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Weekly Washington Updates
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Congressman Rob Wittman provides a Weekly Washington Update. Rep. Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He was elected to his first full term in November 2008 and serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Armed Services Committee where he is the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
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Working to Expand Broadband Access Across the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula |
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On Tuesday, I hosted a broadband roundtable in Warsaw, to bring together broadband expansion stakeholders in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. We had a great group of participants including Ellen Matthews Davis from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office, representatives from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula Planning Districts, telecommunications companies, private citizens, and representatives from NeckTech, which on that day officially became the Northern Neck Broadband Authority.
From my service on the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors to the General Assembly, where I served on Governor Kaine’s Broadband Roundtable, I have been involved in this issue for several years now. Currently, many citizens throughout the First District are stuck with 1990’s dial-up technology. The deployment of broadband in underserved and un-served areas is crucial to economic development, job creation, education and quality of life.
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Wittman Visits Veterans Administration Medical Center in Hampton, VA |
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This past Monday I toured the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) at Hampton. This Veterans Hospital, the fourth oldest medical center in the VA system, is a 468-bed facility which serves a 15-county area in eastern Virginia and a 10-county area in northeastern North Carolina. I received a brief tour of the center, a briefing from hospital administrators, and met with both patients and doctors. I learned more about how the medical center was working to serve patients and asked what I can do in Washington to help improve the services they provide.
The capabilities at this Medical Center in Hampton are extensive These facilities include: extended care, primary care, a pharmacy that fills over 2,500 prescriptions daily, and one of the largest Spinal Cord Injury Centers in the VA system. As we know, the nature of modern combat has lead to an increase in spinal injuries and the Hampton Center is playing a large role in supporting our wounded warriors, and assisting them to regain their functional abilities. Meeting the patients in this portion of the facility was both humbling and inspiring; I thanked them on behalf of our nation for their service and sacrifice and that of their family’s.
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Weekly Washington Update - Jan. 15, 2010 |
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This week Congress returned to Washington to begin the second session of the 111th Congress. There are many items on the agenda as we start the year, including healthcare reform, financial services regulatory reform, as well as appropriations bills to fund the government’s operations. This week I’ve focused on working with the Marine Corps, who are currently in the process of deciding where to move three Marine Corps Security Force companies currently based at Norfolk, Virginia.
These companies are a dedicated security and counter-terrorism unit that provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and weapons. Currently one such company is already based at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and that facility fits the requirements of the Marines’ search. The Marine Corps weighs many factors in deciding where they will move the three remaining Security Force companies. These include mission and training requirements, capacity, environmental considerations, cost, and community support. Additionally, fiscal constraints and the cost of new facilities or training ranges are one of the more challenging aspects of their decision.
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Two weeks ago the House wrapped up its work for the 1st session of the 111th Congress. While I have taken exception with many pieces of controversial legislation this year, I was most concerned by the final vote of the session; a vote to increase this Nation’s debt limit by $290 billion to a total limit of $12.39 trillion. This is the fifth time since 2007 the majority has voted to rack up our Nation’s credit card. However, this is an issue which has gone on for far too long, and blame for this rests on both sides of the aisle.
Some argue that an increase is necessary, but if we made the same hard choices here in Congress that American families are making at their kitchen tables and balanced our budget, we wouldn’t be here today. Simply passing the buck onto our children and grandchildren is unacceptable.
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Weekly Washington Update - Nov 21, 2009 |
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Recently we all have learned that Attorney General Eric Holder has planned to bring several of the 9/11 attack masterminds to New York City for trial. As you know, I’ve been a voice from the beginning, against bringing these terrorists to the Commonwealth for trial or detention, and I hold the same feelings towards their arrival to any location in the U.S. Many of us in Washington, including the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Ike Skelton (D) have deep concerns and objections to bringing these enemy combatants to be tried in civilian courts on U.S. soil.
While some would say we’ve prosecuted many dangerous criminals here, these individuals bring a unique set of issues and security considerations. That is why we have constructed a state-of-the-art facility at Guantanamo Bay to effectively handle and prosecute detainees, ensure the safety of the participants, and limit the effects on any of our citizens at home. Already, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer has requested $75 million in new security funds to adequately protect the area surrounding the trials. In a time of record breaking deficits, how many more costs can we expect from this decision?
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