Congressman Morgan Griffith announces he has reintroduced H.R. 323, a bill to preserve amendments made to the Black Lung Benefits Act by Obamacare. “This two-page bill is all we need to keep one of the good things found among the two thousand pages of Obamacare,” said Griffith. “While I support repealing Obamacare, I believe it is wrong to take away these Black Lung benefits that miners and their widows need. My legislation would keep intact the amendments that were made to the Black Lung Benefi...
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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) received his committee assignments for the 115th Congress. Congressman Griffith will again serve on the Subcommittee on Health, the Subcommittee on Energy, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Congressman Griffith was named Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee last week. He issued the following statement: “I am honored to once again serve on the House Energy and Commerce Commi...
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Beyond Obamacare Every day brings new word of the damage Obamacare has inflicted on our healthcare system. As long as this law is on the books, it will diminish the quality, affordability, and choice of healthcare for everyday Americans. In the seven years since Obamacare became law, the promises made by its creators have been broken. President Obama told us that we could keep our doctors. You can’t always. President Obama told us we could keep our insurance if we liked it. You can’t. Instead mi...
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Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) was named Vice Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. “I am honored to be named Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations,” said Congressman Griffith. “In this position, I will be able to lead efforts to ensure that the laws falling under the full Committee’s jurisdiction are being faithfully executed and upheld. I look forward to working with Chairman Walden, Chairman M...
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Israel; Better Process Means Better Policy Recently, President Obama oversaw the failure of the United States to veto a United Nations resolution against Israel. John Kerry then gave a speech lasting more than an hour blasting Israel regarding peace talks with the Palestinians. It is my opinion this was wrong. It is hard to reach a peace accord recognizing a new nation-state (Palestine) when the Palestinians and many of their Arab supporters refuse to recognize the right of Israel to exist. If y...
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Celebrating All Twelve Days of Christmas “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is one of the most popular carols for this time of the year. Its alliteration like “swans a swimming,” outlandish gifts like “twelve lords a leaping,” and repetition make it an enjoyable song to sing and hear. Artists from Perry Como to John Denver and the Muppets have recorded their own versions that are played during the Christmas season. The exact origins of the lyrics have been lost to time. Some theories suggest the son...
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Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of January. In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk. Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions or to confirm that traveling hours are still in effect. January 3, 2017 Richlands: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Richlands To...
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Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) unfortunately released the final version of its Stream Protection Rule (SPR). The Department first revealed the proposed rule in July 2015. With today’s release, the rule will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and would therefore take effect thirty days after publication on January 19th, 2017. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said, “I will continue to fight this rule with every t...
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A Christmas Message The Christmas season is a time to gather to celebrate. The Nativity story is familiar to most, whether Christian or not: Mary and Joseph with Jesus in a manger, where shepherds and kings came to honor him. For over two thousand years, we have celebrated this event and pondered its meaning. The Christmas story celebrates the promise of redemption for our world. While I respect those of all faiths, as a believer, Christmas is most important to me and to many in the Ninth Congre...
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Clearing the Air at the EPA President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is welcome news. As Oklahoma’s attorney general, Pruitt has strongly pushed back against many rules and regulations coming from Washington, DC. In particular, he has led states in suing to block the EPA’s overreaching policies. Many in the media report this news with shock. They wonder how someone “CURRENTLY SUING” the EPA could possibly be fit to lead it. I wi...
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