E-Newsletter

I have hit the ground running in the new legislative session of Congress and will review a part of my agenda today. Obviously, over the two years of this Congress I will introduce more bills to best represent the people of the 9^th Congressional District.

2^nd Amendment

Last month, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) finalized a rule to expand the definition of “short-barreled rifles”, or barrels of less than 16 inches, to include any and every pistol that has an arm brace affixed to it. This arbitrary definition unfairly penalizes competitive shooters and pistol enthusiasts generally. To counteract this invasive final rule, I have introduced the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act, H.R.173, to remove all short-barreled rifle registration requirements under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934.

I have also introduced legislation, H.R.168, to more comprehensively address interstate transportation of firearms or ammunition. My legislation allows individuals to securely transport a firearm or ammunition between two places (e.g., states) where it is legal to possess, carry, or transport a firearm, without fear of being harassed by an anti-second amendment city.

Health Care & Public Health

Americans need greater access to life-saving drugs. I have introduced legislation to ensure critical patient access to compounded medications when a drug is facing a shortage. The Patient Access to Urgent-Use Pharmacy Compounding Act, H.R.167, creates a regulatory pathway for certain compounding pharmacies to prepare medications for hospitals and physician offices if there’s an urgent need or the drug is in shortage.

The opioid crisis continues to devastate families across the country, made worse by fentanyl and its analogues. I’ve introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, H.R.467, to address the permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogues, while also granting researchers the ability to conduct studies on these substances and provide for exemption of individual analogues when evidence demonstrates it is appropriate.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that we can no longer be reliant upon foreign suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE). Our national security and public health demand that we have a stable domestic supply of this equipment. The Domestic SUPPLY Act, H.R. 170, would direct the federal government to establish a domestic supply of PPE, require eligible domestic manufacturers to be headquartered in the U.S., manufacture in the U.S. 100% of the products they would supply, and be majority owned and operated by American citizens.

Environment & Deregulation

In January, the Federal Register published the Biden Administration’s final Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule. This rule makes sweeping changes to the federal government’s authority to regulate what’s considered a navigable water, placing enormous burdens on small businesses, manufacturers, farmers, and private property owners. I have co-sponsored a House Joint Resolution, H.J.Res.27, to terminate the Biden WOTUS rulemaking through the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which provides a mechanism for Congress to overturn certain final agency actions. 

Due to burdensome regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the current New Source Review (NSR) program, originally meant to protect against pollution emissions from industrial facilities, discourages facilities from making upgrades that would ultimately lead to lower emissions. My New Source Review Permitting Improvement Act, H.R. 165, would reform these counterproductive rules so manufacturers, power plants, refiners, and others can make pollution-reducing upgrades to their facilities without running afoul of the EPA’s misguided interpretation.

Government Reform

Democrats have made recent attempts to make the District of Columbia our nation’s 51^st state, saying residents are not properly represented. However, the Founders intended for our capitol to be on neutral ground, distinct and distinguished from the rest of the states. That’s why I introduced H.R.980 to retrocede D.C. to Maryland, returning the residential areas of D.C. to Maryland, while leaving the National Capitol Service Area, the National Mall and federal buildings like the Capitol, as the District of Columbia. Retrocession would give D.C. residents representation in the federal government, while maintaining an independent federal district to conduct the nation’s business.

There is still ample opportunity to introduce legislation to benefit the constituents of the Ninth District. If you’d like to provide feedback on the work we are doing or talk to us about legislation you’d like us to consider, each month my staff is available at various locations in the district, where constituents can receive help in person. Information on our traveling office hours can be found at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. 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. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.

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