Rob Wittman: Weekly Update - How Can I Help You?

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From Prince William County to Hampton Roads, I serve some of the strongest communities in the Commonwealth, and I am humbled every day to work for the people of Virginia’s First District. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I truly believe that my primary responsibility is to represent the interests of the men and women who’ve elected me, and I can only do that with your continued input and feedback.

Whether I’m advocating for our federal workers and service members—both during and after their service—or strengthening our economy by preserving the Chesapeake Bay and our other natural resources, I am committed to advancing commonsense policies that further Virginia’s legislative priorities. But that isn’t all that I do. My office is also here to help in more specific ways—by assisting with grant applications and federal agency issues, providing military service academy nominations, offering internships, and even scheduling tours of the Capitol and other landmarks and monuments here in Washington, D.C.

Below is a more comprehensive list of the constituent services I provide through my offices in Stafford, Tappahannock, Yorktown, and Washington. Please reach out to let me know how I can serve you better. I look forward to hearing from you.

Help With a Federal Agency
As a U.S. representative, one of the most important things that I do is help constituents who are having issues with federal agencies. While I cannot override final decisions made by federal agencies, my office can help with communication, information, status updates, and even requests for agency reconsideration.

Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance
My office provides information about grants as well as a list of resources that de-mystify the grant application process.


Student Financial Aid
I’ve teamed up with the Department of Education to provide high school and college students and parents in Virginia’s First District with information and financial aid options for higher education. See my website or contact my offices for more information.


Military Service Academy Nominations
I have the privilege each year of nominating a number of determined and hard-working young men and women to four of our nation’s five service academies. You can find a preliminary online application here or contact my Yorktown office for more information.

Congressional Internships
We offer a number of internships to First District students who are interested in policy, public service, and political communications. If you or someone you know is interested, contact any one of my offices to learn more.

Tour Requests
Not only do we offer tours of the Capitol through our Washington, D.C. office, but we can also help you schedule tours of the White House, the Library of Congress, and other national landmarks and monuments. Let us know how we can make your visit to D.C. even better!

American Flag Requests
Having a flag flown over the Capitol is a great way to honor an event or the memory of a loved one, and my office is happy to facilitate that. Click here or contact my Washington, D.C. office to purchase a flag and include a personal message.

The main streets of Virginia’s First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at (202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman).

Congressman Rob Wittman's Updates On Sequestration

Too many desks sat idle this week, as furloughs began for many federal civilian employees in the Department of Defense (DOD) due to the indiscriminate budget cuts known as sequestration. These DOD workers are truly dedicated patriots who are tasked by Congress with their duties. Their efforts to support our war fighters are vital to the mission of our overall national security, and these cuts continue to undermine the strength of our military’s readiness. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Readiness Subcommittee and an American, this deeply concerns me, and I reminded my colleagues on Thursday of the personal and professional challenges our dedicated civilian workers face.

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel issued a memo detailing the DOD’s plan for reducing its budget by $52 billion in fiscal year 2014, as mandated by sequestration. These budget reductions simply cannot happen. The impacts that they will have on our military’s future capabilities are unacceptable. Secretary Hagel’s memo addresses just one fiscal year, and yet it is indicative of a long term, systemic challenge facing our military. This In turn will require a long term, strategic solution: how to effectively provide for and maintain a fighting force in a world of both budgetary constraints and constant threats against our homeland. Congress and the President were elected to make tough decisions - not to stand idly by as the foundation of our nation’s military is compromised.

At the same time, it is important to remember that at the heart of this issue are dedicated Americans who sacrifice for this nation. These include young Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen whose training and resources are being undermined by sequestration; civilian DOD employees who support those individuals but are being forced to sit at home under furlough; and the children of those furloughed federal employees who will feel the brunt of sequestration as their parents find fewer dollars in their paychecks. They are all patriotic Americans who have dedicated their lives to this country so that it will remain the greatest nation the world has ever known. Instead of balancing the budget on their backs, let’s prove to them that we’ve got their backs - because they’ve had ours since 1776. I have sounded the alarm on this issue for almost two years now, and I will continue to urge Congress and the White House to find a solution. It’s time to make the tough decisions.

Finally, I am pleased to share great news for Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. The House passed my Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act (H.R. 739) last week as part of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 2642). The Bay is an economic engine and a cultural beacon for our region, and many industries and citizens have a vested interest in a clean Bay. My bill would enhance coordination, flexibility and efficiency of restoration efforts. This was a great achievement for Virginia and America’s First District, and I am eager for the Senate to pass Senator Warner’s companion legislation and see this bill become law. As Co-Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus, I will continue to advocate for and support measures to restore and preserve this national treasure.

The main streets of Virginia’s First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at(202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman).

Related articles

• Hagel: Military promotions could be halted
• Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says furloughs here to stay this year: '2013 is over' (Video)
• DOD lays out cutbacks needed if sequestration persists
• Layoffs of civilian Department of Defense workers a possibility in 2014, Pentagon chief warns
• Lawmaker seeks to extend furlough exemptions to all DOD civilians