Rep. Jim Moran

Weekend Roundup

By ARLnow.com

Would-Be Challengers Blast Moran on Vote — Republican primary contenders Matthew Berry and Patrick Murray took turns blasting Rep. Jim Moran (D) after the long-time Northern Virginia congressman cast a futile vote to allow a congressional pay raise. Moran was on the losing side of a 405-15 vote to block an automatic increase in members’ $174,000 per year salary. More from the Sun Gazette.

Family Raises Questions About Taser Death — The family of a man who died after being Tasered by Arlington police is speaking out. Adil Jouami was unclothed, uncooperative and combative when officers arrived at a family member’s Columbia Pike apartment Friday morning, police said. Jouami’s grief-stricken family questioned the need to use a Taser on a naked, unarmed man when as many as ten officers were present at the scene. More from Fox 5.

New Construction in Clarendon and Ballston — Wondering what that big hole in the ground is eventually going to turn in to? The Arlington Real Estate News blog has a summary of some of the new construction projects in Clarendon and Ballston. The nine projects listed include two office buildings, a retail building, and residential construction representing more than 1,000 housing units (mostly apartments).

Photographer’s Favorite Mistake — The Close-Up Clarendon photo blog highlights a grammatically incorrect street sign on Washington Boulevard, dubbing it “the best street sign in Clarendon.”

Afternoon Notes: Armed Robbery Arrest, Animal Cruelty Bill

By ARLnow.com

Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested — A man who’s suspected in three armed robberies in Arlington, and at least 15 throughout Northern Virginia, has been apprehended. Eugene Athony Thomas, 24, was arrested in Fairfax County on Monday after a joint investigation by Fairfax and Arlington County police. More from the Falls Church News-Press.

Parks Dept. Creating “Arlingtonopoly” Game — The county’s parks and recreation department is creating a “Monopoly” knock-off called “Arlingtonopoly.” Local landmarks and businesses (who fork over several hundred dollars) will substitute for Boardwalk, Park Place and rest of the original board game’s familiar properties. More from the Sun Gazette.

FBR Reports Lower-Than-Expected Loss — Rosslyn-based investment bank FBR Capital Markets reported a loss of $8.3 million, or 13 cents per share, for the first quarter of 2010. Analysts expected a 28 cent loss, according to Reuters.

Moran Co-Sponsors Animal Cruelty Bill Following SCOTUS Ruling — Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) introduced a bill today to bar the sale of videos which graphically depict the abuse and killing of animals. The quick action follows yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling that deemed a previous law too broad. “I refuse to stand by while people profit from the mutilation and torture of helpless puppies, kittens and other animals,” Moran said in a statement.

Arlington Native Named VT Undergrad Rep — Arlington native Shane McCarty has been named the undergraduate student representative to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. He’ll hold the prestigious position for the 2010-2011 academic year. McCarty, a junior majoring in marketing, is also vice president of the university’s Student Government Association.

Arlington Prevails in First HOT Lanes Ruling — Arlington has scored a small victory in its lawsuit against the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia over the HOT lanes project. A federal judge denied VDOT’s motion to dismiss the case.

Save the Planetarium Rally Tomorrow — Supporters of the David M. Brown Planetarium plan to hold a rally at tomorrow night’s school board meeting, a week before the board’s planned vote on its FY2011 budget. The Save the Planetarium group has amassed more than 3,150 fans on Facebook and has collected more than 880 signatures for a petition.

Ballston Among Finalists for Northrop Grumman HQ

By ARLnow.com

Giant defense contractor Northrop Grumman has narrowed its search for a Washington-area headquarters down to Ballston, Falls Church, and Rockville, Md, according to the Washington Post.

The news is a blow to the District, which had pumped up its campaign for the headquarters with tax breaks and slams hurtled at Crystal City.

It’s a partial victory for Rep. Jim Moran (D). The Ballston and Falls Church sites are within the confines of his congressional district. But the defense appropriations committee member was apparently not successful in trying to convince Northrop to move to Rosslyn.

The Ballston site being considered by the company is a yet-to-be-built office building on North Glebe Road, the Post reports.

Berry Leads Online Poll Ahead of GOP Primary

By ARLnow.com

Update at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 — Laurence Socci has endorsed Matthew Berry. “Matthew knows the issues important to the 8th District and has a viable plan for fixing the problems caused by Jim Moran,” Socci said.

Virginia’s eighth congressional district, which includes Arlington, has been a decidedly elusive target for Republicans for nearly two decades.

The first George Bush was president the last time a Republican held the seat. The last three presidential elections have been laughably lopsided in favor of Democrats. President Obama carried the district by a margin of 69 percent to 30 percent over Sen. John McCain, whose own national campaign headquarters was based in Arlington.

Despite the apparent electoral futility, attorney and GOP hopeful Matthew Berry is optimistic about his chances. Last month he cited polling data that showed a close race in a potential match-up with incumbent Rep. Jim Moran. And now, an online poll shows Berry well ahead of his competitor for the GOP nomination, Iraq war veteran Patrick Murray.

The poll, hosted on the blog Red NoVa, shows Berry leading Murray by a margin of 787 votes to 317 votes. Laurence Socci, who withdrew from the race last week, has received 321 votes.

Both Berry and Murray hope to use voter unease about health care reform to their advantage.

(more…)

Moran “Proud” of Yes Vote on Health Care Reform

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) says he’s “proud to have helped make progress [and] history on the House floor” Sunday night after casting a “yes” vote on health care reform.

“While complex and politically difficult, I think everyone on Capitol Hill knows in their heart of hearts that health reform is in the best interests of the people back at home and of the nation as a whole,” Moran said.

Moran’s office outlined the benefits it expects his congressional district, which includes Arlington, will receive as a result of health care reform:

  • 493,000 people will see improvements in their current health care coverage.
  • 8,700 people who can’t buy health insurance now because of a pre-existing condition will be able to obtain coverage.
  • 101,000 families will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable.
  • 17,500 small businesses will get tax credits to help make health insurance more affordable for their employees.
  • 64,000 Medicare beneficiaries will see better care and will pay less for prescription drugs because the Medicare Part D donut hole will be closed.
  • 50,000 young adults living in the 8th district will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until their 26th birthday.
  • 29,000 uninsured residents will have access to health care coverage.
  • 800 families won’t have to file for bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
  • 8 community health centers in the eighth district will receive millions of dollars in new funding to see thousands of new patients.

“Some of the benefits in the reform package are gradual and will be phased-in over time,” Moran said in a statement. “But many benefits will kick in this year.”

Moran Pushes for Northrop Grumman HQ in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) is pushing for Northrop Grumman to relocate to Rosslyn. He told the Arlington County Board that he personally called Wes Bush, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman, to make the case for the huge defense contractor moving its corporate headquarters to Rosslyn.

“[I] let him know that while there can’t be any quid pro quo, of course, I would like to see Northrop Grumman locate in Rosslyn, and if not in Rosslyn at least in the eighth district,” Moran said during a work session with the board on Monday.

“I think Rosslyn has advantages that other places don’t,” like close proximity to defense and intelligence facilities as well as easy Metro access, Moran said.

“We agreed upon the boundaries of the eighth district,” Moran added, haltingly, although it’s not clear whether he was referring to any specific commitment made by Bush. The eighth congressional district includes Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County.

Northrop announced in January that it would move to Washington by 2011 to be closer to its biggest customer, the U.S. government.

Arlington is competing with the District, Montgomery County, and other local jurisdictions for the company’s headquarters. The competition has included insults thrown at Arlington from a D.C. Council member.

During Monday’s session Terry Holzheimer, the director of Arlington Economic Development and the county’s lead for the Northrop headquarters bid, told Moran that he believes a decision will be made by Northrop in the near future.

Holzheimer said he believes efforts by the state, including efforts by Gov. Bob McDonnell, make it likely that Northrop will locate in some Northern Virginia locality.

“I believe Virginia has a strong position,” Holzheimer said, adding that he’s been in weekly negotiations with Northrop.

Curiously, the county apparently did not try to coordinate its efforts with Rep. Moran, who sits on the powerful House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Northrop Grumman has been one of Moran’s top campaign contributors.

“I haven’t been involved,” Moran told the board, with a measured degree of exasperation. “Just a suggestion, particularly when you’re dealing with a large defense contractor, you might think about coordinating with our office at some point.”

Moran Issues Statement on DOT Furloughs

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) has issued a statement on the Senate filibuster that has resulted in 2,000 Department of Transportation employees being furloughed today. The furloughs have forced a number of federally-funded road construction projects, including the George Washington Parkway Humpback Bridge project, to temporarily shut down.

Here’s Rep. Moran’s statement:

Critical government programs and transportation projects are being held captive to the political posturing of a single individual in the U.S. Senate.

Key federal construction projects already underway in Virginia – including the $36 million project to replace the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway – remain at a standstill, with hundreds of workers off the job due to the furloughing of federal inspectors.

I urge the Senate to quickly address this political malfeasance so our vital transportation projects can get back on track and those struggling to find a job aren’t left out in the cold.