Last Thursday, I had the privilege of being sworn in to represent the people of Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District in the 113th Congress. I’m honored to serve the people of Southwest Virginia, Southside Virginia, and the Alleghany Highlands, and will continue to work hard to protect our way of life, our jobs, and to serve you to the best of my ability.
As you know, in the 112th Congress, I was honored to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues including energy, commerce, and technology. In addition, this committee is one of three that have overlapping jurisdiction of health care issues, which some people are unaware of.
I’m pleased to report that I was recently named to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, where I will be working hard on health care issues important to residents of the Ninth District, our medical centers, and our rural hospitals. As the Obama administration moves forward with its health care plan, commonly known as Obamacare, this new role on the Health Subcommittee will give me the opportunity to work at reversing the many negative aspects of the administration's program while making sure that the plan’s rules and regulations have as little a negative impact on your relationship with your doctor as possible. In addition to the Subcommittee on Health, I will continue serving on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (O&I) and the Subcommittee on Energy and Power. With these two subcommittees I will continue to look for government waste and improper actions through O&I, and will continue to fight to make the administration’s regulations on energy extraction and energy usage more realistic.
Since I was first elected to represent the Ninth District, one of my priorities has been to end Washington’s spending addiction to ensure a strong America for our children and grandchildren. The federal government spends more money than it takes in. Out of every dollar spent, over 40 cents are borrowed. This is a serious problem that needs action now, not after the current administration has ended.
The next big issues looming on money matters are addressing, once again, the sequestration cuts that were originally agreed to in order for the debt ceiling to be raised, and, once again, the debt ceiling. Both of these issues will need to be addressed before spring arrives.
President Obama has pushed for the authority to raise the debt ceiling as he sees fit, and has also repeatedly said that he won’t negotiate over raising the debt ceiling. Despite the President’s dictatorial attitude, without making tough choices and putting forth a long-term agenda of cuts necessary to bring our spending under control, I cannot support raising the debt ceiling. I cannot understand why the President, who once called letting the debt rise unchecked ‘unpatriotic,’ won’t work with us in Congress to make the necessary cuts. He campaigned on a balanced approach. Taxes have gone up; it’s time for some cuts in spending.
As I begin my new term as your Congressman, I encourage each and every one of you to contact me with your opinions. I like to know what my constituents are thinking, and find it helpful in so many ways in making me a better representative. If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to 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.
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