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National Defense

My view: House committee seeks answers for naval collisions

| Posted in Press Releases

Dear Friend- As you know, in the early hours of August 21, 2017, the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel on its way to Singapore. Just one month earlier, another Japan-based destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a similar vessel off the coast of Japan. I was on official travel in the Pacific at the time of the USS John S. McCain collision, so I altered my…

What do you think about the new Afghanistan strategy?

| Posted in Press Releases

Dear Friend- Earlier this week President Trump announced the United States’ renewed commitment to our operations in Afghanistan. The Administration’s new strategy: • Ends the era of giving the enemy our timeline to withdraw troops • Shifts the focus of our presence in Afghanistan to national security instead of nation building • Strengthens our partnership with India to promote…

Wittman on Latest North Korea Missile Launch

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON- Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement following his August 28, 2017 visit to Japan, in response to the latest missile launch by North Korea: “Having just departed Japan, the latest missile launch from North Korea directly threatens our close ally, Japan. This is North Korea’s second…

Wittman Visits 7th Fleet

| Posted in Press Releases

Wittman Visits 7th Fleet WASHINGTON - Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement following his August 28th visit to the U.S. 7th Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan in response to the collision of the USS John S. McCain off the coast of Singapore on August 21: “I met with Vice Admiral Sawyer…

Wittman Statement Following Visit to the Republic of Korea

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON- Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement following his August 26th meeting with U.S. Forces-Korea Commander Vincent K. Brooks during his visit to the Republic of Korea. "After meeting with GEN Vincent Brooks, Commander, US Forces-Korea, I remain encouraged by our US military's ability to…

Wittman Statement on Afghanistan Strategy

| Posted in Press Releases

Wittman Statement on Afghanistan Strategy August 22, 2017 WASHINGTON - Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) Rep Rob Wittman (VA-1), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee made the following statement on President Trump’s strategy for Afghanistan. “I support the Trump Administration’s announcement to renew our commitment to U.S. operations in Afghanistan. I am…

Wittman Statement Regarding USS John S. McCain Collision

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON-Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement following the collision of the USS John S. McCain off the coast of Singapore: "My thoughts and prayers are with the crew of the USS John S. McCain after last night's collision. I am grateful for the hard work of the search and rescue teams as they look for the ten missing sailors. “While I support the Chief…

Weekly Update - A story you're not hearing

| Posted in Weekly Updates

Dear Friend - Let's face it: there is a lot of news coming out of Washington these days. And much of it is designed to draw a reaction from you or get you to take sides. But there is another story out there that you're not hearing. That's the story of the important accomplishments made by the House during the first eight months of this year. From the outset of 2017, we made it…

My view: Spending bill prioritizes defense, veterans

| Posted in Press Releases

Dear Friend- Before adjourning for recess, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a critical bill to fund the Department of Defense, including our nuclear weapons programs, military construction projects, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Passing the Make America Secure Appropriations Act sends a strong signal that we are dedicated to the safety and security of all Americans…

my view: our defense has three focus areas: growth, technology & budget

| Posted in Press Releases

Dear Friend - As an Armed Services Subcommittee Chairman, my focus is on strengthening our national security and maintaining Virginia's role in ensuring our military remains the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. To do that, three specific areas I am working on are boosting the base defense budget, growing the size of the Navy's Fleet to 355 ships, and utilizing…