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Defending The Republic, Not some Democracy, and enjoying some of life's rewards along the way.
Showing posts with label Rob Wittman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rob Wittman. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Gloucester County, Virginia; Votes Made In Congress By Our Elected Representatives
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Rob Wittman: Weekly Update - How Can I Help You?
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| 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).
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).
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Congressman Rob Wittman (Rare) Weekly Update, September, 2014
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| English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Congressman Rob Wittman’s Weekly Update
WASHINGTON, DC – At the beginning of August, I urged the Speaker to keep the House in Washington so that the important work facing our nation could get done. And what I said then still holds true today: “Too much unfinished business remains, and too many important issues must still be addressed with a limited amount of time on the calendar. Congress has not completed its work, and our constituents expect us to stay and finish the job.”
With no votes in Congress for several weeks, I rose each day and traveled all over the First District to meet folks and hear their concerns, learn about the challenges they and their families face, and gain a better understanding of their views on the role and function of government. These conversations and interactions are absolutely critical to me as I serve the First District in Washington.
A number of issues remain to be dealt with and deserve the full attention of Congress. No appropriations bills have yet been signed into law, and the federal government will run on a temporary extension of last year’s funding levels, which expires in December. This is a short-sighted, irresponsible way to fund our government’s essential functions, and I did not support it. At the same time, National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2015 has not yet been passed either, and the readiness of our military is threatened by the impending 2015 sequester. We should not rest until these and many other challenges facing our nation are addressed.
As many of you know, last week the President presented his broad ideas for a strategy to combat the violent extremist group known as ISIS. There is no question that ISIS must be destroyed. I believe that the U.S. should play a role in this, but that our role must be as part of a coalition of other nations, including both NATO partners and friendly nations in the Middle East. I also believe that Congress has a constitutional obligation to grant any military authority for a long-term, comprehensive endeavor. That authority must have a clear operational scope and military objective, and I will examine closely the administration’s plan when the specifics of how the mission’s success will be assured are presented to Congress.
Congress has very few days remaining on its legislative calendar this year, but I can assure you that I will continue to call for the House to remain in session to complete the people's work. My travels throughout the First District - and the correspondence I receive from folks like you - have made it clear that the people of America's First want action. I am committed to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to achieve responsible public policy that ensures this nation remains the greatest the world has ever known.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Congressman Rob Wittman’s Weekly Update; June 18th, 2014
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| English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
As I serve America’s First District in Congress, I take very seriously my constitutional duty, laid out in Article 1, Section 8, that we provide for the common defense of this nation. Connected directly to that is the oversight role Congress plays over the Administration’s foreign policy decisions. There has been considerable attention given to the recent prisoner exchange involving Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, in which five Taliban leaders were released from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. I have had deep concerns with the manner in which this release was conducted, especially in light of the fact that the Administration chose not to notify Congress until after the release was made – in direct violation of a law the President himself signed requiring him to notify Congress at least 30 days prior to such an action.
This past Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee heard testimony from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on this release. Despite the Secretary’s testimony, I am still unconvinced by the Administration’s assessment of the likelihood of these individuals returning to the battlefield, and the degree to which they remain a threat to our national security. When I was Chairman of the Armed Services Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, I conducted a study on the recidivism rates for detainees released from Guantanamo Bay to determine the likelihood of them re-entering the fight against the United States and our allies. At the time, the study found that 27 percent of these detainees return to the battlefield after being released. We simply cannot forget that our nation remains at war in Afghanistan, and that our servicemen and women are still at risk.
These five detainees will be under a one-year supervision period in Qatar. I am concerned about the unknown quality of enforcement of the government of Qatar, as transferring detainees there has proven unsuccessful in the past. During the Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, I asked simply, “What happens to these detainees after a year?” The answer is clearly not that simple. The intelligence we currently have on these individuals – and the data on the chances of them returning to the battlefield – indicate significant, unjustifiable risk. If even one death of an American is linked to this detainee release, it will be an enormous and unprecedented policy failure, and the responsibility and accountability for that will fall solely on the President’s shoulders.
This is a serious issue with significant ramifications for our national security, and substantial implications for future foreign policy decisions. I am fully committed to continuing to press the Administration on its rationale behind releasing the five detainees and their plans to ensure that these dangerous individuals do not target Americans, and, as always, I remain committed to conducting the oversight role that is my constitutional duty. You can view the video of me questioning Secretary Hagel here.
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 represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman's Weekly Address, April 15th, 2014
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| English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Although Mother Nature has not quite decided, the calendar tells us spring is here. We welcome the hope of warmer weather, a chance to put away those winter coats, and plan a trip to the park with the children or grandchildren. And as the season changes to warm, welcoming weather, along comes a day and topic that, to some, may not be so welcoming: Tax Day.
Every year, April brings the deadline to file your tax return. Many Virginians have completed their paperwork and sent off a check to the federal government. But do you question where your money is allocated? Do you wonder if the IRS is being fair and impartial to each taxpayer? Do you believe that Washington spends your money wisely and with prudence?
Like many Americans, I believe government spending is out-of-control. We have lost faith in institutions such as the IRS as we listen to testimony of citizens citing solid proof of the targeting of certain groups based upon their beliefs. Like many Americans, I believe taxpayers deserve better, and they deserve a simpler, fairer tax code. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, hard working taxpayers across Virginia worked from January 1, 2013 until April 20, 2013, to pay their share of taxes for the year before they began working for themselves. Some are struggling and sacrificing to provide for their families. We must encourage Washington to do better.
That’s why I support legislation to reform federal spending, such as the Balanced Budget Amendment, to ensure Washington doesn’t spend more than it brings in. I have cosponsored H.R. 1950, which would make it a crime for IRS employees to conduct targeted discrimination and would increase the maximum penalty for discriminatory misconduct against taxpayers from termination to criminal punishment. And I support the Fair Tax Act, which would repeal the income tax and employment tax, as well as the estate and gift tax, and replace them with a sales tax on goods and services purchased in the United States. The rate of this sales tax would be consistent across the country for every citizen.
Our nation was founded on the ideas of a representative government that works for its citizens. As I talk to folks across the First District, they support an efficient, fair government that does its job. With some hard work, I believe we can get there.
Every year, April brings the deadline to file your tax return. Many Virginians have completed their paperwork and sent off a check to the federal government. But do you question where your money is allocated? Do you wonder if the IRS is being fair and impartial to each taxpayer? Do you believe that Washington spends your money wisely and with prudence?
Like many Americans, I believe government spending is out-of-control. We have lost faith in institutions such as the IRS as we listen to testimony of citizens citing solid proof of the targeting of certain groups based upon their beliefs. Like many Americans, I believe taxpayers deserve better, and they deserve a simpler, fairer tax code. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, hard working taxpayers across Virginia worked from January 1, 2013 until April 20, 2013, to pay their share of taxes for the year before they began working for themselves. Some are struggling and sacrificing to provide for their families. We must encourage Washington to do better.
That’s why I support legislation to reform federal spending, such as the Balanced Budget Amendment, to ensure Washington doesn’t spend more than it brings in. I have cosponsored H.R. 1950, which would make it a crime for IRS employees to conduct targeted discrimination and would increase the maximum penalty for discriminatory misconduct against taxpayers from termination to criminal punishment. And I support the Fair Tax Act, which would repeal the income tax and employment tax, as well as the estate and gift tax, and replace them with a sales tax on goods and services purchased in the United States. The rate of this sales tax would be consistent across the country for every citizen.
Our nation was founded on the ideas of a representative government that works for its citizens. As I talk to folks across the First District, they support an efficient, fair government that does its job. With some hard work, I believe we can get there.
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/
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