E-Newsletter

Update on Boiler MACT Bill

Late last week, the House of Representatives began consideration of my bill, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2250). This bill provides sufficient time for the government to get the rules right on industrial boilers (Boiler MACT) without imposing unnecessary costs on businesses that employ thousands of hard-working Americans.  Without relief from the current rules, as many as 10,000 jobs in Virginia alone are potentially at risk.  Numerous amendments are scheduled to be considered on H.R. 2250, and debate will continue this week. A vote on final passage of H.R. 2250 by the House is expected early to mid week.

Military Service Academy Nomination Applications due October 15th 

Applications for Ninth District residents seeking a congressional nomination to one of our nation’s Military Service Academies are due October 15th. As your representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, each year I have the privilege of nominating highly qualified and committed candidates to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination for admission).

These young men and women will be our next generation of military leaders. If you would like to be considered for a congressional nomination, I encourage you to submit your application to my office by the October 15th deadline. Incomplete or late applications may not be given full consideration.  If you would like more information on the nomination process, please contact Terry Sivert at (276) 525-1405. To download a PDF version of the application, please visit my website. Best wishes to those pursuing a nomination to one of the U.S. Military Service Academies.

Speaking of Military Leaders…

Around this time of year, many people remember Christopher Columbus. However, as a student of western Virginia history, I remember the efforts of Andrew Lewis and the western Virginia frontiersmen who were instrumental in our American Revolution. Lewis was a Member of the House of Burgesses and owned land across great portions of what is now the Ninth Congressional District.

Trouble had begun on the western frontier (ridge of the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi). At the request of Lord Dunmore, Governor of the Virginia Colony, Andrew Lewis had raised an army from western Virginia.  Lewis was instructed to meet Lord Dunmore at Point Pleasant, in what is now West Virginia.  After several weeks of travel, Lewis and his men arrived a day early. Because of this, the supplies for the men had not yet arrived under the intrepid Daniel Boone. As a result, Lewis sent men out looking for game to kill for breakfast. Luckily, those men spotted Chief Cornstalk and the Shawnee Indians before they were able to launch a surprise attack.

On October 10, 1774, a day long battle ensued in which many on both sides were killed, including Lewis’ own brother Charles.  Many families from Southwest Virginia were involved in the Battle of Point Pleasant, including the Prestons and the Pattons from the New River Valley. Ultimately, the forces under Lewis prevailed, and Chief Cornstalk retreated at dusk. Lord Dunmore and his men never arrived. Another historical figure with western Virginia ties, Dr. Thomas Walker, who explored deep Southwest Virginia and the Cumberland Gap, was later instrumental in presiding over peace negotiations with the Shawnee following the Battle of Point Pleasant.

This battle and its commanding officer, Lewis, are little known by people outside of western Virginia, perhaps because Lewis died before the War for American Independence ended. There are four main points to note about the leader of the Battle of Point Pleasant.  First, in 1908, Congress recognized the Battle of Point Pleasant as the first battle of the American Revolution.  Point Pleasant was fought six months before the first shots were fired in Lexington and Concord.  Second, it was believed that the dastardly Dunmore, who never showed up at the appointed site, had actually tipped off the Shawnee.  With a weakened western front the British would not have worry about these territories being ceded to what would become the United States of America. Third, this battle helped free Daniel Boone from worrying about any kind of alliance between the Shawnee and the British. Boone was then able to lead settlers through the Cumberland Gap into the Kentucky Territory. At the end of the American Revolution, because of those settlements, the British were forced to cede everything west to the Mississippi River to the United States instead of the ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Lastly, as commander of the forces in Virginia during the American Revolution (1776-1780), Lewis forced Lord Dunmore to abandon Virginia. This made Dunmore the last colonial governor in the 13 Colonies.

So, on this date we note that 237 years ago western Virginia and the burgeoning American colonies were changed forever.

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.