An hour with Jerry Moran

from kansas state university at our present us senator jerry moran senator moran gave the one hundred seventy eight landon lecture on public issues on september eleventh two thousand eight team is taught answering the call was serving a global society post nine eleven there's like a town hall meeting with only a few more people right and good morning an honor for me to be with you here today we gather here on this september eleventh the seventeenth anniversary of the attacks name for this day we reflect on the events that transpired the lives that were affected and we recommit ourselves to never forget it's not only a reminder of the attacks on our country but also a reminder of how the country and each of us have changed since those events of september eleven two thousand one i will never forget most americans remember where they were what they were doing when they watch the attacks on our nation and fought on that day in the months that followed americans bound

themselves together they looked at each other up they prayed for healing they prayed for recovery in the result to find a way forward through the enormity of our losses into a recognition that the united states of america was under attack we can together on this campus focus on nine eleven i'm not recognize the contribution of now president then general richard myers he's a distinguished leader of our military and with a career full of accomplishments joe meyer served as the chairman joint chiefs of staff during these turbulent and uncertain times and was the principal military and defense adviser to president george w bush he gave council on almost every major decision concerning our military and defense of our nation now post nine eleven joel myers leadership torn nation and world and now to his alma mater is something we're also very grateful for if i've attended a number of wind and lectures over

the years and i was i remember the ones that i thought were really good so i could use that as a role model i can remember that as a problem perhaps but this is a high quality respected lecture series made in honor of former kansas governor alf landon who first delivered a landon lecture the very first one i came he would've turned a hundred and thirty one years ago two days ago on sunday displayed in my office and watching the sea is a photograph of president ronald reagan and governor health when i'm sitting side by side in rocking chairs on the governor's front porch in topeka kansas and president reagan was there to celebrate with governor when then owner landon's one hundredth birthday i tackled that photo in my mine to all cultures five years prior to that president reagan delivered his own women much present reagan that they described

overland and like this no one is more the living soul of kansas which to me means quiet strength and the simple decency of all or a health plan from governor land and president reagan other presidents down or supreme court justices on to nurse cabinet secretaries and diplomats this lecture series is one i'm not worthy to be part of that so honored to do so other than being an american there is slow in my life that would suggest that i would ever grow up to become a member of the united states and my dad was a laborer and your heels a western kansas my mom was the clerk you paid your light bill to our little town and i'm a first generation college graduate and i want to acknowledge many people my parents my teachers other supporters all along the way who saw something in this kid from plano kansas and encourage him to chase after his dreams because of them i was able to answer calling to work in our nation's capital on behalf of all of you will work on behalf of all of you in pursuit of a better america september eleven

two thousand won i was in washington and the day began just like any other tuesday i just finished my regular morning workout when with my colleague from new york then representative chuck schumer we first heard reports a plane crashing into a high rise building in new york's chuck and i stood there side by side in the gym we turned on the television in time to witness the second plane crashed into the south tower of the world trade center we quickly concluded this is no accident just thoughts turn to his daughter who worked in lower manhattan in new york city where the twin towers and mind to our daughters dolls and alex stewart school in her hometown of aids as part of social media in the breaking news alerts so that at this point all we were certain was that airplanes and crashed in the world trade center and other nation was under attack we do not attack was over if there were other hijacked planes and if so where they might be headed schumer like what we parted ways

and we return to our respective offices to dry we're now to learn more about what had happened and what might happen seventeen years later and now the senator chuck schumer i still remember that moment a moment in which we were not a republican from kansas and a democrat from new york but we were just too that's in a moment where party lines and political posturing seized we were worried about our children and concern for a nation minutes after return to my office my staff and i felt the thud of the plane crashing into the pentagon you could feel it in our office and out the window and you could see smoke rising from those miles away we still didn't know what was happening but we've been told there was a credible threat of another hijacked playing this one heading for the united states capitol police dash from door to door to evacuated complex and while i set my staff home or office telephones began to

rain and chaos and uncertainty it's often difficult to know what to do or i like americans across the country were watching these tech attacks unfold on live television and we felt devastated we felt sadness and we felt angry but what little can i do to help in that moment i did what i thought i could do it or that order to evacuated i remain in my office and began answering those calls in two thousand one i was serving my third term in congress as a representative from the big first district of kansas and while i appreciated the opportunity to represent kansans in congress traveling back and forth from my home to wash in dc each week and being away from my family it was just i wanted to in that weekly commute to be in kansas fulltime i publicly considered serving kansans in a different capacity for a call on september eleventh america was under attack this is the first day

that most americans contemplated terrorism and the homeland we knew our world dramatically changed it we'd soon be voting on whether or not to send troops in harm's way to fight an enemy we have yet to find or truly understand why voter id authorize the president to use all necessary force to combat a new enemy decision that could only be made by the congress the united states in washington see i decided i no longer could pursue election to any other office instead of campaigning across the state for another position i determined i should continue serving in our nation's capital and concluded my work and there was not that this day seventeen years ago changed me the way i view public service and advocated for kansans information it broadened my perspective and deepened my results in a new way i had a duty not only to preserve the kansas where life that i cared so much about it really was the motivating factor that cause we'd ask kansans to allow me to represent the nation's capital how we keep rural

america alive i care very much about the kansas where life but now i knew i had a duty beyond that to preserve and protect the american well today's following attacks i gave her more to the chamber monthly eggs emissions breakfast and hayes the venue were i had intended to announce those other plans instead i visited with kansans about the weeks events in how we all want to do something to bring justice to those who attacked us to defend our country and provide support for the victims i now so that audience that my time in washington dc of kansans of course but in my mind couldn't come to an event the course were on was not an easy one for tall and then them that day this was not a task for the day not a week not for the year is now tasked for a generation this is our time to answer the call to make a difference there was more i could accomplish at least in my mind are more i can accomplish in congress on behalf of kansans and americans and i wanted to do so kansans return to

work and they profoundly demonstrated that they will not be held hostage by fear and i'd to return to work with a new fire an impassioned a new sense of purpose determine to tackle every problem i could to seize every moment of every day to fight not only for those who were sent in harm's way but also for farmers our ranchers our teachers our veterans our whale life into that and i've had a tremendous opportunity have a tremendous responsibility to work on important issues as now built a member of the us house of representatives and united states senate in the most powerful country in the world today a mystique about how nine eleven changed me as a legislator in the issues i've been called on to help solve in order to make a difference in kansas in our country but i also want to discuss how we should never forget how we came together as a country to help one another after that horrific

day from center as i indicated in my work is to protect the kansas way of life in addressing the challenges of rural america agriculture and farming and ranching and the hardest working people we know they work on canvas farms and ranches and it's their passion and rip resiliency that drive me an advocate for them in washington dc so they may contain the plants grow harvest the market wheat sorghum corn and raise and sell cattle agriculture plays such an important role in the future of kansas only when farmers ranchers drive in rural communities succeed in congress we often preferred to the majority and the minority and we use those party labels to divide ourselves and the democrats and republicans as republican members a republican and i'm a member of the current majority in united states senate because i represent you i represent kansas i represent agriculture here

in the middle of the country i'm a minority on many issues also a college in washington have very little understanding the challenge that farmers and ranchers face trying to earn that money back when i was a member of the house of representatives during a democrat majority a democratic congressman from new haven connecticut home of yale university in the suburbs a new york city that still over the state of connecticut she became the chairperson of the agricultural appropriations subcommittee a job by now held in united states senate congresswoman rosa delauro approach me on the house floor we never met before and she said congressman ryan i understand it you know and care about agriculture would you please come visit with me and tell me what i now need to know what's important a few days later noor office i began discussing what are the importance of the farm bill crop insurance agricultural research in just a few minutes of the conversation roses very animated sequels are no no no gerry that's all i want to know just sally what was a farmer

my point in telling the stories not to embarrass her or to criticize and please if she cared enough to ask questions rather this story demonstrates the minority though i often find myself in a daily and by the rules of war come to kansas tonight had different ideas about how to do it my suggestion was let's meet on ohio state on a farmstead along highway twenty seven only a few of you will know where that is that that's what run from st francis de oh car i thought that would be an eye opening experience for rosetta at she had a variety of her question was look we just needed an airport possibly see accepted the invitation we began in little river population about five hundred pound rice county or we had cheeseburgers and coconut cream pie and shows to say and as lisa see she was a vegetarian at after our lunch we toured the hudson family farm south of town and we visit with campbell hobson's neighboring farmers

i also took her to a small town hospital in lyon's the critical access hospital something she'd never saying i wonder see what delivery of health care was like in places all across kansas then the next day we concluded her visit to the state of kansas when to hutchinson or she had the opportunity to tour the kansas state fair with four each kids from across the state and she learned about their projects and she learned about the lives these kids were the perfect ambassadors for rural america almost every day i visit with someone from be a community many of them are in this room could be the kansas farm bureau the kansas lifelike association the corn growers kansas we there's a host of other trading in commodity groups they come knocking on my door and i see when i'm home in kansas the board for women talking among ourselves we need to be telling the story our story to those who don't know what a farmer doubts we define the rows of the wars or in positions to make a difference and we need to bring

more votes under our agricultural tent so we can have a widespread shared understanding of the importance of this industry and while the value of agriculture to our state's economy cannot be overstated there's another reason that i go to bat every day for farmers and ranchers farming is one of the few places left in our society for children still grow up side by side with moms and dads and their grandparents and in that process of working out a farm and being on the farm with her parents and grandparents we pass on to the next generation our character our values and get an understanding of the real meaning of life this country was based upon that and it's disappearing when you do everything we can to protect that relationship that being together with mama bear and graham on grapple with those characters and buyers that were taught or kids were evident when fires fourth of clark county kansas in the surrounding areas just a year ago

i made it to ashland on the sunday following the fire just a couple days later and i went to the church united methodist church in ashland and i was there to attend those services of many who only the day before had lost their homes their ranch is a cow even with their homes and barns bore to the ground their grass and count on the theme of that community of believers clearly showed me was this it's okay they're just things despite all those losses they gathered to worship god and give him thanks for what they saw as their many blessings and months that followed i spoke to many those ranchers regarding the difficulties they faced trying to recover rebuild and it is legislation provide them with greater financial systems legislation was crafted carefully based upon the feedback from those ranchers and others in neighboring counties and was designed to get the resources to those folks who needed the most the quickest and please an earlier this year congress passed and present sign pieces of that legislation into law and

it was what i saw and heard from the people of passion and that motivated me drove me pursue help for their caucus unfortunately those funds are beginning to make their way to our farmers and ranchers for rebuilding efforts at a time they are now faced with yet another uphill battle outside of their control united states is engaged itself in a trade war and i'm not convinced anyone can win agriculture they were the calling its noble and it's especially rewarding when the food that farmers and ranchers produce it to people who really need it farmers must have access to global markets especially in kansas where a state that has such a long standing history of exporting exporting commodities all over the world in our state trade matters it's how we are living kansans are now feeling the effects of the recently imposed tariffs crossley three and sixty one million dollars of kansas exports are being targeted ongoing trade war including soy beans and grain sorghum exports to china there is a sports to canada even corn exports to mexico

but ninety five percent of a consumer's living outside our country's border the ability for egg producers to directly are living is tied to their ability to sell food fuel and fiber for consumers around the globe last year veterans day i was invited to speak the kensington kansas for their veteran ceremony while i was there i drove past this huge pile of grain piled on the ground waiting to be sold michael moore took a photo of took that photo with me is a reminder of the reality of what former space the summer i headed that photograph to present trump during a white house meeting show how access to markets is needed to sell commodities and feed the world and also shared this photo with in meetings with secretary of commerce a sector rawski sector in agriculture sector perdue and more recently the us trade representative robert light eyes and every time of course the reaction is what we need to fix this well first and foremost we've got a solid path forward with an end in sight on these trade negotiations with china we cannot escalate a fight between a

significant purchaser of what we produce with no real end goal today all we see is united states imposes tariffs china response united states imposes more tariffs china began response trump and boersma of trade agreements and trade rules is important especially when it comes to dealing with china but an everlasting trade more turf battle is not i also believe responsible way forward is to work with our global partners rather not isolate ourselves we'll be continue to work to improve for existing trade deals and we ought to be re engaging in other such as the trans pacific partnership canada and mexico or kansas is number one and to export markets in two thousand seventy sometimes people just brush off the idea that candidate will not be included and agreement ever or number one purchaser of products and commodities from kansas we sell more aerospace parts and products to canada than anywhere in the world and more food and

commodities to mexico than anywhere in the world recently a mexican officials told and understand they're probably trying to bias my thought that they told me that mexico was already found suppliers for more than eighty percent of the commodities they typically buy from americans plain and simple canada and mexican markets are vital to our state and both countries need to be part of a final nafta agreement today is ongoing trade dispute doesn't just affect agriculture but also manufacturing another and industries important or state recently i was at spirit aero systems in wichita aircraft manufacturer and one of our state's largest employers they were celebrating the ten thousand wichita build boeing seven thirty seven fuselage after fifty years of production of this aircraft it marked a tremendous milestone for the company and the numerous small businesses in kansas that comprise the local supply base spirit also just announced an additional hiring a thousand more individuals to work in kansas sibling gets confidence in the future growth of aviation and aerospace

industry interstate but now there's a ten percent tariff on aluminum products and the seven thirty seven fuselage is made entirely of aluminum these chairs may jeopardize what should've been a great success story for the wichita economy for the state kansas and even for the president himself it is one more example of a harmless trade war is causing and we must not stop working until our trade policy is right for those who own a business and those who earn wages interstate so are a hundred years ago but an aviation pioneer named clyde cessna wandered in kansas he had a dream about building airplanes it's a testament to our strengths and state strengthen the talents of kansans a century later this industry remained so successful and wichita is known as the air capitol of the world we must be certain to continue you to inspire educate and train next generation aerospace workers and continue to develop opportunities allowed him to work in kansas to build the next generation aircraft in congress some actively

working to close the skill gaps that exist in engineering in other high skilled aviation jobs and ive entered his co sponsored fought for the advancement of legislation to incentivize young people especially young women pursued technical careers and bring them to our state and helped contribute to grow this vital industry kansas institutions of higher education played a major role play state is an active participant in achieving this goal three years ago federal aviation ministrations selected a team of universities to serve as it center of excellence for research education training in unmanned aircraft systems these systems have the potential to unlock extraordinary economic benefits to our country everything from brazilian agriculture emergency response uses for law enforcement or national defense at stake here in particular has a major he's making a major contribution to the center of excellence because the talent and expertise of staff and leaders like dr bernard simmons dr kurt barnard and many others last year got to enjoy my attempt to fly my first wrote a state polytechnic it landed safely

another important development as the national bio and agro defense facility where we welcomed secretary of agriculture sonny perdue earlier this year in may and just yesterday the secretary of homeland security secretary nicholson and proud of work alongside many people in this room and across the state who works so hard to bring him back to kansas into manhattan kansas and after becoming a world class state of the art research facility writer jason tortillas hundreds a phd is an advanced degree researchers will find work here in what former senate majority leader tom daschle called the silicone valley of bio defense and it will help secure the world's food supply and fight against threats for agriculture and livestock around the glow is laboratories representing a changing tide in kansas and k state of the proudest the silly and a successful work it took to get here and i decided to see opportunities but it will provide for students an aspiring scientists one of my goals is to make sure kansas will never walking away from agriculture aviation make sure those students who like

science and mathematics engineering and research have a path for an education here but equally or more poor we have an opportunity for a job here if we planned correctly the amount of animal science and by a research that happens you're in manhattan will increase tenfold and we will secure the presence of an entire industry for this region if we come together and capture this opportunity this community in this university will become law for groundbreaking agriculture research and the whole to the scientists who perform and chairman appropriations subcommittee that overseas for example the national science foundation my subcommittee support universities and their efforts to increase the number of minorities students interest in stem workforce i'm excited to announce that we are able to secure a three million dollar grant just this week for the lowest dose alliance for minority participation program here at kansas state from drones from drones to combat and everything in between industry and research needs young people

and young people meet opportunities i hope to convey distance in this room to the next generation of engineers and math petition the pilots and astronauts and scientists can just need you and once you can just will always be that ag state it will always be that aviation state but i'm driven to foster more opportunities in the fields of stamp we wanna build long lasting careers here at home for any of these good things to happen or citizens must be said that we engaged kansans will always be a need of public servants and probably many people i know who've chosen to serve the public good in congress i make a special effort to hire interns i know that they work the work that they do and the work that they've done in my office since i was first elected to congress has been performed with the knowledge that the policies we pursuing the work we do have direct and lasting impacts on their friends their neighbors their families the people here at home many of those people who work for you in our office and washing you see our offices here in kansas are with us today some of them were even

by my side when we feel the earth shake it together on nine eleven for those who've been by my side advocating for kansans to rub my time in public service thank you not a thing not one thing that happened a few days of five few days after september eleventh us for the fourth congressional delegation and visit ground zero in new york city i was walking through that area and there are new yorkers and created memorials to those who died at ground zero those memorials were created there in the dust and rubble and they were places where loved ones could come and pay their respects i past framed photos of the fall teddy bears another stuffed animals laid their flowers as you would expect at that site but as the civic note torn from a spiral notebook with that jagged edge caught

my i picked it up and i read this dear daddy how much an issue how i hope heaven is a wonderful place and i'll buy little lifeboat enough to join you in heaven some day i'm an age twelve at that moment reading that note i didn't realized my commitment to the people who elected me and my own call my own sense of what michael was involved a much larger more complicated purpose public service now included the goals of making certain that there were no more a man as those who would lose their fathers at the hands of those who wanted to use kill americans and destroy our way a life i realize that i must be more engaged in global affairs i must think more broadly when legislating but my obligations reach beyond just the first district of kansas i realize that in order to be a good public servant and a fully to fill my constitution responsible was a member

congress i need to pay closer attention to america's position as leader of the free world i realized i had a role at least some role in making the world a better and safer place beside them or belief that we ought to do or poor for those in need around the globe i know that international assistance health issue of peace in our own country by promoting global economic and social stability in the world we can act morally and achieve greater stability by way of healthy affordable accessible food food shortages act as a catalyst for upheaval and conflict around the globe and we've witnessed regions of the world as they descend into chaos and a lack of access to food to the hunger in assisting those who need it will reduce the likelihood of another terrorist attack on our nation at a double benefit we help people in need to protect ourselves access to food provides hope and drives economic opportunity and when parents can provide

food for their children they can provide a better future for their children and we can help equip people with the tools they need for a better life maybe they won't look to help china or isis or other global terror organizations define their purpose call the feet under has been answered by so many kansans before me and i'm proud to support a bold mcgovern food for education programs provide meals for schoolchildren and food in secure places around the world told the governor as well as food for peace with a sign in law by another kansan present dwight d eisenhower is an example of the united states using its leadership role in the world for good and more reasons i call center poll last month of august was his ninety fifth birthday i wished him a happy birthday and i had the opportunity to thank him once again for his efforts related to hunger but also for helping to inspire me to inspire my interest in this topic and i now serve as the culture the senate hungry caucus so hurdle remains passionate as ever and we are as we've often discussed trying to

continue the work he started to eliminate hunger worldwide sadly was facing when the greatest humanitarian crisis is of modern history estimates indicate that eight hundred million people worldwide one in every nine or go to bed each night chronically hungry and conversely fight for international food aid programs the agriculture research and development issues that reduced hunger and promote stability were wide and dedicated to tearing up a legacy of center poll the one that he builds a champion for those efforts in global hunger is bubble is that feeding those in need represents the very heart and soul of our country the state is a leader in research improve crop production and prevent post harvest losses in key grain producing areas in the world and it's critical to our effort and enduring inning global hunger the state received over a hundred million dollars from us the idea to establish phoebe the future innovation labs focused on agriculture production in developing countries additionally we can ignore those who were hungry here at home living in kansas is we do

or the breadbasket of our nation and can be difficult to comprehend that our neighbors often go to bed hungry and it's true especially in rural communities across our state according to feeding america and two thousand sixteen that was the first year on record that a great greater percentage of people living in rural places were hungry more hungry and people living in urban areas a startling trend is expected to continue a lack of a grocery store in many rural places across the country limits the access to healthy nutritious foods and contributes to people's hunger always remember two thousand seven i visited greensburg the morning after the deadly eat by a tornado that tore that community park in a demolished local grocery store when i arrived in town that morning it was unrecognizable i happened to read represent kiowa county greensburg is a state senator i knew this community you couldn't find a single landmark despite that devastation i once again saw the compassionate nature of our state's residents neighbors friends and family and kansans who knew nobody in greensburg

they all rallied to respond and to help many without homes were temporary stay in have on the next town to the east another rival but they took those people and i don't have one among the long line haven't grocery store is one of those old murphy store for the tin ceiling and a fan i'm quite certain it wasn't making a profit or lose much of one behind it out of the case you guys so he was the owner actually he took the time to make a conversation with every customer who presented groceries at the counter and in a casual way he just would ask so were you from if the answer was greensburg his response was no charge is a story worth knowing compassion the fines our character is kansas but this story isn't just about kansas kindness it's also about the importance of grocery stores and highlights a larger challenge we face and the role that those grocery stores

play in small communities and in the urban core of our state's cities for as long as i've been in congress i've been telling people in washington dc now where i come from economic development can be whether or not there's a grocery store in town and almost no one that i speak to has any understanding of what i'm saying in the case of greensburg residents wanted to be certain and they would call and they would ask it was a common question that we encountered they want to know is the grocery store or going to rebuild and their view was at the grocery store doesn't reveal were probably moving away but not surprisingly a hutchinson navy and then grow our ceo david the one who manages one of our country's largest chain stores and retrieve it appeared and since he's lobbied to do so into that my buddy get a half gallons was a store that was there before it was gone but he worked across the company to develop a new innovative convenience store that was right

sized for the grocery needs of greensburg and that story is part of a mainstay of the greensburg community today in that spirit i introduced bipartisan partisan legislation this congress that would incentivize providers to open grocery stores and banks and farmers' markets and food deserts ears were people lack access to healthy affordable through these efforts could help fill critical needs that affect small communities in urban centers across our state and country now despite the amount of time i spent working and watching these the truth is small town kansas really does feel like the center of the universe to me i feel home more comfortable and most center of one in kansas wherever your hometown is on for certain i've been there and i probably found myself thinking i can live here seventeen years ago today the twin towers and rubble the pentagon smoldering a plane crashed in a pennsylvania field

americans responded sons and daughters chose to serve they chose to answer a higher calling in every one of those soldiers sailors airmen marines died american freedoms above their own lives it was a time that called us to service including military service many who volunteered they did so knowing that they'd likely see combat and many did deploy to afghanistan on a rack syrian elsewhere and some didn't return thank you to those few who serve our country we honor the sacrifice that so many continue to make to protect our homeland and our way of life that's a us senator jerry moran thinking if kansas state university on september eleventh two thousand a scene kbr prisons will continue right after this you're listening to k pr presents on kansas public radio we're ninety one five lawrence and ninety one three junction

city support for k pr presents on kansas public radio comes from kc pt the flatland digital magazine reporting on issues for people food at farms arts and culture online app flatland case the dot org kbr is next cinema a go go is pumpkin spiced for halloween joined us friday night at liberty hall for it to low budget monster movies from the nineteen fifties to see big nasty monsters mess with crates teenagers and blonde bombshell it's at seven o'clock friday evening with tickets available at the door to find out more at retro cocktail dot org today on cape pierre presents us senator jerry moran flee from landon lecture series kansas state university our neighbor general for riley has been available in our strategic defense efforts

deploying first infantry division troops all over the world to protect our freedoms i'm proud to work alongside fort riley leaders to make certain that fort riley remains the best ways to live train deployed from and come home to my leadership defense arena has taken in many places around the globe to see our defense efforts first hand and a visit are deployed troops into thousand three i made my first visit to our troops in a rack i evaluated the progress that was being made in the challenges that lie ahead it was there on a trip from baghdad to mosul with general petraeus by my side i reconnected with a black hawk helicopter pilot army lieutenant katrina year lows but analysts and agents and nave and eight manhattan residents had been injured in a grenade attack against her humvee just a few weeks before i know this because she was emailing her mom and dad at home in hutchinson and they were written about

sending those emails to reporter at the hutchinson news so i'd been keeping up with katrina and i explained this to general petraeus who led in in mosul an army a tap me on the shoulder general petraeus called his troops to attention and i can the purple heart that day in mosul rack on twitter that there was a previously i'd had the honor now as i think about penning a purple heart on her the responsibility of helping her secure her nomination to west point another reminder of how challenging times are and the effects of decisions that we made last year added to another war zone afghanistan is my fourth time to visit or secretary of the army and i expressed gratitude to our service members and receive countless briefings from our military leaders on our strategy in the region and again what's going to happen next where are we will this come to an end the consequences of nine eleven continued today in afghanistan strong national defense is our federal

government's primary constitutional responsibility our nation faces a vast landscape of threats there's a resurgent russia a military buildup like china and unpredictable north korea a nuclear iran a rise of isis and cyber attacks coming from every corner of the world it is vital that we maintain a strong and ready force to meet these global challenges on independence day while americans are celebrating in united states robin i found ourselves in a much colder more hostile environment just blocks from red square in moscow russia in moscow i deliver the message to russian officials that interference in us elections will not be tolerated and any thawing of relations between our two countries can only take place if this and other behaviors change never before and i spent the fourth of july independence day away from kansas away from parades barbecues family and friends or what rochelle i can assure you my thought was i could not live here the

soviet union was the center the central nervous system of an ideology that sought to overthrow capitalism and to limit freedom the freedoms we enjoy as americans the threat of nuclear war was with me throughout my life politically as a grade school an elementary school student that was a threat that we all fought and it was very real and here i was on the first united states congressional visit to russian over five years in the ambassador's residence in moscow surrounded by us diplomats are massacre his family civil servants an embassy staff americans who happen to be in russia on independence day but most importantly the marine corps those who protected our embassy or the marine corps band played our national anthem the basque as residents in moscow russian i can't sing the national anthem without choking up anyway but it was an inspiring moment for robin i and i was inspired to think about the history that ive lived and we continue to experience or our nation's sense of purpose and how over decades are determined moral military

and diplomatic efforts have changed the world and brought freedoms to millions russia does russia russia is not the soviet union do to those efforts for the course of time i both witnessed and for just eight in great cultural and little shift in our nation including those that followed nine eleven when on in washington feeling concerned or a bit discouraged about my running shoe's on an all walk up the national mall i see the war to memorial now keep going i go by the vietnam wall and on my way back i come by the korean war memorial those morals remind me that no serviceman or woman served our country because they were republicans or because they were democrats they serve our nation because of a much more much more important calling they believe that their service which helps protect their families at home make their country more secure and the world a more stable place i think back to my time as a high school student in the seventies i had

friends who were called to serve in vietnam they just happen to be a year or two older than me that was the difference a year or two when you were born i was embarrassed by the treatment those returning soldiers faced when they we came home and every main determined to make certain no veteran is ever again treated in a disrespectful way on one of those lots of the national mall i stopped at the kansas column at the world war two memorial and i thought of my dad back home in plainview i stepped away from the monument i had my cell phone with me and i call my get back home in plain view forsyth and his voice mail because when i said that day is difficult for sons or daughters to say to their parents as a dad i'm at the world war two memorial it was building iran and i want to know that i thank you for your service i want you know that i respect you and then i thought you know i learned during that walk back from war a war to moral to my office my cell phone rang in my bag i course answered and he

said that gerald durley left me a message and i couldn't understand it could you repeat ad i felt called to rub my public service to make certain our nation's heroes or c the care and benefits that they've earned maybe because i never served far too often our veterans have to fight tooth and nail to access their benefits but it's critical that our nation uphold its about to serve them as they served us more recently mourned the passing of my friend john mccain he was an army man and exemplify what it is to be a great american he used his bully pulpit for good allowed the injustices that he'd seen in his life to guide his work i've been honored in this past year and a half to work closely worked side by side with senator mccain on veterans' issues particularly issue of choice and veterans' access to timely and quality health care whether be at the local va or in the veterans community so mccain fought to improve veterans' access to

care for years is because of his steadfast determination to fix the va that we now the veterans choice program and since two thousand fourteen a choice for herself thousand the veterans access care especially veterans in rural communities who may not had a va hospital close by while some veterans who have had successes in the program way too many times we've heard from veterans who were still being denied equality here in a time a convenient manner after hearing no from the department that was task than helping them these veterans returned to my office and they asked for my assistants our staff's assistance in helping get through that be a red tape and get them the services that they need in the legislative fixes and measures that senator mccain i develop stem from experiences of veterans contacted my office and expressing their frustration with navigating the va system rigidly in situations where the choice program dr been available to them well there's hundreds of cases we've worked on a result i was sure the story of an air force veteran from bonner

springs a young man named matt received a hundred percent disability services and a rating that is exposure to toxic substances during his time in the air force that exposure led him to the kenyans and kidney failure after the va decided they would send in the iowa for treatment even though he lived just a few minutes from where the cure could have been an equality way provided we stepped in and got matt's request for clear on are at the university of the center for transplantation or he could be closer to home and family and where he could receive quality of care that he felt he needed it was that story that we used time and time again as a litmus test for substantial reforms to the va i'm proud to say we fought hard to make certain that veterans legislation to reform the choice program and transform the da's health care system now pass that test would help matt and would help others like him the amish an actor named in honor of summer mccain was signed into law this jew that

will improve and modernize veterans health care services and my dad passed away a few years ago at age ninety eight at home and wind so i no longer can repeat what i said to him those years ago but i can say to today's veterans i can repeat it for them they defer service i respect you know what do i and ten to continue dancing the work for making certain veterans are treated with dignity and respect they burn that they receive the benefits that were promised earlier if earlier i spoke about remaining in my office in answering those kansas telephone calls on september eleventh now it's a what those cans called a set called ask how they can support their fellow americans how they can help with recovery what did they do on that day

the most frightening day of our nation's and our nation's seen in a lifetime kansans shows to pick up the phone call their congressmen and offer their assistance their thoughts in their prayers i felt the care and compassion of kansans in ways that i had not experienced before and it to forever change me what the most important calls i took that day was for my wife before widely his cell phones and texting and email messages she had no way to reach me on that day set by calling the office line the main office like they're concerned for me on that day and her efforts to make sure it was she who told our daughters that their father was safe rather than learn something from the television is representative of the larger sacrifice that my family has made in order for me to continue to answer the call of many through campaigns in my time in what in the sea of all the other drama that comes with being a family and a wife of an elected official my family too has answered the call they sacrificed much throughout the

years that i could be so that i could continue to serve a family was all here this weekend the sacrifice they never saw that isn't too busy trade route what to say to that as i know they were in every time i got an airplane to go back to wash and you see in the months that followed the nine eleven attacks might that plane be one that would be next to crash or that apple might be the next target despite this my family has supported me in or renewed commitment to serve kansans in congress i'm grateful for their love and support built upon a belief that what we're doing is right that service makes a difference that sacrifices were made as part of a larger contribution to our state our country wrought iron bowl thankful that kansans have granted us the opportunity to try to make a real difference is these kansans i turned to when the challenges of washing the cr so great from my time in congress i've made it a duty to make sure citizens know that their voices or listen to reform i've got surpassed sixty nine town hall meetings every year is a congressman a hundred and

five every two years as a senator this is especially important in the during the health care debate topic that wasn't strong emotional response paul supporters republicans and democrats it was a mass along the political spectrum for one afternoon palco kansas a small town in northwest kansas of about three hundred people was the center for national debate iowa town hall meeting or for worse county what the people to work from palco report from wilkes county many of them here from a manhattan in fact iowa town hall meetings which brought the new york times the washington post the wall street journal and even a swedish television station to witness this discussion happened be the only republican in the senate was having town hall meetings during the health care debate many others know something i didn't know and based on those discussions was clear that this bill was not good for kansans and therefore wasn't good for me and i

returned watching the ceo announced my opposition the initial healthcare replacement bill colby cra was drafted behind closed doors and without committee hearing this process matters it's important to many times today we want a shortcut a system by which decisions are made so we can get the decision we want a process matters it's an important part of what we do as legislators and process allows the voice of every american to be considered and that's why it's so important here from kansans before making a decision overturned a couple incidentally the following friday i was concerned that the locals would be annoyed at my bringing this mass to their town it was a great spirits not a person complained the answer was jerry it was great the convenience store sold out a chicken fried steaks as i think more than me they're anxious to do that one again health care wasn't the first political decision and i suppose it will be the

last we also try to do what's right and not necessarily what is easy idle but it demonstrated my commander this principle in nineteen ninety nine as a member of the house of representatives string present one's impeachment proceedings i stood as a congressman on the house floor never thinking that it called this kid from puebla will be called to determine the fate of another elected official in this case the president united states in a speech on the floor thereafter i stated this and i quote i want my daughters to know i want my daughters to know their dad chose the side of holding elected officials to high ethical standards i'm an advocate for truth and a supporter of the rule of law and someone who is not influenced only by party politics or the political passions of the moment unquote in two thousand at now we find ourselves in another challenging an uncertain time were americans are once again divided and the president once again

is under investigation i stand on the stage i want my daughters to again know that their dad will adhere to those same principles now if they i've spoken about my experience on september eleventh and how it changed and shaking as a legislator it altered my trajectory of my career and it prompted me to recommit myself to serving kansans in the nation's capital but in addition to and perhaps more importantly than how that may impact the congressman from kansas september eleventh two thousand won refocused us as a nation on the things the rebels close together that bind us together and those things are poles apart as i stood next to new york city congressman from brooklyn we saw a nation under attack while we disagree with each other more often

than not we stood there together and we saw each other his father's not close we saw each other's fellow americans not a little enemies that sentiment between us continues today the first vote congress took following the nine eleven attacks the buildup authorize the president to send troops overseas passed the house of representatives four hundred and twenty to one at a rare demonstration of congressional unity it was important to show the world then and today that americans are united in our result take the necessary steps to see nothing like nine eleven would happen again just as we pulled together that day and in the days that followed the memory of september eleven two thousand won ought to have the very same impact that day september eleven two thousand and eighteen it should be just as powerful it ought to compel us to pull away from the division the political posturing

in the partisan shouting and just getting back to work solving the big and important issues facing our nation today back in the sixties i remember asking my dad this is when the vietnam war was going on race riots in communities cities across the country i saw this every day every night on the cbs evening news with walter cronkite i asked my dad or country was it this way or country survive a bad answer was yes the country will be just by every generation well even after nine eleven i suppose we'd ask that same question or country survive and isis ho's every generation it seems has that question before them at one point or another the day i assume that many are asking what had happened or country will be ok would survive the

answer is yes the country will be fine but the country will be fine only if we stop asking who can i fight and instead ask how can i help this goes for all of us not just me as an elected official a politician i remain convinced that with this approach how can we help we can solve the most divisive issues of our time it is our responsibility to do so will a tor service members who serve this at home and around the world we'll add to those who lost their lives at the world trade center and the pentagon and on that heroic flight ninety three we ought to future generations that will one day inherit our country as there are may we never forget september eleven two thousand one maybe never forget the way we unite in the aftermath of the

attacks as one nation under god and may we renew our commitment respecting one another to working together for the common good and answering the call to serve if we do so that means we never forgot it feels just heard us senator jerry moran of kansas he gave the one hundred seventy eight landon lecture on public issues a kansas state university on september eleventh two thousand eighteen and stick a state for providing audio of this event previous case they lend them lectures are archived on our web site so you can listen to them anytime you want checkout kansas public radio dot org under news k pr prisons i'm kate mcintyre kbr present is a production of kansas public radio at the university of kansas cooper