We Must Call Out Anti-Semitism On March 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning hate, including anti-Semitism. It is unfortunate that a resolution and a vote on the topic was even necessary. Religious liberty is a bedrock principle in our country. We understand this in Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson wrote, and the General Assembly passed, the Statute for Religious Freedom. This resolution was the first of its kind in the world and the blueprint for religious protect...
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Rules are important. This is a foundational principle in a republic based on democratic principles. The first vote I cast in the Virginia House of Delegates was against a rules package. I voted no because it did not contain proportional representation for political parties in committee membership, something I believed necessary for good representation. A later assembly adopted my amendments to correct this problem. They remain part of the rules that govern the House of Delegates. As this Congres...
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The year 1619 does not loom as large in American memory as some others from our colonial experience. When thinking of those early times of English settlement in North America, 1607, the year Jamestown was founded, and 1620, when the Pilgrims landed in what is now Massachusetts, are more likely to come to mind. Yet the events of 1619 had a profound impact. They are worth remembering as we enter 2019 and mark the passage of 400 years. One of them was a great stain: the beginning of slavery in Engl...
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Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, has great credentials. He is a strong pick to join the Court, and I hope the Senate acts on his nomination promptly. But Judge Kavanaugh’s resume, while glowing, highlights an unfortunate fact about the Supreme Court. Of the nine current justices, all attended law school at Harvard or Yale (Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg started at Harvard before transferring to Columbia and finishi...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has been inducted into the bipartisan House Liberty Caucus. He issued the following statement: “I believe public officials have a duty to defend the liberties guaranteed by our Constitution. Whether fighting for the repeal of laws and regulations that infringe on peoples’ rights or calling for Congress to take back its powers from the executive branch, protecting liberty has been a guiding principle. I am honored to join the Liberty Caucus, and I look forward t...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the end of the government shutdown today: “Although this shutdown never should have happened in the first place, I am glad that the Senate has finally passed a measure to fund the government. This vote means that the government will reopen and our military will be paid. Importantly, it also means that the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will be funded for six years, taking care of thousands of Virginia children. “...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the United States Senate failed to pass a measure to fund the government, thus triggering a partial government shutdown: “The Senate has failed to govern. The House of Representatives passed a measure that funded the government for four weeks and provided six years of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Senate did not pass this measure, or even amend it and send it back to the House for us to give...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement about the government shutdown caused by a Senate Democratic filibuster: “Senator Schumer and his Democratic Senate colleagues have chosen to shut down the government for their own political purposes. There is nothing in the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the House of Representatives on January 18 that they object to. It funds the government and additionally provides six years of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Pr...
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Marijuana and the Rule of Law In the very cold first week of 2018, marijuana became a burning public policy issue. As a CNN headline captured, many people found themselves thrown into confusion on the question: “Is weed legal or not?” Regular readers of this column likely know my position on marijuana. I support legalizing it for medicinal use but oppose legalization for recreational purposes. The most important matter now on the table is not marijuana itself. The issue is how marijuana affects ...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting for a continuing resolution (CR) funding the government until January 19: “I voted for today’s CR in order to keep the federal government open. I am not happy with this process or this legislation, but as the Senate has failed for 98 days to take up the appropriations bills passed by the House under regular order, passing the CR was necessary. It will keep the government running until January 19. “To cobble together e...
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