25 Years Without the “Iron Curtain” As a student of history, I feel it important to note the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, described by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as an “Iron Curtain” dividing Europe. Much of the population doesn’t remember this – they were either too young or not yet born. But for roughly 30 years, I was a part of a generation that had live... Read more »
Making Your Voice Heard As you know, tomorrow is 2014 midterm election day. No matter what your political views are, if you believe in our Republic based on Democratic principles, it is your duty to vote. Polling places will be open on election day from 6am to 7pm. You may locate your polling place here on the Virginia Department of Elections’ voter information website. Save the Republic – End the... Read more »
21st Century Cures & Drill, Baby, Drill – It Works 21st Century Cures On Wednesday, October 22, I was joined by Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and regional medical experts for a roundtable discussion on how to accelerate the pace of new promising cures and treatments for patients. This roundtable was part of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures initiative launched in May by Chairman Fred Upton (R-... Read more »
46 and 387 In an October 2 speech, President Obama asserted, “By every economic measure, we are better off now than we were when I took office.” The President may think everything is okay, but I don’t. And when I talk to constituents, they don’t think everything is okay either. Too many are unemployed or underemployed, have only part-time jobs when they want full-time work, or have dropped out of ... Read more »
Ebola: An Update On September 16, President Obama said from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia: “First and foremost, I want the American people to know that our experts, here at the CDC and across our government, agree that the chances of an Ebola outbreak here in the United States are extremely low. We’ve been taking the necessary precautions, including working with countri... Read more »
CDC Confirms: Ebola Case in the United States Especially following the recent announcement that, for the first time on American soil, a patient has been diagnosed with Ebola, I am very concerned about the possibility of this deadly disease spreading around the globe. I will be at an Energy and Commerce hearing on the Ebola outbreak set for October 16. Energy and Commerce is a committee with jurisd... Read more »
Defeating ISIS – An Update In previous columns I have noted I am of the belief the President does not have the authority to wage an extended war on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) without Congressional approval. I agree we must see that ISIS is destroyed. Unlike Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), I believe like Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) that Congress must debate and decide whether o... Read more »
Bipartisan Agreement: Good Process, Good Policy / Bad Process, No Policy On many occasions, I have taken issue with the modern interpretation of the Senate filibuster rule. The historical rule – as depicted in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington when Jimmy Stewart holds the floor with an impassioned filibuster that slowly changes the minds of his fellow senators – is a good process. But starting in the 1... Read more »
Defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) I agree with Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) comments last week that, “I don't believe that the President has the authority to quote ‘go on offense’ and wage an open-ended war on [ISIS] without Congressional approval.” ISIS is a dangerous terrorist organization, and the threat they pose is real and growing. The evil being spread by ISIS must be stopp... Read more »
Immigration Reform Update Since taking office, President Obama has promised to take action on immigration reform. He guaranteed he would do so in his first year in office. When the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, he focused instead on other issues, including Obamacare. More recently, in late June, the President said he planned to use his executive authority by the end of summer to c... Read more »
