One hundred and one years ago, on November 11, 1918, the guns of World War I fell silent. One hundred years ago, November 11, 1919, was a day for remembering. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation commemorating November 11 as Armistice Day. He wrote: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s servi... Read more »
“Trick or treat?” is the question on everyone’s lips each Halloween. House Democrats this year opted for tricks. On Halloween, of all days, they voted for a resolution supposed to lay out the “next phase” in their impeachment of President Trump. But the next phase looks similar to the past several weeks. There will be more closed hearings, limited input by the Republican minority, and due process ... Read more »
Democrats in the House of Representatives are moving forward with their so-called “impeachment inquiry” into President Trump, but others of us in the House know that important work remains to be done on behalf of the American people. On the morning of October 23rd, frustrated Republicans rightfully demanded access to impeachment information. Several actually entered the room where, behind guarded ... Read more »
Pelosi Drug Bill On October 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up H.R. 3, Speaker Pelosi’s prescription drug bill. Republicans and Democrats in the committee have been working together all year on solutions to lower prescription drug costs. We had previously passed legislation out of committee addressing the issue and were discussing further action to advance this goal. Speaker Pel... Read more »
Broadband’s New World In August 1492, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail in the name of the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in search of a sea route to the riches of Asia. On October 12, 1492, he landed instead in the Americas and thus opened the New World for Western exploration and settlement. We all know this story, and so we observe Columbus Day every second Monday of O... Read more »
Impeachment: A Partisan Distraction I enjoy using this column to discuss important but less well-known issues that affect the lives of Southwest Virginians. As your representative in Washington, I work on policy matters that make a difference in our communities, such as economic development, health care, and rural broadband. These topics may not grab headlines, but they are vital, and I do my best... Read more »
Rural areas like ours face unique challenges in health care. Providers struggle to stay open and to attract new doctors, nurses, and other personnel. I am looking forward to being in Lee County on October 8 for the ribbon-cutting of an urgent care center. This facility is the first step toward opening a new Lee County hospital next year. This is an important step forward since Lee County’s old hos... Read more »
On Saturday, September 14, explosions rocked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. Attention quickly turned to Iran as the culprit behind the blasts, which cut Saudi oil production in half at the time. Possible conflict between two of the Middle East’s major powers is a big news story. In another era, it would capture even more attention in the United States. Fortunately, technological innovation and sm... Read more »
Fixing Health Care We are all familiar with the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” On health care, some Democrats find themselves arguing that Obamacare ain’t broke but still putting forward fixes. When President Obama and Speaker Pelosi muscled Obamacare through Congress in 2010, it was supposed to solve the problems Americans had with health care. There certainly were aspects of the syst... Read more »
More Resources to Fight the Opioid Crisis On September 4, the Trump Administration announced the release of $1.8 billion in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help communities around the country fight the opioid crisis. $20.4 million of that money will go to Virginia in support of efforts here in the Commonwealth. The federal funds come from two sources. The fir... Read more »
