Senators Try to Intervene for Farm — “As operations wind down at Claude Moore Colonial Farm following a contract dispute between the National Park Service (NPS) and the farm’s friends group, both of Virginia’s U.S. senators are asking for an yearlong extension so the parties can try to hammer out an agreement.” [InsideNova, Patch]
Vienna Council Wants Marco Polo Demolished — “The vacated Marco Polo Restaurant fell into disrepair before it burned down Oct. 14 in a blaze allegedly set by a pair of teenage arsonists. Vienna Town Council members on Dec. 10 urged town officials to step up their efforts to have the building’s charred remains demolished and removed.” [InsideNova]
FCPD Looking for Local Missing Man — Fairfax County Police are looking for a 35-year-old man who went missing after last been seen “near the 2200 block of Mohegan Drive in Falls Church.” He was wearing a black turban and jogging pants and is “considered endangered,” according to police. [Twitter]
For residents of the corner of McLean inside the 10th Congressional District, last night’s election saw Jennifer Wexton (D) oust Barbara Comstock (R). But for the rest of the area, incumbents will be returning to office.
Not only did Wexton win in Fairfax County, but the Dranesville District heavily favored Wexton by 3,592 votes.
It was an active race, with 73 percent of voters casting ballots across the Dranesville District. Even before election day, the 10th District race saw an unusually high number of absentee ballots.
Comstock won the seat in 2014 after replacing Congressman Frank Wolf (R), who’d held the seat for over 30 years. Wexton will be the first Democrat representing the 10th Congressional District since 1981.
But while McLean saw high turnout in the competitive race, the Tysons area voter turnout was lower than the countywide average.
Countywide voter turnout was 69.8 percent, but the Tysons precinct only reported 58.7 percent voter turnout. At the nearby Magarity and Rotonda precincts, voter turnout was 66 and 64.7 percent respectively.
In the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Don Beyer (D) handily beat challenger Thomas Oh (R), winning 76.3 percent of the vote.
It was a similar story in the 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Gerald Connolly (D) defeated challengers Jeff Dove (R) and Stevan Porter (L) with 71.1 percent of the vote.
In the statewide race, Sen. Tim Kaine (D) won a 15-point victory over Republican Corey Stewart.
Two constitutional amendments allowing tax exemptions and the public safety bonds request were also approved.
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Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) has introduced a bill that would nix the Trump administration’s strict new limits on refugee resettlement in the U.S.
The bill, dubbed the “Lady Liberty Act,” was introduced by Connolly and co-sponsored by 60 other members of Congress.
Connolly, who represents Tysons and Vienna in Congress, said in a statement that “Congress has a moral responsibility to stand up to the President and let the world know we are still a welcoming and compassionate nation.”
More from a press release:
Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was joined by 60 members in introducing the Lady Liberty Act, legislation to reverse the Trump administration’s recent actions to severely limit refugee resettlement in the United States.
“The Trump administration is once again slamming the door on refugees,” Connolly said. “Against a record high global refugee crisis, the Trump administration’s record-low refugee admissions cap is dangerous and un-American. The Lady Liberty Act will reverse this callous backslide and restore America’s leadership role in refugee resettlement.”
“No one chooses to be a refugee,” Connolly said. “These people are seeking safety and a better life. Congress has a moral responsibility to stand up to the President and let the world know we are still a welcoming and compassionate nation.”
The Lady Liberty Act would require the President to set a goal of admitting no less than 110,000 refugees annually. Under the administration’s recent action, refugee resettlements would be capped at 30,000 refugees in fiscal year 2019, down from 45,000 this year. Since 1980, the U.S. has resettled more than 3 million refugees and set an average annual goal of 95,000 refugee admissions. The previous low ceiling for refugee resettlement in the U.S. was 67,000, set by President Reagan in 1986. There are currently 25 million refugees around the world.
Connolly’s legislation has been endorsed by The Alliance, CASA, Church World Service (CWS), Ethiopian Community Development Council, Family Action Network Movement (FANM), HIAS, Human Rights First, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Veterans for American Ideals, We Are All Americans.
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