RepJimMoran

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today commended President Obama for his response to continued atrocities in Syria and implored Congress to act swiftly to prevent more egregious events.

"President Obama was absolutely right in setting a red line against the use of weapons of mass destruction by Bashar al-Assad.  The United States has the only true ability to prevent the use and proliferation of such weapons," said Rep. Moran.   "Abdicating this responsibility will only allow for their deployment to become the new norm."

"Now it is up to one of the most divisive, least productive Congresses in history to authorize an intervention and protect the credibility and viability of a US response to Assad's horrific crimes against humanity," Moran concluded.

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This week marks the commemoration of several events critical to the expansion of civil rights in the United States. The women's suffrage movement celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment 93 years ago this week. Nearly 41 years after Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton first drafted the petition that would launch this movement, the 19th Amendment expanded the right to vote to include women.

Fifty years ago Wednesday, nearly 300,000 African-American men and women joined together with icons of the civil rights movement on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to listen to Martin Luther King. Their goals were numerous and epitomize common sense today, but represented significant progress at the time. Many of these ambitions would soon be enshrined as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, released the following statement regarding news that the Defense Department will transfer two detainees at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) back to their home country of Algeria. Moran, one of the strongest voices in Congress to close GTMO is currently on a Congressional Delegation trip to the detention facility.

"I welcome the news that President Obama will transfer two of the 86 detainees from GTMO that the Defense Department and Intelligence Community have deemed eligible for transfer. Every day Guantanamo remains open, the reputation of the United States suffers and we provide anti-American propaganda to our enemies. Maintaining the detention center at Guantanamo Bay is more about politics than good policy. It is not worth the damage it continues to inflict on our international standing, including our ability to stand up to human rights abuses in other countries.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Ranking Member on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following prepared remarks at the full Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2014 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill:

"Mr. Chairman, the unrealistic 302(b) allocation given to the subcommittee has put you and the subcommittee in an impossible situation. As a result of that allocation, the bill before us today is unacceptable.  How can we take seriously a document that zeros out many important programs? By our count 20 programs and agencies are zeroed out. Coming on top of the fiscal year 2013 Sequester this bill, if enacted, would do real damage to scores of programs.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and Ranking Member on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on President Obama's remarks outlining his 'Climate Action Plan' to reduce carbon pollution and prepare for the impacts of climate change:

"I was proud to be in attendance for President Obama's remarks detailing his 'Climate Action Plan' and look forward to supporting his efforts to ensure that our children and grandchildren have clean water to drink and air to breathe.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, applauded the settlement of a labor dispute that will result in payment of more than $300,000 in wages and benefits owed to nearly 70 janitors at Ft. Belvoir. Moran was a vocal supporter of the janitors, writing to Ft. Belvoir Base Commander Colonel Gregory D. Gadson in February calling for a resolution to the dispute and greater oversight in the base's contracting. The contractor in question is Brown & Pipkins Acsential.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today released the following statement in response to President Obama's remarks at the National Defense University detailing the Administration's strategy to fight terrorism, including steps to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

"I applaud President Obama reiterating his commitment to closing Guantanamo. He was correct when he said that "History will cast a harsh judgment on this aspect of our fight against terrorism, and those of us who fail to end it." The treatment of these prisoners, most of whom never committed a violent act against the United States or our allies, falls far short of our own judicial standards.

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today released the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission's investigation into the 9-1-1 system failure during June's "derecho" storm.

"I thank the FCC for undertaking this investigation. The powerful June storm knocked out 77 9-1-1 call centers, impacting service for 3.6 million people, 2 million of whom live in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. In Fairfax County, 1,900 calls were not received. The vulnerability of our emergency response system is dangerous, unacceptable, and avoidable.  

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today introduced the "NRA Members' Gun Safety Act" to strengthen vulnerabilities in our gun safety laws. The bill would implement five commonsense gun safety reforms that polling shows are supported by at least 63 percent of NRA members.

"The NRA as an organization is out of step with its membership on many commonsense gun safety measures. Polling shows nearly two-thirds of NRA members support the five simple ways to improve gun safety included in this bill," Moran said. "The NRA's absolutist position on gun issues is an impediment to the safety and security of the public. This legislation is designed to highlight that schism, offering popular proposals even NRA members support to prevent more gun-related tragedies."  

Bill will cut wait times, create online voter registration system

Washington, DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today introduced the "Voting Line Reduction and Online Registration Act" to modernize and coordinate the nation's voting process to eliminate long lines at the polls, allow online voter registration, and require early voting in every state. Virginia's 8th District experienced some of the longest voting lines in the nation, in some cases with voters waiting up to four hours to cast a ballot.

"This year's election resulted in widespread problems at the polls - broken voting machines, insufficient ballots, and prohibitively long wait lines," said Rep. Moran. "The Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure that every American eligible to vote and attempting to cast a ballot is successful."