Jason Howell:
Our slow economy, our U.S. debt and the incessant partisanship are challenges that hurt our country and our standing in the world. The love, liberty and leadership of the United States of America is too important to let persistent, partisan politics ruin our republic. I’m running as an Independent for Congress to take responsibility for these big problems.
My professional background in accounting, finance and recruiting qualify me professionally for the challenges we face with our budget, our debt and our lack of jobs. Having no party affiliation will allow me to work with each of my legislative colleagues without the negotiation impediment of party or prior partisan allegiance. Personally, I have lived in Northern Virginia for 25 years; most of my life. I understand how important our federal workers are because they are my neighbors and friends. I have lived to see success and suffer the personal loss of family members. All has prepared me to represent people instead of party.
Jason Howell:
The three most important actions I will take when elected are 1) open the dialogue between me and my predecessor 2) knock on the doors of the two major party leaders 3) draft legislation to implement my ideas to: balance the federal budget, reform our tax code and champion government-wide telecommuting policy.
1) My goal is to defeat a 21 year incumbent and though I disagree with Mr. Moran on policy, after 21 years I expect he has accumulated some tacit knowledge about our district that will help me be an effective freshman Congressman. I will ask for a meeting. 2) Democrat and Republican party leaders are important people for me to establish a relationship with if I want to get anything done. I will ask for a meeting with each of them. 3) My ideas for tax, telecommuting and budget policy are bipartisan. Having established early relationships, I hope to join the House Budget and Financial Services Committees and earn an up or down vote for the bills I write.
Jason Howell:
Jim Moran has spent the past 20 years being painted into a corner as a partisan politician. I have spent the past 20 years of my life in the private industry -banking, accounting, recruiting and small business. Having no party affiliation provides me the opportunity to represent you directly.
Mr. Moran has voted for lengthy legislation with the perhaps, unintended consequence of supporting "too big to fail." For example, the Dodd-Frank bill was supposed to stop big banks from doing bad things. Unfortunately, smaller community banks and credit unions are unequally impacted by this regulation and are now merging to manage the cost of compliance. Dodd-Frank is creating "too bigger to fail." Mr. Moran has had over 20 years to join House Committees on Budget and Financial Services where our budget & debt problems can be debated and fixed. He hasn't. My passion is for these areas and during these hyper-partisan times, I can be a non-partisan negotiator with a financial background.
Jason Howell:
With nearly $16 trillion in short term debt and $60 trillion in long term debt obligations, we cannot just cut our way to balancing our budget and repaying our debt. I support taking some actions in the short term to buffer our economy – like continued tax relief in 2013 – that we may not take in the long term to reduce our debt.
During 2013 I will leverage my background in accounting and finance to work with other legislators on comprehensive tax and regulatory reform. I will work to eliminate tax loopholes (i.e., H.R. 1935 to treat “Carried Interest” income as ordinary income rather than investment income (nearly $18 Billion in additional revenue over 10 years). For long term debt reduction, I will work with the GAO’s 2011 report to detail an organized plan for reducing the 81 areas of government program overlap.
I will specifically work to broaden our national tax base by adjusting the Dodd-Frank Act so small, community banks are granted exemptions.
Jason Howell:
To "fix" Social Security we need broad, public understanding of how it is funded, how much its benefits are currently out of balance and what exactly are the options to get it in balance. We haven't implemented substantive reform since 1983 because this time, neither party is willing to negotiate with the other on the choice of higher payroll taxes or fewer benefits (i.e. an increase in the retirement age).
Raising the retirement age is one option that is available but before we choose it more emphasis should be placed on improving the economy to get people back to work and thereby paying into the system. I would advocate for the idea of removing the wage based cap of $110,100 that arbitrarily limits contributions into the system. Also I suggest as a government, we invest the payroll taxes in a balanced set of low and high yielding securities to earn a higher return for taxpayers.
After adjusting for the above we can then "run the numbers" for the appropriate age of a retiree.
Jason Howell:
No. I support women retaining all of their medical options as part of the liberty promised them in our U.S. Declaration of Independence.
From a federal government perspective, I agree with the legality of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision and the responding federal legislation of the 1976 Hyde amendment. Between the Supreme Court decision and the Henry Hyde legislation we strike federal balance on this issue.
As Congressman, I will advocate for preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place and simplifying the adoption rules nationwide so that option becomes an easier choice for those who want it.
Jason Howell:
No. I will not sign the so called "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" because it does not protect taxpayers. Taxpayers need to know that their government is able to pay the debts we've incurred and will incur to remain a sound, sovereign nation.
In the short-term I support taking some actions to buffer our slow economy - like continued tax relief in 2013 - that we may not take in the long term to reduce our debt. During 2013 I intend to leverage my background in accounting and finance to work with other legislators on comprehensive tax reform. These reforms may include the elimination of loopholes (i.e., H.R. 1935 to treat “Carried Interest” income as ordinary income rather than investment income (nearly $18 Billion in additional revenue over 10 years). I support reducing loopholes and refocusing our reform away from marginal rates and more on effective rates.
Jason Howell:
One of the first things I will work to do in Congress is ensure that government workers are relieved from doubt associated with the “pay freeze” currently in effect until April 2013. I will also work with legislators to prevent another sequester that arbitrarily threatens federal jobs. Part of that means working with other legislators to pass a federal budget. Working with the budget committee and everyone in our Virginia Congressional delegation to broker compromise will be my number one goal in office. To work with other legislators, including Democrats Gerry Connolly and Bobby Scott here in Virginia, I will accept tax increases as part of a deal that prevents sequestration.
My primary, fiduciary obligation is to protect the citizens of the United States of America. That protection includes financial sovereignty. As an Independent, I will treasure my ability to focus on this obligation rather than that of any political party. America deserves that kind of leader.
Age:
38
Family:
Married
Length of residency:
25 years in Northern Virginia
Education:
B.S. Accounting, George Mason University
Are you an incumbent?:
No
Campaign HQ Address:
Arlington, VA
Incumbent?:
false
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
Forty years of volunteer service to Northern Virginia, plus my years as Mayor of Alexandria and as Congressman, have given me an appreciation of the complexity of issues, and the value of the people, who will determine our community's future.
In addition, my career in financial management, in the private and public sector, including as a specialist in budgetary and fiscal policy, has equipped me to tackle our foremost fiscal challenges in a fair and responsible manner.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
1) We must repel the Tea Party Republican attacks on our federal employees and contractors and halt sequestration which affects not only those who live here but have also contributed in large part to America's international security and economic growth; 2) our budget must be brought into balance by raising revenue and cutting spending, so that our receipts and our expenditures balance at roughly 20 percent of GDP; and 3) at the local level, we need to overcome the challenges to environmental sustainability with smart, transit oriented growth while retaining and expanding our highly educated and richly diverse workforce.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
There are many, but here are the top three. 1) Rather than repealing health care reform, I am determined to make it work on everyone's behalf. 2) I strongly oppose the Ryan budget which slashes the social safety net and turns Medicare into a voucher system. 3) I support stem cell research, a woman’s right to choose, and commonsense gun prevention measures.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
I voted against all the Bush tax cuts and support a return to the Clinton era tax rates that led to unprecedented job growth and economic expansion in the 1990’s.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
The Social Security retirement age should not be raised for those whose bodies and minds are no longer capable of performing their principal employment activity.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
I oppose any amendments that would overturn Roe v. Wade and endanger a woman’s right to choose.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
No, and I would never tie my hands as a legislator. Grover Norquist's exrtreme pledge is making getting our fiscal house in order very difficult, given the number of Republicans who have signed the pledge.
Jim P. Moran Jr.:
The expiration of the Bush tax cuts and parity of tax rates between earned and unearned income, precludes the need for any sequestration of spending. I am doing everything I can to ensure sequestration is averted.
Age:
68
Family:
Four children - Jimmy, Mary Elise, Patrick and Dorothy; one son-in-law - Ben Basloe; one daughter-in-law - Angie Coffman Moran; and four grandchildren - Grayson, Keira, Leia and Aidan.
Length of residency:
42 years in Northern Virginia
Education:
Bachelors in Economics from Holy Cross; Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh
Occupation:
Congressman, US House of Representatives
Are you an incumbent?:
Yes
Campaign HQ Address:
311 North Washington St, 200L
Alexandria, VA 22314
Incumbent?:
true
Janet Murphy:
I will advocate for positive solutions including More Trains, Less Traffic; More Candidates Less Apathy; Fiscally Conservative and Socially Responsible Policies. I am an environmentalist advocating for Green Energy, wind energy, solar energy for our security and safety, jobs and the economy. I bring Teamwork and Systems Analysis skills. 10 years of practice and education in real estate, knowledge of Fair Housing, Ethics, Housing and Mortgage regulations, housing and loan markets and practices. Problem solving and positive solutions. I advocate for responsible stewardship of the planet, preserving open spaces, clean air, water; humane treatment for animals wild and domesticated. Build Rail now, Rail saves lives, builds value into community, creates jobs. Invest in and Promote Green energy for the future and the grid we need. I am a seasoned professional with a wide range of experience in business and the community. We need More Trains Less Traffic, Renewable Energy.
Janet Murphy:
RAIL: Level the playing field at the federal level for building rail, by changing the formula for federal funds for transportation. High Speed Rail Interstate, Light Rail. New Train stations at Potomac Yard Metro, Virginia Rail Express Station at Cameron Station, passenger-dedicated VRE rail, Rail down Route 1, Rail down 95 to Richmond and beyond; Rail around the beltway. Light Rail on Columbia Pike, not BusRapidTransit which runs on noxious diesel fumes and cannot run into tunnels, and is not the answer to enhancing that community. Build Rail to save lives, create jobs, sustain growth, build value into our communities businesses and homes. GREEN ENERGY: Develop Virginia's OffShore Wind Resources. BALANCE BUDGET: Bring troops home, end wasteful wars. Promote residential solar energy production, send power back to the grid. Transaction tax on wall street with proceeds devoted to reducing deficit, paying off debt, building green renewable energy for the USA.
Janet Murphy:
We focus on positive solutions mindful of the environment and long term security and growth, that is: Build Rail Now, Implement the Green New Deal. 33,000 Americans die every year on our highways, 330,000 are injured. In Virginia one teenager every week is killed on the road. Rail is safer. Rail will help us transition to renewable energy sources. I have not accepted money to influence my position on any matter in this campaign, but I see the peril of it and will guard against selling out to such pressures. I promise if elected I will work hard to promote More Trains Less Traffic, and promote more Green Jobs, green energy, solar and wind energy. The green party four basic pillars are ecological sustainability, social justice, peace and grassroots democracy. That is what I bring, that is my purpose.
Janet Murphy:
We need to balance the budget, income must meet or exceed expenditures. We need to change the tax code to bring investment portfolio income tax rate in line with earned income. Create incentives for companies to keep jobs here in the USA. CLose loopholes where companies profit by cutting jobs. Cut subsidies to oil, auto, asphalt and cement. Refocus subsidies to agriculture and fishing where their practices are not in long term interest of American people, or are inhumane to animals or toxic to the environment. Enact a transaction tax on stock and bond trades across the board and devote that revenue to supporting jobs, education and balancing the budget. 40 countries have such a tax. A generation of wealth and assets are evaporating due to the distorted grabbing of money out of the system by the powerful. Restore the personal wealth of the middle class Americans who have been robbed by the Bush tax cuts and the unpaid-for wars. So certainly no to extending the tax cuts.
Janet Murphy:
No it should not be raised. There are not enough jobs now for the workforce. Many people in their sixties and younger are retiring early being forced out of the market. Instead, simply index income level cap for FICA that is social security should be raised however. Cut subsidies for oil, auto, asphalt and cement. Enact a transaction tax on wall street, and protect that revenue to pay the debt, while cutting the pentagon and investing in green energy. Get the big money out of politics. No more war.
Janet Murphy:
No. I support not sending drones to murder people in countries where we are not at war. We are not at war legally with any country on the planet so what in the world are we doing with these drones? State sponsored murder. I support a constitutional amendment to ban the death penalty. I support a constitional amendment to prohibit money corrupting the electoral process, one to require good stewardship of the resources of the planet. Have a look at the statistics of the incidence of rape on college campuses, compared with the number of prosecutions of rape that are followed. Protect women please. This is a divisive issue that distracts people from positive solutions.
Janet Murphy:
The oath of office for the US House of representatives is not written in the Constitution, but the current oath was enacted by Congress in 1862. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION. Congresspersons who are brazenly operating on behalf of any other authority are not acting in good faith and should be confronted, censured and thrown out.
Janet Murphy:
The sequestration is some tough medicine but it was necessary. We need to build on the initial 10% cut to the discretionary military spending. Tax increases would not be necessary if we build rail and increase growth of jobs, bring in the green new deal and promote renewable energy. This along with transaction tax on wall street, everyone else has a sales tax. Support Amtrak and other rail initiatives. This is the answer going forward to jobs, energy, growth, security, the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our children and grandchildren. Reform student loans and higher education build pathways to jobs from school. Restore support for medical school residencies to assure pipeline of new doctors out of medical schools. End the drug war. Stop privatizing prisons. Move toward single payer health care while keeping Affordable Care Act in place.
Age:
62
Family:
I have brilliant parents from the greatest generation, two sisters, 12 cousins and four uncles and four aunts (deceased as are grandparents), two sisters and their significant others, one daughter and a new son in law, two fine nephews and a neice, all very talented and good looking. Scientists, diplomats, heroes and adventurers, a bridge expert or two, athletes and one actor. They live here, in Massachusetts and in California, patriots all.
Length of residency:
Came to metropolitan area in 1976. Have resided in Arlington for the last 3 years.
Education:
BA English Drama, McGill University, Montreal, PQ; MS in Counseling Psychology, University of the District of Columbia; Diploma in Programming Computer Learning Center
Occupation:
Currently running for US House of Representatives. Business background includes 13 years in Computer Programming, Testing, System Analysis; 10 years residential Real Estate, DC/MD/VA; other professional experience in Chemical industry Association and with EPA Contractors, International Health, Recreation Therapy Soldiers Home; Online Banking; Television Channel Lineup Data; Law Library Computer Tutor; Third Party Cost Estimating for Weapons Systems; Frequency Coordinating for Two Way Radio.
Are you an incumbent?:
No, but the Independent Green Party of Virginia, according to Ballot Access News, put the single most third party candidates on the ballot for U.S. House in Virginia, since 1916! We are advocating for "More Trains, Less Traffic". Indy Greens advocate for more rail jobs! Solar jobs! Wind jobs! Renewable energy jobs! Geothermal jobs! The Independent Green Party calls for high speed rail across Virginia, and nationwide to save lives, and create jobs. Build Rail Now!
Campaign HQ Address:
4009 N 20th Street
Arlington VA 22207
J. Patrick Murray:
I believe that the voters of the 8th District deserve a Congressman who is ethical, honest and serves the public interest. Unfortunately, we don’t have that today in our current representative. My decades of service to this country in the United States Army, qualifies me to continue to serve, given my understanding of the roles of government, national security and service to our country.
J. Patrick Murray:
Stop sequestration cuts that will leave over 100,000 of Northern Virginia citizens jobless.
Co-sponsor a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Reduce taxes and regulations on our job creators.
J. Patrick Murray:
Moran is the most hyper partisan Member in Congress who always puts his own self interests above those of his constituents. From his racist, anti-Semitic statements, taking personal loans from lobbyists, and now the recent revelations documented in the book, Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer, Jim Moran made over 90 insider stock trades after getting confidential congressional briefings days before the 2008 financial collapse. He personally used his position as a U.S. Congressman to make money, while the rest of us Americans were losing our life savings. I reject this unethical manner, and I pledge that I will not embarrass the people of Virginia’s 8th District with ethical lapses as Jim Moran has.
J. Patrick Murray:
I am always in favor of lower taxes and more freedom for hardworking Americans who should get to keep more of what they earn. Jim Moran has pledged to raise all taxes, even on middle class families who are struggling right now. This is a key difference between us.
J. Patrick Murray:
It is critical that we reform our entitlement systems so that they remain solvent for future generations, and to that end I do support gradually raising the retirement age to 70 WITHOUT altering Social Security for those 55 years and older.
J. Patrick Murray:
No.
J. Patrick Murray:
No.
J. Patrick Murray:
I support HR3662, the Down Payment to Protect National Security Act, which is designed to avert sequestration. Shockingly, Moran refuses to support this legislation thereby putting up to 123,000 jobs at risk, mainly in the District he represents.
Length of residency:
PO Box 205
Alexandria, VA 22313-0205
Campaign HQ Address:
801 N. Fairfax, Suite 201 Alexandria, VA 22313
Incumbent?:
false
e.thePeople
