Opinion Pieces by Rob
Long before I understood public policy, I understood lesson plans. Growing up, our kitchen table often doubled as my mother's classroom. After teaching all day, she would come home and spend her evenings grading papers, preparing tomorrow's lessons, and thinking about how she could better serve her students. She taught in Hanover County and later at Marymount High School in Richmond, and I saw firsthand the commitment she brought to her profession every single day.
When I was in college, I painted houses during the summer and worked as an apprentice electrician. I sold tickets for the Richmond Braves, stocked grocery shelves, cleaned carpets, worked in restaurants, and parked cars at Kings Dominion. Every one of those jobs depended on someone making something, growing something, or building something. Those jobs taught me that there's satisfaction in seeing something tangible at the end of a hard day's work.
America 250 is an opportunity to celebrate the freedoms secured by the sacrifices of our Founders. It is also a moment to renew our commitment to preserving the American Dream for future generations.
For two and a half centuries, the United States has stood as a beacon of hope, freedom, and self-determination. Few places are more closely connected to that story than Virginia.
For communities across Virginia’s First District, the Chesapeake Bay is more than just a body of water; it is the backbone of the economy and a way of life. The Bay is a major economic driver, supporting thousands of jobs that families in our region depend on and generating over $1 billion in economic activity. Spanning over 64,000 square miles, the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most vital resources in our nation, but it continues to face challenges.
Every year, Tax Day arrives with a familiar sense of anxiety, as millions of Americans wait to see what they owe or what they’ll get back. This year feels different.
Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, April 15 is no longer just a deadline. It is a moment of relief for millions of hardworking Americans who are seeing real, tangible benefits in their paychecks and tax refunds.
The tragic killing of a Virginia mother at a Fairfax County bus stop is a devastating reminder that public safety is not theoretical. It is about real lives, real families and real consequences when systems meant to protect our communities fail.
As a mother and a grandfather, we care deeply about the online safety of America's children. Advancements in artificial intelligence hold immense potential, but sadly, children are being irreparably harmed online by deepfake exploitation with little to no legal consequences.
Our nation has been addressing bullying for years now. But sharing deepfakes and exploiting nonconsensual intimate imagery goes far beyond bullying. This is criminal behavior that demands swift and decisive action. As the digital world constantly evolves, our laws must, too.
The Chinese Communist Party's recent decision to restrict exports of rare earth elements and magnets stunned many pundits and analysts. But for those who have observed China's decades-long campaign to consolidate and control the rare earth industry, it was entirely predictable.
As the representative for Virginia's 1st District in Congress, I take seriously the legislative branch's responsibility to ensure the federal government operates efficiently, effectively and in the best interests of the American people. Across party lines, there's growing agreement: Washington must get its fiscal house in order by spending taxpayer dollars wisely while focusing on results that matter to everyday Americans.
I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, spending my early years hunting, fishing and learning from the natural world around me. That foundation led me to a career in environmental science, serving over two decades with the Virginia Department of Health, studying water quality in the bay to ensure its shellfish were safe to harvest. Today, those experiences continue to shape my approach to serving the people of Virginia's 1st District in Congress.