AlexandriaNews

An amendment introduced by Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and Co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, to effectively ban the practice of horse slaughter for human consumption passed the full Appropriations Committee by a voice vote. The provision will be included in the Fiscal Year 2014 Agricultural Appropriations Bill when it goes to the full House.

Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today led 26 lawmakers in sending a letter to President Obama applauding his commitment to the closure of Guantanamo and calling for swift action on his pledge to take steps to close the prison facility. The letter comes in advance of Appropriations Committee debate on the Fiscal Year 2014 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, which contains a number of limitations against transferring detainees out of Guantanamo, including the 86 inmates who have been cleared for release.

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) today introduced legislation enabling military retirees to transfer Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities to a Special Needs Trust (SNT) to provide long-term care for a disabled child. While the general public can transfer funds into an SNT, there is currently no mechanism for members of the military to do the same.

Today, Congressman Jim Moran (D-08) joined Senators Tim Kaine and Mark R. Warner, Congressmen Rob Wittman (R-01), Bobby Scott (D-03), and Gerry Connolly (D-11), and members of Virginia tribes to announce legislation to grant federal recognition to six Virginia Native American tribes. The bill, the “Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Act” was introduced by Moran and Kaine in the House and Senate, respectively.

Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, today reintroduced a resolution, H. Res. 208, opposing the use of gas chambers to euthanize shelter animals. Introduced during National Pet Week, the resolution is supported by over 400 national, state, and local animal protection and rescue organizations.

Today Congressmen Jim Moran (D-VA) and Peter Roskam (R-IL) introduced the “Partner with Korea Act” to facilitate increased business opportunities following the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) through creation of up to 15,000 EB-4 highly-skilled work visas for Korean nationals. The bill brings the number of work visas for Korean nationals in line with those provided for other FTA partner countries.

With spring-cleaning around the corner, Environment Virginia, Congressman Jim Moran, and the BlueGreen Alliance came together today to outline top tips for home and business owners to clean up their energy use and protect our environment, and to tour the Sklars’ house, a super-efficient home in Arlington.

Rep. Jim Moran (VA-08), Ranking Member on Interior and Environment Subcommittee, took to the House floor to call on Congress to act to prevent further damage from climate change by developing a long-term strategy to address the issue.

Today, lawmakers from the DC Metro area sent a letter to Director of the Office of Personnel Management John Berry asking the agency to ensure Federal Employee Health Benefits Program insurance providers cover applied behavior analysis, a therapy frequently used for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and member of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, today wrote a letter to Vice President Joe Biden in support of a comprehensive set of solutions to address gun violence in the U.S. In the letter, Moran also recommended several reforms to the Vice President’s Gun Violence Task Force, including a ban on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons; increased reporting requirements of mental health records to the NICS background check database; improvements to mental health systems; and five reforms supported by NRA members.