MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said key negotiations continue on the next federal farm bill, with two Kansas priorities — transferring the Food for Peace program to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and expanding year-round E15 fuel sales — remaining central to his support for the legislation.
Moran said the farm bill remains under consideration in the Senate Agriculture Committee, where lawmakers are working to bridge partisan differences over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Moran said his support for the current draft of the farm bill depends largely on the inclusion of a provision transferring the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Department of State to the USDA.
The Food for Peace program, established under President Dwight Eisenhower and championed for decades by former Kansas Senator Bob Dole, provides U.S. commodities to nations facing food shortages. Moran said moving the program to USDA would strengthen both humanitarian efforts and American agriculture.
He also expressed optimism that Congress will approve permanent nationwide sales of E15 gasoline. Moran said current uncertainty surrounding annual Environmental Protection Agency waivers discourages fuel retailers from investing in the infrastructure needed to offer the higher ethanol blend year-round.
The senator highlighted another Kansas-focused provision that would expand grazing opportunities on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land. Moran said the proposal was prompted by recent devastating grassfires in western Kansas, where heavy vegetation followed by drought created dangerous wildfire conditions. The change would both reduce fire risk and provide emergency forage for livestock producers following disasters.
Rural Health Funding
Moran also pointed to significant gains for Kansas hospitals following recent federal and state actions.
He said approval by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of Kansas' provider assessment plan will increase Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals by roughly $1 billion annually. In addition, the state received approval for enhanced payments benefiting critical access hospitals, bringing an estimated $72 million each year to many of Kansas' smallest rural facilities.
Kansas also secured approximately $220 million annually for five years through a federal fund designed to support financially vulnerable hospitals.
Moran said preserving rural health care is essential to the future of small communities because access to hospitals and physicians influences whether young families remain in rural Kansas and whether senior citizens can continue living in their hometowns.
Artemis Recognition
The senator also discussed legislation recognizing the Artemis II astronauts with a Congressional Gold Medal for their mission. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing NASA funding, Moran said he continues to advocate for America's space exploration efforts.
He noted the connection between the Artemis program and the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, saying NASA officials and astronauts have praised the museum's collection and educational efforts. Moran added that work is underway to bring members of a future Artemis crew to visit the Cosmosphere.