Washington, D.C. — One year ago today, Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) was sworn-in to the 114th Congress. During that time he passed his first bill through the House, closed more than 700 constituent service cases, recovered more than $300,000 from federal agencies to constituents, and launched an historic intergovernmental economic development initiative in Lynn; all the while upholding his commitment to working in a bipartisan fashion.
“One year ago, I committed to putting progress ahead of party in order to best serve our community,” said Moulton. “While partisanship is institutionalized in Washington, I’ve worked purposefully to partner with my Republican colleagues. The Marines in my platoon came from different religious, political, and cultural backgrounds, yet we were able to come together to serve our country. We need more of that approach in Washington today.
“I have had some early successes — passing my first bill aiding small businesses through the House, driving the conversation about strategy and diplomacy in the Middle East, and meeting with thousands of constituents throughout the district stand out — but there is more work to do. I look forward to continuing to serve the Sixth District in 2016.”
First Year in Review:
- Passed first bill: Congressman Moulton passed his first bill through the House, the Microloan Modernization Act, which increases access to capital for startups and small businesses by modernizing the Small Business Administration’s Microloan Program. Moulton is one of just seven freshmen Democrats to pass a bill in this Congress.
- Introduced four pieces of legislation to improve veterans health care: The VA Education Training and Sustainability (VETS) Act, four bills aimed at improving the talent pipeline at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities across the country.
- Closed more than 700 constituent cases: Congressman Moulton’s office closed more than 700 cases, supporting MA-06 constituents who needed help from federal agencies.
- Recovered more than $300,000 owed to constituents: Congressman Moulton’s office recovered $300,907 that was owed to constituents for a number of reasons including stalled tax returns, unpaid Social Security checks, Medicare reimbursements.
- Launched historic intergovernmental economic development initiative in Lynn: Congressman Moulton — along with federal, state and local stakeholders — launched the Lynn Economic Advancement and Development (LEAD) Team, to promote community revitalization in the city of Lynn by aligning economic development initiatives among federal, state and local officials.
- Reversed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposal that would have generated a 500% increase in the amount of cod fish the District’s fishermen would be required to throw overboard: Less than a month in office, Congressman Moulton led a Delegation letter requesting the federal agency to revise and improve a proposal that would have severely limited fishermen’s ability to harvest healthy fish stocks and undermine cod conservation efforts by drastically increasing the amount of cod to be thrown back overboard. NOAA subsequently adopted an alternative proposal that provided greater conservation benefits while also allowing fishermen to continue to fish.
- Asked tough questions of the Obama Administration our military leaders and the Obama Administration on U.S. policy in the Middle East: Drawing on his experience as a Marine officer in Iraq, Congressman Moulton consistently pressed the administration to better define a political and diplomatic plan for Iraq and Syria. He persistently emphasized the need to ensure the peace and ensure there is a serious political plan. This means well-defined political goals in both Iraq and Syria and a diplomatic plan to ensure their success both in concert with military action and following from it. Moulton also traveled with two congressional delegations, one to the Middle East and a second to Ukraine and Eastern Europe, to see operations on the ground
Information from Congressman Moulton’s Office
