Virginia Rep. Moran to retire at the end of his term

One of the biggest supporters of federal employees in Congress is retiring after 23 years.

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) announced today he’s leaving at the end of his term in December.

“What has kept me motivated all these years is serving you and our community. I prepare to leave Congress feeling very fortunate, grateful for what we’ve accomplished, and optimistic for the future of Northern Virginia, the Washington Metropolitan Region, and our nation,” Moran wrote in an email to supporters.

Over the years, he’s worked on reforming the federal process to hire and retain employees, ensuring workers received pay raises, and for improving the Senior Executive Service.

In statement, Joseph A. Beaudoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), thanked Moran for his ongoing support of active and retired federal workers.

“His steadfast support and leadership to restore retroactive pay to furloughed federal employees last fall is just the latest example of his dedicated work on behalf of federal employees in his district and across the country,” Beaudoin said. “”Not only has he consistently crossed party lines to implement critical initiatives to recruit new talent for our federal workforce, he also worked tirelessly behind the scenes and on the public stage to protect and enhance the earned pay and benefits of all federal employees and annuitants.”

Moran also sponsored bills that became laws to let feds under the Federal Employees Retirement System add their unused sick leave to their total years worked when they retire and to let feds retire under a phased program.

“Jim is more than a colleague in the House. He is a friend,” said Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), in a statement. “He and I have worked side-by-side on a variety of projects and issues over the years, from getting funding for the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, to improvements on the George Washington Parkway, to fighting for federal employees. He has been a true partner in working for Northern Virginia and will be missed.”

Moran also was a staunch defender of federal employee rights, whether it was attempted cuts by Congress to retirement benefits, working with the Defense Department to ease the burden of the office consolidations at the Mark Center in Alexandria, or trying to reopen government when the shutdown occurred in October.

Moran’s district, which includes Arlington County, the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria and portions of Fairfax County, includes 65,000 federal employees and hosts more than 110,000 feds who work in those areas.

Moran began his political career 35 years ago when he ran for the Alexandria City Council in 1979 and served as mayor of Alexandria before being elected to the U.S. Congress in 1990.

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