Jerry Moran
United States Senator from Kansas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011 Serving with Pat Roberts
Preceded by	Sam Brownback
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kansas's 1st district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Pat Roberts
Succeeded by	Tim Huelskamp
Personal details
Born	May 29, 1954 (1954-05-29) (age 57) Great Bend, Kansas
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Robba Moran
Residence	Hays, Kansas
Alma mater	University of Kansas (B.A.) & (J.D.)
Occupation	attorney, bank executive, college professor
Religion	Methodist
Website	Senator Jerry Moran

Jerry Moran (born May 29, 1954) is the junior U.S. Senator from Kansas and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Kansas's 1st congressional district.

Raised in Plainville, Kansas, Moran graduated from the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas School of Law. He worked in private law and served as the state special assistant attorney general (1982–85) and deputy attorney of Rooks County (1987–95). He served in the Kansas Senate (1989–1997), and was majority leader for his last two years. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and served six terms with little electoral opposition. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in a landslide in 2010. He is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and has a strongly conservative voting record.

Early life, education and career

Moran was born in Great Bend, Kansas, but was raised in Plainville. He attended Fort Hays State University before enrolling at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics in 1976. While attending the University of Kansas, he worked as a summer intern for U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius in 1974, when impeachment proceedings were being prepared against President Richard Nixon.

Moran worked as a banker before receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1982. He practiced law at Stinson, Mag & Fizzell in Kansas City, and later joined Jeter & Larson Law Firm in Hays, where he practiced law for fifteen years. In addition to his law practice, he served as the state special assistant attorney general (1982–85) and deputy attorney of Rooks County (1987–95). He also served as an adjunct professor of political science at Fort Hays State University.

Kansas Senate

Moran served for eight years (1989–1997) in the Kansas Senate. He served two years as the Vice President and his last two years as majority leader.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Moran was elected to Congress in 1996 and reelected five times, never facing serious opposition in the conservative 1st district. In 2006, his opponent for the 2006 midterm election was John Doll, against whom he received almost 79 percent of the vote—one of the highest totals for a Republican congressional incumbent in that election.

Tenure

During his time in the House of Representatives, Jerry Moran conducted an annual town hall meeting in each of the 69 counties in Kansas' "Big First" Congressional District. He continues the tradition in the U.S. Senate for all 105 counties.

As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, then-Congressman Moran worked with colleagues to craft legislation to aid Kansas farms and ranches. Moran was also an active member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Health.

From 2003 through 2005, $14.7 billion in crop subsidies went to the congressional districts of members on the House Committee on Agriculture, an analysis by the non-partisan Environmental Working Group found. That was 42.4% of the total subsidies. Moran's district is reported to have received $1.32 billion.

U.S. Senate

Elections

Moran was the 2010 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Kansas. He defeated fellow Congressman Todd Tiahrt in the Senate primary. In the general election Moran faced Democrat Lisa Johnston, Libertarian Michael Dann, and Reform Party candidate Joe Bellis. A SurveyUSA election poll released on August 16, 2010 had Moran receiving 69% of the votes, Johnston receiving 23%, Dann receiving 2%, and Bellis receiving 2% of the vote, with 3% of the vote undecided.

Committee assignments

• United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
• United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (Ranking member)
  • Subcommittee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia
• United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Political positions

Agriculture

Jerry Moran (far right) assisting with a dinner at Fort Riley

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), recently introduced legislation, S. 989, the Flint Hills Preservation Act, to protect the ability of landowners in the Flint Hills to use prescribed fire as a tool to preserve the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Moran also joined U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) in introducing the 3-D Act: The Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy, and Deficit Reduction Act of 2011.

Health Care

Moran opposed the Medicare reform package of 2003. He also opposed President Obama's health care reform bill in 2010. In May 2011, Moran sponsored S. 1058, the Pharmacy Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 2011, legislation intended to increase choice and cost savings for patients in Kansas and across the country. He believes reducing the costs of medical services, equipment, insurance, and prescription drugs are necessary to ensure adequate health care. In the House, he served as Co-Chairman of the House Rural Health Care Coalition and co-founder of the Congressional Community Pharmacy Coalition.

National Security and Military

Senator Moran believes that a strong national defense is the federal government’s primary Constitutional responsibility. Kansas is home to Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, McConnell Air Force Base and the 35th Infantry Division.

In the early 2000s, Moran opposed a timetable for military withdrawal from Iraq.

Moran worked to bring the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Once constructed, NBAF will conduct animal disease research intended to secure America's food supply and protect citizens and animals from the threat of foreign animal disease.

Education

Moran supports accountability metrics for public schools, but believes federal initiatives need to provide flexibility to states. In 2001, Moran voted against passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) because he felt it did not afford sufficient flexibility to schools.

Gun rights

Moran generally supports the right to bear arms. The National Rifle Association rated his voting record “A” in its scorecard.

Environment

Moran has opposed environmental protection, earning a lifetime score of 9% from the League of Conservation Voters. He also opposes "cap and trade" legislation intended to reduce climate change because of its potential to eliminate thousands of jobs.

Abortion

Moran is pro-life. The Family Research Council rated his voting record 100% in its scorecard.

Gay rights

Moran opposes same-sex marriage. The Human Rights Campaign rated his voting record as zero in its last five scorecards.

Personal life

At home, Moran volunteers his time with several community organizations. He is a trustee of the Eisenhower Foundation, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Fort Hays State University Endowment Association, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Coronado Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is also the 2008 Honorary Chair of the Law Enforcement Torch Run of the Kansas Special Olympics. Moran has two daughters, Kelsey and Alex. Kelsey graduated from Kansas State University in 2010 and Alex is currently a student.

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