Jerry Moran: Difference between revisions

'''Gerald Wesley Moran''' ({{IPAc-en |m|ʌ|ˈ|r|æ|n}} {{Respell|murr|AN}}; born May 29, 1954) is an American lawyerpolitician and politicianformer lawyer who is the [[Seniority in the United States Senate|senior]] [[United States Senate|United States senator]] from [[Kansas]], a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], he was chair of the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]] for the [[113th United States Congress|113th U.S. Congress]], during which he led successful Republican efforts in the [[United States Senate elections, 2014|2014 election]], producing the first Republican Senate majority since 2006.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cornyn Elected Whip, Moran NRSC Chair|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2012/11/cornyn-elected-whip-moran-nrsc-chair-14|access-date=November 15, 2012|newspaper=National Journal|date=November 14, 2012|archive-date=May 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504085341/http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2012/11/cornyn-elected-whip-moran-nrsc-chair-14|url-status=live}}</ref> Previously, he was a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], representing {{ushr|KS|1}}.

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 was the state special assistant attorney general (1982–1985) and deputy attorney of [[Rooks County, Kansas|Rooks County]] (1987–1995). He served in the [[Kansas Senate]] from 1989 to 1997 and was [[majority leader]] for his last two years. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and spent seven terms there with little electoral opposition. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in [[United States Senate election in Kansas, 2010|2010]] after defeating fellow U.S. Representativerepresentative [[Todd Tiahrt]] in a contentious primary. He was reelected to the Senate in [[United States Senate election in Kansas, 2016|2016]] and [[2022 United States Senate election in Kansas|2022]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article113463638.html|title=Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas easily wins second term in U.S. Senate|work=mcclatchydc|access-date=March 24, 2017|language=en|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403104911/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article113463638.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://amp.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article268097372.html|title=Kansas election results: Jerry Moran retains U.S. Senate seat over Mark Holland|website=www.kansascity.com|date=November 9, 2022|access-date=December 18, 2022}}</ref>

Moran was born in [[Great Bend, Kansas|Great Bend]], [[Kansas]], the son of Madeline Eleanor (née Fletcher) and Raymond Edwin "Ray" Moran.<ref name=feptds>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/moranjerry.htm|title=Jerry Moran ancestry|publisher=freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208073607/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/moranjerry.htm|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was raised in [[Plainville, Kansas|Plainville]].<ref name=congress>{{cite news|work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|title=Moran, Jerry, (1954–)|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000934|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-date=December 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223161803/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000934|url-status=live}}</ref> He attended [[Fort Hays State University]] before enrolling at the [[University of Kansas]] in [[Lawrence, Kansas|Lawrence]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in economics in 1976.<ref name=pvs>{{cite news|work=Project Vote Smart|title=Senator Jerry Moran (KS)|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=542|access-date=September 17, 2010|archive-date=September 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929232124/http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=542|url-status=live}}</ref> While attending the University of Kansas, he worked as a summer intern for U.S. Representativerepresentative [[Keith Sebelius]] in 1974, when [[Impeachment process against Richard Nixon|impeachment proceedings were being prepared]] against President [[Richard Nixon]].

For his tenure as the chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee]] in the 116th Congress, Moran earned an "F" grade from the nonpartisan Lugar Center's Congressional Oversight Hearing Index.<ref>{{cite web |title=Congressional Oversight Hearing Index |url=https://oversight-index.thelugarcenter.org/ |website=Welcome to the Congressional Oversight Hearing Index |publisher=The Lugar Center |access-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208160632/https://oversight-index.thelugarcenter.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

* [[United States Senate Committee on Appropriations|Committee on Appropriations]]

* *[[United States Senate CommitteeAppropriations Subcommittee on CommerceTransportation, ScienceHousing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies|Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies]]

** [[United States Senate Commerce SubcommitteeCommittee on Aviation OperationsCommerce, SafetyScience, and SecurityTransportation|SubcommitteeCommittee on Aviation OperationsCommerce, SafetyScience, and SecurityTransportation]]

** [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications,Aviation TechnologyOperations, InnovationSafety, and the InternetSecurity|Subcommittee on Communications,Aviation TechnologyOperations, InnovationSafety, and the InternetSecurity]] (Ranking Member)

** [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer ProtectionCommunications, Product SafetyMedia, Insurance and Data SecurityBroadband|Subcommittee on Consumer ProtectionCommunications, Product SafetyMedia, Insurance and Data SecurityBroadband]] (Chairman)

** [[United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on SurfaceConsumer TransportationProtection, and Merchant Marine Infrastructure,Product Safety, and Data Security|Subcommittee on SurfaceConsumer TransportationProtection, and Merchant Marine Infrastructure,Product Safety, and Data Security]]

* [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Committee on Veterans' Affairs]] (Ranking Member)

* [[United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs|Committee on Indian Affairs]]'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indian.senate.gov/about/committee-members|title=Committee Members {{!}} The United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs|website=www.indian.senate.gov|language=en|access-date=March 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324174745/https://www.indian.senate.gov/about/committee-members|archive-date=March 24, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>'''

In March 2019, Moran was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to United States Secretarysecretary of Agricultureagriculture [[Sonny Perdue]] warning that dairy farmers "have continued to face market instability and are struggling to survive the fourth year of sustained low prices" and urging his department to "strongly encourage these farmers to consider the Dairy Margin Coverage program."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/u-s-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-on-trump-administration-to-implement-farm-bill-dairy-improvements-for-wisconsin-dairy-farmers/|title=U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Trump Administration to Implement Farm Bill Dairy Improvements for Wisconsin Dairy Farmers|date=April 1, 2019|publisher=urbamilwaukee.com|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-date=January 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111174332/https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/u-s-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-on-trump-administration-to-implement-farm-bill-dairy-improvements-for-wisconsin-dairy-farmers/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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

Since entering Congress, Moran has traveled to [[Afghanistan]], [[Iraq]], and [[Pakistan]] to visit deployed American forces and meet with foreign leaders.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Visits Troops|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1429&dat=20060202&id=65xkAAAAIBAJ&pg=3561,123827|access-date=August 8, 2012|newspaper=The Johnson Pioneer|date=February 2, 2006|archive-date=October 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021000703/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1429&dat=20060202&id=65xkAAAAIBAJ&pg=3561%2C123827|url-status=live}}</ref> His most recent trip to the region was in August 2017 to the northern regions of Afghanistan.[[File:U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) with Kansans serving in Afghanistan, April 2011.jpeg|thumb|alt=U.S. Senator Jerry Moran with Kansans serving in Afghanistan in April 2011.|U.S. Senator Jerry Moran with Kansans serving in Afghanistan in April 2011.]]In March 2018, Moran was one of five Republican senators to vote against tabling a resolution spearheaded by [[Bernie Sanders]], [[Chris Murphy]], and [[Mike Lee]] that would have required President Trump to withdraw American troops either in or influencing [[Yemen]] within the next 30 days unless they were combating [[Al-Qaeda]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379392-senate-sides-with-trump-on-providing-saudi-military-support|title=Senate sides with Trump on providing Saudi military support|date=March 20, 2018|work=The Hill|author=Carney, Jordain|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-date=February 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228031125/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379392-senate-sides-with-trump-on-providing-saudi-military-support|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2018, Moran was one of seven senators to sign a letter to United States Secretarysecretary of Statestate [[Mike Pompeo]] expressing that they found it "difficult to reconcile known facts with at least two" of the Trump administration's certifications that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were attempting to protect [[Yemen]] civilians and were in compliance with U.S. laws on arms sales, citing their lack of understanding for "a certification that the Saudi and Emirati governments are complying with applicable agreements and laws regulating defense articles when the [memo] explicitly states that, in certain instances, they have not done so."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/410764-senators-demand-answers-on-trump-administration-support-for-saudi-coalition-in|title=Senators demand answers on Trump administration backing of Saudi coalition in Yemen|date=October 10, 2018|work=The Hill|author=Kheel, Rebecca|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922061851/https://thehill.com/policy/defense/410764-senators-demand-answers-on-trump-administration-support-for-saudi-coalition-in|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2019, Moran was one of seven Republicans to vote to block Trump's Saudi arms deal providing weapons to [[Saudi Arabia]], [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Jordan]], and one of five Republicans to vote against an additional 20 arms sales.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/449511-senate-votes-to-block-trumps-saudi-arms-sale|title=Senate votes to block Trump's Saudi arms sale|date=June 20, 2019|work=The Hill|author=Carney, Jordain|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117025556/https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/449511-senate-votes-to-block-trumps-saudi-arms-sale|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2019, amid a report by the [[United States Department of Commerce|Commerce Department]] that [[ZTE]] had been caught illegally shipping goods of American origin to [[Iran]] and [[North Korea]], Moran was one of seven senators to sponsor a bill reimposing sanctions on ZTE in the event that ZTE did not honor both American laws and its agreement with the Trump administration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-zte/u-s-lawmakers-target-chinas-zte-with-sanctions-bill-idUSKCN1PU2MU|title=U.S. lawmakers target China's ZTE with sanctions bill|date=February 5, 2019|publisher=Reuters|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618100944/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-zte/u-s-lawmakers-target-chinas-zte-with-sanctions-bill-idUSKCN1PU2MU|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2019, Moran was one of 16 Republican senators to send a letter to Actingacting [[Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB) Directordirector [[Russell Vought]], Actingacting [[White House Chiefchief of Staffstaff]] [[Mick Mulvaney]], and Treasury Secretary [[Steven Mnuchin]] encouraging them to work with them to prevent a continuing resolution "for FY 2020 that would delay the implementation of the President's National Defense Strategy (NDS) and increase costs" and writing that the yearlong continuing resolution suggested by administration officials would render the Defense Department "incapable of increasing readiness, recapitalizing our force, or rationalizing funding to align with the National Defense Strategy (NDS)."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2019/07/06/marsha-blackburn-david-perdue-colleagues-encourage-trump-administration-to-avoid-another-continuing-resolution/|title=Marsha Blackburn, David Perdue, Colleagues Encourage Trump Administration to Avoid Another Continuing Resolution|date=July 6, 2019|publisher=clarksvilleonline.com|access-date=July 11, 2019|archive-date=July 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711224113/http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2019/07/06/marsha-blackburn-david-perdue-colleagues-encourage-trump-administration-to-avoid-another-continuing-resolution/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Moran supports accountability metrics for public schools, but believes federal initiatives need to provide flexibility to states. In 2001, Moran voted against the [[No Child Left Behind Act]] (NCLB) because he felt it did not afford sufficient flexibility to schools.<ref name="thekansan">{{cite web|url=http://www.thekansan.com/features/x698066356/Moran-Stop-spending|title=Moran: "Stop spending"|author=Cristina Janney|newspaper=The Kansan|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318215006/http://www.thekansan.com/features/x698066356/Moran-Stop-spending|archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, Moran voted to confirm [[Betsy DeVos]] as [[United States Secretary of Education]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/07/us/politics/betsy-devos-confirmation-vote.html|title=How Senators Voted on Betsy DeVos|date=February 7, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=February 7, 2017|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208061147/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/07/us/politics/betsy-devos-confirmation-vote.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Peter Hancock, [http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/capitol-report/2017/feb/2/sens-roberts-moran-unite-behind-devos-fo/ Sens. Roberts, Moran unite behind DeVos for education secretary despite widespread criticism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405114345/http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/capitol-report/2017/feb/2/sens-roberts-moran-unite-behind-devos-fo/ |date=April 5, 2017 }}, ''Lawrence Journal-World'' (February 2, 2017).</ref>

Moran opposed the [[Protect Intellectual Property Act]] (PIPA) and [[Stop Online Piracy Act]] (SOPA).<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed|author=Ohanian, A.|date=2013|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=9781455520039|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5xK0Rc_WP_IC&pg=PT123|access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> In November 2011, Moran, Senatorssenators [[Rand Paul]], [[Ron Wyden]] and [[Maria Cantwell]] sent a letter to Senate leadership indicating they would place a [[Senate hold]] on PIPA, citing the threats PIPA (and SOPA) posed to liberty and innovation.<ref name="scribd">{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/188690699/Protect-IP-Act-Objection-Letter|title=Protect IP Act Objection Letter|publisher=scribd.com|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=March 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306152717/https://www.scribd.com/doc/188690699/Protect-IP-Act-Objection-Letter|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="techdirt">{{cite web|url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111117/15492016808/|title=Senators Rand Paul, Jerry Moran And Maria Cantwell All Warn That PROTECT IP Will Kill Jobs|work=TechDirt|author=Masnick, Mike|date=November 17, 2011|access-date=September 13, 2015|archive-date=March 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307022443/https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111117/15492016808/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2018, Moran voted for a package of 70 Senate bills that cost $8.4 billion and altered programs across multiple agencies, as part of a bipartisan effort to prevent opioids from being shipped through the [[United States Postal Service|U.S. Postal Service]] and to grant doctors the ability to prescribe medications designed to wean opioid addictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/17/senate-set-pass-sweeping-opioids-package/|title=Senate passes sweeping opioids package|date=September 17, 2018|first=Colby|last=Itkowitz|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=June 19, 2019|archive-date=July 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724141313/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/17/senate-set-pass-sweeping-opioids-package/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Moran lived in [[Hays, Kansas|Hays]] for most of his political career. In 2012, he moved to [[Manhattan, Kansas|Manhattan]] to be closer to a major airport in order to cut down on his drive time back to Kansas each weekend.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moran moving from Hays to Manhattan|url=http://cjonline.com/news/2012-06-06/moran-moving-hays-manhattan|publisher=The Associated Press|access-date=June 15, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304071240/http://cjonline.com/news/2012-06-06/moran-moving-hays-manhattan|url-status=live}}</ref> The nearest airport to Hays is [[Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport]], three hours southeast; Manhattan is two hours from Wichita and [[Kansas City International Airport|Kansas City]]. Additionally, [[Manhattan Regional Airport]] has direct jet service daily to and from [[Chicago]] and [[Dallas]].

{{s-ttl|title=[[Seniority in the United States Senate|United States senators by seniority]]|years=35th34th}}

[[Category:21st20th-century AmericanKansas politicians]]

[[Category:American21st-century MethodistsKansas politicians]]