About Congressman Dennis Moore
Dennis Moore, a lifelong Kansan, is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. (See What It's Like to be a Congressman for a look at life in the House.)
Moore was born in Anthony, Kansas, in 1945. He was educated in Wichita public schools. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Kansas, and received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1970.
After service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, Moore started his legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Kansas. He entered private legal practice in Johnson County in 1973.
In 1976, Moore was elected District Attorney in Johnson County and was reelected twice, serving a total of 12 years. During his tenure, Moore earned a reputation as a tough, but fair, prosecutor.
As District Attorney, Moore:
- personally prosecuted more than twenty-five felony jury trials;
- led the Consumer Protection Division in the investigation and successful prosecution of a national oil company charged with rigging gas pumps to cheat consumers;
- established the first Victim Assistance Unit;
- served as President of the Kansas County and District Attorney's Association.
In 1993, Moore was elected to the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees and was elected to a second term.
Since being elected to Congress in 1998, Moore has served his country and the constituents of the Third District of Kansas.
In Congress, Moore:
- serves as a leading advocate for fiscal responsibility, including reinstatement of the 'Pay As You Go' budget rule requiring that any legislation affecting entitlement spending be revenue neutral;
- helped bring the Amber Alert system to the Kansas City metro area;
- wrote legislation, now law, providing full airfare payment for soldiers stationed overseas returning home for Rest and Recuperation;
- led effort giving Medicare negotiating authority to lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries;
- wrote legislation, now law, raising the death gratuity benefit from $12,000 to $100,000 for families of service persons killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Moore is a member of the House Committees on the Budget and Financial Services, and is on a leave of absence from the House Small Business Committee during the 110th Congress.
Moore is also a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats committed to restoring fiscal responsibility and accountability to government. Moore serves as Co-Chair for Policy, charged with overseeing various task forces to develop the group's policy positions.
As a member of the Center Aisle Caucus, a group formed to bring more civility and bipartisanship to Congress, Moore has developed a reputation as someone who will reach across the aisle to develop common-sense solutions to issues.
The Kansas City Star said, "[Moore] cuts through the partisan rhetoric in search of logical, common-sense solutions." The Johnson County Sun noted that "Dennis Moore votes with his district on major issues…his concerns and his interests lie right here, where he spends a great deal of his time.”
Moore resides in Lenexa with his wife Stephene, a registered nurse. They have seven children and eight grandchildren.