U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Tyler) speaks in February during a lunch hosted by the Republican Women of Gregg County at Roma Italian Kitchen in Longview. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)

An estimated 10,000 East Texans tuned in Monday night to a telephone town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler. Residents called in from various locations across the state’s first district using a provided phone number or video link to hear Moran address their questions on various topics.

“People said why don’t you do an in-person town hall, well I do,” Moran said. “We try to do both tele-town hall and in-person. We’re going to do more of that this year — the first half of the year is just really tough because we’re in Washington D.C. a lot until the end of July.”

Constituents wanted to hear Moran’s perspective on a number of topics, including federal budget cuts, tariffs, election integrity and more.

DOGE

Several callers asked questions and were concerned with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk’s role in government, emphasizing how spending cuts could affect Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP benefits and have impacted local food banks.

Moran recognized how important these programs are for many people and talked about working to find a balance between saving money and protecting these vital services.

“It’s kind of like spring cleaning,” Moran said. “If you’re going to do appropriate spring cleaning you have to pull everything out of the garage…You got to look at everything as it sit in your driveway to figure out what have I used recently that I’m going to use again, that is of value to me, that I need to put back and what is it that I need to put on the curb to go to the dump.”

Republican and Democrat representatives have pushed everything aside in the “garage” for the past 40 years, Moran said. The process of removing everything from the “garage: can be painful at first. However, Moran believes some of the items pulled out will be returned once the cleaning is done.

“Don’t react initially, because there is a reset here,” Moran said. “The only way to reset it from all the overspending is to swing the pendulum back and then find the sweet spot where we need to focus, where are the core responsibilities of the government.”

When he was the Smith County Judge, supporting the East Texas Food Bank was a priority for him. Some of the decisions made over the past few months have been tough on the organization.

As rebuilding happens, it’s a priority for him to ensure vulnerable people have access to these programs.

He added that people have become dependent on the federal government to handle things that should probably be managed by the private sector. He also mentioned that while people want the government to address the national debt and spending, they don’t want it to affect their own lives.

The department Musk is heading up was created during the Obama administration, but renamed. Musk didn’t start it and will only maintain his role for the duration of his appointment, but the Department of Government Efficiency will continue after Musk’s tenure.

DOGE identifies cuts and refers them to department heads; it doesn’t cut people directly. It has found $130 million in cuts that department heads can make, but other cuts will need to be approved by Congress.

He supported the federal workforce return-to-work order, noting that many people in Washington D.C. were working remotely since the COVID pandemic under the Biden administration. Federal unions are upset that employees are now required to show up in their seats.

Moran said while it may be easier to believe everyone working from home is just as efficient, they are not. There are just too many distractions at home.

Tariffs

Other questions about tariffs on imported goods were raised. Residents wondered if tariffs would make domestically and internationally produced products more expensive.

Moran explained that tariffs are essentially a tax, and consumers will always end up paying for that tax. He expressed hope that it does not lead to a long-term tariff war as an economic strategy. As a negotiating strategy, it serves as a “reset” on the world economic stage.

“I believe it’s working already, and I am glad the president is using the strong arm,” Moran said.

President Donald Trump is not starting the trade wars, Moran said. European and other countries have imposed tremendous tariffs on American products to keep them out of markets. Trump is looking for reciprocity, ensuring other countries treat U.S. products fairly.

“They are afraid to compete, frankly, with American manufacturers and producers,” Moran said.

Moran referenced Trump’s stance on tariffs, saying that unless a country lowers its tariffs on American products, the U.S. will impose tariffs on theirs. He added that a couple of countries have already come to the table to negotiate.

SAVE Act

The Safeguard Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act was co-sponsored by Moran. The bill intends to strengthen election security, improve voter ID laws and ensure the integrity of the voting process in U.S. elections.

A caller raised concerns that organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which defends and preserves individual rights and freedoms, believe the bill might make it difficult or even prevent people who have changed their names from voting. The caller pointed out that not everyone has the means or documentation to change their name on official records.

They asked whether, if someone tried to use state identification cards or birth certificates but the names didn’t match, they would be denied the right to register to vote.

Moran responded that this is a false rumor that has been propagated on social media. He assured listeners that the bill would not prevent individuals from voting simply because their names don’t match on documents like state IDs or birth certificates.

Moran explained the bill would require people to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote. Currently, the law states individuals must be citizens to vote, but there is no system in place to upload proof — it’s just a box people check off. The new bill would change that by requiring actual documentation to verify citizenship during the voter registration process.

Documents that can be used to prove U.S. citizenship include a U.S. passport, a birth certificate issued by a U.S. state or territory, a naturalization certificate, a certificate of citizenship or a consular report of birth abroad for those born to U.S. citizens outside of the country.

“The notation that people that get married and change their name won’t be able to [register to vote], that’s false too, because there is a documentary trail about that change of name,” Moran said. “There’s a lot of myths that are going around.”

Other questions

A caller asked what is being done about “rogue” district court judges who are filing suits against every action the president is taking.

H.R. 1526, or the No Rogue Rulings Act, means that the bill seeks to restrict the power of federal district courts in issuing injunctions that can block government actions. The bill would make it so a district court can only issue an injunction that affects the specific parties involved in the case, not the entire country.

Moran said it is important to keep the branches of government in their own roles. He is concerned that a single federal district court judge can issue nationwide bans, which he believes is not what their power was meant for. He said letting one judge make decisions for the whole country can upset the balance of power in the government.

Another concern raised by a caller was how to prevent foreign entities, especially those from hostile nations, from owning property in the United States. Moran said there is legislation at both the state and federal levels aimed at amending property laws to restrict these entities from purchasing properties near sensitive sites and agricultural land.

He said most of this is being addressed at the state level.

Moran also addressed rumors that veterans would lose their benefits and discussed reshoring investments. He mentioned the Rural Opportunity Zone Act, which would require investors who want to take advantage of rural designations to actually invest in rural America.

Moran talked about misconceptions he’s heard from Republican and Democratic sides.

He’s heard claims that Republicans are cutting funding for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, but clarified those programs are not included in the budgetary resolutions that have been passed.

He added that the reconciliation process doesn’t allow anyone to touch Social Security. The reconciliation process is a legislative procedure used in the U.S. Senate to expedite the passage of certain types of budget-related bills.

Moran also mentioned a screenshot circulated by conservatives showing the vote count from the budget resolution, claiming every Republican voted against exempting tips, overtime and Social Security from taxes, while all Democrats voted in favor of exempting tips from taxation.

“That was not part of that vote,” Moran said. “That’s going to come at a later stage.”

Moran’s takeaway was for residents to be informed and stay in the realm of truth. He emphasized the importance of not simply accepting what is being shared on social media as truth, urging people to seek out accurate information and understand the full context behind political issues and votes.

“I miss you guys when I’m here in D.C. I love representing the First District of Texas, the absolute best congressional district in the United States. I appreciate and am humbled by the fact that you would allow me to serve you in Washington, D.C.,” Moran said.

In Moran’s first term, he hosted 15 tele-townhalls, with an average participation of 6,000 people per call, totaling 90,000 participants across all calls. The telephone town halls are open to anyone who wishes to call in.

In hosting these virtual events, Moran’s office said he has engaged over 1.2 million times with constituents across the district on topics like border security, taxes and energy independence. Since last August, Moran has held more than 20 in-person engagements, according to his office.

To contact the congressman, visit moran.house.gov/contact or call his office at 202-225-3035.