congress

Pedro and Vinny’s Caters for Texas Congressmen

By ARLnow.com

Pedro and Vinny’s, the tiny take-out burrito eatery at 2599 Columbia Pike, has some new friends in high places.

The restaurant had the rare privilege of catering a congressional event last week, thanks to a devoted fan: Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). Barton has a home in Arlington Heights, not too far from Pedro and Vinny’s, and has become a regular customer since it opened last summer.

When it recently came time for Barton to arrange the catering at a weekly lunch for Republican members of congress from Texas, he asked his staffers to approach the restaurant to see if they’d be up for the task. It would be tough to appease the discerning palates of the Texas lawmakers — whose lunch is usually catered by a rotation of larger, more established restaurants like Hill Country Barbecue and Tortilla Coast — but owner Roger Coroneo said he was up for the challenge.

Sean Brown, Rep. Barton’s press secretary, said the office was a bit worried about their “outside the box” choice of a caterer. After all, Pedro and Vinny’s is essentially housed in a glorified shack in the corner of a CVS parking lot. In the end, though, Coroneo and company delivered 30 freshly-made burritos to the halls of congress last Thursday — 10 chicken, 10 beef and 10 pork — and won over the crowd.

“We were a little nervous, but it actually went over really well from all reports,” Brown told ARLnow.com. “When it comes to food the members are not afraid to [voice] their pleasure or displeasure… And you know, in Texas we like to pride ourselves on knowing when we have a good burrito. ”

There’s now talk of Pedro and Vinny’s being added to the regular rotation of caterers for the Texas GOP delegation, perhaps even for larger events. Brown said the restaurant scored extra points by providing more than just tasty food.

“Their customer service is very good and they were very helpful every step of the way,” he said.

Arlington Sounds Alarm on Transportation Bill

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes is warning that a transportation bill approved by the House Ways and Means committee on Friday could have significant reprocussions for the Metro transit system and, by extension, Arlington.

The transportation bill would eliminate the dedicated funding stream for federal transit programs and grants — 2.86 cents of the 18.4 cent federal gas tax — replacing it instead with one-time funding.

The federal government contributed about $150 million in dedicated funding to Metro’s budget in the current fiscal year, and more than 50 percent of its current capital improvement budget. Should federal funding be cut, which would be more likely without a dedicated source of revenue, Hynes warns that Metro and Arlington County could suffer greatly.

“Arlington relies on transit. Our whole region relies on transit to move hundreds of thousands of people off our already clogged roads,” Hynes said in a statement. “The gasoline tax supports Metro, the backbone of mass transit in our County and the region. If the House proposal were to become law, it would make budgeting and capital funding for Metro, and for transit systems across our nation, nearly impossible.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Fmr. CIA Officer Charged — Former CIA officer and current Arlington resident John Kiriakou, 47, was charged yesterday with repeatedly leaking classified information to journalists. Kiriakou is best known for his 2007 interview with ABC News in which he described the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah, a suspected al-Qaeda operative. [Washington Post]

Cigarette Tax Bill Dies in General Assembly — A bill proposed by Del. Patrick Hope (D) that would have raised Virginia’s cigarette tax from 30 cents to the national average of $1.45 has died a quick and unsurprising death in a House of Delegates subcommittee. [Sun Gazette]

Senator’s Arlington Condo for Sale — Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) has put his swanky Arlington condo up for sale in advance of his reelection campaign. The condo, which is reportedly on the market for nearly $2 million, is located in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood and overlooks the Iwo Jima memorial. [US News & World Report]

Patrick Murray: Rematch With Jim Moran in 2012

By ARLnow.com

As predicted, retired Army colonel Patrick Murray is preparing for an electoral rematch with Rep. Jim Moran in 2012.

Murray has announced that he will again seek the Republican nomination in the upcoming Virginia 8th District House of Representatives race. After losing to Moran by a final vote of 61 percent to 37 percent in 2010, Murray is pulling no punches in his criticism of the ten-term Democratic congressman.

Murray sent the following email to supporters last night.

Today I’m announcing my candidacy for US Congress in the 8th Congressional District of Virginia. This decision to run for a second time took much soul-searching, thought and prayer. Campaigns are a crucible, but, just as with my military service, this is a matter of duty for me. If I thought our nation was on the right track, that we had leaders who were governing with the Constitution and our children in mind, that we were secure and prosperous, then I would happily pursue other goals.

But we are not on the right track, and I’m willing to bet that you agree with me. In fact, our nation is losing its way, largely because of bad decisions made in Washington, DC. With $15 trillion in federal debt, we are handing our kids and grandkids a bill they can’t pay, yet out-of-control spending continues unabated. The only thing being cut is Defense, which is one of the few things that, in accordance with our Constitution, we should be ensuring for. The economy is stagnant. Unemployment is soaring. Meanwhile my opponent Jim Moran, who likes to call Republicans the “Taliban,” is focused on keeping just one job: his own. And here in Northern Virginia our traffic debacle has somehow gotten worse, especially with the mammoth new Mark Center building (supported by Moran) opening for business on I-395.

Hyper-partisanship. Traffic Gridlock. Out-of-control spending. Or as I prefer to call it: “Jim Moran’s playbook.”

When I joined the Army some 26 years ago I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution – there is no statute of limitations on that oath. So I told myself that I could sit around and complain about it or I could roll up my sleeves and try to fix the problems and find a way back to who we are. And that’s what I intend to do.

Winning will not be easy. I am a decided underdog in a tough Congressional District running against a career politician who is very good at bullying, intimidation and self preservation. That’s the bad news.

On the flip side, there is much to be optimistic about. In 2010 when I ran, I started at ground zero, freshly out of the Army with no campaign experience, no name recognition and only a handful of supporters. Well, I’m very proud of what we accomplished; over 72,000 people voted for me, we raised a substantial amount of money, and we had legions of energetic volunteers out knocking doors, making phone calls, putting out signs and stuffing envelopes. Now we have that firm foundation to stand upon, and redistricting should also help our side. Combine all of that with Party backing and a dynamic, professional campaign team with national experience and a solid record of winning difficult races in tough Districts and we are light years ahead of where we were last time.

Virginia Dems to Host DNC Chair at Clarendon Fundraiser

By ARLnow.com

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) will be the featured speaker at a political fundraiser in Clarendon next week.

Schultz will join Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Brian Moran, as well as local Reps. Jim Moran and Gerry Connolly, at Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Tickets to the event are $50 for individuals. That price is discounted to $35 for Young Democrats. “Sponsorship level” tickets, however, range from $1,000 to $10,000.

The event will benefit the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Local Congressmen Sponsor Federal Leave Bill

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) is among the local congressional sponsors of a new bipartisan bill that allow federal employees to donate unused sick days to “sick leave banks.” The banks would then serves as a way to help federal employees who are suffering prolonged illnesses.

Below is the press release from Rep. Moran’s office.

Today, Representative Jim Moran (VA-08) introduced the “Federal Employees Leave Transfer Act of 2011” to allow federal employees to voluntarily transfer unused sick leave to agency-wide leave banks. Joining Moran as original cosponsors are Representatives Frank Wolf (VA-10), Chris Van Hollen (MD-08), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), and John Sarbanes (MD-03).

The legislation builds upon current annual leave banks in most federal agencies and is expected to be nearly cost neutral. Once enacted, federal employees will be permitted to donate their excess sick leave to agency leave banks, augmenting currently established annual leave banks.

“This legislation provides an equitable way for federal workers to help out fellow employees in times of prolonged illness,” said Congressman Jim Moran. “The success of this policy in the Federal Aviation Administration and in the private sector should be replicated throughout all federal agencies.”

“This legislation increases the pool of available leave days for those federal employees who are, for example, welcoming home a newborn baby or caring for a sick family member. It carries virtually no cost, but will help the federal government remain competitive when attracting new employees,” said Congressman Chris Van Hollen.

“This is a proven policy in the private sector, and I witnessed its success firsthand during my years with Fairfax County, which has a similar policy. If the Federal Government is going to continue recruiting and retaining highly-qualified employees, this must be part of the menu for a competitive benefits package,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly.

Currently, federal employees can apply accrued sick leave towards their retirement annuity calculation in full year or month blocks. Employees nearing retirement must then “use or lose” any remaining sick leave, a practice that once lead to an estimated $68 million in annual lost productivity.

The Federal Aviation Administration is the only federal agency that allows employees to donate both annual and sick leave. FAA employees donated over 22,000 hours of sick leave in FY 2010 alone.

Moran Wants to Eliminate the Federal Debt Ceiling

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) has joined two fellow House Democrats in introducing a bill that would abolish the federal debt ceiling.

The lawmakers — Moran, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) — said the debt ceiling is “an unnecessary law increasingly used as an impediment to Congress’s ability to further economic recovery.” They will be discussing their bill, the Full Faith and Credit Act of 2011, at a press conference on Capitol Hill tomorrow morning.

In August, Moran voted against a compromise budget bill and decried the use of the debt ceiling as a lever that Republicans used to force it through Congress.

“The debt ceiling has been raised cleanly 39 times over the last 30 years, 18 times by President Reagan alone. But for the first time ever, a deal has had to be negotiated to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a default,” Moran said at the time. “Unfortunately, the proposal we are being asked to vote on would be bad for our country. It should be rejected, and President Obama should take matters into his own hands by invoking the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling.”

Political handicappers say it’s highly unlikely that Moran’s debt ceiling bill will pass the Republican-controlled House.

Moran Votes ‘No’ On Debt Deal

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) voted against the debt deal that passed the House 269-161 yesterday and passed the Senate 74-26 this afternoon.

In a statement, Moran said he opposed the deal due to its lack of tax increases.

The debt ceiling has been raised cleanly 39 times over the last 30 years, 18 times by President Reagan alone. But for the first time ever, a deal has had to be negotiated to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a default. Unfortunately, the proposal we are being asked to vote on would be bad for our country. It should be rejected, and President Obama should take matters into his own hands by invoking the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling.

This deal is not representative of a balanced approach to long-term deficit reduction. By leaving revenue entirely off the table, the agreement severely restricts the government’s ability to make investments in the human and physical capital of this country – investments that created the strongest middle class in the world and made our country the most powerful.

At a time of stagnant growth and high unemployment, the far-right of the Republican party has been able to hold our economic security hostage in exchange for deep cuts that will reduce growth and employment and increase inequality in the short term without properly addressing the structural causes behind our long-term deficits.

Government spending currently equals roughly 25 percent of GDP, while revenues being collected are at an historically low 15 percent of GDP. This gap, which represents our yearly deficit, is unsustainable – and despite the rhetoric cannot be bridged by spending cuts alone. Under the Clinton tax rates that prevailed during the 1990s the economy created a record number of jobs and the government actually ran a surplus for over two years, leaving a projected surplus through 2011 of $2.3 trillion. These budget deals included spending cuts and new revenues and should be the model we follow today. Unfortunately, the balanced budgets and growing surplus that were paying down the debt were destroyed through the reckless mismanagement of the Bush Administration and a Republican controlled Congress that undertook two wars, two massive tax cuts, and a Medicare prescription drug program which pays retail rather than negotiated prices. None of these policies were paid for with either equivalent spending cuts or new sources of revenue. And following the Great Recession, caused in large part by deregulation and the lack of oversight of our banking system, we are where we are today.

This agreement, unfortunately, validates the political strategy of those Republican radicals who were willing to create default and economic chaos in order to avoid true compromise and a balanced approach. Their brinksmanship has eroded the global confidence in our system of government, a confidence that made the dollar the global reserve currency and the Treasury Bill the world’s safest investment. Should this deal be enacted, which looks likely, it will have a lasting negative effect on our economy, prevent investment in our infrastructure and weaken our economic competitiveness.

Moran ‘Proud’ of Vote Against GOP Budget Plan

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran says he’s proud to have been among the 190 legislators who voted against a Republican-backed plan to slash federal spending and balance the budget.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 234-190 last night, but faces long odds in the Senate and a presidential veto threat. President Obama and Democrats have called for a “balanced” national debt reduction bill that cuts spending while also raising some taxes.

I was proud to vote against the “Cut, Cap and Balance Act” tonight. The House Republicans have presented us with their vision for America’s future. This is a vision in which the country turns its back on the achievements of the last century and chooses not to invest in meeting the challenges of the next century.

The 18 percent spending cap mandated by the bill would return the government to spending levels not seen since the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid. This would necessarily result in unprecedented cuts in student loans and grants, transportation, education, environmental protection and enforcement, in other words, the physical and human infrastructure of our economy.

The bill also demands that in return for avoiding an economically disastrous default on our debt, we make $111 billion in immediate spending cuts, seriously increasing the likelihood of a double-dip recession.

As an appropriator I have learned that budgets are the firmest expression of our values. This is not the time for the Democratic Party to sacrifice our values, values held by a majority of the American people even in the face of opposition that has reached unprecedented levels of ideological radicalization. We must address our long-term deficits, but we must do so in a balanced manner, combining rational spending cuts and increased revenues.

NYC’s Danny Ross Playing Iota Club on Sunday

By ARLnow.com

New York-based congressional staffer by day, singer-songwriter-pianist by night, Danny Ross will be making his Washington-area debut Sunday night at Iota Club in Clarendon.

Ross, a staffer in the Manhattan District Office of Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), has played South by Southwest, the CMJ Music Fest and NYC’s Mercury Lounge, among other major venues, but he has yet to play the city that’s the focal point of his day job.

Ross cites Wilco, the Beatles and Ryan Adams as influence, and his eclectic, often ballad-y music has also garnered some comparisons to Ben Folds. He will perform with his 9-piece band and horns at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday at Iota Club (2832 Wilson Blvd).

USS Arlington Will Be Commissioned in Norfolk

By ARLnow.com

In a victory for Virginia’s congressional delegation, the Navy has announced that the USS Arlington will be commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Base.

Following word last week that ports outside of Virginia were being considered for the commissioning, the delegation wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, saying that it would a “mistake” to commission the Arlington anywhere other than Commonwealth.

“We applaud the Navy’s responsiveness and decision to commission the USS Arlington in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” the delegation said in a statement today. “Commissioning the ship in Virginia is the appropriate way to honor the bravery and sacrifice of the thousands of local police officers, fire fighters, Pentagon employees, emergency first responders and all who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.”

The delegation includes Rep. Jim Moran, Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Mark Warner and other Virginia lawmakers.

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