Weekly Updates

I am excited to report that the full House of Representatives approved my bill (H.R. 3433) to amend the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) by voice vote and without opposition this week. This bill is a commonsense solution to improve international wetlands conservation efforts and protects migratory birds that travel to the U.S. Specifically, H.R. 3433 would allow up to 50 percent of the non-federal share of projects in Canada to be paid for by Canadian conservation supporters.

This past Thursday I met with several constituents as well as folks from the greater Hampton Roads area who have been affected by toxic Chinese drywall. For those of you who aren't familiar with this issue, during the housing boom U.S. drywall manufacturers were unable to keep up with the demand from home builders and companies began to import drywall from China.

I'm excited to report that this week the House of Representatives passed my Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act (H.R. 1053), by a bipartisan vote of 418-1. I introduced the bill at the beginning of the 111th Congress and it would streamline the monitoring and coordination of the Bay restoration efforts amongst 10 federal agencies, six states and the District of Columbia, over one thousand localities and multiple non-governmental organizations.

On Tuesday, I met with the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, to discuss the increased role that the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren will play in our Nation's defense from missile attacks. Adm. Roughead assured me that the additional responsibilities will come with greater opportunities for employment and enhanced educational partnerships in and around Dahlgren, VA.

Although gas prices have stayed relatively stable this summer and we were spared from $4 a gallon prices, the threat of increased prices still looms on the horizon. In August of 2008 I joined citizens and several of my fellow legislators in Congress to call for an all of the above energy program to ensure that America is placed on the track for energy independence. While fossil fuels are not a reliable long-term energy source, we must develop our resources at home as a bridge to future energy sources, including nuclear, wind and solar power.

As many of you may know, I serve as a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission alongside the Secretaries of the Interior Ken Salazar and Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) and Congressman John Dingell (D-MI).

Healthcare reform is an issue which has brought deep felt emotions out of folks who are concerned and anxious about what it means for their personal health care and that of their loved ones. This past week I participated in town hall meetings in Warsaw, Newport News, and Fredericksburg to discuss healthcare legislation and other issues of interest.