Opinion Pieces by Rob
The chorus of resistance may have quieted, but the deafening effect of compounding budget cuts on our military blares through the halls of the homes of men and women in uniform, the buildings of our military bases, the rings of the Pentagon and our nation's Department of Defense (DoD).
By Scott Rigell, Randy Forbes and Rob Wittman
The Virginian-Pilot
February 24, 2013
In a House Armed Services Committee hearing, a picture of Naval Station Norfolk was circulated, showing five U.S. aircraft carriers and four large deck amphibious assault ships moored to the pier. Various other logistic support ships and surface combatants idled in port.
The cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay has been lauded recently, as Gov. Bob McDonnell announced last month that Virginia was "exceeding its commitments" under the Chesapeake Bay Program and was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as achieving the greatest reduction of nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
From Yorktown to Fredericksburg and A.P. Hill to Quantico, the spirits of patriotism and selflessness are powerful in Virginia's First District; it is truly a place where folks understand the sacrifices that are an unforgettable part of the history of our nation. It is also a region where we remember those who have served selflessly in the past and honor those who are currently defending our freedoms, not just on Memorial Day or Veterans Day, but every day.
"Catastrophic."
That's just one of the words used to describe the effects of the additional $600 billion in cuts set to strike our nation's military, resulting from the abject failure of the 12-member super committee charged with shaping cuts in the federal budget as directed by the Budget Control Act.
In my three short years traveling back and forth from Montross to Washington, D.C., in my 2005 tan Toyota Corolla, I have learned that change is a tough goal inside the Beltway. Keeping the status quo or kicking the can down the road is the easy way out but is unacceptable. With almost 280,000 miles on my odometer, sometimes I think the only thing going up at a faster pace is our nation's debt.
Congressman Rob Wittman and Congressman Scott Rigell
Just a few short weeks ago, Washington, DC was brought to a standstill by an ill-timed, quick-hitting snowstorm that blanketed the region in just a few inches of snow but revealed a mountain of issues in its aftermath. Thousands of commuters in the Washington Metropolitan Area were stranded by a weather event mimicking an emergency evacuation of the Capital city. I myself had a seven hour commute that night to my home in Montross, VA (normally an hour and a half drive), and I had plenty of time to think about how things might be different if more folks tele-commuted.
The announcement of an "Efficiency Initiative" by Defense Secretary Robert Gates last August still resonates in the Commonwealth as we continue to monitor the prospective changes that will be implemented as a result of the Secretary's proposal. Initial reports suggest significant effects upon military installations, programs, and private contractors within the Commonwealth. With a large military and contractor presence, Virginia must be assured that these decisions are in the best interest of the defense of this nation.