In the News

Politics is bad in Richmond, but it’s worse in Washington, two congressmen who used to be state lawmakers told local business leaders Tuesday.

Fifth District U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, and 9th District U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, were elected to Congress last fall and began their terms in January. They spoke during the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce’s annual post-legislative luncheon, held at the Dutch Inn. “There are not as many straight-shooters and not as much common sense” among federal lawmakers as there is among state legislators, said Hurt, who previously represented the 19th District in the state Senate and the 16th District in the House of Delegates. Congressmen are “so afraid of getting egg on their face” (being embarrassed by their actions) that it hurts their ability to get things done, said Griffith, who previously represented the 8th District in the House of Delegates, where he was the majority leader. On controversial issues, Richmond lawmakers of both political parties eventually are willing to stop their bickering, work some late nights if needed and come to compromises, he said. He indicated that does not always happen in Washington. “We need to take ... Virginia ideas about getting work done” to Congress, Griffith added. Tuesday’s event was Griffith’s first chamber post-legislative luncheon. His 9th Congressional District includes western Henry County, but as a delegate, he never represented any parts of the county or Martinsville. The congressmen discussed their positions on federal finances and energy policy. Hurt said the United States is $14 trillion in debt, and for the first time, the national debt exceeds the gross domestic product. He said the debt has become “completely unsustainable.” The nation must reduce its borrowing of money, Griffith said. The federal government must relax energy regulations if the United States is to retain and attract companies and create jobs, the congressmen said. “We’re never going to compete with China and India” — where companies typically pay employees less — in terms of salaries, Griffith said. But the U.S. has an abundance of coal and natural gas, and if restrictions on those energy forms were loosened, he said, companies would respond positively, and the nation could “dominate manufacturing for all kinds of different things.” Hurt said, “We’ve got policies in Washington that make sure we depend on foreign dictators for our oil.” He favors the government taking steps to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil, such as allowing oil drilling off the East Coast, he said.

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