“Are they dead that speak louder than we can speak, and a more universal language? Are they dead that yet act?” Sebastian Junger, a journalist and documentary film-maker who spent a year in Afghanistan embedded with a platoon in the Korengal Valley (once considered the deadliest valley in the country) made an important observation about war. He said that “the core reality of war isn’t that you might get killed out there, it’s that you’re guaranteed to lose your brothers.” That is a reality that ...
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As children, many of us were told the story of the grasshopper and the ant, and most of us probably know it well. During summer, when the days were warm and it was hard to imagine winter’s famine, the grasshopper rested and played while the ant was hard at work gathering food for scarcer times. When the winter did finally come, the grasshopper found himself starving while the ant and his friends ate heartily from the store they had collected months before. It isn’t difficult to see how that chil...
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During these past couple of weeks, I have been thinking a lot about leadership and what it means to be a leader. According to Douglas MacArthur, leadership is about integrity. “A true leader,” he said, “has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” As individuals, we aspire to live up to that standard e...
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Last week was a busy one here in Washington as Fiscal Year 2015 came to a close and Congress was forced to scramble to keep the government running with a short-term funding bill called a continuing resolution. Time and time again, I have said that continuing resolutions are a short-sighted and irresponsible way to fund government operations. Yet, once again, Washington has refused to commit to a budget process that allows time for proper and timely deliberation. We cannot rely on last-minute, sn...
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Folks, Our region will be experiencing significant rainfall through the weekend from coastal storms including Hurricane Joaquin, and Governor McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency to allow state agencies to better respond to flooding and related issues. According to the National Weather Service, hurricane season spans from June 1 through November 30, and in coastal Virginia and communities all along the East Coast, planning and preparedness is a top priority. Of course, we all hope that na...
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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...
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"It is absolutely critical to have a full and organic understanding of the challenges our servicemen and women face every day, both on and off the battlefield."
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The dog days of summer are rolling in, and things have been heating up across the First District and in Washington as I continue working to find solutions to the challenges facing our nation. These challenges are substantial, but they are not unsolvable, and the hearings and meetings I have in both Washington and Virginia are geared toward building a thorough understanding of the issues and generating thoughtful, healthy debates about possible solutions. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportun...
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For our system of government to truly work, American citizens and those who represent them must remain consistently engaged in a healthy discussion about the issues at hand. Throughout my time serving the First District, I’ve found few issues that generate as much passion as the debate surrounding the health care overhaul law often referred to as Obamacare. This debate has been going on for years and will surely remain at the forefront of policy discussions for years to come. The most recent cha...
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"My analysis centered on a few overarching questions: Do these directives stand to benefit the American people and our nation’s economy? Do the directives enable the U.S. to negotiate from a position of power? Or, on the other hand, are they weak and vague, allowing negotiators to conveniently leave out provisions that are important to industries in Virginia, solely for the sake of finalizing a deal more quickly?"
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