E-Newsletter

Job Creation: A Bipartisan Solution

As I have traveled around the 9th District this month, jobs continue to be the topic of conversation. Regardless of whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, job creation is one of the most important issues facing our nation. Unemployment is hovering at 9 percent. Even after the cuts Congress has made this year, our deficit is projected to reach nearly $1.3 trillion. And American businesses are being strangled by regulatory red tape.

This week the President is scheduled to address a Joint Session of Congress to unveil his new jobs plan. I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say. My hope is that President Obama’s plan will roll back costly job-killing regulations, which will promote business expansion and investment, while exercising fiscal discipline. President Obama has an opportunity, and quite frankly a responsibility, to set the tone for a bipartisan solution to our nation’s job crisis. 

If we want to get our economy moving again and put Americans back to work, Washington must work in a bipartisan manner. My EPA Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2250) is a prime example of working across the aisle. This legislation would give the EPA time to create achievable rules for industrial boilers that do not destroy jobs and give facilities more time to comply with the rules. Bipartisan groups in both the House and Senate have recognized the need to get these rules right and protect valuable jobs from being lost. When I introduced this bill in the House, it started out with support from four Democrats and three other Republicans. It now has over 100 co-sponsors, including 23 Democrats. This legislation fixes a problem in the federal government while protecting jobs. We need more legislation like this that transcends party lines. 

If a job creation plan provides regulatory certainty for businesses and makes it easier for them to grow and invest, I will support it. No matter whose idea it is, whether they are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent. If Congress has the opportunity to mix and match different job creation proposals and vote on various ideas, instead of in one large take it or leave it package from the White House, then we can move America forward. In order to make progress on solving our job crisis, collaboration is key. This is about making America better. 

Government Working the Way it Should

As you may have heard, a fire recently struck Meadows of Dan Elementary School. Thankfully no students were in the building since it was an early Saturday morning and no one was injured in the fire. However, the damage done to the school building was extensive. In the hours and days immediately following, the entire community came together to show their support for Meadows of Dan Elementary. School and county officials made every effort to ensure students were back in the classroom as quickly as possible. Volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty and drove to the Shenandoah Valley to pick up partitions and fasteners to build makeshift classrooms.  Thanks to the hard work of faculty and volunteers, the Tuesday following the fire classes resumed in the school gym. Communities throughout the state have also shown their support for the Cardinals. Powhatan County Public Schools sent 14 mobile classrooms to Patrick County, saving a great deal of time and money.

Last week, I visited the school and was amazed by the progress. In just a matter of days, construction crews had worked to clear the land and install the mobile classrooms. While these mobile classrooms are not the ideal solution or the final solution, they will work for now. The efficiency of the entire process from the day of the fire to now is how government should work. Instead of piling on layers of bureaucracy, government should be able to make the necessary decisions needed in a crisis and move forward. I wish the students, faculty, and staff at Meadows of Dan Elementary the best of luck as the rebuilding process continues.

September Traveling Staff Office Hours

To better serve you, throughout the month, members of my staff will be holding traveling offices hours around the 9th District. To see the dates, times, and locations of upcoming office hours, please click here.

As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.