Rep. Jim Moran

Moran, McDonnell Ask for Delay in Mark Center Move

By ARLnow.com

Congressman Jim Moran is asking Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to delay the planned move of Defense Department workers from Crystal City and elsewhere to the Mark Center in Alexandria.

The Base Realignment and Closing Act (BRAC) mandates that the moves take place by September 15, 2011. But Moran is asking Gates to include the Mark Center move among seven BRAC recommendations that the Secretary of Defense will have the authority to delay for up to a year, under a defense funding bill currently making its way through congress.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is also asking for a delay. Earlier this month McDonnell sent a letter to Gates asking for the moves to be delayed while major infrastructure improvements are made to the Seminary Road exit off I-395, which is expected to handle the traffic from thousands of new Mark Center workers.

Moran: Offshore Drilling Could Interfere With SEAL Training

By ARLnow.com

This afternoon the House of Representatives passed a bill that would permit oil drilling off the coast of Virginia.

On the House floor today, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) offered his support for an amendment that would have strengthened provisions in the bill that prohibit drilling in an area that would cause “unreasonable conflict” with naval operations. The amendment failed, and the bill passed 266-149.

“The proposed lease sale would interfere with U.S. Navy operations and Virginia’s commercial fishery and tourism industries,” Moran said in a statement. “National Security and economic growth should trump lining the pockets of big oil executives.”

Moran added that the drilling could interfere with the training of Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL Team Six, the elite squad that killed Osama bin Laden.

“In May 2010 the [Department of Defense] stated nearly 80 percent of the drilling area proposed to be sold in Virginia, Lease Sale 220, would interfere with U.S. Navy training and operations (including Navy SEAL Team Six),” a Moran press release said.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) offered his support for the bill in a newspaper op-ed this morning.

“America’s energy future must be made more secure and must focus on domestic energy resources,” McDonnell said.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Free Coffee for Earth Day — To celebrate Earth Day, Starbucks is offering a free coffee or tea to anybody who brings a reusable mug or tumbler. Caribou Coffee, which has locations in Shirlington and Crystal City, is also offering free coffee for those who bring reusable drinkware. [Starbucks, Shirlington Village Blogspot]

Ballston Recognized for Environmental Efforts — Ballston has been named one of the top 10 “green” neighborhoods in the Washington area by real estate listing service MRIS. [Prince of Petworth]

Lawsuit May Be Filed to Stop Mark Center Moves — Rep. Jim Moran is urging Virginia officials to sue the federal government after the Department of Defense’s inspector general found big potential traffic problems with the new Mark Center in Alexandria. According to the inspector general’s report, the Army misled local officials about traffic issues at the site. A lawsuit could keep hundreds or even thousands of jobs in Arlington while improvements are made to the Mark Center’s transportation infrastructure. [Washington Examiner]

Post Tackles Twilight Convention — In an amusing but sadly photo-less write-up of last weekend’s Twilight fan convention at the Sheraton National Hotel on Columbia Pike, a Washington Post reporter discovers that most die-hard Twilight convention-goers are 25 to 50 year-old women. There are, however, a few male fans, who may or may not have been more interested in the female fans than in the movie itself. [Washington Post]

Shirlington Village Trades Escalator for Stairs — Eschewing the normal progression of technology, Shirlington Village has completed a project that removed an escalator and replaced it with a set of stairs. [Shirlington Village Blog]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74104660@N00/5639010401/in/pool-arlnow#/photos/74104660@N00/5639010401/in/pool-1412700@N22/

Moran Remarks on One-Year Anniversary of BP Oil Spill

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran has released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon blowout is a sad reminder of the dangers of offshore drilling to our economy, environment, and our people. Those who claim we can drill our way toward energy independence are misleading the public.

The truth is that we will never achieve energy independence by drilling for more oil from domestic sources. The United States holds less than two percent of the world’s oil reserves, while we consume more than 22 percent of the global annual supply of oil.

Ironically, more oil is in production today under [the] Obama Administration than at anytime during the last seven years of the Bush Administration. Yet, this increase in production has not had any impact on price. Prices are set in the world market based on world supply and demand, and market speculation. Even if all restricted areas in the U.S. were to be brought into production tomorrow, their delivery world boost production by less than two percent. Each day, we consume approximately 18.8 million barrels… while producing approximately 5.4 million barrels. More drilling will not close this gap.

Until we truly commit to investing in alternative sources of energy, ones that don’t poison our air and water, we will be dependent on a volatile commodity that the rest of the world is competing in price to consume.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Tejada, Moran Get ‘Snippy’ Over Immigration — At a work session Monday afternoon, County Board member Walter Tejada and Rep. Jim Moran got in a verbal ‘tussle’ when Tejada suggested that Democrats have not done much recently to advance the cause of immigration rights on a federal level. [Sun Gazette]

Westover Farmers Market Delayed — Organizers had hoped to launch a farmers market in Westover this spring, but it looks like red tape will delay their goal by a year. Farmers market boosters have secured verbal approval to use school property for the market, but the county zoning office says it will not grant a use permit until the county ordinance related to farmers markets is changed. [Falls Church News-Press]

W-L Launches New Student Newspaper Web Site — Washington-Lee High School’s Crossed Sabres student newspaper has a new web site. [W-L Crossed Sabres]

Federal Decision May Further Delay BRAC Moves

By ARLnow.com

Construction of a key ramp from I-395 to the Mark Center complex on Seminary Road in Alexandria may be delayed 18 months due to a federal decision that will require an extensive environmental study before the project can get underway. The delay may further hold up the move of military employees from Arlington offices to Mark Center.

On Friday, VDOT announced that the Federal Highway Administration had decided to require the environmental assessment for the ramp. VDOT argued that it should have instead been granted a categorical exclusion for the project, “since the ramp will be built entirely within existing I-395 right of way, will improve air quality by making transit and carpooling more convenient for Mark Center employees and will not have substantial impacts to natural, cultural, recreational, water quality, or historic resources.”

About 6,400 Department of Defense employees are scheduled to be relocated to Mark Center by the end of the year as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). VDOT says that “near-gridlock conditions will occur on Seminary Road, Beauregard Street and I-395” unless the ramp and other infrastructure is built to accommodate the extra traffic. With the environmental assessment, it could be 2015 or 2016 before the ramp opens.

Congressman Jim Moran — who has been working “to suspend or delay the move into the Mark Center site until the necessary transportation improvements to prevent a traffic nightmare on I-395 are implemented” — says that Mark Center moves may need to be pushed back even further.

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DEVELOPING STORY — Federal Shutdown Could Have “Severe Impact” on N. Virginia

By ARLnow.com

On a conference call today, Rep. Jim Moran (D) said he believe the odds of a federal shutdown at the end of the week is about 50/50 — a dark omen for Arlington and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions whose economies rely heavily on federal employment.

If such a shutdown were to happen, Moran says he believes that furloughed federal employees would not be reimbursed for their time off due to Republican opposition to such a move. A shutdown could last several weeks and have a “severe impact” on the local economy, Moran warned.

“This is very, very, serious,” Moran said. “Federal employees need to understand that this is not 1995, when we closed down… and [employees] were fully reimbursed.”

“About a million federal employees will not be working, and it is highly unlikely they will ever be reimbursed,” Moran continued. “Not only is this going to hurt the overall economy in the metropolitan Washington area that I represent, but it is going to have a very severe impact on employee’s abilities to make their mortgage payments, their car payments, etc.”

“Every private sector element in my district’s economy is going to be adversely affected,” Moran added.

Others on the conference call pegged the number of federal employees who would be furloughed during a shut down at around 800,000 nationwide, including Department of Defense civilians. Moran said the impact would likely to extend to government contractors.

“If this continues I think there’s going to be a number of smaller contractors that will simply go out of business because the [federal agencies] aren’t giving them the kind of cash flow they need to survive,” he said. Backing up that suggestion, Moran’s office pointed out that 20 percent of government contracts in the D.C. area were adversely affected during the 1995 shutdown.

(more…)

Moran Promotes Work of Arlington Free Clinic

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran dropped by the Arlington Free Clinic (2921 11th Street South) yesterday to help promote the clinic’s mission of providing high-quality health care to low-income individuals.

Moran spent the afternoon helping to check in patients at the clinic’s front desk. Between patients, he talked about the clinic’s importance to the community.

“I wanted to give more visibility to the Arlington Free Clinic and the people they serve,” he said as a half dozen patients read magazines in the clinic’s sunny waiting room. “They desperately need this service. Otherwise they couldn’t afford their prescription medicine, or the preventive care, or the specialized care the clinic is able to refer people to.”

Currently, the clinic only accepts about 30 percent of patients who apply for care through a lottery system. Moran said that even with the new health care reform law that he championed, the Arlington Free Clinic will continue to play a vital role in the community.

“This is a valuable service,” he said. “This will supplement what we’re able to do through health care reform.”

Since it opened in 1993, the Arlington Free Clinic has been providing medical care to uninsured adults. The clinic relies on a team of 700 volunteers, including 170 physicians. AFC says it does not receive federal or county funding.

Moran’s volunteer work at the clinic was part of his “Jim Pitches In” series, which is intended to highlight the work of local non-profits. Last month Moran delivered Meals on Wheels to seniors in Alexandria.

More Endorsements for Krupicka, Ebbin

By ARLnow.com

There are two more endorsements to report in the three-way Democratic primary race for the 30th District state Senate seat.

Democratic congressman Gerry Connolly endorsed Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka over the weekend.

“Rob is an exceptionally qualified candidate, and will make an excellent addition to our region’s delegation in Richmond,” Connolly said. “Coming from local government myself, I know Rob’s service on the Alexandria City Council will be an incredible asset in the State Senate.”

Meanwhile former Rep. Leslie Byrne — the first woman to serve in Congress from Virginia — announced her endorsement of Del. Adam Ebbin today.

“Adam represents the progressive leadership this Senate District deserves,” she said in a statement. “I am proud to endorse him.”

Byrne served one term in the 11th District House seat that is currently held by Connolly.

Interviewed today by ARLnow.com, Rep. Jim Moran said he did not anticipate taking sides in the primary between Krupicka, Ebbin and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey.

“I don’t think I’m going to,” he said. “They’re all friends.”

“I’m of course going to support whoever wins the primary,” Moran added.

Moran Steamed About NPR Defunding

By ARLnow.com

On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to cut off federal funding to National Public Radio, and Rep. Jim Moran (D) was not happy about it.

In a floor speech that his office put on YouTube yesterday, the Northern Virginia congressman argued that the Republican-sponsored legislation was about ideology, not sound fiscal policy.

“This has nothing to do with the deficit, it’s an infinitesimal fraction of our national debt,” Moran said forcefully. “It distracts us from solving the real problems that this nation faces while trying to destroy one of the primary sources of an enlightened electorate.”

Moran said NPR is an important resource because of its status as a public broadcaster.

“[NPR] content is not compromised by corporate ownership,” he said. Moran also argued that NPR is important because of the emergency alert system it provides.

“The commercial market won’t do that, because there’s no profit in it,” he added.

Yesterday former NPR analyst Juan Williams came out in favor of cutting off federal funds to the organization. Still, the defunding bill has little chance of passing the Senate.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pike Realignment in County Legislative Priorities — The county’s wish-list of federal legislative priorities includes a land exchange with the federal government to allow Columbia Pike to be shifted closer to Pentagon City as it approaches South Joyce Street, which would in turn allow the county to build an Arlington “heritage center.” Also on the list: the Potomac River boathouse and a plastic bag tax, plus provisions against helicopter noise and additional flights at Reagan National Airport. [Sun Gazette]

Moran Truth in Fur Labeling Law Takes Effect — A bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D) and signed into law in December goes into effect today. The law, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act, closes a loophole that allowed products with less than $150 worth of fur to avoid being labeled as a fur product. “This loophole has been exploited to pawn off dog, cat, and other animal fur as an artificial fiber,” Moran said in a statement yesterday. [Federal Trade Commission]

Green Living Expo Takes Place Saturday — The group Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment is hosting its second-annual Green Living Expo on Saturday at Washington Lee High School. The expo will feature eco-friendly products on display, seminars, a raffle, and activities for kids. DISCLOSURE: The Green Living Expo is an ARLnow.com advertiser. [Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment]

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