Constituents Dial Up Moran at 'Telephone Town Hall'

Lawmaker Fields Queries on the War, Base Closings

The Iraq war and the relocation of military jobs to Fort Belvoir topped the list of concerns from constituents during a "telephone town hall" hosted Monday night by Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.).

The telephone town hall -- a technology that members of Congress have been using in recent months -- works much like a conference call, allowing constituents to dial a pre-arranged number and listen to their representative field questions from Capitol Hill, or ask questions themselves.

Moran said he welcomed the format as another tool to communicate with voters but said it is not likely to replace in-person gatherings. Over the years, he has hosted regular town hall meetings throughout his district, which includes Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and a slice of Fairfax County.

The conference call was far less of a free-for-all than regular town hall meetings, which often draw bloggers and some of Moran's loudest critics. Monday, his press secretary and others screened callers. Participation was good, however; nearly 600 joined the call -- more than double the number that would turn out in person.

Many callers said they were concerned about the Iraq war -- its endgame, its price tag and whether President Bush's recent proposal to increase troops will have any effect.

As one caller put it: "My question is -- for a layperson such as myself -- can you explain in a simplified way why we are still in Iraq?"

"My candid response is that people don't want to acknowledge the mistakes they made," Moran said. "It's largely being driven by the same people in the same administration who sent us there, trying to figure out ways to declare victory. I don't think victory is possible."

Moran has opposed the war from the start, and that position was a key factor in his easy reelection in November against two underfunded opponents, constituents have said.

On Monday, Moran reiterated his support for withdrawal of the troops, saying that a majority of them could be redeployed and out in six months.

Moran also told constituents that he is traveling to Cuba this week at the request of one of his close allies -- Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) -- to begin drawing up a proposal to close the military's detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, is also trying to force the closure of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The impact that the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan will have on the region was also on callers' minds. They said they are concerned about expected traffic congestion from the influx of workers scheduled to be shifted from Arlington and elsewhere to Fort Belvoir by 2011, as part of the federal plan.

Fairfax resident Jim Rainey said his job is scheduled to be transferred to Fort Belvoir.

"Is there anything being done in Fairfax County and other jurisdictions to handle the traffic problems?" he asked.

Moran said the Army has identified more than $600 million worth of road improvements needed to relieve the anticipated congestion, in addition to the much-discussed completion of the Fairfax County Parkway.

Moran -- in addition to Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) and other lawmakers -- have said that the transfers shouldn't be made until the new offices are built and transportation upgrades are underway. They're continuing to try to push back the 2011 deadline, Moran said during the telephone town hall.