No one could ever accuse Sen. Jerry Moran of being anything less than who he is, a conservative Republican. He is pro-life, pro-gun, pro-America, but most importantly, Moran is pro-Constitution. He knows the responsibilities and duties that came with this job when he swore his oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and he has proven that he can fulfill it. Now, Kansans and all Americans need Sen. Moran to show once again that he respects the Constitution and his oath of office.
While other Republican members of Congress were lauding false claims that the election was stolen, Sen. Moran was focused on his job. He did not acquiesce to pressure from others in his party to bend the knee and forfeit any sense of rationality. Rather than perpetuate dangerous lies and enable Trump, Moran focused on the responsibilities entrusted to him by his constituents.
This wasn’t the first time Sen. Moran showed independence and integrity, either. When President Trump proposed cutting funding for our troops — including from hospitals where our wounded soldiers get life-saving surgery and rehabilitation — Sen. Moran voted against it. Even though many Republicans supported the proposal, he knew that supporting American troops and doing the right thing came before partisan allegiance. And he’s showing that same down-to-earth responsibility again.
It’s worth noting that Sen. Moran also knows that principle and pragmatism don’t have to be at odds. He was the architect of the 2014 wave that put Republicans in charge of the Senate during Obama’s final two years in office. He knows what kind of Republicans can win — and he knows that lying to the American people about the election results and condoning violence at the Capitol isn’t a winning strategy.
Despite being a hard-line conservative and supporter of Trump, Sen. Moran knew that it was his constitutional duty to oppose any attempts to object to the certification of the Electoral College votes. The long-term risks to our democracy were far greater than any individuals short term success, and the senator himself said it best.
Voting to object to the electoral process without a constitutional basis to do so may be expedient and lead to short-term political benefits for some, but would risk undermining our democracy — which is built upon the rule of law and separation of powers. No victory for one’s cause today can be worth what we would lose tomorrow.
Sen. Roger Marshall’s first major act in office was to object to both Arizona and Pennsylvania Electoral College votes. Just days after swearing his oath of office to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Marshall decided to fully embrace the Big Lie and overturn a free and fair election.
This cannot be Kansas’ legacy. We need integrity, principles, and honor, and Sen. Moran is more than capable of acting on these values. After almost three decades in public service, Moran knows that the best strategy is often not to get swept up in the fear of a moment, but to act on principle.
We cannot allow history to be rewritten, and there must be consequences. It’s time to recognize January 6 for what it was: violence against Americans, an attack on Congress, an insurrection on the duly elected government of the United States incited by Trump. He has proven himself to be an enemy of everything that America stands for.
As Sen. Moran said of the Inauguration, it “represents the orderly and peaceful transfer of power that is an enduring symbol of a government of the people, by the people and for the people.” Our institutions, our government, our democracy are not guaranteed. They’re made up of individual decisions and actions every day. We have to fight for them continuously. We need Sen. Moran to fight for them once more. We need him to uphold his oath to the Constitution. It’s time for accountability. It’s time to convict and disqualify Trump. It’s time to restore our Republican Party.
Brandon Kenig, a Republican from Kansas City, is a former Shawnee city councilman, former chairman of the Kansas Young Republicans, and worked as Sen. Moran’s Constituent Services Representative.
