This past week I had the opportunity to meet with the Peninsula Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees, where we discussed current issues, as well as issues pertinent to federal employees. I am proud to represent the tens of thousands of federal employees living in the First District, and continue to work to represent them well in my work in Congress.

Monday continued with a visit to Summit Christian Academy in Yorktown, where I visited with different classes and spoke to a school assembly. The education of our children is so important, as they prepare to enter the world faced with opportunities to become  our future leaders.  Many of the older students there are  voting age and we discussed the importance of voting in our communities.  Voting is a responsibility of citizenship in our great country, and we must not take it for granted. As I spoke with the students I was inspired by their spirit and hope for the future, but also noted their concern for the economy, even as most of them have not entered the workforce. We must continue to support our students and assure their success in education.

Later last week, I visited with the Williamsburg Hotel-Motel Association, comprised of small business owners, and the Rappahannock Rotary, another civic, business-minded group.  These groups understand the tough economic conditions of today as they work to retain their employees and grow their businesses. Many of them asked about legislation before Congress and the unfinished business of the current session of Congress. This has left uncertainty for families and business-owners across the country. As I talked about last week, I believe that government needs to get out of the way of our entrepreneurs. We must work to keep more of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars in their pockets by instituting incentives and stopping the tax hike that looms on January 1, 2011. We also need to fight for a balanced budget in Washington, DC. As these business owners know, we can't spend more than we take in, if we are to sustain our government and get our economy moving.  I am a proud cosponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment, which would require Congress to balance its budget each year.

As always, I look forward to your comments and questions as I travel around the district. Please continue to share your thoughts with me in person, call my office (202-225-4261) or go to my website: http://wittman.house.gov