C. Bascom Slemp
President Trump recently named Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as his acting Chief of Staff. Having worked with Mick when he represented South Carolina in the House of Representatives, I think the President has made a good choice.
Earlier in the search process, attention focused on a current colleague of mine and another Freedom Caucus member,… Read more »
Help for Sexual Assault Victims
Before the 115th Congress concludes, the House of Representatives will take up an important bill I cosponsored with Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), the Megan Rondini Sexual Assault Victims Protection Act.
The namesake of the bill was a student at the University of Alabama. One night, Megan was raped by a man from a prominent local family. She went to the local… Read more »
Legislation often begins with a concern or a question from a constituent. He or she draws on experiences or ideas to identify matters that need fixing: something the Federal Government does, something it could do better, or something it does not do that should be considered.
The following story, which inspired a bill I have introduced, is a sad one.
I attended the Washington County… Read more »
Southwest Virginia is open for business. That’s the message I heard in November, as several companies announced expansions or new operations around the Ninth District.
In Montgomery County, the tech company 1901 Group, founded by a Virginia Tech alumnus, plans to add 580 jobs at its Blacksburg operations center over the next three years. The company provides cloud-based information… Read more »
Most Virginians and most Americans are familiar with the words of Patrick Henry, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Fewer are familiar with where he said it.
When he uttered his famous declaration to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, Williamsburg was still the capital of Virginia, but it remained under control of the British authorities led by the King’s representative,… Read more »
Honoring Our Veterans
Each November 11, our country honors Veterans Day. It is a way we can show our gratitude for those brave men and women who put on the uniform to protect us and the freedoms we cherish.
This year’s observance holds a special significance, for it is the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in… Read more »
On October 24, President Trump signed into law a landmark bipartisan bill to fight the opioid crisis.
Called the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, this legislation takes a comprehensive approach to the opioid crisis. It helps with treating addiction, reduces the availability of illegal substances, and advances the development of non-addictive painkillers.
I was proud to make… Read more »
Prescription Drug Costs
Previously, I reported in this column that two bills meant to combat high drug prices had passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate. I am happy to say that President Trump has since signed them into law.
The Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 and the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act ban “gag clauses,” which are sometimes imposed… Read more »
Health Tidbits
Before the start of the 2019 fiscal year on October 1, the House of Representatives passed several appropriations bills combined with a Continuing Resolution to fund the Federal Government. They have since been signed into law by President Trump.
I voted for the Continuing Resolution. The Continuing Resolution was combined with appropriation bills for the Departments of… Read more »
As you know, I serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The following are some of the issues we are working on.
Progress on Prescription Drug Prices
High prescription drug prices are a burden on many Ninth District residents. There are a variety of reasons why prices have soared, but one necessary factor in order to bring them down is transparency.
Thanks to legislation that… Read more »
