As I speak with constituents around the First District about the issues important to them, energy is often near the top of the list. Folks are deeply concerned about our dependence on foreign sources of energy, and the lack of diversity in our nation’s energy infrastructure. I share these concerns, and I proudly voted for legislation recently to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline (H.R. 5682). The Keystone XL Pipeline is a project that has been awaiting approval by the Obama Administration for years now and that has the potential to create a significant number of jobs for Americans. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the House but unfortunately failed to pass in the Senate.
Approval of this pipeline is a critical part of an all-of-the-above energy policy, one in which we are exploring all options to ensure energy security in this country. I believe it is possible to both harness our natural resources, as well as preserve them for future generations. I will continue to push for the Keystone XL Pipeline’s approval and advocate for energy policies that include responsible development of oil and natural gas as well as alternative forms of energy, such as renewables.
I was also proud to vote for another piece of legislation that would generate increased economic activity and domestic job creation. The Promoting New Manufacturing Act (H.R. 4795) would streamline the EPA permitting process used for construction of new U.S. factories or on existing ones. Too many of these projects are currently slowed down by unnecessary red tape related to Clean Air Act compliance. The delays caused by this antiquated process are hindering the ability of businesses to expand and hire more workers. Again, I believe we can grow our manufacturing base and our nation’s economy in an environmentally-responsible way.
No single solution exists to get our economy rolling again, but I often hear folks in the First District say that the biggest problem they see is excessive government interference. If the government would just get out of their way, they could grow their businesses and, in turn, grow our economy. I will continue to support legislation like H.R. 4795 so that we can enable our businesses to jumpstart the economy and help us advance toward an economic renaissance.
The main streets of Virginia’s First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at (202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman.)
