Opinion Pieces by Rob
WASHINGTON – This week, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) spoke at a press conference on H.R. 5859, the Trillion Trees Act. U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) also attended the event.
We just ended the longest government shutdown in American history. We reached a point of dysfunction that few had ever seen.
As we begin a divided 116th Congress with government funding uncertainty, Congress will soon find itself in another financial predicament — securing defense spending levels on par with the needs of our Department of Defense.
Defense spending: critical to Virginia's economy
Virginia's critical role in our nation's defense is undeniable. The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to 27 military bases, representing every branch, along with the Pentagon — the headquarters of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the largest office building in the world.
While news cycles and memes have recently focused on the future Space Force, I believe we need to first focus on another, already existing force: the Ready Reserve Force (RRF).
It has been nearly nine months since the USS McCain collided with Alnic MC off the coast of Singapore, and almost 11 months since the USS Fitzgerald collided with MV ACX Crystal south of Yokosuka, Japan. While I applaud the U.S. Navy's efforts to address the root causes of these tragic collisions, I believe more must be done to prevent similar events in the future.