Senator Moran has a long history of opposing reckless spending in Washington, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee has pushed for spending cuts, tougher funding standards and broad reform. Senator Moran serves as lead Republican 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. This broad committee jurisdiction allows Senator Moran to advocate for priorities important to Kansans in many different contexts.
Located in America’s heartland, Kansas plays an integral role in the transportation network that connects farmers and factories with communities around the globe. Kansas ranks third in the nation with more than 140,000 miles of highway, so maintaining strong transportation infrastructure is vital to the economic development of our great state.
Kansas is also one of the leading rail and distribution centers in the country and plays an integral role in connecting farmers and factories with communities around the globe. There are more than 2,000 miles of short-line railroad in Kansas alone. Because constant maintenance is needed to keep our railroads in great condition, I established the Section 45G tax credit in Congress, which has since become permanent. This invaluable credit ensures short line railroads and the communities who depend on them can stay up to date on critical maintenance and track improvements.
Unfortunately, the funding needed to improve and maintain our nation’s surface transportation is running out. Congress must come together in a bipartisan way to develop a long term, sustainable funding mechanism to meet our infrastructure demands and allow Kansans to continue the transport of our manufactured goods and agriculture commodities in a timely and cost-effective manner. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to find the resources necessary to meet the needs of Kansas’ transportation system.