Rep. Jim Moran

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.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Board Approves Penrose Square Public Plaza — The Arlington County Board last night formally approved a $2 million public plaza at the Penrose Square apartment complex on Columbia Pike. “This flexible, vibrant public square is an important part of the community vision for Columbia Pike… a place for people to relax, gather and host events,” said Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman. The plaza is expected to open next fall. [Arlington County]

Board Green Lights Boeing HQ — After more than 3 hours of discussion, the County Board — somewhat reluctantly — approved a plan by aircraft maker Boeing to build a new, 450,000 square foot regional headquarters on a plot of land between Crystal City and the future Long Bridge Park. ARLnow.com will have a full recap up later today.

Moran Fired Up About Occupy Wall Street — Arlington’s congressman, Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, is fired up about the Occupy Wall Street protest movement. “Good for them!” he said emphatically at a Falls Church Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “This is what democracy is about.” Moran also decried the level of partisanship on Capitol Hill. “There used to be 353 centrists in the House in the 1980s.. Now there are zero,” he said. [Falls Church News-Press]

Dulles Signs on Route 50? — Why are there still signs to Dulles Airport on Route 50? “I suspect these signs date from before I-66 was built, since no one would take Route 50 to get to Dulles with I-66 available,” writes blogger and environmental consultant Steve Offutt. [Commuter Page Blog]

Police Service Counter Cuts Hours — The Arlington County Police Department service counter at 1425 N. Courthouse Road is reducing its hours. Starting Monday, Oct. 31, the counter will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends, and will be closed on county holidays. “They studied it for a number of months and they just weren’t getting enough traffic to justify the staffing,” police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal said of the cut-back. [Arlington County Police Department]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

GMU “Protest” Quiet, Peaceful — A protest last night against Nonie Darwish, an outspoken critic of Islam who was speaking at George Mason University’s law school, proved to be a peaceful, academic exercise. Students gathered in a classroom to hear Muslim speakers talk about the experience of practicing their faith in the United States at a time when many are suspicious about Islam. “They don’t want to see an America that’s diverse and pluralistic,” said one protest speaker. Darwish’s well-attended speech, meanwhile, focused on what she saw as the injustices of Islam, Sharia law and Jihad.

Post Looks at Favola/Merrick Race — Does Republican Caren Merrick have a chance to win in the redrawn, Democratic-leaning 31st state Senate District? The Post takes a look at the race between Merrick and Democratic Arlington County Board member Barbara Favola. [Washington Post]

New White House Chief Usher Has Local Ties — This week Angella Reid was appointed the new Chief Usher of the White House — in charge of the operation of the White House executive residence. Reid, who had been general manager of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Pentagon City, is the first woman to assume the title. [BET]

Moran Gets New Website — Rep. Jim Moran has a brand new website. “The new Moran website improves accessibility to information that can help residents navigate and expedite the federal bureaucracy,” the congressman’s office said. “[The site] offers a straightforward format for residents to provide feedback on issues, learn of Moran’s policy positions and legislation, and find information on constituent services.” [Congressman Jim Moran]

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.

Environmental Group Sounds Alarm About N. Va. Smog

By ARLnow.com

Northern Virginia and the rest of the D.C. region ranks as the 6th smoggiest metropolitan area in the country, according to a new report by the group Environment America.

Northern Virginia residents were exposed to “dangerous” levels of smog on 33 days last year, the report said. There were also “3 ‘red-alert’ days, when the air quality was so poor that anyone could experience adverse health effects,” according to a press release.

The report was released locally by Environment America offshoot Environment Virginia. Rep. Jim Moran and Del. Patrick Hope were among the speakers at a press conference yesterday at the Langston-Brown Community Center in Arlington.

Environmental Virginia spokeswoman Sarah Hyman said the report is troubling for local residents — particularly children and the elderly, who are a higher risk of adverse health effects from air pollution.

“Virginians deserve clean air. But on far too many days, people in the D.C. Metro area, including Northern Virginia, are exposed to dangerous smog pollution,” Hyman said. “For the sake of our children, we must make every day a safe day to breathe.”

Hyman went on to criticize the Obama administration’s decision to put off updating the Environmental Protection Agency’s national smog pollution standards until at least 2013.

“We must make every day a safe day to breathe,” Hyman said. “Unfortunately, rather than acting decisively to protect our kids from dangerous air pollution, President Obama chose to kick the can down the road. Virginia’s kids, senior citizens and those suffering from respiratory problems will suffer as a consequence and certainly deserve better.”

An American Lung Association study released in April said the D.C. area has the 14th worst smog levels in the country.

Photo courtesy Anne Hughes/Office of Rep. Jim Moran

Moran to LGBT Youth: It Gets Better

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) just released a new video for the It Gets Better Project, an initiative that seeks to give hope to bullied lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

In the video, Moran talks about his own experience with bullying.

“I’ve known an awful lot of bullies through my life,” he said. “It’s interesting that they all grew up to be insecure jerks who only seem to feel good about themselves when they were making other people feel bad about themselves.”

The congressman also talked about being shy as a kid. He recounted that he fainted several times during his first two public speeches.

“I told myself things have got to get better because they can’t get any worse, and they did, eventually,” he said.

Moran joins a long list of celebrities, athletes, public officials and everyday people who have recorded videos for the It Gets Better Project.

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.

Shuttles Start Running Between Arlington Hall, Pentagon

By ARLnow.com

Shuttle buses are now running between the Pentagon and the National Guard Readiness Center (Arlington Hall), in a move that officials hope will help alleviate some of the traffic burden in the Barcroft neighborhood.

In July we reported that Barcroft residents were concerned about the influx of an additional 1,200 workers, whose jobs were being moved to Arlington Hall as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act. Congestion on George Mason Drive was part of the concern, and the fact that parking is only available for one in four new workers was another part. In response, Rep. Jim Moran requested that the military speed up approval of shuttle buses between the facility and the Pentagon Transit Center.

On Aug. 19, Moran’s office was notified that the shuttle service had been approved. Today, those shuttle buses started running, according to Moran spokeswoman Anne Hughes.

Adding service between Arlington Hall and the Pentagon will “undoubtedly reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles commuting to and parking near the bureau facility,” Moran said in July.

Alexandria Power Plant to Close

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 12:25 p.m.) The GenOn power plant along the Potomac River in Alexandria will be retired next year, in a victory for local environmental advocates who railed against the coal-fired plant’s carbon emissions.

The 62-year-old plant is expected to close by Oct. 1, 2012, according to a City of Alexandria press release. Alexandria will release $32 million that was being held in escrow to pay for environmental controls at the plant, in order to facilitate its closure.

“Today’s announcement is a path forward for both Alexandria and the power company that works for everybody, and truly reflects the interest of both parties,” Alexandria Mayor William Euille said in a statement. “Both the Alexandria City Council and community have worked extremely hard toward this goal, and we are very proud of the final result.  This news strengthens Alexandria’s future and opens the door to an enhanced quality of life for our residents.”

No word yet on what might eventually happen to the prime waterfront property on which the plant is located. The land is owned by Pepco, according to the Washington Business Journal, but there has been talk of using the land for a nearly half-billion dollar mixed-use project.

Rep. Jim Moran, meanwhile, released a statement praising today’s announcement.

This was a long fought but well won victory for the citizens of Alexandria and the nation’s capital. What once was the largest stationary source of air pollution will be no more. Through citizen involvement and committed city officials, the Potomac River Generating Station and its 1949 coal-fired boilers will finally be shuttered.

Forced to reduce its emissions and scale back its operations to comply with the Clean Air Act as a result of a lawsuit and enforcement actions, Mirant and GenOn were ultimately unable to compete with cheaper and cleaner natural gas powered electricity. Tougher federal regulations now in development may have also convinced GenOn’s management that the $28 million in settlement funds that had been set aside to meet the cleanup terms of the settlement were better than the losses their shareholders were taking trying to keep the outdated plant in operation.

Northern Virginia stands as an example of a prosperous and environmentally-conscious community. Today’s action maintains our commitment to a better, cleaner environment for our region’s next generation. The extinction of this dinosaur of a facility is heartily welcomed.

Del. David Englin, who represents parts of Alexandria and Arlington, also released a statement.

“Every human being has a basic and fundamental right to breathe clean air, which is why so many of us have fought for so long to shut down this dirty, old coal-fired power plant in our midst. This is a major victory for the people of Alexandria that will strengthen our quality of life, and I congratulate all of the officials involved.”

“Our community owes a great deal to the citizen activists who have worked with such unfailing dedication and perseverance to get us to this point. While there is reason to celebrate, the agreement does allow some wiggle room on the closing date, which means we must continue to be vigilant until the day the plant finally and permanently closes its doors.”

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Moran: The ‘Indomitable Power of Freedom’ in Libya

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran issued a statement last night about rebel advances during the ongoing fighting in Libya.

Last night, the indomitable power of freedom carried the Libyan people within reach of ending Moammar Gaddafi’s cruel reign. Now, the dictator must surrender to the International Criminal Court, and face justice at last. The United States and the broad alliance we have brought together to help Libya’s Transitional National Council and oppose Gaddafi’s regime should now focus on supporting a peaceful transition to democracy.

I commend President Obama and his administration for the decisive leadership that has brought us to this day. By halting Gaddafi’s murderous assault on Benghazi on March 17, the United States made the coming victory possible. Gaddafi’s power has been steadily eroded by allied military action and by diplomatic, logistical and financial support European, Arab and African states. The Transitional National Council overcame many obstacles and setbacks in their drive to oust the regime, and it is encouraging that the Berber communities of Western Libya – long persecuted by Gaddafi – played a crucial role in the final approach to Tripoli.

Indeed, from the beginning of this uprising, Libya’s people have been its driving force. Their resilience should serve as a model to other oppressed people. As President Obama has said, the future of Libya is in the hands of the Libyan people, and they will be able to count on U.S. support to create their country’s first democracy.

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.

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