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Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I, like many of my colleagues, spent a lot of time in our home States during the month of August and early September, and I am ready to come back and go to work. I am pleased to report that I had a number of conversations about things that we are doing and not doing with the citizens of the State of Kansas.

I traveled from east to west and north to south, from Elwood in the northeast corner to Sedan in southeast Kansas, to St. Francis and Sharon Springs in the far western part of our State, southwest corner, to Liberal, KS.

And I rise today to speak on behalf of many Kansans on a couple of topics. I would tell my colleagues: Many of my constituents are angry and afraid of potentially losing their homes, farms, and businesses, and their land as a result of the Department of Energy's proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor.

During August, Kansans from across the State--but particularly those who are in line for this corridor--raised their concerns with me about this proposal and that it would give way to a large-scale Federal Government intervention in rural America, in rural Kansas.

One women in Downs, KS, shared how her home sits within the proposed corridor, and she is fearful of how the proposed transmission line would impact her family.

By designating this corridor, the Department of Energy opens up the door for potential officials from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to steamroll State regulators by overriding their decisions on whether or not to site electric transmission lines.

The Federal Government should not be in the business of condemning land for eminent domain, especially for a transmission project that was rejected by a State regulator.

Kansans know these decisions should not be made by folks in Washington, DC, who live hundreds and hundreds of miles away.

That is why I am introducing legislation with Congressman Tracey Mann, my successor in the First District of Kansas, to prevent the Federal Government from possessing landowner's property without their consent for these transmission projects.

In addition to this legislation, I have also been engaged with the Department of Energy, who has assured me they will continue to accept comments and take them into consideration through the next phase of this proposal.

After an unacceptably short comment period, it is critical the Department of Energy fully understands the objections my constituents have with this proposal.

Protecting the Kansas way of life involves standing up for our smallest towns and for family farms, many of which have been passed down generation to generation.

As these proposals move forward, I will continue to work to defend Kansas agriculture, small businesses, and the rights of property owners across our State from Federal overreach.

We must--we must--make certain that the Federal taxpayer dollars are not used for eminent domain and that decisions about electrical transition siting be left in Kansas, not in Washington, DC.

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