The official start of summer is nearly here, and I hope that many of you have been able to take advantage of the warm weather with your friends and family as we recognize National Outdoors Month in June. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee in the House of Representatives, I am frequently debating and voting on legislation that impacts our natural areas. My two decades working in the field of public health as a shellfish sanitation specialist certainly provided me with a unique perspective on the committee, and as a father and grandfather, I consider the conservation of our natural resources to be one of my main priorities in Congress.
Among these natural resources that our government has a role in managing are our fisheries. I believe that any program the government implements should be thoughtful, utilizing the best data and science available in a transparent manner. Recently, I played a major role in successfully passing a bill to strengthen the way our marine resources are managed. This effort is critical for promoting robust domestic seafood and recreational fishing industries, both of which play an undeniably significant economic role in Virginia and across the nation. This legislation – the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act – promotes better science and requires the consideration of more data in managing fisheries. This is a commonsense effort to increase transparency and improve decision making, and I am hopeful that the Senate will pass it soon.
Decisions about the natural resources, of course, are sometimes a bit more personal, such as parents considering the safety of their children in the outdoors. Lyme and other tick-borne diseases continue to have an impact on many families in our region, and I’ve been committed to raising awareness of these conditions and ensuring that Virginians have the opportunity to hear from experts about important steps they can take to protect their families. Just recently, I hosted a forum on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Manassas, which featured panelists from the Virginia Department of Health and the National Capital Lyme Disease Association. Raising awareness of these conditions is absolutely critical. If you ever have questions related to this issue, please know that my office can be a resource.
As we transition into summer, the House of Representatives will be considering a number of significant policies, and I hope you’ll reach out to me with your opinions. The thoughts and feedback of Virginia residents is instrumental to me. A meeting on education policy with my First District Education Council in Manassas and a roundtable discussion in Fredericksburg about the importance of veteran-owned business are just two examples of the many recent opportunities I’ve had to hear from folks back home about what policies they’d like to see coming out of Washington.
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).
