Moran visits with Marion Kiwanians
"What we are doing in Washington is trying to make ends meet," Congressman Jerry Moran told an audience of 34 concerned people at the meeting of Marion Kiwanis at noon Monday.
He pointed out that Congress must address issues of local retailers, small communities, school, and rural hospitals.
Moran said, "we must remember that they are real people."
The same thought occupied his mind during a recent visit to Iraq. Those military personnel (and he visited with about 200 from Kansas) are "real people," not just statistics.
Some of the major issues facing Congress now are affordability of health care, including the cost of prescription drugs, and the cost of health insurance premiums.
He told the group that rural Kansas also must be concerned about maintaining retail trade centers, transportation, highways, and airports.
Moran addressed the problem of federally mandated programs to schools and not paying for them. He said the federal share was agreed on as being 40 percent, "but it's only 13 percent.
He talked about the war on terrorism, a reasonable prescription drug program for senior citizens, and an energy policy which would include using grain to produce fuel for vehicles. "Ethanol and soy diesel are important issues, especially to Kansas," the congressman said.
"We must support a renewable fuel policy," he said, "look at the practical side, what's best for Kansas, not what's politically expedient."
He said Iraq should pay for the huge cost of rebuilding their country following destruction in war. He said the USA might advance a loan, to be repaid from Iraq's vast wealth of oil.
Again he reminded, "we must take the proper course of action because we are dealing with real people."
