Friday, March 1, 2013
The March 1 deadline for sequestration is here.
Northern Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly (D-11th) and Jim Moran (D-8th) said Friday Congress is "dysfunctional," as the midnight deadline on sequestration steadily approached. "It's a dysfunctional Congress," said Moran, who spoke with Patch at a ribbon-cutting Friday in Lorton. "I think it ill-serves the people of the United States today. It's very frustrating, very disappointing. It's an institution that is not serving its functions." Connolly does not expect a last-minute compromise on $1.2 trillion in debt reduction, and the U.S. military will be forced to cut $46 billion and domestic defense spending will be cut by $85 billion this year alone. "It is the consequence of a dysfunctional Congress," Connolly said. "It's the …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sequestration could affect every traveler at airports nationwide, say U.S. Reps. Jim Moran, Gerry Connolly and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine speaking from Reagan National Airport Monday.
Federal sequestration could mean fewer flights and increased wait times at airports, Virginia lawmakers said Monday. Further, it threatens to close small- to mid-sized airports across the country. The massive, indiscriminate spending cuts Congress put in motion to force a budget compromise would cut $600 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if they go into effect Friday. Jobs on the Line Under sequestration, the FAA would have to furlough employees for 11 days — with as much as 10 percent of its workforce furloughed on any given day — and the agency would be unable to hire replacements for the 30 percent of its workers eligible to retire. Up to 2,200 air traffic controllers would be furloughed, forcing airports to reduce …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Omar Joseph Samaha works on gun safety issues, after his sister Reema was killed in Virginia Tech tragedy.
When President Obama gives his State of the Union address Tuesday, in the audience that night will be Northern Virginian Omar Joseph Samaha, a gun violence prevention advocate and guest of Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th). Omar’s sister, Reema, was killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Since her death, Omar has advocated for policies to reduce gun violence. Moran is a member of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and recently introduced the “NRA Members’ Gun Safety Act,” (H.R. 21) that would implement five gun safety reforms that he notes polling shows are supported by at least 63 percent of NRA members. The reforms include universal background checks for gun purchases and gun shop employees, reporting lost or stolen …
Oh Yeah?
9:42 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
Sequestration has happened. The sun still came up. My coffee still brewed. Maybe the world isn't really going to end after all? more ›