work hard, you can get ahead. This dream doesn’t discriminate – regardless of the circumstances you’re born into, hard work will lead you to success. Generations of Americans have lived, worked and raised families believing in that idea.
Despite honest living and persistence, millions in our country still struggle to get ahead financially. This is especially true in rural communities where the challenges of poverty differ significantly from urban areas. When access to higher education, health care, affordable housing, social and financial services, and job opportunities is limited, the path toward upward mobility is challenging.
As someone who grew up in small-town Kansas, the issue of rural poverty hits close to home. While representing Kansans in Congress, I have made it a priority to highlight this often overlooked struggle and have proposed policy solutions to help drive Americans, both urban and rural, up the economic ladder. For example, I’m working to make certain all Kansans can access high-speed internet and get care from their local Critical Access Hospital, as well as ensure our veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned in a timely fashion.
Many rural, low-income families lack both affordable housing and access to credit: two major factors in determining one’s mobility. And, unfortunately, as the cost of compliance with new government rules and regulations grows, community banks and local lenders are increasingly being squeezed out of their local economies. As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, I’ve proposed legislative solutions to relieve this burden, but it is clear that solving this issue will require a series of policy and regulatory changes coupled with broader economic growth.
In Kansas, much of that economic growth depends on the health of the agriculture industry – a major pillar of our economy which determines the financial well-being of nearly 250,000 Kansans. As the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m tasked with drafting annual legislation to prioritize funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration – agencies whose work impacts growth and mobility in rural America. My bill (S. 2956) includes critical improvements to rural infrastructure such as water and waste systems and upgrades to electric and telephone services. It also strengthens the farm safety net to keep family farms viable in tough economic conditions, which in turn helps keep Main Street businesses that rely on agriculture afloat. These policies improve the economic viability of small-town America.
Rural economic interests, while often overlooked, must be represented in all policy debates on Capitol Hill – agricultural or otherwise. With that in mind, I co-founded the bipartisan Senate Economic Mobility Caucus in 2012 to bring together policy-makers to examine mobility challenges and develop ways to overcome them. Since the caucus’ inception, we have conceived numerous bipartisan policies, including some that are now law. Most recently, the caucus hosted an event to convene experts from various backgrounds focused specifically on economic mobility through a rural lens. To see such strong interest in the topic was encouraging, and I will continue to stress the importance of rural-specific considerations during policy debates.
While each of these steps represents progress, much work remains to enable all Americans to become economically mobile and financially secure. I will continue to do all I can during my time in the United States Senate to help restore the confidence that every man, woman and child has a real opportunity to achieve their own American Dream.
Salina Journal: Moran wins
TOPEKA — Republican voters in the deep red state of Kansas have given U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran their nomination in the state’s primary.
The Republican incumbent Tuesday easily defeated Della Jean “D.J.” Smith, a former Osawatomie city council member who ran against a sitting GOP senator for the second time. She ran in the 2014 Republican primary against U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, finishing far behind in third place that year.
Moran, 62, garnered about 79 percent of the votes in Tuesday’s primary. He was first elected to the Senate in 2010. He previously represented the state’s 1st congressional district from 1997 to 2010.
The Plainville native and Manhattan resident will face Democrat Patrick Wiesner and Libertarian Robert Garrard in the Nov. 8 general election.
Wiesner, a Lawrence attorney defeated Monique Singh-Bey, of Kansas City, Kan., in the Democratic primary. Wiesner garnered 63 percent of the vote.
During his campaign, Wiesner cited his professional experience with federal law as a tax attorney and Army lawyer. His campaign touted as his mission “paying off the government’s debt,” saying the first step is ending Washington lobbyists’ control of the Senate.
Kansas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932.
U.S. House races
In the 2nd District, which includes Topeka and Lawrence, U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins didn’t face a primary challenge, nor did Democratic candidate Britani Potter. Jenkins and Potter will be in a race with Libertarian James Houston Bales in November.
In the 3rd District, which includes Johnson County and Wyandotte County, Kevin Yoder staved off a challenge from Greg Goode, a retired lieutenant colonel who bluntly referred to Yoder as corrupt on several occasions.
“We all know many of our politicians are bought and paid for by big multinational corporations,” Goode said last week. “The unfortunate truth: Our congressman, Kevin Yoder is the poster boy for this massive corruption.”
On the Democratic side, Jay Sidie received 42 percent of the vote to win a three-way race with Nathaniel McLaughlin (36 percent) and Reggie Marselus (22 percent). Sidie and Libertarian Steven Hohe will compete against Yoder in the general election Nov. 8.
The 3rd District race could garner national attention. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has pledged to support Sidie, believing the suburban district could swing Democratic due to the unpopularity of Republicans Donald Trump and Gov. Sam Brownback.
In the 4th District, U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo didn’t face a primary challenger. On the Democratic side, with 600 of 622 precincts counted, Wichita lawyer Dan Giroux was leading Robert Tillman, 52 percent to 49 percent. Pompeo and the winner, along with Libertarian Gorden Bakken, will compete in November.
Turnout in Johnson Co.
The top election official in Kansas’ most populous county says turnout in the primary election should be close to what he had expected.
Johnson County Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker said Tuesday evening that he believes 77,000 or 78,000 voters in the county would cast ballots. The county has about 389,000 registered voters, so that would be a turnout of about 20 percent.
Kobach’s prediction
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach had predicted that 24 percent of the state’s registered voters would cast ballots. He also said he thought turnout in Johnson County would be slightly lower than the statewide figure.
State elections director Bryan Caskey said the secretary of state’s office hadn’t seen anything to think its prediction was off.
TCJ Letter: Re-elect Jerry Moran to U.S. Senate
It often seems like our elected officials are unapproachable by any but the rich and powerful. This is not the case with Sen. Jerry Moran. He is the most approachable person in the U.S. Senate. A majority of the members of Congress live full-time in D.C. and only spend time in their districts/states during the election cycle.
Sen. Moran returns to the state nearly every weekend and, on most visits, is traveling around the state holding town halls. He actually gets to every county in the state at least twice per election cycle and much more often in the larger counties.
I have been to several of his town halls in Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson counties. In those town halls, you quickly realize that he is willing to take on all comers and questions with respect and often humor. He is willing to take on opposition without pandering and he remains faithful to his policy positions with well-reasoned arguments.
This good man deserves re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Meet the Primary Candidates: Moran
Editor’s Note: The Emporia Gazette sent a questionnaire to all candidates involved in a primary race runoff for both the national and state races in this area. These are the responses of Republican and current Senator Jerry Moran and Democrat Patrick Wiesner. Candidates DJ Smith (R) and Monique Singh (D) did not respond. The winners of the primary races will face each other and Libertarian Robert Garrard in the general election.
Responses from the candidates for House Seats 76 and 60 were published Tuesday and Wednesday. Responses from the candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives will be published Friday. There is no primary for Kansas House Seat 51 or Senate District 17.
Advance voting at county courthouses is open until noon Aug. 1. The polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 2.
Q When thinking about the future of the state, what concerns you the most?
A Kansans are concerned that our nation is going off-course: out-of-control spending threatens our national security and our children’s future; high taxes and burdensome regulations make it hard to start and operate a small business; and we have an administration that seems more concerned with monitoring bathroom policies than confronting ISIS. Kansans are looking for principled, conservative leadership that will actually solve these problems. That’s who I am, what I’ve done and what I will continue to do.
Q What would you do to improve the health care access in our state?
A As a member of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, I understand that communities are strengthened when Kansans have access to broad health care networks within our communities. Access to quality health care often determines whether Kansans can remain in the communities they call home and whether our children will return to raise families of their own. In order to make certain Kansans have access to affordable, quality health care, we must pursue policies that reduce healthcare costs.
The Affordable Care Act has burdened millions of Americans with a litany of broken promises, higher taxes, increasing health insurance costs, reduced healthcare choices, and burdensome mandates and regulations that stifle economic growth. For Kansans, additional taxes from Obamacare will be more than $949 million over the next 10 years. We can and must do better. In order to achieve true health care reform in this country, the kind of reform that will relieve Kansas families and business owners from facing increasing health insurance premiums every year, we have to reduce healthcare costs. Americans want sensible reforms that increase competition and choice, and thereby expand access and lower cost.
Too often, federal health regulations do not reflect the reality of health care delivery in Kansas. I have authored and sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to make sure that Kansas health care providers can continue to provide quality care to their patients. For example, I’ve introduced the Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act to make sure that rural and other patients have access to a full range of outpatient therapeutic services in hospitals in their own communities by easing unreasonable federal regulatory requirements. Additionally, I am a sponsor of legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program, which helps certain rural hospitals in sparsely populated states expand care to patients in their communities. I am also a sponsor of the Critical Access Hospital Relief Act, which would relieve Critical Access Hospitals from an arbitrary and inflexible Medicare admissions rule that is imposed upon these hospitals without regard to clinical appropriateness.
As a co-founder of the Senate Community Pharmacy Caucus, I understand that pharmacists play a vital role in health care delivery. Recognizing that pharmacists are often the most accessible health care providers in many Kansas communities, I am a sponsor of the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, which would allow pharmacists to be reimbursed by Medicare for providing pharmacy services to patients in medically underserved areas.
Another way to improve access to quality health care in our state is to support the advancement of cures and treatments for disease through medical research. Medical research is essential to saving and improving lives, growing our economy, and maintaining America’s role as a global leader in medical innovation. Given the vast amount of progress made over the last century — as well as the great potential current research holds — it is important that we continue our commitment to advancing cures and treatments for disease.
Q What are the top three issues on which you would focus during your term?
A In my view, the greatest threat we have to being able to pursue the American Dream is the debt and deficit. I have opposed every increase in the debt ceiling, every stimulus package and every bailout offered by either party while fighting to reduce spending and enact a balanced budget amendment. Spending trillions of dollars that we do not have undermines economic growth today while putting a massive financial burden on our children and grandchildren.
The security and safety of the American homeland is a paramount responsibility for those elected to serve in Washington. It’s clear that in the 15 years since 9/11, the threats this nation faces from Islamic extremism remain very real. We must remain vigilant against those who wish to take advantage of the free and open society in which we live while protecting the liberties we enjoy and cherish.
There is no group of Americans I hold in higher regard than our nation’s heroes. During my time in Congress – as a member of both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees – I have made improving the quality of life for the nearly 250,000 veterans living in Kansas a top priority. Our nation’s veterans should be treated like patriots, deserving of care from a grateful nation – not made to feel like a burden. I will not rest until Kansas veterans have a Department of Veterans Affairs worthy of their service and sacrifice.
Q Is there anything else you would like the citizens in Kansas to know about you?
A Since first being elected to Congress, I have been a leading advocate for protecting and preserving the special way of life we live in Kansas. Despite the distance of more than 1,000 miles between Washington, D.C., and Kansas, I return home each weekend to meet with Kansans, listen to your concerns, and get my marching orders. I am about to wrap-up my third round of listening tour stops in each of Kansas’ 105 counties. I am grateful that you have entrusted me with the honor of representing you and will never stop fighting for you.
Editor’s Note: Sen. Moran was given the same seven questions as all primary candidates. The decision to focus on four of them was his.