Frustrated constituents at a town hall Monday morning pressed Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) to defend his stance on the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare and his vote for Betsy DeVos as secretary of education.
Attendees packed the event and questioned Moran on subjects from the town hall’s timing (it began at 7:30 a.m.) and whether the senator would ever break with his party over policy disagreements.
According to Kansas City Star reporter Bryan Lowry, Moran said he would not have voted for the House’s health care bill, and called for open Senate hearings on the legislation. Pressed by an audience member to commit to not voting for the bill without public hearings, however, Moran declined.
Moran faced questions on his decision to support DeVos’ nomination as Trump’s secretary of education barely a week before it came to the Senate floor, where his vote to confirm DeVos was one of several that likely decided her fate.
Attendees also pressed Moran on his support for Jeff Sessions as attorney general in light of new reports that Sessions neglected to disclose his meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak while under oath.
The senator joked about the contentious atmosphere, according to Lowry, but appeared to acknowledge its causes.
“Americans should be upset,” he said. “Lots of things to be upset about.”
Good morning. I'm at Jerry Moran's early morning town hall in Lenexa. #ksleg #AHCA pic.twitter.com/N0HFYSY59r
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Moran says he would not have voted for the House plan. Applause. #AHCA
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Moran says Senate needs to have open hearings. That gets applause. #AHCA
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
This is an unusually contentious town hall for Moran. He jokes he has to choose his words very carefully. #AHCA
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Moran says Senate bill would cover same number of preexisting conditions as today. Woman: "Crap! That's crap!" #ahca
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Someone asks Moran if he'll buck his party. He says if he reaches conclusion that's in the best interest of Americans and Kansans #ahca
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Person yells: "will you buck your party?" @JerryMoran says he will if it's in the best interest of the people of Kansas. Standing ovation.
— Matt Evans (@MattEvansKMBC) June 12, 2017
Man asks Moran to promise that he won't vote for a bill without open hearings. Says he can't promise that. Boos. Lots of Boos. #AHCA
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Next question: "why hold this meeting (at this time) when people need to get to work?" Moran has a flight after this.
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Says meeting happening today in case there's an #AHCA vote this month. https://t.co/ztDRbRZtqG
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Moran: "Americans should be upset. Lots of things to be upset about."
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Group of people stand up and demand Moran talk about education and Betsy DeVos. Moran voted to confirm her. Lots of boos.
— Matt Evans (@MattEvansKMBC) June 12, 2017
Moran says Devos had a terrible performance in hearing, but that they had a private meeting that convinced him to support her.
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Man calls Sessions "a perjurer." Moran says public officials must always endeavor to tell the truth w/o commenting on that.
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Man asks Moran if he's happy with his vote for Sessions, would he do it again. Moran says not unless he knows what the facts are.
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Moran backed away from this when talking to reporters. Said he was just saying that Sessions is entitled to a full airing of the facts. https://t.co/MHcEfI2YYG
— Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) June 12, 2017
Update at 12:21 p.m.: An earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Moran received a standing ovation after asking why there were no women on the Republican committee to draft the Senate health care bill. Moran was in fact repeating an audience question, not asking the question himself.
With regards to his cabinet confirmation votes, he and all the GOP senators knew precisely what they were doing. There are no viable excuses.
Yeah, people should be frustrated.
“Americans should be upset,” he said. “Lots of things to be upset about.”
Hey Esme - Think you’ve got a mistake. Who’s “King” in the second paragraph?
Blah blah blah. What counts is when it is time for Moran to vote in the Senate. I predict he’ll follow the party line and will be pleasantly surprised if he doesn’t.
“Why isn’t there a woman on the committee to draft AHCA?” Well, I dunno, because your party chose not to put one on there? How can Republican Senators get applause with do-nothing statements like this one? I’m sick of GOP scoundrels getting credit for playing reasonable in public, and then acquiescing to cynical power plays when the time comes. No applause for hypocrisy, please.