Congressman Walter Jones Takes Action | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Releases:

Jones Calls On President Obama To Declassify 9/11 Report

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) is calling on President Barack Obama to make public 28 pages of the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 2001 that were initially classified by President George W. Bush and remain classified today. Congressman Jones was joined by Congressman Stephen Lynch (MA-8) in penning a letter to the president, explaining that declassification of the pages is necessary to provide the American people with all the facts surrounding the events of 9/11 and bring closure to the many individuals who survived the attacks or lost family and friends.

    The congressmen further clarified that having read the pages themselves, they are confident that releasing the classified information will not pose a threat to national security.

    "The information contained in the redacted pages is critical to U.S. foreign policy moving forward and should thus be available to the American people," said Congressman Jones. "Furthermore, the survivors of the 9/11 attacks and families of the victims have waited 12 years to learn all the facts concerning that tragic day. It is my hope that President Barack Obama will recognize the importance of this issue and provide these individuals with the closure that they deserve."

    Congressmen Jones and Lynch have introduced House Resolution 428, which aims to declassify the 28 pages and has garnered bipartisan support in Congress as well as the support of former Senator Bob Graham (D-FL), who co-chaired the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11 and has consistently sought declassification of the pages. Last month, Congressmen Jones and Lynch were joined by Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4) and several family members of 9/11 victims in hosting a press conference to bring further attention to the issue.

Jones Calls For Dare County Public Hearing On Rufa Red Knot Proposal

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to schedule an additional public hearing on the USFWS proposal to list the Rufa Red Knot as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. In a letter to USFWS Director Dan Ashe, Congressman Jones explained that while a public hearing on the proposal has already been scheduled for May 6 in Morehead City, North Carolina, an additional hearing is necessary because residents of Dare County will also be impacted by the proposal and could be prevented from attending the Morehead City hearing because of the geographic distance between the two locations.

    "The residents of Dare County should have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the federal government's proposal to list the Rufa Red Knot as a 'threatened' species," said Congressman Jones. "This is a proposal that could significantly impact the Eastern North Carolina economy, and it is critical to first consider the input of all individuals who may be affected."

    The Rufa Red Knot is a small shorebird that can be found along the coast of North Carolina and many other states in the East and Gulf regions during its migration from South America to Canada. The USFWS initially proposed to list the knot as threatened on September 30, 2013, but has reopened the public comment period through May 19, 2014. Final action on the proposal is expected by the end of September 2014.

Jones Condemns Air Force Regulations For Stifling Religious Freedom

    WASHINGTON, D.C.     Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) is petitioning the Air Force to update its regulations on religious freedom, which run contrary to the Constitution and current law. In a letter to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, Congressman Jones and 22 of his colleagues explained that unconstitutional limits on free speech and religion are being placed on airmen in leadership positions. Leaders are forbidden from the "apparent use of their position" to support religious beliefs – an ambiguous, undefinable standard that in practice has infringed on the right of all members of the Air Force to freely practice their faith.

    In an additional violation of the First Amendment, Air Force regulations allow for the protection of free "exercise" and "practice" of religion but exclude the free "expression" of religious belief. The letter signed by Congressman Jones calls on the Air Force to bring these rules into compliance with current law, which states that "unless it could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline, the Armed Forces shall accommodate individual expressions of belief."

    "The First Amendment makes it very clear that the free exercise of religion is not to be prohibited under any circumstances," said Congressman Jones. "Thus, the current Air Force regulations are obviously unconstitutional. Furthermore, the regulations violate recently-passed laws – including the last two National Defense Authorization Acts – that specifically protect religious freedom in the military. We must ensure that our service members are not prevented from enjoying the same freedoms that they have committed to defend and protect."


    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