The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it has designated Opportunity Zones in Virginia, including areas located in the Ninth District. As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, new investments in communities designated as Opportunity Zones receive preferential tax treatment, encouraging growth and revitalization in areas facing economic challenges. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: “We passed the Tax Cuts and Job...
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Death There’s a saying about not making the perfect the enemy of the good. I thought of that saying recently when I voted for the Senate’s version of “right to try” on May 22. Regular readers of this column know that I am a staunch supporter of the concept of “right to try,” which would allow patients facing life-threatening illnesses to access experimental treatments. Throughout my time in Congress, I have introduced bills to implement it at the federal level. Recently, vocal support from the T...
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Improving Care for Veterans One of our highest obligations as a nation is “to care for him who shall have borne the battle,” as Abraham Lincoln eloquently stated in his Second Inaugural Address. The men and women who wear the uniform of the United States military put their lives on the line for our freedoms, and many come home with wounds both seen and unseen. Over the past few years, too many stories have emerged of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) failing the brave people it is meant to...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today participated in a House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of 32 bills to address the national opioid crisis, including five bills he introduced or acted on as an original cosponsor. It follows last week’s markup of 25 opioid-related bills by the full Committee. He issued the following statement: “Today’s markup is the latest step in our work to address the opioid crisis that has devastated families in the Ninth District and across the country. We are l...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced a $17,100,000 loan to renovate the elementary school in Galax: “These funds will go a long way toward improving the elementary school facilities in Galax. Mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems will be updated, windows will be upgraded to be more energy efficient, and exterior wall insulation will be installed. Thanks to this Rural Development ...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement recognizing National Police Week: “This National Police Week, we honor the men and women of law enforcement who gave their lives in the line of duty. Protecting our communities can come at a cost, and many police officers have paid the ultimate price. Among the 360 names to be added this year to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Curtis Allen Bartlett, who lost his life on March 9, 20...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5242, the School Resource Officer Assessment Act: “I’ve heard from a lot of Ninth District residents concerned about school safety. A bill I cosponsored, the School Resource Officer Assessment Act, would help address their concerns, and I’m pleased that it passed the House. This bill would study the deployment of School Resource Officers across the country to better understand how the...
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A saying often attributed to the late Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) goes, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money.” It’s a warning about how easily government spending can spiral out of control. But through a special procedure called rescission, Congress may soon make targeted cuts here or there that, while modest, amount to real savings. On May 8, President Trump submitted to Congress a rescission package proposing $15.4 billion in targeted cuts to enacted s...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today participated in the announcement that $1.5 million had been awarded to the Pocahontas Exhibition Mine as part of the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot Program. Congressman Griffith has worked diligently to obtain funding for the program. He issued the following statement: “Plenty of communities throughout Southwest Virginia coal country have abandoned mine lands that must be cleaned up and improved before they can be used to their fullest potential. Today’s...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement on the death of Virginia Tech President Emeritus Charles Steger: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of Charles Steger. As a man who earned three Virginia Tech degrees and served as his alma mater’s president from 2000 to 2014, he was a Hokie to his core. Under his guidance, the university went from strength to strength, expanding its enrollment, raising its profile in fields such as engineering and medicine, and powering it t...
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