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John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — Jim Moran has just two weeks left in his career as a 12-term Congressman representing Virginia's 8th District, and he's wasting no time trying to figure out where he'll land after 30 years in public service. Moran tells WMAL he wants to continue his involvement with the region's burgeoning defense industry, working to lobby Capitol Hill. Moran may have a partner in the effort – one from across the aisle – retiring Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
"He's a conservative Republican. He's Mormon, actually. I'm kind of a liberal Democrat Catholic. I do appropriations, he does authorization. Some kind of pairing like that would be kind of fun," says Moran, who, at the age of 69, says he has three priorities as he moves into the private sector.
"I want to do something that's consistent with the priorities that I've had throughout my career. I need to make some money. But most importantly, I want to work with people that I like and respect," he says.
Moran, who arrived in Congress in 1991 after serving as Alexandria's Mayor, says he wants to see the government to continue to grow and provide good jobs for Washingtonians, "but in a smarter way."
"Like it or not, we're a company town," says Moran, "and the company is the federal government."
McKeon has represented Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, since 1993.
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