US Senator Jerry Moran, the dean of the Kansas congressional delegation is up for reelection in November. He has been running around Kansas on the campaign trail on a quest to defeat Democratic nominee Mark Collins, a former Kansas City Kansas mayor, Senator, thanks for making a pitstop with the Kansas reflector.
Tim, I'm glad to be with you and happy to have this conversation.
Excellent. I typically ask candidates the most fundamental questions. Why are you running in this election cycle? Why do you want to represent Kansas for the next six years in the US Senate?
You know, there's really if you look at my background, there's no justification, no real suggestion that I would ever grow up to be a United States senator representing Kansas. I'm a first generation college graduate, my dad worked as a laborer in the oil fields of western Kansas, my mom was a lady paid your light bill to in our little town, I've been given great opportunities to try to make a difference. And I appreciate that very much. Kansans have entrusted me on numerous occasions to try to make decisions on their behalf. And I work hard to make sure I understand how they're thinking why they're thinking that way. And in what way I can best represent them and their interests and in the process, make Kansas a better place to live and raise a family to have a make certain our state has a bright future. And to make sure that the country is on a path toward protecting the freedoms and liberties that our Constitution allows us. And the American Dream is something that's alive and well. Those are things that are worth asking Kansans to give me the opportunity to represent them. I would have told Kansans didn't tell Kansas when I first ran for office and every election sense that while I have no choice, we as Americans have no choice but to deal with the major national and international issues. primary motivating factor for me and asking for this job is to try to do the things that increase the chances that good things happen here. I'm a product of rural Kansas, I think I'm a very much a Kansan. I think I know and understand and represent kind of the way that many Kansans live their lives. And I'm interested in trying to make certain that I don't leave this position until I have a few more things accomplished. And it seems to me that there is a path to seeing that occur. And I would look forward to trying to make a difference for Kansas in the future.
Okay, you were out on the campaign trail today. What what kind of things are people asking you about? What are your constituents issues bringing up to you when they stand there, and you're meeting with them?
You know, I have conducted lots of town hall meetings. Over a long period of time when I was a House member 69 townhall meetings every year, when I became a Senator, it shifted to 105. And it turned out to be about it was 100 and 105, every over a two year period of time. COVID diminish those, but that hasn't changed my interest, desire, in fact, joy in spending time with Kansans. It's a part of my job that I like best. Many of my colleagues in the Senate make fun of me who would do a town hall meeting, who would spend, you know, the month of August traveling from community to community. And yet it's a part of the job that I enjoy the most and use that as an opportunity to learn something. Every conversation I have, I learned something. And fortunately, somewhat maybe like a journalist, I have the ability to ask people questions, and they are generally willing to open their mouths their hearts their door and give me information. You're right.
I asked nosy questions. And I've often viewed it as continuing education for my brain. It's true.
I tell reporters, I've told reporters over the years that our jobs have some similarities. I don't sit down and make them into a newspaper article. But I have the opportunity to examine question, learn from lots of people that give me ideas. Many of the things that I in fact, most of the things I know, I read all the time. But most of the things I know come from conversations I've had with people, some that I've known a long period of time and some that I've just stuck my hand out and started a conversation. I discovered way back in the beginning when I first ran for congress that this sticking your hand out and starting a conversation isn't necessarily necessarily a natural thing. But it's something that it happens now every day in my life, and something that I look forward to and while social media It is terribly demeaning to public officials. And I'm certainly a target of lots of criticism on social media. In reality, there has been virtually no, very few, maybe none. Maybe no circumstances in which even people who disagree with me in conversation face to face aren't respectful. And it again creates an opportunity, we ought not look away from opportunities to mean, one of the things that's happened in today's politics is we have become where we only associate with people who agree with us. And it diminishes what we're talking about here. And the ability to listen and learn and change your mind and or maybe convince somebody that well, maybe you aren't as bad as I thought you were, or what you say makes some sense. And it's part of the political process that used to exist in in earlier times than that in a much greater way than it does today. And so I appreciate that chance. And you're asking me, What are they talking what are Kansans talking about today? Jokingly, to my colleagues in Washington, DC, I often say the weather, which is absolutely the truth, we live we earn a living in Kansas by rain and snow and wind and fire and just what what is going on in our weather. But in the serious, more serious kinds of conversations, there remains just dissatisfaction with the nature of our border control our border security, the people who come across illegally. And it's a huge issue, and it's worthy of much greater attention than has occurred in in the nation's capital. And mostly, let me say it this way, a lot of that is about crime, drugs, human trafficking, things that regardless of what side you're on, about the humanity of people coming to the United States, our borders, help us protect people who are coming. And most importantly, people who are already here. I remember a townhall meeting in jet more a number of years ago in which the entire hour evolved into just a conversation about immigration. And the answer was, if people want to come here, the conclusion was, if people want to come here, and they're interested in earning a living, paying their way, not taking advantage of the welfare system, the hospital or the schools, we welcome them with open arms. And I think that's a general Kansas kind of view. But while we may think that way, it still is important for the laws to be obeyed. And it's important for us to keep the fentanyl, the methamphetamines, the human trafficking, the Chinese spies from crossing our borders, wherever those borders are located. So that's a topic that is prevalent, probably the most timely topic that that one precedes the current circumstances and it will go on into the future. But the topic of the de jour the topic of the day, the topic of the year, is the ability to earn a living and have enough wages and income to pay the bills, the the price in the grocery store, the price of the gas pump, inflation eats away and, incidentally mean often the it's my my observation that people who claim to care about the poorest among us, are people who often promote the policies that are the most damaging to the poorest among us. And one of those things is anything that causes inflation to eat away from a person's ability to take care of themselves and their family.
Yes, inflation is has a really detrimental effect on on the low income people the most. I mean, the rich people have the capacity to just absorb that inflation. And it shouldn't be a public policy concern. You've served many years, the first district to western Kansas, US House before election about a decade ago to the US Senate. How do you think you've changed since going to Washington? Do you feel Do you feel like the issues are more nuanced? Or? Or is it become more black and white? Or maybe how you've changed?
I feel a bit more comfortable in the shoes I tried to fill. I you know I again, the kind of the my background wouldn't suggest that this would be necessary, easy position to fill and I feel like that I've gotten better, better understanding of issues. certainly willing to listen to people more knowledgeable. But the basics mean, I don't know exactly what people utilize to make the decision about who they vote for. But I hope that my character my respect for other people, my belief system, the way that my parents raised me is one of the things that I hope has not changed. Washington DC has that mean? It's one of the reasons and I've explained this to Kansans. One of the reasons I do those townhall meetings, one of those reasons that I'm out and about sticking that handout and starting the conversation is Washington DC can change you in ways that I don't want to be changed. Even just on a personal basis. I don't want to become somebody I don't want to be. And in Washington, DC, the focus of people's lives are so much on politics, they love the game of politics. I've changed over time, I'm not a fan of politics, you would expect somebody who is on the ballot, to enjoy the politics of the day. I was a kid who was mean, I got interested in this in junior high school, I was involved in these kinds of things in high school and politics. I was the student body president in my high school, those kinds of things always intrigued me the things I read then and read today are mostly biographies, history, great people of the world, I still have a great interest in that. But the game of politics has diminished in my in my love of things to do.
Certainly, the game of politics become more tawdry,
it is, it is much more personal and a lot less, I don't even philosophical. And there is great reason that we need to work to make sure that politics is not a game. It's not always about winning and losing. Although if you don't win, you can't promote your ideas. You can't pursue your your goals for your constituents. But there is a reason to engage in public service that is beyond just the joy of winning an election. And if it becomes just about, you know, a victory every two years, or that your team is always on top, you're missing the real reason that you should be occupying and fulfilling the responsibilities of the job.
This question is not about labeling you but I think you've a reputation, deserve it or not of having moderate sensibilities. And, and I use that word just because the best one that I have on the tip of my tongue, but what do you think about that?
You know, I don't know exactly what moderate sensibilities are, if it means that I'm respectful of people. I mean, I think one of the things that's happened in politics is you are when people judge you, where you fit on the political spectrum, from liberal or progressive to conservative and all the things in between. I think that one of the things that has occurred is that's then a judgment based upon how loud you are, how many times you scream, whether you throw a fist. And so people have substituted in too many instances, commentators and others, that if you're, if you're respectful in your demeanor, you can't be a progressive liberal, or you can't be a conservative Republican. And so I, I'm, I'm, I have conservative principles. And some are somewhat libertarian, the things I read and studied as a kid and read and study today still lend themselves to me believing that less government is better than more government, in many instances, that personal responsibility matters a great deal. Those are traditionally known as being a conservative, and I share those kinds of views that it is government, you know, farthest away is the least responsive and that the more that it takes place, in the state or the community or in the family, or in the church, or in your hometown, those things are much better result. I've seen so many instances in which we we've worked, Congress works to solve a problem. And the solution ends up particularly in rural America being more damaging than the problem we were trying to solve.
Can you think of an example of that? Well, I
mean, if I had more time than what we have on the microphone, I'd come up with one but what I'm talking about is the rules and regulations that are designed to prevent somebody from doing something ended up not working in a place in which there's only you know, three or 400 people in the town. So I can see that, you know, clean, clean water is a hugely important issue. But if you put the mandate on a town in Kansas with 99, can citizens there's just no capability that community has to provide water to their citizens. And so
we don't think they're ready to pay for a $15 million water plan.
You cannot raise the rates on the on the 99. Citizens, I use 99 because it's a town I know of you cannot raise the rates on 99 People sufficiently enough to pay the bills.
What about debates? Mr. Holland, I think we'd love to debate you. But do you get asked about it? Or is it just a passe thing? You know, we had State Fair debates with the governor. They were pretty exciting. A lot of shouting there. But it was all in, in in good business, I think. But I know, Senator Roberts debated at the State Fair, why not? I
mean, I've, I've certainly had debates in my time in Congress, I've never debated at the state fair, because they've always been focused, I apparently am only up for election in which the governor's race is at the same time as my race. So the State Fair debates have generally have had not just generally have been focused on a governor's race. You know, unfortunately, first of all, I think I am certainly making myself available to people and conversations are occurring, and people have a general understanding of who I am and how I operate and how I think. But I would also say that debates, somewhat like townhall meetings have become spectacles in which it's having a who can get the largest crowd there who can be the loudest, it becomes more difficult to what
they've done. If it was on public TV or something, it would be in a studio, and you know, people move into the state, and they don't know of your history of political service. And so I just think sometimes, we're not doing it because the candidates are fearful. You know, the candidate is winning. So why would they step onto a stage in front of a hot mic? Like you're doing right now? Why would I do this? Yeah, you're generous? Okay. Well, you know, let's talk about some actual things that Congress did. You were a big part of legislation and the President signed to provide some assistance to US veterans exposed to burn pits that were common to military installations, I think particularly overseas in which they took toxins and other junk and dumped it in a hole and set it on fire. So what is your sense of that law? And how will it change the lives of of exposed veterans?
Well, in past days, in which the Republicans had the majority in the Senate, in perhaps future days in which Republicans do have the majority in the Senate, I have and will chair the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. I am not a veteran, I grew up at a time in which Vietnam was a significant part of the country's circumstance. If you are a year or two older than me, and we went to high school together, you served in Vietnam, by the fortune or circumstance of my birthday, I did not serve in Vietnam. And I saw how people treated veterans who were treated military men and women, when they came home from Vietnam. And I remember I I committed myself to I'm going to try to compensate for what I see going on. To those veterans who just answered the call of duty, either they were drafted and served or they volunteered and served in they were terribly mistreated. In under the circumstances, I never expected to be a member of the United States Senate. And when I became a member of Congress, the House first, I decided I have a greater responsibility than just paying respect. How can we make certain that those things that are deserved by those who served are given provided to those who are served who served. And so veterans is a significant component of my work in Washington, DC. I'm one of the longest serving Republicans on Veterans Committee in the country's history. And I work hard to try to make certain that I live up to what I told myself at 16 about respect, but work harder to make certain that we satisfy the needs of veterans who were harmed in their service the country, the most recent example of that is something called the packstack PAC T. And it compensates and provides health care benefits after we generally have turned this issue over to the Department of Veterans Affairs to make the decision, whether there's a connection between the symptoms that a veteran has and their experiences in the military. And that's resulted in a great bureaucratic, no answer. Nothing happens quickly and many veterans falling through the cracks. This legislation creates the opportunity for veterans the presumption is in their favor. And it's 23 kinds of conditions symptoms that a veteran would have. And they now in a much more automatic sense are entitled to benefits and health care plans to millions of people, millions of people even more dramatic than I realized when I started down this path. My first record of remembrance of being introduced to this topic was at a Vietnam Veterans of America national meeting in Wichita, in which the topic of conversation was how toxic exposure in this case in Vietnam resulted in not just the service man or woman having symptoms, but their children and grandchildren, something that could be passed, and I just stuck with me because, again, people serve our nation in the military, they expect that they are sacrificing and maybe giving up something, but I doubt that any of them thought they may be harming their grandkids. And so we've been working on this issue. It we this is the third kind of major piece of legislation the Veterans Committee has passed. It started with what was called Choice became the mission Act to allow care for veterans who live long distances from a VA hospital care in the in the private sector, where veterans believed that they would be better cared for with some kind of specialty care, an organ transplant, that kind of thing. So in both instances, whether you just can't get there because of travel time, or you or you're worried that you're not getting the care that you think you could get someplace else, the VA, if it's in the best interest of the veteran has to provide those services and pay the tab, that then the next major piece of legislation was to combat veteran suicide, and to try to reduce those numbers eliminate those numbers. And also to make mental health services more readily available, a major topic for place like Kansas, where we are so far from services and where there are so few providers than then the one the pact Act, is been a significant accomplishment. And it was it was enjoyable to do because it demonstrated that ultimately, we had our ups and downs on the Senate floor, but ultimately, the will of the Veterans Committee in which every Republican and every Democrat supported the bill in committee.
With the understanding that Senator Tester and I that's perhaps I mean, I shouldn't say I got a compliment. But my colleagues on the Veterans Committee left the details of the bill for me as the ranking Republican John tester, the Senate, democratic Chair of the Democrat chairman, to work out the differences having already passed the bill. And ultimately, we got it through the house and through the Senate and signed by the President and the number of veterans who not only in Vietnam because of Agent Orange. And now this bill expands that to more places in Southeast Asia. But more currently for younger veterans. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the burn pits have created huge respiratory cancer kinds of circumstances, and they are now covered it was occasionally one gets asked, you know, what, what did what bills have you been involved in that you're proud of? This is one of those?
Yeah, definitely. Another piece of legislation, I think you had a hand in or at least were supportive of was the 988 hotline number for mental health services, sort of like the 911 call for law enforcement.
So if someone is contemplating suicide, I'm one of the original sponsors of that bill. And we worked with Cory Gardner in Colorado and Democrat Democrat senators in as well. So a handful of us fashioned and supported legislation that ultimately came along and is now being implemented, including here in Kansas, and it allows for and provides for a 988, a fast number that you can call. So that in the port is the importance of that is that if you're contemplating suicide, or if you're having a mental health crisis, you can't wait to get someplace you need help. And there is not help in most places across Kansas and around the country, that providers are few. And so we're working to try to get common sense way. Solve a problem. That's that's real and can be deadly.
I think the the number has been well received it Sure. Similarly, with Kansas,
the the issue, which falls to the more to the States and to the federal government, although I think there's a there might be a necessity for more to come from from Congress. But the responsibilities for what happens when you make that call, who responds and what kind of advice gives that is been, again, handled by the Kansas legislature, and they've kept found the money to staff those phone lines, to make sure that Kansans have quick response.
That's important. So have you spoken in support of the US Supreme Court's decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, I believe and that was the 50 year precedent of the guarantee women the right to abortion nationally, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected August a proposed a constitutional amendment that would declare women in Kansas had no right to abortion, which How did you react to that vote?
So I mean, I react to that vote is that Kansans have feelings about this? Lots of people voted in in that Aug election and only voted on that issue, and a lot of new voters registered to vote and voted. And it's a recognition that people's will I mean, it's actually just fulfilling. I mean, I've heard people criticize this, that the Supreme Court decision that those justices didn't get what they wanted. I don't know what they wanted. I don't know what those justices were thinking. But from my perspective, the reason that the Constitution should, should should allow for states and people to make those decisions. And that's what's what's that's what's happening in Kansas. I don't know exactly what the results will be from the vote that occurred in August. But clearly, Kansans are speaking, my view is they ought to be listened to,
which is interesting, if you want states to make this call and let Kansans do it. There was one of your senate colleagues introduced a piece of legislation, I believe, or said he would that would impose what amounted to a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks.
Well, even for people, members of Congress or citizens who want that result, there is no at this point in time and not in the foreseeable future that a bill like that could pass the United States Senate. It is also that my view that when Roe v. Wade was overturned, through the dobs case that it became what it was doing was overturning a state law. That's what Roe v Wade did was make a state law unconstitutional. And therefore, in my view, returns this issue to the to the legislature and governor's closest to the folks at home.
Well, I wonder if the Kansas legislature which could be actually more conservative than the voting bloc that showed up on August 2, that could be one result, one takeaway.
Again, if it is the value of a democracy in which individual voters can make their well known, you got to try to figure out what was being said. And I would expect that people who run for office in for a seat in the state legislature in Topeka or individuals running for governor to be the governor of our state, they surely are analyzing what the voters were telling them.
Right. So folks are very familiar with I think, constituent services. I didn't get my check in the mail. Senator, where's my check. But there's another part of your job that you play, I think, a role in in bringing influential people to the state of Kansas to introduce them to Kansas, I've been at events in which you've been with the FBI director and the US Attorney General. I think you, Governor Laura Kelly indicated that you are a real participant in the effort to bring Panasonic, this multibillion dollar manufacturing facility to Kansas, can you speak to how you view that work on behalf of Kansas
at Tim, I would wouldn't want to criticize you. But you I don't want you to just toss aside the constituent work. When people ask that question. They're like, what? What are you proud of? Or what what are you pleased that you've been able to accomplish? It is rarely, while we talked about the pact act, and that's certainly something that's special. It is rarely a piece of legislation that I would say is my moments of greatest satisfaction, the feeling of value, the feeling that having this opportunity that Kansans have given me, as a United States Senator, is mostly rewarded by individual circumstances that were able to help solve a problem. A lady who is suffering from cancer, and I teared up together in the office, as she described for me, just this week, one of my staff members was able to do to get her insurance company to pay the bills that were piling up on her kitchen table. It is those kinds of rewarding things that still again, this position. While it's different in people's minds than I think it was in the past, it still has the opportunity to open a door and solve a problem not all the time. Sometimes we're successful, sometimes we're not but there's enough success that comes from helping an individual eight family. That is a rewarding part, and mostly that's my staff. We have lots of people, most of them Kansans, who work for Kansans and they care and they make things happen that otherwise would just go unanswered. But I do have the chance and part of it is my committee assignments. We particularly mean we're we're delighted about the opportunity for new businesses to come to Kansas and particularly a major company that we seek Coming. Sometimes it's much smaller businesses we've been working on trying to help the Kansas become a place where cybersecurity is taught and educated. Because I believe that if you have a workforce that knows something about cyber that businesses will locate here and hire those people. And in south central Kansas in particular, but across Kansas in aviation, I mean, we've had, I mean, one of the things that's that I should say is that these officials, attorney generals, and FBI director and and the Secretary of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Army, those are people who came from both the Trump administration who came from the Biden administration, and Kansas has something to offer. And I have committee assignments that lend itself toward me getting those individual officials attention. And this, we're working to diversify the aviation economy in Kansas, not only in, in when we make lots of general aviation airplanes, we we make parts and significant parts of almost every airplane that anybody flies on to get from one city to another. But in a position as a defense appropriator and as my subcommittee on appropriations that I chair, I'm the ranking member, depending upon majorities, we fund NASA work trying to convince NASA and space companies SpaceX, Blue Origin Ula, and they've made visits to Kansas, and we've toured plants with them, and tried to open the door are opening the door to give those major purchasers of of parts, a window of what Kansas has to offer. I would say that while we are doing those things, and it's it's a, it's, again, I have a vision for our state. I probably I think I had this before I was elected to office, I don't know, but I want never walk away from you know, manufacturing, this kind of things we do here. Energy, we produce all forms of energy in Kansas agriculture. I have farmers and ranchers are a significant component of our daily agenda.
But I also want kids who like science and mathematics and engineering and research to have a place it's it's one of the reasons we worked so hard to get University of Kansas Cancer Center designated by the NIH. On one of those incidentally, we've had the director of NIH here, I think twice, the director of the National Cancer Institute, I think twice. We've tried to open those doors and create opportunities. And NCI designation in Bath, the National bio agro science facility in Manhattan, creates great opportunities. We've had the Secretary of Homeland Security commitment from the Secretary of Agriculture to visit in Bath. But those things create opportunities for for kids who may only have the opportunity to be educated in Kansas, but not have the opportunity to earn a living and raise a family.
Yeah, some of what you're talking about is really high in science be fascinating. So yeah, I'm gonna go to work, I gotta go down to the NASA production lines.
We had the NASA administrator here, just within the last month, and Cosmos sphere, because it's such a great setting that the NASA administrators, a former Democrat senator from Florida, but also a former astronaut. And for him, we knew we'd get delayed in our departure from the Cosmosphere because of what it has to offer. But then visiting Kansas companies that provide or want to provide or can provide parts for the next set of rockets that are are headed to the moon and beyond.
Let's take it back home to the farm. Did you ever Buck hay bales resume use?
You sat on we're taking me back to my high school days in which I you know, I hate to say no, but I can't ever remember bucking the hay bale. Yeah, that'd be I remember
applying for dollar and dollar a day or dollar an hour back then or
I you know, I worked my one of my first jobs was in what we call junior high. And I worked at a hardware store in my hometown, it was called coast to coast at the time, it's now the true value store. And I raised this only because when sometimes when people asked me so how do you get to what degree do you need to get elected to office or to be a senator or to be a politician? And the answer is there is no degree. But one of the things I point out to them is, again, I indicated earlier in our conversation that it doesn't come natural necessarily to stick out your hand and start a conversation. But I attribute the years I spent in junior high and early high school. When the customer walks in the door of the store and the bell on the door rings. You've got to have customer service ability to carry on a conversation and demonstrate interest in trying to solve their problem. And I actually think that's part of are a part of how people become ought to be utilizing those experiences in order to be in a position to take care of people if they want to be an elected official.
One final thing for the farmers out there in the tractors listening to this podcast as they cross the field, combine cutting corn around here, but so what what can you say about the development of a new farm bill? That might be points of emphasis for you?
Well, Tim, you smiled when you talk about the farmer listening to this podcast. And one of the things that reminds me of is that broadband, huge issue for Kansas and significant federal, I tried never to use the word words federal dollars, their taxpayer dollars. And even today, they're hardly that there's someone who is lending his money's dollars. So a lot of broadband is being deployed in places across Kansas. And that means a lot to a lot for lots of reasons. But one of them is today's equipment, the all those things that you just mentioned, utilize broadband in order to make the the work more efficient. One of the reasons the NASA administrator was here to demonstrate was to demonstrate to farmers how their satellite imaging can map the aquifer under a farmer's ground, tell you how deep it is where it stops to help you decide where you need to learn how you can better preserve the the water, but to how you can better apply the water in a more efficient way. So agriculture, when I talk about people who are interested in science, mathematics, engineering, and research, those are farmers and those are people who provide services to farmers. What I would say about the farm bill is in Kansas, the number one topic or concern in anytime a farm bill is talked about, and the Farm Bill begins, it expires next year. So we're in the process of already talking. They worry about crop insurance, it's the most important program. It it we don't farm in a place in which weather is always our friend, and sometimes often never our friend. And crop insurance is the way that the risks are managed so that a farmer can survive from your year. And equally important is the way that we can get a young farmer to get a loan to borrow money to farm. Because in the absence of that crop insurance, almost no banker is going to make a loan to something that's so risky to somebody who is just starting out. And so that's important, but the you know, I bet the issue in the Farm Bill are many, we've had an annual conservation tour in Kansas. And when I say annual, we try to do it annually. And I think it's I don't know a number of 16 or 17, or something so not quite annual, but we look at those conservation programs and how they're working. Just recently in finian, Kearney county where the topic of conversation the effort is, how do we how does government like that word? How does farm programs how to conservation programs, assist those farmers farming in the Ogallala? To try to conserve water to use it more efficiently? And how do we prolong the life of something that is really providing lots of economic activity and jobs and future in our state. The other part about a farm bill that is rarely, I don't think is often talked about. And it's probably not the first thought of any farmer in Kansas. But I know farmers are it's a noble calling. It's called feeding people who are or could be hungry. And I've tried to follow the footsteps of my predecessor I occupy in fact that the seat I sat on sit in on the Senate floor has Bob Dole's name etched in the drawer. And one of the things that I admire Senator Dole for many things, but one of them it was his leadership in trying to solve the issue of hunger here in the United States and around the globe. And I chair the Senate co chair of the Senate hunger caucus. And the farm bill is the place that we can provide the support for the what I call the dole McGovern, but it may be the McGovern dole bill that provides food for people starving and with the challenges that are now occurring as a result of Putin's evil pneus in his intrusion is crossing the border into Ukraine. Certainly a tragedy for Ukrainians, but the consequences of the inability to raise crops, grow crops, harvest crops, export crops, hunger, by the end of this year, will there's already famine, lots of places around the globe in Africa and Asia. And without that breadbasket of Ukraine and Russia All the more important for the United States to participate in trying to solve this problem and, and a much greater opportunity or a needed responsibility of Kansas farmers, American farmers to provide more to get people to bed without extended bellies and no food. I
think we're gonna leave it right there. US Senator Jerry Moran, a veteran representative in Washington. Want to thank you for the generous use of your time today. Appreciate your help with this,
Tim, I'm Thank you very much. I have some. I guess it's a pleasure to be with you. I'll wait and see how I sounded when I hear the broadcast. But I'm in lots of communities. And I talked to lots of you know, radio news directors and reporters on main street of small towns across Kansas. We need journalism that pulls us together, not to hide anything or to you know, keep from telling a story. But so much in my view of national journalism pulls us apart. And there's an opportunity here for journalists to pull us together. Yeah, thank you.
