Rep. Jerry Moran’s two days in Kansas on his conservation tour weren’t all about conservation.
While learning about using fire as a tool in pastures, improving water quality and quantity, irrigation and wildlife habitat, and residential water conservation, the Hays Republican was getting an earful about what’s going on in Congress.
On recent visits to the 69-county 1st District, he has posed the same question to folks on recent visits: “Do you like what you’re seeing in Washington?”
Everyone answers “No,” Moran said. “I don’t either.”
The longtime lawmaker said his best remedy is to give colleagues in Washington a healthy dose of Kansas.
“I give them an opportunity to see how Kansans are living their lives,” Moran said.
He sat down for a breather Wednesday after bidding adieu to about 40 people who turned out for the tour stop at the City-County Building. Moran also made stops in Reno, Marion and McPherson counties.
The bailouts, stimulus money and debt that is hard to fathom are disturbing to Moran. He voted against the bailout.
“We’ve lived beyond our means, and we can’t borrow our way back to prosperity,” Moran said.
The federal government, which includes President Barack Obama, his administration and Congress, is “trying to involve itself in too many things,” Moran said.
The first move in stopping the recession, he said, is to improve the ability of banks to lend money.
“Uncertainty about access to credit makes the economic conditions more uncertain and difficult,” Moran said.
We’re moving too fast
He said the Democratic controlled Congress is passing bills at record speed, trying to accomplish a lot in Obama’s first 100 days in office. That deadline is at the end of this month.
“Congress is especially poor at doing its job when everything is in a rush,” Moran said.
In the past three to four weeks, he’s been at the podium on the House floor, trying to inject some common sense — conservative values.
“We need to slow things down a bit. Let the American people get a sense of what’s happening,” Moran said.
The country should be on everyone’s minds, he said, not defeating the other party.
“There are people in the House who like to hear themselves talk. The goal is not just to take talking points and give a speech,” Moran said. “I clearly can disagree with policy positions, but in my mind is what’s best for the country and for Kansas.”
GOP blew it, too
He hasn’t forgotten when the Republicans had a stronghold in Congress and the White House, but “the basic tenet” of keeping government small and avoiding more debt was not accomplished.
“The Republicans didn’t do well when we had control. Spending too much money is bad whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” Moran said. “We just passed a $3.55 trillion budget, and $1.69 trillion of that is a deficit.”
Moran said he intends to continue his statewide listening tours if he wins the Senate seat being vacated by Sam Brownback, who is running for Kansas governor.
Asked to endorse a candidate to be his successor, Moran responded, “I’ve got my own race to run.”
