E-Newsletter

Throughout our country’s history, the American worker has constantly made important contributions.

American industry, powered by the great contributions of the workforce, helped our progression to be a global economic powerhouse. This dynamic duo of industry and the world’s best workforce developed our workforce’s skillsets and resources and ushered in national prosperity and wealth.

Without the worker, we could not build our cities and towns, supply Americans with goods and services nor support our communities.

The American worker also served as a catalyst in our war effort in World War II. Rosie the Riveter captures the spirit of the American workforce during that era.

Thanks to their efforts, America stands as the model nation in the world. Our communities run on the sweat of our workers.

Labor Day is about the worker, and I am proud to live in a powerful country strengthened by the heart and soul of the American workforce.  

As President Ronald Reagan put it: “I would match the American worker against any in the world.”

Some of our labor and innovative triumphs are memorialized in the U.S. Capitol.

Historical figures known for their inventions, such as Benjamin Franklin and Robert Morse, are honored.

In other Capitol works, the Wright Brothers are recognized for their role in the birth of aviation.

Aviation has led to great economic growth in the American economy. According to Airlines for America, commercial aviation accounts for 5% of U.S. GDP.

August 19th marked National Aviation Day!

But without the American workforce, there would not be a National Aviation Day.

As our workforce continues to make tremendous strides, I wish you a happy and relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Russia and Ukraine

The prospects of ending the Russia-Ukraine War have improved by President Trump’s recent efforts.

President Trump held a summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a pathway to peace.

After that summit, Trump felt enough progress was made that he could move another step forward. He held a meeting just days later at the White House with European leaders, including Macron of France, Starmer of the United Kingdom, Merz of Germany and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Through these talks, further ideas about peace negotiations were advanced. 

As of this writing, Trump is working to set up a bilateral summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. Should that meeting go well, then a final trilateral meeting involving the United States would be in play.

A major tenet of the peace discussions concerns security guarantees for Ukraine.

However, Ukraine is no stranger to deals that involve security guarantees.

In a 1994 agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, Ukraine forfeited its nuclear weapons in exchange for independence and freedom from threats or uses of force against their sovereignty. 

At the time, Ukraine’s nuclear weapons stockpile was the third largest in the world!

Bill Clinton signed the memoranda on behalf of the United States. The United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia all signed it. China and France signed similar agreements.

Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum when it annexed Crimea in 2014. President Barack Obama did little to punish Putin for this move.

Then in 2022, after President Joe Biden failed to show strength in Afghanistan, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, where fighting remains more than three years later. 

Given this history, Ukraine will appropriately be very cautious with how it proceeds in peace discussions where security assurances are given.

Will they trust the United States? The United Kingdom? France?

What will these security guarantees look like? Will they be similar in scope to those agreed upon in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum? Or will be they stronger?

If the United States makes promises, will we live up to the promises outlined in this new agreement? 

Should we commit to an armed conflict with a nuclear Russia? I do not think we should.

Further, I would hope we would not give a “blank check” to Ukraine. “Blank checks” are how Europe went from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand directly into World War I.

As the above history shows, weakness and ambiguous “blank checks” invite further and potentially larger conflicts. 

Therefore, any agreement should be clear and unambiguous.

I believe American strength and decisiveness result in peace and a more stable world.

President Trump deserves credit for projecting American strength in the pursuit of peace. 

If you have questions, concerns, or comments about my constituent services, 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 at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. 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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