Morgan Griffith

Meeting with Local Officials I recently had the opportunity to visit with local officials from each community in the Ninth District of Virginia, thanking them for their service and discussing their successes, issues they face, and expectations for the future. Local officials from each of the Ninth District’s 29 jurisdictions were invited to these meetings, which we scheduled over a five day period. In driving to attend them and other events, I put around 1,300 miles on my car! Local officials a... Read more

The NSA and You Since the story broke of the massive National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programs collecting the phone records of all Americans, some have stood up in defense of these programs, insisting that Members of Congress have broad oversight over their implementation. However, I have tried for the past six weeks to read the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA court) opinions that have been discussed in the press. At the time of the writing of this column, I have not be... Read more

The Amash-Conyers Amendment I regularly receive feedback from people across the Ninth District on a number of issues including the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, coal and our nation’s energy future, agriculture issues, etc. Recently, we have received many calls concerning massive National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programs that have been collecting the phone records of American citizens under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. I too remain concerned by these programs, as are many ... Read more

Immigration, Coal, and Zimmerman Immigration I have received quite a few questions about developments on immigration reform. I believe our immigration system is broken, but do not believe that legislation recently passed by the Senate is the solution. The Senate passed one nearly 1,200-page bill. This is a large bill that tries to deal with all of the nation’s immigration issues. In contrast, the House of Representatives is taking a step-by-step approach to immigration reform. Chairman Bob Good... Read more

The Student Success Act Those who read this column regularly know that I am no fan of the federal government trying to control every aspect of public policy. The Constitution clearly intended for the various States to control the majority of public policy, with the federal government taking care of issues such as defense, commerce between the states, and the United States Postal Service. Some have indicated their belief that my dislike of a large central government is just a way to attack this ... Read more

Obamacare – Delay… Hmmmmm… The Obama Administration recently announced that it would be delaying for one year the ‘employer mandate’ built into the health care reform law, also known as Obamacare. The employer mandate requires businesses with 50 or more full-time employees (which, in the case of Obamacare, applies to employees working 30 or more hours each week) to provide health insurance coverage to employees, or face a penalty tax up to several thousand dollars per employee. The employer man... Read more

Independence Day Near the end of June, I was invited to give brief remarks at a celebration with area veterans. I think these remarks are appropriate to share during the 4th of July period. Because I rarely use prepared text, the remarks went something like this: “I want to thank all of the veterans here today for their service to our country. You have answered the question that Patrick Henry so eloquently put forth in a church in Richmond - Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchase... Read more

The War on Coal Continues, but Maybe There Is a Light at the End of the Tunnel As the war on coal drags on, the President is proposing even more regulations that will negatively impact the coal industry, its jobs, and the economy of Southwest Virginia. Rest assured that I will do everything that I can to stop unreasonable regulations. Now we all want affordable energy that is clean and efficient. If we can convince this Administration to no longer look at coal as a four-letter word, they can ge... Read more

Honoring Congressman William Wampler, Sr. On Monday, June 17, family and friends gathered in Bristol, Virginia to honor former Congressman William Wampler, Sr. and designate a portion of Interstate 81 in his honor. Congressman Wampler served our nation as a member of the United States Navy before being elected to serve two different stints as the Ninth District’s Representative in Congress, the first time beginning in 1952. The ceremony took place at the Bristol Welcome Center. Congressman Wamp... Read more

Scandals – An Update, and the National Security Agency As investigations continue into what transpired surrounding the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on our diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, President Obama announced Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as his next national security adviser. It was Ambassador Rice who appeared on numerous shows, and used the contrived story of a video as what caused the attack. Unlike members of the President’s Cabinet, the national security advis... Read more