|
|
|
MONTEZUMA —
U.S. Sen.-elect Jerry Moran said Wednesday he hopes Congress will not pass any new laws in 2011.
Instead, he said he would rather see lawmakers review laws that are already on the books, decide whether they still make sense and repeal them if they don’t.
“That what I hope is a different aspect of this Congress after the elections is, it’s not about new legislation,” he said. “It’s about fixing what’s there and getting rid of what we can get rid of.”
After spending 13 years in the U.S. House, Moran is moving to the U.S. Senate, where he will replace outgoing Sen. Sam Brownback. Brownback stepped down after capturing the Kansas governor’s office in November.
Moran’s listening tour of the Big First District is a longstanding tradition, and he continued that tradition Wednesday by launching his 2011 tour of the state. His itinerary included a stop at the Montezuma Community Center, where Moran addressed a group of 14 people including state Sen.-elect Garrett Love.
Moran said voters sent a message to Congress with November’s election results.
“It’s focus on the economy and growing jobs,” he said. “And two, quit growing government in ways that we can’t afford.”
Moran also listened to the audience sound off on issues including veterans care, the new health care law and tax cuts.
Copeland resident Paul Sanford complained that Kansas isn’t taking care of its veterans, partly because the federal government keeps cutting the budget for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Which I understand budgets have to be cut,” he said. “But they keep cutting so that we cannot provide the service to the guys that are fighting and taking care of and keeping our freedom.”
Sanford said veterans service officers in other states represent about 3,000 veterans apiece, but Kansas’ officers represent about 15,000 apiece.
Moran acknowledged that the federal government plays a significant role in taking care of veterans, but he said the Legislature and the governor are responsible for funding the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs.
“It is sad to me for the reality that we’re last in the country (in taking care of veterans),” he said. “And there is truth to the fact that actually spending some money on veterans service officers increases the amount of benefits that come to veterans, improving certainly their lives but also perhaps improving our economy as well.”
Moran’s take on other issues:
• The new health care law: Moran predicted that the U.S. House will attempt to repeal the law almost immediately, setting the stage for another health care debate in the Senate. He added that he opposed the law based on its cost and possible impact on Kansas’ health care system.
“I think there are lots of things we can do to improve health care,” he said. “The things that are in this bill aren’t them.”
But Moran said President Barack Obama will not sign a bill repealing the law, which was the president’s top domestic priority.
• Tax cuts: Moran said he voted against a package that extended tax cuts for families at all income levels, renewed jobless benefits for long-term unemployed workers and cut Social Security taxes for one year. Obama signed the massive bill into law earlier this month.
Moran said he opposed the measure not because he objected to extending tax cuts, but because he thought congressional leaders struck a deal in which nobody paid for anything.
“The week before that vote, the focus is all on the deficit,” he said. “And a week later, we forget the deficit and add a trillion dollars to it with one vote.”
U.S. Sen.-elect Jerry Moran said Wednesday he hopes Congress will not pass any new laws in 2011.
Instead, he said he would rather see lawmakers review laws that are already on the books, decide whether they still make sense and repeal them if they don’t.
“That what I hope is a different aspect of this Congress after the elections is, it’s not about new legislation,” he said. “It’s about fixing what’s there and getting rid of what we can get rid of.”
After spending 13 years in the U.S. House, Moran is moving to the U.S. Senate, where he will replace outgoing Sen. Sam Brownback. Brownback stepped down after capturing the Kansas governor’s office in November.
Moran’s listening tour of the Big First District is a longstanding tradition, and he continued that tradition Wednesday by launching his 2011 tour of the state. His itinerary included a stop at the Montezuma Community Center, where Moran addressed a group of 14 people including state Sen.-elect Garrett Love.
Moran said voters sent a message to Congress with November’s election results.
“It’s focus on the economy and growing jobs,” he said. “And two, quit growing government in ways that we can’t afford.”
Moran also listened to the audience sound off on issues including veterans care, the new health care law and tax cuts.
Copeland resident Paul Sanford complained that Kansas isn’t taking care of its veterans, partly because the federal government keeps cutting the budget for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Which I understand budgets have to be cut,” he said. “But they keep cutting so that we cannot provide the service to the guys that are fighting and taking care of and keeping our freedom.”
Sanford said veterans service officers in other states represent about 3,000 veterans apiece, but Kansas’ officers represent about 15,000 apiece.
Moran acknowledged that the federal government plays a significant role in taking care of veterans, but he said the Legislature and the governor are responsible for funding the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs.
“It is sad to me for the reality that we’re last in the country (in taking care of veterans),” he said. “And there is truth to the fact that actually spending some money on veterans service officers increases the amount of benefits that come to veterans, improving certainly their lives but also perhaps improving our economy as well.”
Moran’s take on other issues:
• The new health care law: Moran predicted that the U.S. House will attempt to repeal the law almost immediately, setting the stage for another health care debate in the Senate. He added that he opposed the law based on its cost and possible impact on Kansas’ health care system.
“I think there are lots of things we can do to improve health care,” he said. “The things that are in this bill aren’t them.”
But Moran said President Barack Obama will not sign a bill repealing the law, which was the president’s top domestic priority.
• Tax cuts: Moran said he voted against a package that extended tax cuts for families at all income levels, renewed jobless benefits for long-term unemployed workers and cut Social Security taxes for one year. Obama signed the massive bill into law earlier this month.
Moran said he opposed the measure not because he objected to extending tax cuts, but because he thought congressional leaders struck a deal in which nobody paid for anything.
“The week before that vote, the focus is all on the deficit,” he said. “And a week later, we forget the deficit and add a trillion dollars to it with one vote.”
