WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) voted today against final approval of The Bipartisan Budget Agreement Act, H.R. 1314. This deal, negotiated behind closed doors, would lift the debt ceiling until March 2017 and adjust spending caps for two years by $80 billion with an increase of $50 billion in the first year and $30 billion in the second year, equally divided between defense and non-defense discretionary spending. The legislation passed by a vote of 266-167. “The negotiations that le...
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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 equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” As individuals, we aspire to live up to that standard e...
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WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today following the President’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2016: “For the first time in this nation’s history, the President has chosen to veto the National Defense Authorization Act over domestic policy differences and deny our military critical funding. This bipartisan legislation grants the President the full $612 billion he requested for our nation’s defense programs, and yet he h...
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In August, this newspaper published an editorial that described the challenges that commuters and businesses in our region face because of the debilitating traffic on our roads. As a commuter myself and as a representative of a congressional district that covers much of the Interstate 95 corridor in Northern Virginia, as well as the Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula and a significant portion of Hampton Roads, I am familiar with both the veins and arteries that make up Virginia’s transportation...
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Last week, Congress fulfilled its constitutional duties by passing the annual defense policy legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act, for fiscal year 2016. The bill simply awaits President Barack Obama's signature to become law and assure our men and women in uniform that they will have the tools and resources they need. Despite strong bipartisan support for the legislation, the president has promised to veto the bill in order to gain leverage for increased domestic spending demands....
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WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) withdrew his name from consideration for the position of Speaker of the House: “Today’s events reinforce the need for strong, united Republican leadership in the House. I will continue to remind all leadership candidates that my top priorities include returning Congress to a regular budgeting and appropriations schedule, getting our work done on time, empowering members...
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WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after the House Natural Resources Committee today passed the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406), which Wittman introduced with his fellow Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair, Tim Walz (MN-1), as well as CSC Vice-Chairs Congressmen Jeff Duncan (SC-3) and Gene Green (TX-29): “The SHARE Act is a bipartisan package full of provisions critical for preserving our sporti...
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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 commit to a budget process that allows time for proper and timely deliberation. We cannot rely on last-minute, sn...
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Wittman, Forbes Lead Bipartisan Letter to Navy Secretary on Health of Hampton Roads Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industry WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, and Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, today sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus regarding the challenges facing the shipbuilding and ship repair industry in Hampt...
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Wittman Supports Passage of NDAA Conference Report WASHINGTON – Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Readiness Subcommittee, supported the passage today of the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation, the final version of the bill that establishes the funding authorizations and priorities for the nation’s military, passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 270-156. Duri...
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