In the age of procrastination and irresponsible spending in Washington, continuing resolutions have become a comfortable fall back for Congress. Instead of buckling down, skipping the archaic breaks, and getting spending bills done in time for measured debate, lawmakers look to last-minute, stop gap measures to fund the federal government. The last time Congress was able to maintain… Read more »
WASHINGTON – Congressman Wittman applauds passage by the House Natural Resources Committee of legislation that would grant federal recognition to six Virginia Indian tribes. Wittman’s bill, H.R. 872, was included in a larger package of federal recognition bills that were considered by the Committee late last week.
Wittman’s legislation would right long-standing historical wrongs by… Read more »
Most of us are familiar with the idiom “never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” It’s the mantra of the industrious. Want to see progress? Want to find success? Want to reach the next rung on that ladder? Finish the task at hand and move on to the next one. That’s how we get from where we are to where we want to be.
Mark Twain had a slightly different play on the phrase.… Read more »
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) this week sent the following letter to Speaker Paul Ryan advocating against the adjournment of the House of Representatives for August recess:
Dear Mr. Speaker,
I am disappointed that Congress again plans to leave Washington, D.C. for August recess without addressing critical issues important to the American people. As you know, I have long… Read more »
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after President Obama appeared before a joint session of Congress to deliver his final State of the Union address:
“Before the President’s State of the Union address tonight, I said that I hoped he would deliver a cogent, comprehensive strategy for defeating ISIS. I was disappointed to hear him double down… Read more »
It’s hard to believe that the year is coming to an end, and in just a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating the start of a new one. We’re right in the middle of resolution season, and I’ve been thinking a lot about mine. Those of us who have broken resolutions before—and with my wife Kathryn’s delicious cooking, I’ve broken a few—know that change is impossible without action. I’ve heard it said… Read more »
WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Readiness, introduced the Accountability, Collaboration, and Transfer (ACT) Now for Veterans legislation, which includes measures to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits claim process and expedite Veteran access to quality care.
“In recent years, Congress… Read more »
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) supported passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016. The annual legislation, which the House of Representatives approved by a bipartisan vote of 370-58, provides policy guidance and authorization for the Department of Defense.
The vote comes on the heels of the President’s veto of an earlier version… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
