Weekly Updates
One of the constant issues I hear about from folks is energy prices. Families must continuously budget for the cost of energy for their homes and their vehicles. Small businesses must account for the possibility of rising energy costs as the market evolves throughout the year. As I recently hit 275,000 miles on my 2005 Toyota Corolla, I know the pain of $4-a-gallon gas, and though prices may remain stagnant for a while, we must continue to pursue solutions as part of a much-needed comprehensive energy plan.
Do you know someone who is struggling to find a job? 81% of folks across the country know someone without a job. Just Friday it was announced that unemployment stands at 9.1% in May, up from 9.0% in April and 8.8% in March, and while Virginia fares better with 5.8%, there's still much work to be done to create jobs and get our economy moving again.
This past week we saw triumph over tragedy and devastation in Gloucester. On Saturday night, communities in Gloucester County experienced a tornado and lost three of its citizens who did not make it through the storm. Our deepest condolences go out to those families and friends whose lives have been forever changed by this exhibit of Mother Nature's fury. On Sunday, I rode along with Gloucester County Sheriff Steve Gentry as he surveyed the damage, and toured other devastated areas with Governor Bob McDonnell on Monday.
After avoiding a shutdown of the government last week, this week the focus was on finalizing the 2011 federal budget and moving on to the 2012 budget. While we did not get a perfect conclusion to the 2011 budget, the legislation brought up for a vote on Thursday included $38 billion in cuts over the next six months. I voted to support this bill that will cut spending and remove barriers to job creation, and hope to support even more legislation to do the same.