National Defense

Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) issued the following statement in response to an Administration memo outlining a plan to veto legislation that provides funding for our military and pay increases for our troops: "For decades, Congress has worked together—in spite of party division—to draft and enact legislation that supports and protects our war fighters and bolsters our national security.… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, released the following statement in response to the President’s announcement about new troop levels in Afghanistan: “The President’s new troop cap reveals either a lack of understanding or a lack of concern about our mission in Afghanistan. Budget constraints and critical… Read more »

Last weekend, American-born radical Islamist and self-proclaimed ISIS loyalist Omar Mateen entered Pulse night club in Orlando, Florida and opened fire. It was three long, harrowing hours before law enforcement officials were finally able to storm the night club and end the gunman’s reign of terror. By the time the ordeal had finally drawn to a close, 49 American men and women were dead… Read more »

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” ~John 15:13 Etched on simple white markers in Arlington National Cemetery are the names of the men and women who fought and died, who gave what Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion,” to secure our American way of life. Each of those names represents a choice—a decision to live and die in… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) supported House passage yesterday evening of H.R. 4909, the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The annual defense legislation includes language that Congressman Wittman ushered through as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and sets aside $5 billion in additional funds for ship and aircraft… Read more »

“An overwhelming desire to serve.” That’s the answer a Marine Corps Major gave me earlier this week when I asked him why he chose to join the military. “I wanted to be a part of and serve something greater than I ever could on my own,” he told me, “and I wanted to protect, on a small scale, my family and friends, and on a larger scale, a way of life. If you were to ask most people who… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement in response to yesterday’s coordinated terrorist attacks in Belgium: “Atrocities like those in Brussels have become too commonplace. ISIS is hitting harder and closer to home with each act of terror. Their goal is to create chaos in the name of jihad. Democracy demands that we fight against that. “As we always… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-1), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, made the following statement today after the release of the Department of Defense’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017: “The President’s budget proposal shows a lack of understanding when it comes to meeting our national security needs. While the Administration has acknowledged… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, along with Governor Terry McAuliffe, U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes, Rob Wittman, Gerry Connolly, Robert Hurt, Dave Brat, Don Beyer and Scott Rigell released the following statement welcoming the groundbreaking of a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia. “After… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) voted yesterday in favor of H.R. 3662, the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act. The measure would enhance Congress’s oversight role and prevent the President from removing individuals and entities from a restricted list maintained by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control until the Administration has certified that… Read more »