Health Care

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Virginia’s request to add flexibilities to school meal service during school closures in response to the coronavirus: “I appreciate USDA granting Virginia schools flexibility with school meal service. This will allow students who rely on school lunches to continue… Read more »

Coronavirus The coronavirus outbreak has escalated in the United States, with 559 confirmed cases at the time of this writing. As a member of the Subcommittee on Health of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have been receiving regular briefings on the topic from the public officials and medical professionals responding to the outbreak. On March 4, the House passed a $7.8 billion… Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after he joined 37 Members of Congress in a letter to the House majority leadership opposing a legislative package combining funding for the coronavirus and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reauthorization: “I signed this letter because I strongly feel that the separate issues of fighting the coronavirus… Read more »

Knowledge is Power A Gallup poll released in late 2019 highlighted a disturbing trend in public opinion. It found that 39 percent of Americans view socialism positively. Of even more concern, 49 percent of Americans aged 18 to 39 view it positively. Anyone considering socialist policies in our country today would do well to look at what happened where and when they were tried. The… Read more »

The outbreak of a new coronavirus in China has stirred concern in the medical community and the public here. First detected in the city of Wuhan, this strain of coronavirus is characterized by symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms may appear from two to fourteen days after exposure. It is… Read more »

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) governs much of federal drug policy. It was passed in 1970 by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Richard Nixon. Although the CSA has been amended, it nevertheless has failed to keep up with circumstances in the country. This column will look at specific areas of concern related to the CSA, namely marijuana and… Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY) reactivated an investigation into opioid manufacturers by sending letters to Insys Therapeutics, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, and Purdue Pharma. Griffith issued the following statement: “Lapses… Read more »

House Democrats are spending most of their time on the impeachment of President Trump. They soon plan to take a break from that activity, however, to push Speaker Pelosi’s unconstitutional and anti-cures drug pricing bill. Reducing prescription drug prices should be a priority for the House of Representatives. It has been for Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee, including… Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed bills to support maternal health care and expand broadband coverage: “This week, the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced several bills that have the potential to make a positive impact on residents of Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District. They seek to address some… Read more »

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development awarded $154,600 to the Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Inc., of Cedar Bluff for telemedicine services: “Telemedicine bridges the gap between health care providers and patients, a valuable service in remote areas and for individuals with difficulty… Read more »