Friend- Like you, I care deeply for the Chesapeake Bay; unfortunately, the Bay faces many ecological challenges. Prior to serving in Congress, I conducted field research in the Bay as a state health official—so I know firsthand the necessity of its restoration. Cleaning up the Bay by restoring water quality, protecting critical habitats, and restoring plant and animal life is a smart investment for the long term economic prosperity of all Virginians. As such, I wanted to update you on some of th...
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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 a priority to work on the issues that matter most to you and I believe we took meaningful steps to grow our economy, str...
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Dear Friend- This week President Trump signed a proclamation declaring July 16-July 22, as “Made in America Week.” This week we pay special tribute to all goods and services produced by hard working Americans. The House is following that directive by passing a variety of bills that favor utilizing American made energy to bring reliable, affordable electricity to homes and businesses across the nation. I was proud to support these pieces of legislation. H.R. 2883 - Promoting Cross-Border Energy I...
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Friend- Due to our shared interest in Virginia’s natural resources, I wanted to update you on a hearing we had last week in Washington. Last Wednesday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke appeared before the Natural Resources Committee to testify on the Administration’s budget proposal. As a member of this committee, I advocated for our local priorities by asking about federal recognition of native tribes in Virginia and if the Department of the Interior believes both the oil and gas industry and mili...
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Representative John Sarbanes (D-Md.-03), a member of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, and Representative Rob Wittman (R-Va.-01), a senior member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, have introduced legislation in both the Senate (S. 1430) and the House of Representatives (H.R. 3063) to reauthorize the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails program run by the National ...
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Friends - I wanted to share with you an article that appeared in the Sports Section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch over the weekend. The interview for this piece was conducted during a short fishing trip on Cranston's Mill Pond where Tee Clarkson and I discussed my work on behalf of Virginians, particularly in the areas of national security and protecting the environment. I hope you will contact me any time an issue that concerns you is before Congress. It's an honor to serve you and Virginia's ...
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WASHINGTON - Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) today released the following statements on President Trump's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2018. On the budget: "This budget proposal rightly prioritizes defense, national security, and controlling spending on mandatory programs, which are the major drivers of our debt. And I support the efforts in this budget to reduce the deficit and debt. “It is now up to Congress to review this proposal and make decisions about future spending. I will be working...
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WASHINGTON -- With Saturday marking 100 days into the Trump Administration, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) highlighted his constituent engagement efforts during that time in an email to First District residents. The email spotlighted the overall number of constituent contacts Rep. Wittman made during the first 100 days and also included figures for constituent correspondence received, responses sent, bills introduced, and forums held. "Listening to constituents is my top priority and helps me b...
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WASHINGTON - Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) and Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-32), members of the House Natural Resources Committee, have reintroduced the Water Resources Research Amendments Act (H.R. 1663) to extend a Federal-State partnership aimed at addressing state and regional water problems, promoting distribution and application of research results, and providing training and practical experience for water-related scientists and engineers. “We need to give states and local governments the best ...
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Friends - On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the creation and management of marine monuments and sanctuaries. The panel overwhelmingly objected to the lack of local input, transparency and scientific scrutiny in the marine monument designation process. I pressed the panel on issues surrounding marine monuments and sanctuaries that take fishing management decisions away from states and transfer them to federal bureaucrats...
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