Biography

Kansans first elected Jerry Moran to the United States Senate in 2010. Since joining the U.S. Senate, Senator Moran has been a leading advocate for protecting and preserving the special way of life in Kansas.

 

Senator Moran has a long history of opposing reckless spending in Washington, and as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations has pushed for spending cuts, tougher funding standards and broad reform. Senator Moran serves as Chairman on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, which allows him to lead the funding decisions that impact men and women working at agencies like the Department of Justice, the FBI, NASA, the United States Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce, to name a few. His broad committee jurisdiction allows Senator Moran to advocate for priorities important to Kansans.

Senator Moran works to improve the quality of life for the nearly 200,000 veterans living in Kansas and across the nation as the Chairman on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. His priority is to help veterans achieve success after service and to make certain they have the right care at the right time and with the provider they choose. 

 

As a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Senator Moran advocates on behalf of Kansans regarding a number of issues vital to the state’s economy, ranging from communications and product safety to empowering NCAA athletes. Senator Moran is also a strong advocate for the aviation industry and continuing service of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. As the Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, Sen. Moran oversees investigations, legislation and hearings that contribute to the growth and safety improvement of the aviation industry.

Agriculture is a leading industry in Kansas, and Senator Moran understands the importance of providing resources for farmers and ranchers across the state and country. As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, he is working to pass a modernized, long-term Farm Bill that will help farmers and ranchers whose livelihoods are impacted by drought, tornadoes and factors outside of their control.

 

Senator Moran also serves on the Committee on Indian Affairs and advocates for issues like Indian education, land management and economic development. He is an advocate of reforming Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Moran works to protect the United States from domestic and foreign threats. He is also a proponent of reforming the federal government’s classification system.

 

Senator Moran serves as a member of a number of caucuses that enhance his ability to represent Kansans' interests in the United States Senate. His focus on protecting rural Kansans and their communities led him to co-found the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus, the Senate Community Pharmacy Caucus, the Senate Economic Mobility Caucus and the Senate Hunger Caucus. He also serves as co-chair of the Senate Army Caucus, the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome, the Senate NIH Caucus, the Senate Aerospace Caucus and the Senate Defense Community Caucus.

 

During the 2014 election cycle, Senator Moran served as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Under Senator Moran’s leadership, Republicans gained a net increase of nine seats – the largest Senate swing by any party since 1980 and the largest Senate gain in a midterm election since 1958, resulting in a Republican Senate majority.

 

Prior to his election to the Senate in November 2010, Senator Moran served Kansans in the “Big First” Congressional district for seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as eight years in the Kansas State Senate – spending the last two years as Majority Leader. As a senior member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, then-Congressman Moran worked with his colleagues to craft legislation that allowed Kansas farms and ranches to remain viable in today’s competitive global marketplace and participated in the implementation of two Farm Bills. Senator Moran was also an active member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee where he served as chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

 

Senator Moran has made it his top priority to stay connected to the people he represents. Despite the distance of more than 1,000 miles between Washington, D.C., and Kansas, he returns home as frequently as possible to meet with people from across the state. The conversations he has with Kansans during his travels around the state greatly impact the work he does in Washington.

 

While at home in Kansas, he volunteers his time at several community organizations. He serves on the board of trustees of the Fort Hays State University Endowment Foundation, on the executive committee of the Coronado Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and is a former trustee of the Eisenhower Foundation. He is also an active Lions Club member, Rotary Club member, and Sons of The American Legion member. He attends the First Presbyterian Church of Manhattan.

 

Before his election to public office, Senator Moran attended Fort Hays State University and later the University of Kansas, where he completed a degree in economics. After an early career as a small-town banker, he received his J.D. from the University of Kansas. Jerry and his wife Robba continue to live in Kansas. They have two daughters, Kelsey and Alex, and four grandchildren.