Looking back on the month of November, I had so many great opportunities to visit with our nation’s heroes throughout Virginia’s First District in celebration of Veterans Day. Our area is home to one of the highest concentration of veterans in the country, and I am honored each chance I get to meet with them and each day I represent them in Congress.
In addition to my visits with veterans, I also hosted a Senior Resources Fair in Fredericksburg, had visitors from King George High School, joined my colleagues in announcing thenew House Suburban Caucus(of which I am chair of the Task Force on Transportation and Infrastructure), and had one of my important pieces of legislation pass the House, the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act.
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Check out these great photo highlights from this month:
To start the month, I had the honor to speak at the Fredericksburg Veterans Forum hosted by Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves at the VFW Post 3103 in Fredericksburg to hear from area veterans about issues that matter most to them and provide vital updates on legislation and projects I am advocating for in Congress.
I participated in the “American First Policies: USMCA – A Better Deal for American Workers” panel discussion hosted by Vice President Mike Pence in Louisa, Virginia. The discussion focused on the United States Mexico Trade Agreement (USMCA) and I spoke on the importance of enacting this new trade deal to strengthen our economy here in VA-01 andthroughout the Commonwealth.
I had a great time talking with folks at Paradise Diner in Fredericksburg, Virginia at last month’s Breakfast with Rob event. I’m working hard on the issues that matter most to Virginians: expanding access to rural broadband, fixing our broken infrastructure, protecting the benefits of our veterans, lowering health care costs, and advocating for our men and women in uniform. It was great to provide an update on all these issues to the folks who came out and to hear from them as well. I believe the best ideas don’t come from Washington, but from my constituents. This is just another way for me to connect with constituents and hear their thoughts and ideas on how to make Washington work better for them.
I hosted the First District Senior Resources Fair in Fredericksburg to connect seniors from the Fredericksburg area with resources that are available to assist them. I provide an update from Washington on the work I am doing and my commitment to lower costs of living, lower drug prices, and to ensure our seniors have access to care that best fits their needs. Representatives of the Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration shared information on how to recognize and avoid scams targeting seniors and provided resources available from their organizations for seniors.
To begin the Veterans Day weekend and my visits to local veterans and veteran groups, I had the honor to officiate a pinning ceremony to recognize the service of Vietnam Veterans in the Fredericksburg area, one of my favorite, outward-facing services to veterans my office provides. This event was hosted through the Celebrate Veterans Group. Thank you for inviting me to participate and thank you to all who took part in the pinning ceremony.
I had the great pleasure to help present a flag, which flew over the Capitol Building, to a local family as well as honor area veterans with medals who attended the Veterans Day Program at First Baptist Church in Loretto. This was facilitated through my office, and you, too, can request a flag to be flown over the Capitol Building for a special occasion or commemoration.Click here for more information.
On Veterans Day Monday, I spoke at the Combined Veterans Organizations of Williamsburg Veterans Day Program to honor service members from every branch who have served our nation and who call Virginia home. I again provided those there with an update on my work in Washington to advocate for veterans and their families, and heard from many folks about issues that affect their day-to-day lives. I will continue to fight for those who fought for us.
I officiated the Annual Veterans Breakfast Commemorative Pinning Ceremony held at the Commonwealth Senior Living Community in Kilmarnock. I presented area veterans with lapel pins honoring and recognizing their service and devotion to our country.Learn more about this Congressional program here. I would like to thank all of you who have served our Nation, for what you have done, and what you continue to do.
Seniors and faculty from King George High School stopped by Capitol Hill for a quick visit on a chilly, mid-November day in Washington to hear more about the work we do in Congress and the House of Representatives. I provided them with an update on important work I am doing in Washington, especially relating to career and technical education initiatives and supporting STEM programs for our nation’s students to excel in a modern workforce.
I travelled down to King George County to speak at the 300th anniversary of the founding of King George County. I presented to them remarks I entered into the Congressional Record in recognition of this momentous occasion and an American flag which was flown over the U.S. Capitol Building specifically for this celebration. The area we know as King George has a long and storied history that is integral to the overall history and development of America's government and way of life as we know it today. I reaffirmed my commitment to work with local leaders on important grant applications for area projects and on continuing to advocate for the men and women working at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in King George.
I hosted the First District Rural Veterans Resources Fair at the American Legion Post 75 in Gloucester. The purpose of this event was to connect veterans on the Middle Peninsula with resources available to assist them. The morning started with a brief presentation by representatives of the USDA Rural Development program and the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Supporting area veterans is one of my highest priorities in Congress, so I was so glad to host this event to increase awareness of valuable resources available to veterans here in our area.
Just before the Thanksgiving recess, I, along with several of my colleagues, announced the new House Suburban Caucus. The Suburban Caucus will focus on increasing the quality of life for suburban families across the country. As Chair of the Better Infrastructure for our Future Task Force, I will be addressing some of the issues that are most important to suburban Americans: less congestion on major commuter roads, reliable passenger rail, safer, more efficient transportation solutions, and ensuring all have access to quality, high speed internet. As the Caucus continues to develop our critical mission of increasing the quality of life for folks in suburban areas, I will continue to advocate for these initiatives and many more in Congress.
