E-Newsletter

Talking with Students

One of the more fun things I get to do as a Congressman is talk with our students, the leaders of tomorrow. Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at more than twenty schools throughout the district.  After introducing myself, I then open the floor for the students to ask questions.  With each visit, I have become more and more impressed with our students.  These young men and women have asked detailed, thoughtful questions.  Our discussions have touched on a lot of different topics ranging from coal issues and job creation to the Second Amendment, debt, natural gas, oil, property rights, and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).  They are engaged and concerned about their communities and future.  I commend the teachers, principals, and parents for their dedication to and the involvement with the development of our students.  For more than 30 years my mother worked as a teacher, and I saw firsthand her commitment to her students.  I have seen that the teachers of today are just as committed as she was then.

In the coming months, I will continue to travel to as many schools as I can, time permitting.  If you are interested in having me speak at your local school, please contact the principal and my staff, so we can schedule a visit.  Due to time constraints, we will likely give preference to civics classes and high school government classes.

Be Wary of President Obama’s Energy Speeches

As you might imagine, I do a lot of driving around the district.  Each time I stop for gas I am reminded of the burden each of you also faces when you fill up at the pump.  Last week, the President made a speech on energy production at the University of Miami.  The President mockingly described Republican plans for $2 gas as a three-point plan:  "Step one is drill, and step two is drill, and then step three is keep drilling.”  He is wrong.  My plan is drill, dig, discover, and deregulate.

Reducing our dependence on foreign oil will require the increased use of all domestic energy resources, including natural gas and coal.  I support proposals that encourage the United States to tap into its abundant and affordable domestic energy resources.  Coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, domestic oil, and biomass all may play a critical role in America’s energy future, and we need a regulatory environment that encourages the expenditure of private capital to utilize all of the above.

To be clear, when I say deregulate, I don’t mean to get rid of all regulations.  Rather, I want to roll back regulations to a reasonable level, so that government does not continue to drive up energy costs by denying access to the energy resources that we have in this country.  As I’ve said many times, if you study the statistics, American workers are the best in the world.  We are the most innovative, and we will work harder than anybody else.  If you combine these two qualities with affordable energy, no economy in the world can compete with us.  It’s time the government got out of the way.

March Traveling Staff Office Hours     

To better serve you, throughout the month of March, members of my staff will be holding traveling office hours around the Ninth District.  If you would like to request assistance with a federal agency or voice your opinion on a legislative issue, my staff will be available to assist you.  A complete schedule of upcoming office hours and locations can be found on my website </ConstituentServices/travelingstaffofficehours.htm>.

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.