John Emerson Moss was an American politician of the Democratic party, noted for his championing of the federal Freedom of Information Acting through multiple sessions of the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1953 to 1979.
Background
Moss was born in Hiawatha, Carbon County, Utah, in 1915, and moved with his family to Sacramento, California in 1923 where he attended public school and Sacramento Junior College. In 1935 he married Jean Kueny, the daughter of Joseph and Winnefred (née West) Kueny of Galt, California.
Career
He held various sales, cr executive, and retail jobs from 1938 and 1943. Together they had two daughters, Jennifer Afton (dob 3/14/1946) and Allison Effie, (dob 10/17/1949). In 1938 he joined the California Democratic State Central committee where he remained until 1980.
He died in San Francisco, California in 1997.
Moss served in the United States Navy during World World War II and was elected to the California State Legislature in 1949, where he served as the Democratic floor leader until 1952. Moss served in the United States House of Representatives for California"s 3rd congressional district for 13 terms from 1953 until he retired in 1978.
He was nominated by both the Democratic and Republican parties in 1958 and ran unopposed in 1960. Moss earned the distinction of never being defeated in an election for public office.
Moss held the chair for the following subcommittees in the House of Representatives:
Special Subcommittee on Government Information
Foreign Operations and Government Information Subcommittee of the House Government Operations Committee
Commerce and Finance and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittees of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
He also served on the following committees:
Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Power
Subcommittee on Government Information and Individual Rights
Subcommittee on Legislation and National Security
Committees on Post Office and Civil Service and House Administration
Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
His legislative record includes:
Freedom of Information Acting (FOIA), which he authored and sponsored through several iterations
Consumer Product Safety Acting, which he authored and advocated
Federal Trade Commission Improvements Acting, also known as the Magnuson-Moss Acting
Deregulatory legislation to establish National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation
Consumer protection legislation, including protection against hazards related to automobiles, toys, tires, flammability standards for children"s clothing, and toxins.
Moss also played an active role in furthering legislative oversight, chairing hearings related to the World Uranium Cartel, Federal Bureau of Investigation foreign security surveillance during the Vietnam War, abuse in federal contracting, GAAP, defensive medicine, pricing and supply of natural gas, passive restraint systems for passenger cars, regulation of pesticides, and amendments to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Acting. Congressman Moss is considered the father of modern legislative oversight. On May 1, 1973 Moss was also the first to call for the House to set up procedures for a bill of impeachment during the Watergate scandal.