Congressman Walter Jones Takes Action | Eastern North Carolina Now

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Jones' Stand for Judeo-christian Values Draws Fire from Anti-God Group

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     An atheist lobbying group is criticizing Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) for being the leading supporter of Judeo-Christian values in Congress. In their newly released scorecard, the Secular Coalition for America gave Walter Jones the lowest score of any member of Congress because he constantly voted to protect Judeo-Christian values. The Secular Coalition scored Congressman Jones on votes in which he supported the pro-life cause, school prayer, traditional marriage, and free speech in churches.

    "Defending the Judeo-Christian values upon which our nation was founded is one of my greatest honors and responsibilities as a member of Congress," said Congressman Jones. "It is a badge of honor to receive a failing grade from a leading atheist organization, as it indicates that I have been successfully working against attacks on those values."

    The Secular Coalition for America is an umbrella organization whose members include the Atheist Alliance of America, Freedom from Religion Foundation, American Atheists, Inc., and 10 other similar groups.

Jones Leads Effort to Oppose NOAA Beaufort Lab Closure

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) is leading the effort to oppose the Department of Commerce's Fiscal Year 2015 budget request to close the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) marine lab in Beaufort, North Carolina. The lab is the sole government research center between New Jersey and Miami studying Atlantic fish populations and is uniquely situated at the intersection of the ranges of northern and southern fish species. This location has allowed the lab to contribute valuable research on an abundance of issues, including sustainable fisheries; conservation of sea turtles, dolphins, seagrass estuaries, and offshore reefs; algal blooms; invasive species; and changes in climate and sea levels. Furthermore, marine science provides a $58 million boost to the local economy, with the Beaufort lab specifically employing over 100 people.

    NOAA has indicated that the closure was proposed because the lab "requires infrastructure repairs and improvements exceeding agency budget resources now and for the foreseeable future." However, the agency has not provided any evidence to support this claim and has in fact acted to the contrary by investing $14 million in facilities upgrades in recent years.

    Congressman Jones was joined by Congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-7) in penning a letter detailing each of these facts to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science Chairman Frank Wolf and Ranking Member Chaka Fattah, requesting that language forbidding the closure of the lab be included in the Fiscal Year 2015 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act.

    "The Beaufort lab is an important provider of scientific research affecting not just the state of North Carolina but the entire East Coast," said Congressman Jones. "I will continue to strongly oppose the closure of this invaluable resource – especially at a time when NOAA has provided no evidence in support of their claim that they lack the funding to maintain the lab and the United States continues to spend billions of dollars to improve the infrastructure of nations overseas while neglecting projects here at home."

    "The closure of this essential lab would remove over 100 jobs from Eastern North Carolina, and deprive our state of a critical tool for coastal management, research, and data collection," said Congressman McIntyre. "This research lab has been a valuable state and federal resource since 1902, and it is imperative that we do all we can to maintain and improve this facility."


    Sarah Howard
      Communications Director

    Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3)

     2333 Rayburn House Office Building
     Washington, DC 20515

     sarah.howard@mail.house.gov  •  (202) 225-3415