Sen. Jerry Moran said Thursday was his first Town Hall where he was handed a soda and offered popcorn. Moran said he learned about the new Golden Belt Cinema 6, site of the meeting, from his press secretary, Great Bend native Katie Niederee.
Moran began his dialogue by explaining his frustration with a system where solving problems seems to always be delayed until “after the next election.”
“It is very frustrating to be a member of Congress, and particularly a Senator,” Moran said. “We ought to be at work trying to correct and change problems.”
He blamed a lack of leadership, over-regulation and a lack of common sense. One example is the fate of the Lesser Prairie Chicken; rules proposed as conservation measures would hurt both the oil and agriculture industries in Kansas, he said.
“I serve on the Appropriation Committe,” he said. “Sen. (Pat) Roberts and I have an amendment that tells EPA you can’t define ‘navigable waters’ the way you want to.” But, the proposals aren’t voted on because no appropriations bills are passed.
Moran supports local control on  issues such as education, but believes in national leadership when needed.
“At the moment, it’s ISIS,” he said. Moran didn’t vote for money to arm and train Syrian rebels. “My guess is, they’ll end up being our enemy, too,” he said.
“Where would you like this conversation to go?” Morgan asked the audience.
The first question was what Moran thinks about “tension between Republicans,” and also the fact that Congress keeps passing spending resolutions without a budget.
“We need to bring Republicans together,” he said. “Sen. Roberts is in a real race. I’m all for his re-election.” If Roberts wins and the Republicans take over leadership of the Senate, Roberts is poised to become chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
“I’ve been to Tea Party meetings in Great Bend. In Kansas, they want government to live within its means and to abide by the Constitution. My impression is that Republicans have so much more in common that in difference,” he said.
“You’re right that we need a budget,” he continued. Congress is supposed to pass a budget and 12 appropriations bills that determine how much gets spent on what. “The last time a budget passed and all 12 appropriations bills worked their way through Congress was 1994,” he said. “This is part of the dysfunction in the U.S. Senate.” Without a budget, Congress doesn’t get to change the funding levels — so it fails to establish priorities for spending.
While Moran would like to see cuts in some areas, he said, “there are a few things we should spend more on,” such as more money for research to cure or treat Alzheimer’s Disease.
With all political views represented in the audience, Moran was asked if the Koch Brothers “and others like them” are buying elections, and at the same time reminded that rich people create jobs. When Homer Kruckenberg asked, “Is the Senate an accumulation of fat cats?” Moran said wealth shouldn’t be a determining factor of how well they do the job. “I’m not a fat cat,” he said. “Our income is basically what I earn as a U.S. Senator. I try never to complain about the job I have — because I asked for it.”
Should the Senate abolish the filibuster rule?
“No,” Moran said. It allows the minority point of view to be heard.
When 60 Senate votes were required to approve a Presidential appointment, he said, Democrats had to talk to Republicans. “The rule of 60 causes us to have to work together.”
“Every piece of Legislation I’ve introduced, I asked a Democrat to sponsor with me,” Morgan added.
“Thanks for voting ‘no’ on immigration reform,” one audience member said.
“Something does need to be done,” Moran said. “But I also know as a Kansan that we need a workforce.” Again, this is an area where Congress should do the work. “We’re the Legislative Branch. I absolutely oppose the president fixing this by executive order.”
“I used to think that you were a moderate,” said one woman, “And I appreciate moderates.”
“I don’t know labels,” Moran answered. There are people who don’t want him to budge on anything and others who want him to bend. “There are places you can’t budge, and places you can work together,” he said.