E-Newsletter

Freezing

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to extend the pay freeze for Members of Congress and federal employees for an additional year and cut the budgets of House committees. This year, the House also reduced personal office budgets by 6.4 percent. While small measures themselves, these votes are a starting point. I encourage the Senate to pass the pay freeze legislation as well and send that measure to the President.  Freezing pay is a step in the right direction, but more can and must be done. That’s why I introduced H.R. 335, a bill to cut Members’ pay by 10 percent.  While millions of Americans continue to struggle with high unemployment and paying their bills, government bureaucrats and Members of Congress should not get a pay raise.

American families know that you can’t keep spending more money than you have. Businesses in the Ninth District know that if you’re continuously operating in the red, you won’t be in business for long. But has anyone in the White House or Senate gotten the memo? We cannot continue to spend money we do not have.   

But don’t take my word for it.  The numbers tell the story.  Last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the United States is on track for yet another trillion dollar budget deficit for fiscal year 2012.  From our nation’s beginning until recent history, we never had a trillion dollar deficit.  Now, we’ve had three in a row and another predicted.  The CBO also forecasts that the national unemployment rate will continue to remain above or near 8 percent both this year and next.  Despite President Obama’s assertion that passing the stimulus plan would keep unemployment below 8 percent, we spent close to a trillion dollars with failed job results.  To top it off, the Senate hasn’t even passed a budget in more than 1,000 days.  In other words, they’re content to blindly spend without a plan.

I want my three children to live in an America where they have every opportunity I did and more. Continuing to spend, borrow, and run trillion dollar deficits will not allow for that.  Our spending jeopardizes the future of our children and grandchildren. There are commonsense ways to rein in spending. I hope the Senate and the President will join the effort.

2012 Congressional Art Competition

Each year, the U.S. House of Representatives sponsors the Congressional Art Competition for high school students.  This competition is an exciting way for a student from our region to represent the Ninth Congressional District in Washington.

High school students (grades 9 – 12) residing in the Ninth Congressional District are invited to participate in this competition. The chosen theme for submissions from my office is “Celebrating Virginia’s History.” Each original composition must highlight an aspect of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s rich history. I encourage students to put some thought into their work and be creative. The following types of entries will be accepted: paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art, and photography. Entries may not exceed 28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep when framed. Students may also want to work with their art teachers if they need assistance meeting specific guidelines.

A photograph of the original artwork and a signed release form should be submitted to either my Abingdon or Christiansburg office by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 6th.  All submitted works will be evaluated by a panel of impartial judges from the Ninth District based on creativity and conformity to House regulations.

The winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for a year. The student will also be invited to Washington to celebrate the unveiling of his/her work. In addition, the second and third place selections will be on display in our offices. In 2011, Jessalyn Mullins, a student a J.I. Burton High School in Norton, won the competition for the Ninth District with her drawing entitled “Miner of the Ages.”

I know we have exceptional artists in the Ninth District. If you have children or grandchildren of high school age, I encourage you to pass this information on to them. I look forward to reviewing the submissions. To read the complete listing of rules and guidelines for the Congressional Art Competition, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. 

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, 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.