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Thanks, Senator Webb

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Jim Webb is just the kind of thoughtful and reasoned voice we need in the Senate – but we look forward to his continued contributions to public life.  See below for Sen. Webb’s retirement statement, Chairman Moran’s statementand DPVA’s statement on Senator Webb’s record.

Senator Webb’s Statement:

It has been a great and continuing privilege to serve in the United States Senate. I am very proud of my talented and dedicated staff, which has worked tirelessly to resolve the issues on which I based my candidacy, and to protect the interests of all Virginians in this national forum. Among other contributions we have given our Post- 9/11 veterans the best GI Bill since World War Two; we have taken the lead in reforming our criminal justice system; we have led the way toward stronger relations in East and Southeast Asia; and we have been a strong voice in calling on China to act more responsibly in the world community. We will continue to work on these and other issues throughout the rest of my term.

However, after much thought and consideration I have decided to return to the private sector, where I have spent most of my professional life, and will not seek re-election in 2012.

Notwithstanding this decision, I have every intention of remaining involved in the issues that affect the well-being and the future of our country. 

Chairman Brian Moran’s Statement:

Moran Statement on Sen. Jim Webb’s Decision to Retire 

Richmond, VA – Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Brian Moran released the following statement today thanking U.S. Senator Jim Webb for his service to Virginia and the nation, and urging Virginia Democrats to continue the fight to keep his seat in Democratic hands:

“Jim Webb was an American hero before he served one day in office, and since then he has only added to his legacy as one of the most effective fighters for middle class families, our troops and our nation’s standing in the world that this country has ever had.

“I join the millions of Virginians who are disappointed that we will not have the chance to vote for him again in 2012, but he ran in 2006 to get us out of Iraq, stand up for economic equality and take on tough issues like criminal justice reform.  His departure is a loss to Virginia and the nation but we all agree he has done more than his share to accomplish these goals and for that he deserves our gratitude.

“This is a time to thank Senator Webb for his service and to look forward as numerous well-qualified Democratic candidates consider the task of filling the void our senior Senator will leave behind. Virginia Democrats are ready to continue the fight to keep this seat in the hands of a Democrat who shares our values of job creation, justice and equality of opportunity for every person.” 

Jim Webb’s Record in the Senate

Jim Webb has a proven record as a leader in the Marines, the Pentagon and the Senate. In his first term he has built an impressive record of accomplishment with

The passage of his Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides our newest generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans the same educational benefits that our veterans received after World War II. The bill offers new economic opportunities to hundreds of thousands of Americans and helps to strengthen the U.S. economy

The passage of his Wartime Contracting Commission to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan wartime-support contract and potentially save taxpayers billions of dollars

The introduction (and House passage) of his National Criminal Justice Commission Act through which he is leading the charge in Congress to comprehensively examine and restructure America’s criminal justice system.
The passage of his  TRICARE Affirmation Act to protect military health programs for service members, veterans, and their families.  
By the fall of 2008, Washingtonian Magazine had named Senator Webb as the “Rising Star” in its “Best & Worst of Congress” edition, and Politico newspaper named him “Rookie of the Year.” By late 2008, Esquire Magazine counted Senator Webb among the world’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,” for doing “more to repair his party’s relationship with the military” than anyone since the Vietnam War, and in October 2009, The Atlantic Magazine spotlighted Senator Webb as one of the world’s “Brave Thinkers” for tackling prison reform as a freshman senator and possessing “two things vanishingly rare in Congress: a conscience and a spine.”