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Washington, D.C., September 27th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, successfully included a number of projects in the FY ’07 Defense Appropriations conference agreement (H.R. 5631). The Pentagon Memorial Revolving Fund, dedicated to building a lasting memorial to the victims of 9/11, is set to receive $18.5 million. A transportation study at Fort Belvoir to assess the impact of the 20,000 jobs set to be relocated by BRAC was funded at $2 million. The bill passed the House on a bipartisan vote Tuesday evening.
Moran’s “Strategy for Success” Amendment was also extended in the conference agreement. The amendment, originally offered by Moran in the FY ’05 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, requires the Secretary of Defense to provide quarterly reports to Congress on a comprehensive set of indicators and measures for progress toward military and political stability in Iraq.
“Northern Virginia is home to some of the top research facilities dedicated to protecting our troops and increasing our homeland security,” said Moran. “The projects in this bill will support the region’s strong defense intelligence and research facilities which drive much of Northern Virginia’s economic growth. My “Strategy for Success” Amendment will continue building the case that we are not making sufficient progress in Iraq and that it is time for a new direction.”
As a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Congressman Moran was able to secure funding in the bill for the research facilities in Northern Virginia and research programs focusing on caring for and preventing U.S. troop injuries. The following projects were included by Moran:
- $4 million for Virginia Tech’s Comprehensive National Incident Management System. Virginia Tech has created a disaster management and analysis program that uses computer generated models that can represent large population centers during terrorist events and natural disasters. Their state-of-the-art technology pulls together large sets of data for analysis and crisis management training. The proposed Comprehensive National Incident Characterization and Management System will be located in Northern Virginia.
- $1 million for George Mason University’s Center for Blast Mitigation and Protection. GMU’s Center for Blast Mitigation and Protection studies the effects and ways to mitigate large bomb blasts. For the last decade, expert threat scenarios saw small car or truck bombs strategically placed as the greatest threat to a building’s security. Recent intelligence indicates that the amount of explosives previously used in mitigation forecasts will likely increase from a few hundred pounds to several tens of thousand of pounds. Explosives of this magnitude represent an unprecedented threat that will require: 1) a complete re-evaluation of current mitigation and protection procedures, 2) a re-design and retrofit of buildings and their surroundings, and 3) new building codes and policy. The Center will serve as a repository of information to be used by engineers conducting classified mitigation calculations for buildings, bridges, airports and other high visibility landmarks that are potential targets for terrorism. Congressman Moran has secured $3.4 million for the Center in past years.
- $1 million for the National Coalition for Osteoporosis to study Bone Health and Military Medical Readiness. The Bone Health and Military Medical Readiness Research Program supports bone health research for military men and women. This funding will aid research efforts currently underway that target the elimination of training-related stress fractures – a problem that results in lost training times, failure to complete training, increased training costs, and decreased military readiness. Congressman Moran has secured a total of $9.8 million for osteoporosis research in recent years.
- $1.4 million for the RAND Project Air Force located in Arlington, Virginia. The Bush Administration cut funding for the Air Force’s Federally Funded Research & Development Center (FFRDC) that is operated by RAND, a nonprofit institution based in Arlington. This is the Air Force’s only FFRDC. RAND Project Air Force conducts an integrated program of objective, independent analysis focusing on issues of concern for Air Force officials. Mr. Moran’s request restores $3 million of the approximately $4.5 million cut to the program.
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$2 million for the Christopher Reeve Foundation for their Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Research Initiative. This is a public-private partnership between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Christopher Reeve Foundation for spinal cord injury research. The Initiative supports clinical trials and research activities to accelerate the delivery of new spinal cord treatments. This project will enhance the care and rehabilitation of paralysis due to spinal cord, spinal column, and traumatic brain injury sustained by troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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