National Defense

Getting immigration reform right is critical out of respect for those that have pursued citizenship under our system of laws. Read more »

I believe Congress has an opportunity and an obligation to do the right thing and truly address out-of-control spending in a responsible way - not on the backs of dedicated patriots working for the DoD or any federal government agency. Read more »

Being able to take questions and clarify my views on various subjects is always important, but I particularly value the opportunity to hear specific ideas and opinions from citizens. That’s why I meet frequently with constituents in my district offices and visit so many workplaces and organizations across the district. Read more »

The fact that even DoD teachers will be furloughed, potentially impacting the education and classroom experience of the children of our military families, shows just how irrational this policy is as a whole. Read more »

The First District is full of phenomenal individuals who serve our nation in a myriad of ways, whether with one of our service branches or in an executive branch agency, and I am proud to represent a region where service for one’s community is held in such high regard. Read more »

While it is absolutely necessary to reduce government spending and change the way Washington operates, sequestration is a haphazard method that fails to protect the necessary functions of government. That is why I have voted to replace the sequester with more targeted, specific spending reductions to rid the government of waste. Read more »

Congress’s military oversight role is something that I take incredibly seriously, and I am proud to represent a district with such a rich history of military service and respect for those who defend our nation. Read more »

Washington’s continual trend of kicking the can down the road is not acceptable to individuals and families across the United States, and I believe Congress and the White House have an obligation to pursue long-term fixes to the problems facing our nation. Read more »

I strongly believe that our defense funding should be driven by the need to do all we can to defend this nation and support our men and women in uniform. While this budget does restore significant funding to our defense budget for FY 2014, extensive budget cuts, known as sequestration, remain in place, and I believe these cuts must be replaced in order to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the highest caliber of resources and training that they need to accomplish their missions. Read more »

... forced budget cuts, known as “sequestration,” will irreparably harm our nation’s security and its all-volunteer force, and in turn will affect so many individuals and families in Virginia. While I was pleased that the president acknowledged the many challenges facing Virginia, I was disappointed not to hear more specifics for how he thinks this immediate challenge should be addressed. These cuts could have drastic implications for our region, not to mention risking the readiness of our armed forces and the functionality of our federal government. Read more »