E-Newsletter

Congress must focus on policies that create jobs, not obstacles. Small businesses are the very backbone of our economy. Over the past several years in Washington, many federal policies have done more to hurt job creation than help. Read more »

From an event at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport to meetings in Covington, I made several stops across the 9th Congressional District this week. In Abingdon, I toured the Southwest Virginia Food Bank to see the good work they are doing in the community. I also participated in a roundtable discussion with the Mountain Health Alliance and heard about the concerns facing health care providers in the region. In Marion and Lebanon, I met with town officials to discuss local issues. Read more »

I’ve always heard that things move slowly in Washington. That may have been true in the past, but not this week. Read more »

What do spilt milk and oil have in common? Quite a bit, according to the EPA. In fact, a new ruling by the EPA would force dairy farmers to comply with the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program when dealing with spilt milk – the same regulations oil and natural gas producers must follow. The EPA’s reasoning is that milk contains "a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil." It appears spilt milk is just as threatening as an oil spill. Read more »

It was good to be back in the 9th District this past week and a half. Read more »

Americans want results, not just empty rhetoric. However, the President’s State of the Union speech did little to provide much needed certainty. We heard that he wants to freeze the budget, but still continue to spend on new programs. How can you freeze and spend without adding to the deficit? This ‘Houdini accounting’ defies logic. Read more »

Health care took center stage in Washington this past week. Read more »

After completing my first two weeks in Congress, I want to share with you the experience thus far. It has been a busy time filled with excitement. It has also been a time of sadness. Read more »