Washington, D.C. - Today Congressman Scott Rigell (R-VA) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) spoke with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC regarding their concerns about Congress adjourning in August. Emphasizing a need to stay in Washington to tackle our nation's profound fiscal challenges, Rigell and Warner agreed that packing up and going home for 5 weeks is irresponsible. Rep. Rigell and Sen. Warner spoke with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC July 31, 2013. Last week, Congressman Rigell called on leadership to kee...
Read more
Representative Scott Rigell (VA-2) spoke from the House floor expressing frustration that HR 8, the Fiscal Cliff deal passed by the Senate, fails to address our nation's uncontrolled spending. Full transcript: "What do we know with certainty about the bill which passed the Senate? We know it has bipartisan support and that's encouraging. I am a Republican who has been making the case that revenues must rise. That bill does that, and if it becomes law it would provide some certainty to our tax co...
Read more
The United Nations is considering an Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade of conventional firearms. Congressman Rigell does not support any treaty that abridges constitutional gun ownership rights in the United States. Tens of millions of Americans own and use guns for personal safety, recreation, hunting, and other lawful activities. The Second Amendment clearly establishes not just the right of Americans to own firearms, but the responsibility of the federal government to acti...
Read more
On June 28th, the Supreme Court struck down in a 6 to 3 ruling the Stolen Valor Act of 2005, which declared it a federal misdemeanor to falsely claim receipt of military medals. The case began in 2007, when Xavier Alvarez, a California man, falsely and deliberately declared himself a retired Marine with 25 years of service and the “Congressional Medal of Honor.” He was tried and convicted in a California court under the terms of the Stolen Valor Act, a decision the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ...
Read more
Dear Friend, It is the duty of each Member of Congress to give careful consideration to each vote cast. Certain votes, by virtue of their force if enacted into law, require extraordinary attention and deliberation. Such was the case with two resolutions I voted on yesterday, H.Res. 706 and H.Res. 711, both of which held Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. The resolutions hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress for his failure to fully cooperate with the House of Repr...
Read more
Seven years ago today our region and nation lost 19 brave warriors - 11 Navy SEALs and eight Army Special Operations Soldiers in Operation Red Wings. The acts of valor these men displayed on that fateful June day have not been forgotten. Out of that mission our nation awarded its top honor, the Medal of Honor, to LT Michael Murphy, who was the first service member to receive the Medal of Honor for military action in Afghanistan. Two Navy Cross and other distinguished awards were posthumously giv...
Read more
This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week; therefore, it is imperative that residents make adequate plans for this increase in storm activity in the coming months. With the vulnerability of Hampton Roads to the threat of hurricanes, it is important for residents to ensure that they have plans in place to respond swiftly and appropriately to a hurricane alert – with the resources available to them. This should include the following basic preparations: 1. Build a Kit/”To-Go” bag that contains emerg...
Read more