An emotional Moran pleads with leaders for bipartisan VA fix

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) became emotional on the Senate floor Thursday talking about the 70th anniversary of D-Day and what the Senate should be doing to fix a broken VA healthcare system.

“We’re called upon as American citizens to do all the things we can do to demonstrate that we thank our veterans for their service,” Moran said. “The Senate needs to rise to the occasion. … I’m am frustrated, and I came here to accomplish things.”

{mosads}Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) are reportedly working to combine competing bills addressing the VA claims backlog that is plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Moran said the Senate has a duty to veterans to pass a bipartisan bill rather than vote on bills that will go nowhere in the House.

“There was no interest in partisan politics by those who served our country,” Moran said while getting chocked up. “They believed they could make a difference. It was about freedom and liberty. It wasn’t about who is scoring political points.”

Moran’s father served in World War II, and Friday marks the 70th anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy, France. He recalled telling his father that the World War II Memorial was built for him.