WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today on his selection as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces: “I am honored and ready to serve the American people as the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Chairman in the 115th Congress. Since 2008, I have served as a member of the Subcommittee and worked diligently with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of a stronger, more capable Navy and vi...
Read more
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) reintroduced two pieces of legislation today as part of his ongoing efforts to increase accountability in Washington: the No Budget, No Pay Act and the Stay on Schedule (S.O.S.) Resolution. “People are sick and tired of government-by-crisis. They want to see Washington at work for them. For far too long, Congress has chosen to fund the government through short-sighted, stop-gap budget measures,” Wittman said. “It’s time for us to put aside partisan bic...
Read more
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” For the sixth time, I have been blessed to stand up before God and Country and promise to defend t...
Read more
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) voted today in favor of H.R. 26, the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017 (REINS). This measure would enhance oversight over the current regulatory process by requiring Congressional approval of any new major rule before it can be enforced. A major rule would be defined as a regulation that could result in major price increases for consumers, has an annual effect of $100 million or more on the economy, or causes adverse effect...
Read more
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after voting against H.R. 2028, a short-term continuing resolution that would extend government operations through April 28, 2017: “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: continuing resolutions are a bad way for Washington to do business. This bill is the result of broken process and a lack of accountability. Our job is to do the people’s work and to do it on time. These last-minute, stop-gap measures create ...
Read more
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and the adoption and ratification of the United States Constitution, there remained a heightened level of anxiety about the kind of power the President might wield. The nation—in its early infancy—needed an executive who was strong enough to protect the national interests, but not so strong that his rule was oppressive to the people (who had just come out from under the thumb of the tyrannical King George III). He had to be balanced, level-headed, and ab...
Read more
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after House passage of legislation that provides temporary funding for government operations through December 9, 2016: “I have consistently said that continuing resolutions are a lazy and irresponsible way to fund government operations. These short-term, stop-gap funding mechanisms create uncertainty for federal workers, perpetuate waste by prolonging inefficient and ineffective government programs, foster partisa...
Read more
In the age of procrastination and irresponsible spending in Washington, continuing resolutions have become a comfortable fall back for Congress. Instead of buckling down, skipping the archaic breaks, and getting spending bills done in time for measured debate, lawmakers look to last-minute, stop gap measures to fund the federal government. The last time Congress was able to maintain regular operations without a continuing resolution was in 1996—two decades ago. I’ve said before that continuing r...
Read more
WASHINGTON – Congressman Wittman applauds passage by the House Natural Resources Committee of legislation that would grant federal recognition to six Virginia Indian tribes. Wittman’s bill, H.R. 872, was included in a larger package of federal recognition bills that were considered by the Committee late last week. Wittman’s legislation would right long-standing historical wrongs by extending federal recognition to the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock,...
Read more
Most of us are familiar with the idiom “never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” It’s the mantra of the industrious. Want to see progress? Want to find success? Want to reach the next rung on that ladder? Finish the task at hand and move on to the next one. That’s how we get from where we are to where we want to be. Mark Twain had a slightly different play on the phrase. “Never put off [until] tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well,” he said. For too long, that’s b...
Read more
