Rep. Moran, speaking in Lawrence, hopes to find common ground on health care

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., center, visits with Matt Hoy, left, and Brad Finkeldei, right, both with Stevens & Brand LLP, on Tuesday during the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s National Congressional Series event at Maceli’s, 1031 N.H. Moran and Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., are both seeking the GOP nomination in 2010 for the Senate seat that Sam Brownback will vacate to run for governor.

GOP Senate campaign

Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, and Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, are both seeking the GOP nomination in 2010 for the Senate seat that Sen. Sam Brownback will vacate to run for governor.

During a Lawrence Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday at Maceli’s, 1031 N.H., when asked to compare his voting record to Tiahrt’s, Moran cited his votes against the 2003 Medicare prescription drug benefit legislation and the No Child Left Behind Act in education. Tiahrt voted for the initial No Child Left Behind bill but opposed the conference version.

“I have never gone to Washington with the belief that my loyalty is to my party leaders. My loyalty is to the Kansans I represent,” he said.

In an interview after the remark Tuesday, when asked if he was referring to Tiahrt, Moran said he it was too early to get into a “he said, he said,” and was talking about “the things that I feel are my attributes.”

Tiahrt spoke in Lawrence as part of the chamber’s congressional series earlier in August.

During a light moment Tuesday, Jane Bateman during an introduction accidentally referred to “Senator Moran” before quickly saying “representative.”

“I am interested in hiring you as my marketing agent. You are very good,” Moran said.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran won’t be giving a speech to a joint session of Congress this week on health care reform.

But the Hays Republican on Tuesday in Lawrence said that President Barack Obama in his Wednesday address should indicate “he has listened to Americans across our country.”

“What I would hope the president would say on Wednesday night is, ‘let’s find some common ground on things we know will reduce the cost of health care, or at least slow its increases,'” Moran said during a Lawrence Chamber of Commerce event at Maceli’s, 1031 N.H.

After the summer recess ended Monday, Obama is scheduled to speak to Congress at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Moran, a Kansas University graduate, represents most of western and central Kansas in the House in an overwhelmingly Republican district.

After the August recess that featured lively town hall meetings across the country, Moran said Democratic congressional leaders likely won’t have as easy of a time now getting votes in support of H.R. 3200, which includes a public health insurance option to compete with private insurance companies.

“A significant amount of Americans have said this is not what we want,” Moran said.

Saying it “has the likelihood of eliminating private insurance for millions of Americans,” Moran said he did not support the public option. He also has concerns about the cost of the plan.

But he outlined other reforms he supports, including tort reform by establishing a standard of professional care for physicians and hospitals.

“If they meet that conduct, they are not going to have to spend time defending themselves in court,” he said.

Moran also mentioned allowing companies to sell and market insurance plans across state lines, supporting community health clinics, advancing electronic medical records and advocating for wellness, fitness and preventive care initiatives.

Democrats have an overwhelming majority in Congress, but Moran said the best hopes for a bipartisan plan would likely come from the Senate.

“(House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) is not asking for Republicans to sit at the table, not asking for a Republican plan to consider,” he said. “So while they claim that Republicans are just saying no, I think there is a set of plans out there that could be considered if the speaker was interested.”