url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365063,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.23.13,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Faith and Action People of faith often take bold action.  The Christmas season is a time to both notice and highlight the large and small acts of faith that make a difference in this world.  I can only note a few, as there are too many such actions to note them all. One of those taking bold action this year is Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10), who has announced that he will be retiring after having served in the House of Representatives for 17 terms.   Frank has worked hard throughout the years to advance justice, human rights, and religious freedom.  He went on a secret mission to Tibet in 1997, traveling not as a Congressman but as a tourist with a home video camera.  After returning to the United States, Frank said Tibetans were living “…under unspeakably brutal conditions in the dim shadow of international awareness.  I want the world to know what is going on in Tibet.”  He has continued this work in numerous ways.  Frank has traveled throughout Asia and the Middle East advocating for religious minorities such as Coptic Christians, and also has persistently pushed to uncover the truth about the 2012 attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Frank is a diligent and tireless advocate for those who may otherwise be passed by.  I wish the best to Frank as he continues working on the issues important to him and to his family as they begin the next chapter of their lives. Reverend Ralph Shelba Horton was another man of deep faith, and I was saddened to learn of his December 19 passing.  Reverend Horton served the Lord as Senior Pastor of the Richlands Tabernacle since 1971, but he looked for opportunities outside of his own backyard to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was a man of God and a friend to many, and his influence went well beyond Tazewell County.  To paraphrase a friend of mine, “Who knows how many souls are in heaven because of the work of Reverend Horton.”  My thoughts and prayers to Reverend Horton’s loved ones at this time. But not all people of faith have 700,000 constituents or a large congregation with whom to share their message.  But this does not mean that their message is any less worthy of attention. Willie Nelson’s Christmas song “Pretty Paper*” is rather easily adapted to fit one such person - a lady who hangs out every Thursday near the steps leading to the U.S. House of Representatives.      Crowded street, busy feet hustle by her.      Busy Congressmen, Christmas is nigh.              There she stands all alone on the sidewalk,      Hoping that you won't pass her by.        Should you stop?  Better not.  Much too busy.        You're in a hurry, how time does fly.      In the distance the ringing of laughter,      And in the midst of the chatter she tries. For the last three decades or so, Ms. Rita Warren has been a regular fixture on Capitol Hill.  Rain or shine, this gentle octogenarian has served as a “lobbyist for God,” playing soft music and setting up a life-size statue of Jesus Christ.  As we approach the Christmas season, Ms. Warren sets up a lovely nativity scene.  Nearby is her menorah. In my experience, she has been relatively unobtrusive.  When I see Ms. Warren and hear her music, I feel uplifted and renewed.  “Jesus is everywhere,” she knowingly tells me and others who choose to stop and speak with her.  “Mine is a mission of faith.” She gladly speaks with tourists, lawmakers, and congressional staff to share her message about God and his good works to those who will stop to listen.   Ms. Warren and her mission of faith inspire and refresh me throughout the year.  It’s a constant reminder that, through all the battles and all the rhetoric, no matter how much power we think rests in the capital city of Washington, D.C., the ultimate power belongs to God.  During the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought God’s message of forgiveness and grace to mankind.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16)."" Best wishes for a safe and merry Christmas. Please note that, in observance of the Christmas holiday, this column will return on Monday, January 6.  As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ### * “Pretty Paper” was written by Willie Nelson and originally recorded by Roy Orbison. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365076,Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for January,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of January.  In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk.  Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions or to confirm that traveling hours are still in effect. January 3, 2014 Martinsville:   11:00 am – 1:00 pm NCI Room 106 – Classroom Building 30 Franklin Street Martinsville, VA Lee County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Lee County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room – Suite U101 33640 Main Street Jonesville, VA Norton:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Norton City Council Chambers 618 Virginia Avenue NW Norton, VA January 8, 2014 Radford:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Radford Public Library Meeting Room 30 West Main Street Radford, VA  Pulaski County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pulaski County Library Meeting Room 60 3rd Street NW Pulaski, VA January 9, 2014 Grayson County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Grayson County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room – Suite 206 129 Davis Street Independence, VA Russell County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center 141 Highland Drive Lebanon, VA  Tazewell County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Bluefield Town Hall – Council Chambers 112 Huffard Drive Bluefield, VA Galax:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Galax Municipal Building Conference Room 111 E. Main Street Galax, VA January 14, 2014 Giles County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Pearisburg Town Hall 112 Tazewell Street Pearisburg, VA Salem:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Salem Library 28 East Main Street Salem, VA January 15, 2014 Henry County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Bassett Historical Society 3964 Fairystone Parkway Bassett, VA Bland County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Bland County Courthouse Admin. Office Room 2 612 Main Street Bland, VA Wythe County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Wythe County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 245 South 4th Street Wytheville, VA Patrick County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Patrick County Administration Building Conference Room 106 Rucker Street Stuart, VA January 16, 2014 Scott County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Community Services Building Community Room 190 Beech Street Gate City, VA January 17, 2014  Carroll County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Carroll County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room 605 – 1 Pine Street Hillsville, VA Floyd County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Floyd County Library 321 W. Main Street Floyd, VA January 21, 2014 Tazewell County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm American Legion Building 226 Central Avenue Tazewell, VA Buchanan County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Grundy Town Hall 1185 Plaza Drive Grundy, VA January 24, 2014 Alleghany County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Clifton Forge Library Conference Room 535 Church Street Clifton Forge, VA Dickenson County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Dickenson Center for Education & Research 818 Happy Valley Drive Clintwood, VA Wise County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Big Stone Gap Federal Courthouse 3rd Floor Room 303 322 Wood Avenue E Big Stone Gap, VA Roanoke County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm  Roanoke Library Hollins Branch 6624 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA January 28, 2014 Pulaski County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Dublin Town Hall Route 100, 1 mile North of I-81 Dublin, VA ** Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154440/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/483,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON ICE'S REMOVAL NUMBERS,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON ICE'S REMOVAL NUMBERS WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its removal numbers for Fiscal Year 2013, showing a decrease in the number of illegal immigrants and criminal aliens removed.  Specifically, ICE removed roughly 369,000 individuals in FY 2013, which is a 41,000 decrease from the previous year, and the removal of criminal aliens decreased from 225,400 last year to 217,000 this year. Additionally, the removal of fugitives with final orders of deportation has decreased by over 40% and for repeat immigration violators it has dramatically declined by over 15%. Upon closer look, over 60% of the deportations claimed by ICE were actually removals of recent illegal border crossers who were apprehended by the Border Patrol and transferred briefly to ICE custody before removal.  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the statement below on the removal numbers for FY 2013:   “Today’s removal numbers from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement is just more evidence that the Obama Administration refuses to enforce our immigration laws. Throughout the past five years, President Obama has sought to undermine and dismantle our immigration laws at every opportunity possible.  And the results of this comprehensive plan are revealed in this year’s removal statistics: deportations are down and fewer criminals have been deported.  And the Administration is padding its already meager removal numbers by including Border Patrol apprehensions.     “The Administration’s fuzzy math undermines the integrity of our immigration system and puts our communities needlessly at risk. While the Obama Administration may gain applause from its political base for its inaction, they will ultimately lose in the court of public opinion.  Our immigration laws do need to be reformed but ignoring the current laws on the books is not constructive to fixing our broken system.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=498,Wittman Introduces Legislation to Protect Military Retirees,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) has introduced H.R. 3792 to repeal the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act, H.J.Res. 59, affecting military retirees. I strongly believe that we cannot and should not balance the budget on the backs of the servicemembers who have given their all for our country. I was vehemently opposed to the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act that cuts COLAs for military retirees, and today I have introduced H.R. 3792 to repeal that section. I have also written a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman McKeon, asking for his commitment to address this issue before it goes into effect at the end of 2014. Our retired servicemen and women who served our nation over 20 years deserve the pay and benefits they have earned. H.R. 3792 strikes Section 403 of H.J. Res. 59, which modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent. This provision provides for an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) of inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index) less one percentage point for adjustments starting on December 1, 2015 until the retiree reaches age 62. There would be no alteration to the 2014 COLA. This change would be gradually phased in, with no change for the current year, a 0.25 percent decrease in December 2014, and a 0.5 percent decrease in December 2015. Under this provision, at age 62, the COLA would revert back to the full CPI adjustment. Wittman has also joined House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller in introducing 2 similar bills: 1) legislation that would strike Section 403 and therefore eliminate any cuts to COLAs attached to military retirement payments; and 2) legislation that would clarify and exempt all veterans who medically retire, those who receive Combat Related Specialty Compensation (CRSC), and those who receive Concurrent Receipt Pay (CRDP) from any impact of Section 403 on their disability pension. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=497,Wittman Statement on the Retirement of Representative Frank Wolf,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Statement on the Retirement of Representative Frank Wolf f t # e Washington, D.C., December 19, 2013 Washington, D.C. Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement upon the announcement of Rep. Frank Wolf's (VA-10) upcoming retirement at the end of the 113th Congress, after 34 years of service: Virginia has been well-served by a man who has truly dedicated himself to the Virginia way: selfless service to his community and his country. The news today is bittersweet, as Frank's work can never be replicated; I know he will continue to do great things for the causes he cares about the most. He has been a true friend and mentor to me during my time in Congress. I have enjoyed working with him on the issues important to Virginians, and commend his 34 years of service to our Commonwealth, and to our nation. Frank Wolf is a true statesman and we will be forever grateful for his tremendous service. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. # # # f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154818/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/481,GOODLATTE WELCOMES AREVA INVESTMENT IN LYNCHBURG,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE WELCOMES AREVA INVESTMENT IN LYNCHBURG WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after attending the announcement that AREVA, Inc. will invest $26.3 million in its operations in the Lynchburg region: “We are very fortunate that AREVA has decided to continue to build its presence in the Hill City. Today’s news of a $26.3 million investment further solidifies AREVA’s deep commitment to serving the nuclear power industry and helping to drive economic growth in Central Virginia.  The designation of the operations in Lynchburg and Campbell County as the company’s Operational Center of Excellence for Nuclear Products and Services is a clear signal that AREVA will continue to be a leader in meeting the needs of the nuclear industry by providing cutting-edge, reliable services. The nuclear industry is integral to this region’s economic strength, and I look forward to continue working with AREVA as they move forward with this investment.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131155132/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/482,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON RETIREMENT OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK WOLF,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON RETIREMENT OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK WOLF WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) announced that he will not seek reelection in 2014: “It has been a great honor to work with Frank Wolf throughout my time in Congress. Frank has diligently served the people of the 10th District for over three decades.  During this time, he has been a strong advocate for human rights, passionately speaking out for those without a voice. We have also worked on numerous issues together, including preservation of historic battlefields, immigration enforcement, addressing human rights issues in the Sudan, and ensuring there are federal law enforcement resources in the northern Shenandoah Valley to protect our communities. “Frank’s wisdom and spirit will certainly be missed in the House of Representatives. I wish him the best of luck in his retirement and thank him for his distinguished service to our nation and the Commonwealth.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364610,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.16.13,2013-12-16,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The ADAPT Act, Fire Hydrants, and the NSA The ADAPT Act Regular readers of this column are aware of my ongoing efforts to improve the quality and safety of our health care system and increase patient choice and control.  We have numerous bills that have been introduced, and that the various committees are working on.  Among those committees that are working on improvements to our health care systems is the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, on which I serve. Among my efforts are the bipartisan Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3089) to clarify oversight of the compounding drug manufacturing system (which was signed into law) and the Patient Choice Act (H.R. 2090), bipartisan legislation to speed up Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of drugs and give certain patients the option to buy new, innovative, experimental drugs and therapies at their own expense. Last week, I joined with several of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, in introducing H.R. 3742, the Antibiotic Development to Advance Patient Treatment (ADAPT) Act.  The ADAPT Act seeks to advance drug development with the end goal of combating the growing public health threat of “superbugs,” which are resistant to antibiotics.  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or drug-resistant Salmonella are examples of these superbugs. I believe strongly, when battling deadly diseases, patients and their physicians need more choices. Our nation boasts an array of entities that are working hard to develop new treatments and therapies.  The ADAPT Act is a critical next step in working to address antibiotic resistance.  This bill develops a new, accelerated pathway for antibiotics and antifungals in limited and specific patient populations.  It will further innovation and ultimately will provide new, antibiotic options in the fight against superbugs. I will continue working with my colleagues to improve our health care system and increase the options and control you and your loved ones have over treatment.  Further, I will keep you updated on any advancements with the ADAPT Act and our other efforts as well. Update on Fire Hydrants In last week’s column, I wrote about a new bill I introduced that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) workforce by a reasonable 15 percent over a realistic three- to four-year period.  When discussing that bill – H.R. 3641, the EPA Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act – I mentioned recent EPA guidance that would require fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 to be lead-free. Senator Charles (Chuck) Schumer (D-NY) said in a prepared statement, “The EPA’s absurd interpretation of the reduced lead standards will force municipalities to throw out and replace their current stockpile of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fire hydrants without any discernible safety benefit.”  On this, Senator Schumer and I agree. Over the weekend, I came across a story in which EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine said, “...the guidance should be revised to exclude fire hydrants if Congress doesn't take action to do so before the January deadline.” It seems that the EPA in this instance may have seen the light.  But I must ask: Why even propose these “absurd” regulations in the first place?  Maybe they have too many people looking for solutions to problems that are either miniscule or don’t exist. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would add fire hydrants to the list of items exempt from this guidance.  I would urge Senator Schumer and his colleagues in the Senate to take action as well. NSA The first court opinion of what I believe will be more has ruled that the National Security Agency (NSA) program that collects the phone data of law-abiding American citizens appears to violate the Constitution.  In the case of Klayman v. Obama, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that collecting such metadata is likely unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment, and, in ruling in favor of an injunction against the NSA, found that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits and will suffer irreparable harm absent injunctive relief.  Judge Leon also found that the public interest and potential injury to other interested parties also weigh in favor of injunctive relief.  Notwithstanding his concerns, he stayed the injunction pending appeal by the government. I do not know what the appellate courts will do, but I agree with the reasoning of Judge Leon in this case.  Liberty and freedom are worth our attention. As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364405,Information on the Budget Agreement and Our Military,2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“There is much misinformation making its way around the Internet about the contents of the budget agreement that the House passed last night.  The budget agreement negotiated between the House and the Senate stops most of the military cuts that were soon to hit the Commonwealth as a result of the sequester.  A George Mason University study estimates that the full sequestration’s defense cuts would have resulted in Virginia losing 136,191 jobs.  George Mason University has also estimated that the full defense spending cuts in the sequester would have resulted in the Commonwealth losing 65,000 small business jobs. “Further, it is important to note that this agreement does not impact pensions for disabled military retirees or those over the age of 62.  What it does in fact do is reduce the potential cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for working-age military retirees by 1 percentage point less than the increase in consumer prices.  This would be gradually phased in over three years.  This gradual phase-in means that the potential December 2014 COLA would be reduced by .25 percent, the potential December 2015 COLA would be reduced by .5 percent, and the full change would take place with the potential December 2016 COLA. “Again, this budget agreement is a compromise.  If I had it my way, this agreement would be different.  But the Democrats are in control of the Senate.  President Obama and Senate Democrats have refused to take serious action to reduce our debt and our deficits, and this agreement is not a complete solution to the problem.  But it is a step in the right direction.  It contains lower spending levels than in previously-passed House budgets commonly known as the Ryan plan, and would reduce the deficit by $23 billion.  This agreement represents the first budget passed by Congress since I was sworn in to the serve Virginia’s Ninth District.  “I am ready and willing to continue the fight for additional reforms, leading to a balanced budget and further reductions in our debt and deficit.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=495,"Wittman Applauds House Passage of 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, Calls on Senate to Approve",2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) applauded House passage of the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act Thursday evening, after original House passage in June. The House has certainly done its job in moving this critical legislation through in a timely manner, Wittman said. It is now up to the Senate to pass this bill that is vital for the men and women of our armed forces, and for our nation's security. With so many important initiatives lagging, the House has shown true leadership and put aside partisan differences to pass this bill which goes far toward addressing the damaging impacts of sequestration on our national security and, perhaps most importantly, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who serve this nation. Wittman highlighted critical portions of the FY14 NDAA, specifically: Allocates nearly $3 billion readiness dollars across all three components Active, Guard, and Reserve providing needed funds for critical programs including the flying hour program, facilities maintenance and sustainment, depot maintenance, and combat support forces equipment and sustainment; Boosts DOD's ability to respond to future crises like Benghazi by adding $75 million for unfunded requirements such as the expansion of the Marine Security Guard program at our diplomatic posts and the establishment of a Crisis Response unit; Prohibits DOD from initiating another round of BRAC at this time to ensure appropriate focus on the withdrawal from Afghanistan and a well-informed assessment of our nation's defense strategy moving forward; Provides for $11 billion dollars of MILCON for urgently needed base infrastructure improvements; and Reauthorizes 1.5 million acres of public land for training range access to ensure our forces have the ability to train the way we expect them to fight. Wittman continued, As we work to complete this bill, we need to be mindful that our highest constitutional duty is to provide for a common defense. That starts with ensuring the men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform and are currently deployed around the world are equipped to address every engagement we send them to with overwhelming military superiority -- and that they never enter a fair fight. The Senate must act and not leave our men and women in uniform out in the cold. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364350,Griffith Statement on House-Senate Budget Compromise,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan, bicameral budget compromise.  It passed by a vote of 332-94. “This budget agreement is a compromise.  It is not perfect, nor does not contain everything I would like, but it is on the right track.  This budget keeps with spending levels in previously passed House budgets commonly known as the Ryan plan, and this will be the first time since I was elected to the House of Representatives that Congress – both the House and the Senate – has passed a budget.  This agreement could have been stronger.  But in light of the fact that the Senate is controlled by Democrats, this is the best deal possible.  Both the Democrats and the Republicans worked together to reach this compromise.  Neither political party loved the bill.  As I learned in the House of Delegates, when both sides don’t love a compromise bill, it is probably a fair compromise.  “This compromise bill included a three month extension of programs to help our rural hospitals and seniors, specifically the Sustainable Growth Rate fix and Medicare dependent and low-volume hospital programs. “I remain of the belief that out-of-control federal spending must be checked in order to avoid further burdening future generations of Americans with excessive debt, and will continue working to decrease our deficits and our debt. “While this budget is not perfect, I commend Chairman Paul Ryan for his work on this agreement.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154714/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/479,HOUSE RFS REFORM LEADERS APPLAUD SENATE REFORM BILL,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE RFS REFORM LEADERS APPLAUD SENATE REFORM BILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Steve Womack (R-AR) released the following statement today in support of the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act, which was introduced in the Senate today by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK): “The Senate joined the House in calling for reform of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) today.  The corn ethanol mandate has increased volatility in the corn markets and diverted corn from food and feed uses to fuel production.  We have seen costs increase for not only farmers and food producers throughout the nation, but also consumers who purchase these products.  Higher volumes of corn ethanol in fuel have also wreaked havoc on small engines, destroying chainsaws, boat motors, and other equipment.  We applaud the efforts of Senators Feinstein and Coburn to eliminate this mandate, which is also a provision included in our House bill, the RFS Reform Act (H.R. 1462).  We are hopeful that the introduction of this bill in the Senate will help to further propel the growing momentum in the Congress to reform the RFS.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154733/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/480,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON BUDGET DEAL,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON BUDGET DEAL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after voting in support of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this evening by a vote of 332-94: “Tonight’s vote represents the product of hard-fought negotiations between Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate.  While greater spending cuts moving forward will be required to put our nation back on a path toward fiscal responsibility, this budget deal is a small step towards meaningful deficit reduction.  This budget deal lays the groundwork for a federal budget that reduces spending, makes small entitlement reforms, does not raise taxes, ensures military readiness, and restores Congress’ authority to determine how federal tax dollars are spent through the appropriations process. I would have preferred to vote for a continuing resolution at lower levels, but unfortunately there were not the necessary 218 votes for such a measure.  This budget deal has advantages, however. By returning to a regular appropriations process, we can bring up each appropriations bill separately, and will no longer cede the power of the purse to unelected bureaucrats.  Continuing resolutions provide no opportunity to change or update policies and spending levels. This budget deal lets Members of Congress offer amendments to scrutinize and reform every government program – for example, this would include an amendment I have offered in the past to stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s costly regulatory overreach in the Chesapeake Bay. “Our nation has a President and a Senate who are unwilling to do what really needs to be done to put our fiscal house back in order.  They have made it nearly impossible to make meaningful spending reforms and are totally unwilling to address entitlement spending head-on, which represents more than two-thirds of federal spending and continues to add to our debt at an unsustainable rate.  The House is prepared to take greater steps toward deficit reduction, and I will continue to work towards this goal throughout the next year. This budget deal is a responsible way to start the process.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=494,"Wittman: ""Deal is better than no deal, but work remains""",2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) today voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which passed the House 332-94. This deal is better than no deal, but work remains to get our nation's spending under control and properly managed, Wittman said. In recent weeks, I led numerous briefings to educate Members on the effects of sequester cuts to our nation's military. Members learned the devastating effects of these cuts on training and equipping those who serve our nation in uniform. It is the Constitutional duty of the Congress to provide for our nation's defense, and this bill restores some of the indiscriminate cuts decimating our nation's defense budget. In my mind, it does not go far enough, but some is better than none in this case. Our nation's defense leaders support this measure. I have fought for the restoration of funds for our military's readiness and am pleased to support the partial restoration of cuts and will continue to work to that end. I am also pleased this bill does not target our current federal employees, who often find themselves in the middle of political debate. Though I do not agree with every line in this legislation, I must support the overall goal of moving the ball forward while ensuring we reduce the deficit without raising taxes. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 would set overall discretionary spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2014. It restores some of the funding cuts from sequestration for defense, a key provision for Wittman. The sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. ""Importantly, this bill also sets a path forward to a return to regular order for passing legislation related to federal spending. I have long-advocated for Congress to do its job, rather than kicking the can down the road again and again. The American people deserve a thorough debate on these critical issues. This agreement will put appropriators on track to bring legislation with detailed spending plans for federal agencies to the floor by the second week of January. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154839/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/478,GOODLATTE REFLECTS ON LEGACY OF NELSON MANDELA,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE REFLECTS ON LEGACY OF NELSON MANDELA WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement as leaders across the nation gathered in South Africa today for a Memorial Service for Former South African President Nelson Mandela: “Today leaders from across the globe, citizens of South Africa, and those in nations throughout the world came together to honor the memory of Nelson Mandela and celebrate a life that has truly made a mark on history. “In President Mandela’s 95 years he faced many hardships and injustices.  Yet, he turned these struggles into great steps forward in bringing justice and equality to South Africa.   “And it is only fitting that today’s Memorial Service was marked by skies heavy with rain – a symbol of blessing.  President Mandela was a true man of the people and a source of inspiration and hope.  His life was certainly a blessing to many. “The world changed tremendously in his lifetime, and his impact will not be forgotten.  While I never had the good fortune to meet President Mandela, I think he would agree that we must continue to stand watch over the principles of freedom and democracy for which he fought.     “As the world continues to mourn the loss of this great leader, my prayers remain with the Mandela family and the people of South Africa.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363856,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.9.13,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"On My Christmas List… Last week, I introduced the EPA MACT (Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats) Act, which would cut the EPA’s workforce by a reasonable 15 percent over a realistic three- to four-year period. Regular readers of this column are aware that I am not the EPA’s biggest fan.  However, I do want clean air and clean water, and I will give some credit where it is due.  In the past, the EPA has introduced some reasonable regulations in seeking to fulfill its mission of “protect[ing] human health and the environment,” and to this day it continues overseeing some important programs.  In my view, for example, this includes EPA grant programs that help provide underserved areas with clean water. But I believe the EPA is going too far.   According to a Washington TV channel (FOX 5 DC), EPA regulations on newer-model, heavy-duty diesel vehicles (including ambulances and fire trucks) must have an emission control system that would shut the vehicle down in order to “regenerate.”  FOX 5 reported that “the drivers of the rigs and the people who manage them have to stay on top of the warning lights to make sure they don't ever approach the shut down level.” In an actual case in the nation’s capital, FOX 5 DC says a shooting victim in cardiac arrest was being transported via ambulance to a hospital when “the indicator lights on the emission control system suddenly and unexpectedly jumped from a warning to shut down in a matter of seconds, and as the engine died, [the driver] was able to pull the rig to the side of the road.”  A second ambulance arrived minutes later, but the victim was ultimately pronounced dead at the hospital. EPA says that they essentially fixed the issue in 2012, but Harold Boer, head of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Association, told the Washington Post, “the waiver does not fully exempt emergency vehicles and instead allows them to be retrofitted so there is more time between regeneration stops.”  He also said that few cities request that their vehicles be retrofitted as it doesn’t eliminate the issue, and that “a request to the EPA for a blanket exemption for all emergency vehicles has been denied.” Though fortunately it doesn’t appear that this has been a widespread problem, is this EPA regulation necessary?  Does it “protect human health and the environment” to have diesel engines like those in ambulances, fire trucks, or large trucks on the interstate potentially shutting down in a matter of seconds?   I don’t think so. Similarly, should fire hydrants be subject to EPA drinking water regulations that exempt shower valves and bathtub faucets?  Communities across the country could have to spend millions of dollars replacing their fire hydrant inventories in order to both keep the public safe and comply with unreasonable EPA guidance that would require fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The House unanimously passed the bipartisan Community Fire Safety Act that rejects this guidance, but the Senate has yet to act. The EPA also uses the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide, which we breathe out, despite former Chairman John Dingell saying he hadn’t anticipated the legislation would be used to do so. What other crazy regulatory cards does the EPA have up its sleeve? Did you know that the number of EPA employees increased by nearly 110 percent from 1972 until 2011, while the number of total Federal personnel decreased by 15 percent?  Or that, during the recent partial government shutdown, more than 95 percent of all EPA employees were considered “non-essential” and were furloughed? Surely the EPA has more than enough resources at its disposal to continue overseeing its important programs and enforcing reasonable regulations, and a reduction in forces at the 14 buildings they occupy in whole or in part in Washington, DC might stop some of these unreasonable regulations.  That’s why I recently introduced the EPA MACT Act, H.R. 3641, which would cut the EPA’s workforce by a reasonable 15 percent. This is the time of year when folks write up their Christmas lists.  The vast majority of people in our area would welcome the inclusion of the EPA MACT Act, cutting EPA employment by 15 percent, on their wish lists.  It might be asking a lot of Santa for this bill to become law, but the economy of the Ninth District and our people can’t take any more job-killing, unreasonable EPA regulations. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363727,Griffith Statement on Virginia Tech President Announcement,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement on the announcement that Dr. Timothy Sands will be serving as the next president of Virginia Tech beginning in June of 2014: “Virginia Tech is an exceptional university and a wonderful, tight-knit community that in recent years has experienced days of difficulty as well as periods of significant growth and development.  To Dr. Timothy Sands, I extend my sincere congratulations.  I look forward to working with him, and to Virginia Tech’s continued success under his leadership. “Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Charles Steger for his service and dedication to the Hokie Nation.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154807/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/477,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT ANNOUNCEMENT,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT ANNOUNCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released this statement following the announcement that Dr. Timothy Sands will become the next president of Virginia Tech, effective June 1, 2014:  “Virginia Tech has long been a leader in higher education, promoting the motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) throughout the Commonwealth and across the globe.  As this new chapter for Virginia Tech begins, Dr. Sands’ experience in higher education will help to guide Virginia Tech’s mission and continue their long tradition of success in innovation, research, and academic excellence.  Virginia Tech grew tremendously under the leadership of Dr. Charles Steger.  I have enjoyed working with him over the years, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the Virginia Tech community.  I wish Dr. Sands the best of luck in his new position.  Go Hokies!” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363603,Griffith Statement on Life of Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) released the following statement after learning of the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela: “I am saddened that the world has lost one of its great leaders.  Nelson Mandela was a leader of courage who led South Africa after apartheid.  While he could have done like so many other leaders in emerging nations have done and created a country where he became a president or ruler for life, he did not turn his back on the principles of representative government.  Nelson Mandela’s journey is over on this earth, but his ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ will never be forgotten. “My condolences are extended to his family, his loved ones, and the people of South Africa.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131210180841/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/476,HOUSE PASSES INNOVATION ACT TO MAKE REFORMS TO OUR PATENT SYSTEM,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE PASSES INNOVATION ACT TO MAKE REFORMS TO OUR PATENT SYSTEM WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 325-91.  This bipartisan bill takes steps to combat the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman and chief sponsor of the Innovation Act Bob Goodlatte applauded the bill’s passage: “In recent years, we have seen an exponential increase in the use of weak or poorly-granted patents by so-called patent trolls to file numerous patent infringement lawsuits against American businesses with the hopes of securing a quick payday.  Everyone from independent inventors, to start-ups, to mid and large sized businesses face this constant threat. “The enactment of the Innovation Act is something I consider central to U.S. competiveness, job creation, and our nation’s future economic security.  The bipartisan legislation takes meaningful steps to address the abusive practices that have damaged our patent system and resulted in significant economic harm to our nation.  I am encouraged by the overwhelming support the Innovation Act received in the House and I look forward to working with the Senate to see that patent litigation reform legislation is signed into law.” Background on the Innovation Act:   •    Requires plaintiffs to disclose who the owner of a patent is before litigation, so that it is clear who the real parties behind the litigation are. This will ensure that Patent Trolls cannot hide behind a web of shell companies to avoid accountability for bringing frivolous litigation. •    Requires plaintiffs to actually explain why they are suing a company in their court pleadings. •    Requires courts to make decisions about whether a patent is valid or invalid early in the litigation process so that Patent Trolls cannot drag patent cases on for years based on invalid claims.  This prevents invalid patents from being used to extort money from retailers and end users. •    When parties bring lawsuits or claims that have no reasonable basis in law and fact, the Innovation Act requires judges to award attorneys’ fees to the victims of the frivolous lawsuit.  The bill allows judges to waive the award of attorneys’ fees in special circumstances.  This provision applies to both plaintiffs and defendants who file frivolous claims. •    Requires the Judicial Conference to make rules to reduce the costs of discovery in patent litigation, so that Patent Trolls cannot use the high costs of discovery to extort money from small businesses and entrepreneurs. •    Creates a voluntary process for small businesses to postpone expensive patent lawsuits while their larger sellers complete similar patent lawsuits against the same plaintiffs, to protect customers who simply bought the product off-the-shelf. •    Requires PTO to provide educational resources for those facing abusive patent litigation claims. The Innovation Act is supported by a wide range of groups that include stakeholders from all areas of our economy representing businesses of all kinds from every corner of our country including independent inventors and innovators. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154715/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/475,GOODLATTE TESTIFIES AT EPA HEARING ON ETHANOL MANDATE,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE TESTIFIES AT EPA HEARING ON ETHANOL MANDATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte testified today at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) hearing on the proposed volume requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for calendar year 2014.  Congressman Goodlatte was joined by Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) who also supports reform of the RFS.  Congressmen Goodlatte and Welch, along with Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA) and Steve Womack (R-AR), recently led a letter signed by 169 Members of the House of Representatives to the EPA Administrator requesting a reduction of RFS levels. Congressman Goodlatte’s full testimony, as prepared, is below: It is my pleasure to join you all today.   Since the Renewable Fuel Standard was dramatically expanded in 2007, we saw, almost immediately, the market distorting effects of the RFS on our economy.   EPA has the tools to ease this market distortion fueled by the RFS.  Members of Congress have asked several times for EPA to use your authority to lower the RFS.  Last year we experienced one of the worst droughts in our nation’s history, severely impacting the corn supply.  Livestock and food producers were confronted with corn prices as high as $8 a bushel due to the drought and requirements of the RFS.  Last year livestock producers were not just left with the concern of price, but also legitimate concerns over having enough corn to feed their animals and fear that livestock herds would shrink.  EPA partially acknowledged these concerns.  In response to the waiver request, EPA’s own analysis said that a waiver last year would have provided relief of over $80 million to the pork industry in Virginia and North Carolina. Yet action was not taken. This year we are grateful to not be experiencing a drought that compounds the market distorting effect of the RFS, but we are still confronted with the detrimental effects of the RFS.  The imposition of the 2014 volumes now threatens to cause economic and environmental harm. Perhaps the newest challenge would be the imposition of the statutory requirement of 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2014, of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol.  In particular, the combination of rising ethanol mandates and declining gasoline demand has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blendwall – the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that current vehicles, engines, and infrastructure can safely accommodate. I was pleased to join Peter Welch, and our colleagues Jim Costa and Steve Womack, to lead a letter with 165 of our colleagues asking the EPA to lower the RFS mandate.  Despite our frustration that EPA has failed to recognize the detrimental effects of the RFS in the past, we appreciate that EPA has proposed a slight reduction of the RFS for 2014.  While this is an acknowledgement that the mandate is unworkable, it is not enough to provide the much-needed relief businesses, farmers, and consumers need. The RFS is clearly unworkable.  The mandate drastically manipulates the corn marketplace and increases commodity and food costs across the supply chain.  Under the RFS, the federal government is essentially telling a private industry that they must buy one product, ignoring other groups who also depend on that product and creating an artificial supply-and-demand.  The RFS is the federal government disrupting the marketplace by putting its heavy thumb on one side of the scale – tipping it in favor of one side over the other.  In the debate over ethanol, the government is picking winners and losers.  I urge the EPA to use your authority to provide the maximum relief possible. While it is imperative that EPA provide the maximum relief possible, we must recognize that any band-aid relief that EPA may provide does not fix this broken policy.  The volatility that the RFS has imposed on our economy needs fundamental reform.   Congress created this artificial market that is distorting the food and feed market, and Congress must provide relief from its unintended consequences.       Every one of my constituents, every American has felt the additional cost of the RFS.  Every cattle producer who faces higher feed costs, every family who shops in a grocery store or dines at a restaurant, and every motorist who fills up their tank at the gas station pays the price of this unworkable policy.  I look forward to working with you to ease the effects of the RFS for these everyday hardworking Americans.  Again, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363414,Griffith Introduces EPA MACT Act,2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) yesterday introduced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats (MACT) Act, H.R. 3641.  More than nine out of every ten EPA employees were considered “non-essential” and were furloughed during the recent partial government shutdown.  Griffith’s EPA MACT Act would require the EPA Administrator to reduce the EPA’s workforce by 15 percent within three years.  It also allows the EPA Administrator to have an additional (4th) year if she deemed it necessary to achieve the goal. After introducing the EPA MACT Act, Griffith issued the following statement: “This is the time of year when folks make their Christmas lists, or lay out their hopes and aspirations for the new year.  The overwhelming majority of citizens of the Ninth District of Virginia would welcome the inclusion of the EPA MACT Act on their wish lists.  It may be asking a lot of Santa for this bill to become law, but the economy of the Ninth District and our people can’t take any more job-killing, unreasonable EPA regulations. “Many in my area and in coal communities across the nation may wish for the complete elimination of the EPA, but the EPA MACT Act is a more balanced approach.  It recognizes that the EPA has put forward some reasonable regulations in the past, and that the agency ought to have the resources in order to be able to continue enforcing those reasonable regulations.  Our environment and our communities are better because of earlier actions.  Further, the EPA oversees some important programs, such as the grant programs that provide clean water to underserved areas.  “But, for example, should fire hydrants be subject to EPA drinking water regulations that exempt shower valves and bathtub faucets?  My kids often will get a drink from the shower or bathtub faucet, but have never had a drink from a fire hydrant.  Do you know many people who regularly drink from a fire hydrant?  I don’t.  But in October, EPA issued guidance saying that fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 must comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act.  Communities across the country could have to spend millions of dollars replacing their fire hydrant inventories in order to both keep the public safe and comply with this ridiculous guidance. “Just yesterday, the House unanimously passed a bipartisan bill that rejects this guidance.  But when will it stop?  The EPA has been worrying over the ‘pollution’ emitted by cows (methane) for decades,* and they have even deemed carbon dioxide as harmful!  Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that all humans emit when exhaling.  If you were to take their reasoning to an extreme, the EPA might one day claim to have the authority to regulate the number of children we can have.  After all, new human beings will obviously emit the ‘harmful’ gas carbon dioxide when they start their first cry!  I’m not suggesting that the EPA is even thinking about doing that now, but former Chairman John Dingell – who wrote the Clean Air Act – has said that he never anticipated that the Clean Air Act would be used to regulate carbon dioxide.** “Clearly, EPA regulators are waging a war on common sense, American manufacturers, jobs, and more.  There are real businesses that have closed and real people who have lost their jobs as a result of unreasonable EPA actions.  The American people need some relief without delay.  This bill would give a small measure of hope to those who face the prospects of the business they work for being shuttered and the loss of their jobs because of an overzealous EPA producing massive new unreasonable regulations.” A copy of the EPA MACT Act is attached.   ###  *http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html **http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/06/viewpoint_congress_never_inten.html ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363126,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.2.13,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan Bill I Worked On Signed Into Law Last week, President Obama signed into law the Drug Quality and Security Act.  This win for common sense came after investigations into last fall’s fungal meningitis outbreak tied to tainted injections prepared by Massachusetts’ New England Compounding Center (NECC). Traditional compounding pharmacies are overseen by State boards of pharmacy.  They tend to be small mom-and-pop operations, and make custom medications based on a doctor’s order. The NECC had long ago stopped operating as a traditional compounding pharmacy.  Instead, the NECC was engaged in large-volume drug manufacturing without proper prescriptions. The NECC claimed that they were exempt from oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which typically regulates the manufacturers of medicines.  Despite the NECC’s claim, I believe that the FDA clearly had the authority they needed to have regulated the NECC and prevented the fungal meningitis outbreak. Despite having received complaints from multiple States about the NECC, the FDA did not step in to investigate NECC for illegal manufacturing or share this important information with other States.  My colleague, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), recently wrote that the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy in 2011 identified issues with the NECC, having determined that the drugs being distributed in Colorado lacked proper prescriptions.  She continued, “Our state board issued a cease-and-desist order to the NECC, and notified the Massachusetts Board as well.  But that was all it could do; ultimately, it was not enough to stop the NECC's actions and prevent the tragic outbreak that swept across the nation a year later.” Because of this oversight failure, the NECC is reported as having shipped more than 17,600 doses of the tainted steroid injection.  FDA investigators later uncovered bacteria and mold at the NECC. But more than 750 people throughout the United States were stricken with fungal meningitis resulting from these injections.  Nationwide, 64 people were tragically killed as a result.  At least two of those killed were from our region, and others continue to suffer. After hearings into the outbreak, Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Rep. DeGette, and I began working together on a bill to further define a compounding pharmacy and clarify oversight of the compounding drug manufacturing system.  In September, after months of negotiations, we introduced the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), which would clarify FDA authority over compounding, particularly over large-scale entities like the NECC that act as drug manufacturers. The Griffith-Green-DeGette bill served as the foundation for the compounding pharmacy inspection portion of the Drug Quality and Security Act, which the President signed into law.  It is a bipartisan, bicameral first step to ensure the safety of compounded drugs and help save lives, eliminating perceived confusion as to the oversight of pharmacies like the NECC that have worked the system to skirt both FDA and State regulations. I will continue working on areas that need additional clarification, and will oversee the FDA’s interpretation and implementation of this law. Unfortunately, for some, the Drug Quality and Security Act is too little, too late.  And as with many proposals, the bill is not perfect.  But it does represent consensus and common sense.  I believe it would prevent another NECC-type outbreak from occurring. Next Group to be Regulated – Piano Teachers According to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been investigating the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) for “anticompetitive practices” that potentially increase the price of music lessons. The MTNA is a voluntary nonprofit organization with just under 22,000 members nationwide.  It seeks to support music instructors, primarily at-home piano teachers. The organization’s non-binding code of ethics contained a provision that asked teachers to keep from recruiting pupils from other teachers.  Apparently, to the FTC, the principle that Piano Teacher A not actively recruit students from Piano Teacher B is an underhanded, unscrupulous effort to rig the price of music lessons. Never mind this voluntary organization had never enforced its aspirational code, nor had it removed any member as a result of the code.  Further, the offending provision has since been removed, eliminating any appearance that the organization is violating the law.  But no matter – federal regulators are after the MTNA. I certainly don’t support price-fixing.  Are you aware of local piano teachers conspiring to corner the market and prevent cheaper piano lesson pricing?  Is this an ill plaguing our society?  I haven’t heard of it!  Have you?  If you know of a similarly-evil trade monopoly trying to take over music lessons, please let my office know. Or could it be that the federal government just has too many employees? As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154753/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/474,HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON THE PRESIDENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE LAWS,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON THE PRESIDENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE LAWS WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “The President’s Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws.” Throughout President Obama’s tenure, we’ve witnessed a pattern: when the President disagrees with laws, he circumvents them. Now with Obamacare, President Obama is rewriting his own law, even though the law doesn’t provide him the authority to do so. The Constitution is clear: it is Congress’ duty to write our laws and once they are enacted it is the President’s responsibility to enforce them.  Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution declares that the President “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”  However, President Obama has failed on several occasions to enforce Acts of Congress that he disagrees with for policy reasons. The President has also stretched his regulatory authority to enact policies refused by Congress. Tomorrow’s hearing will specifically focus on Obamacare: the employer mandate delay, waiver for non-compliant health plans, and contraceptive mandate that violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It will also address the President’s decision to ignore enforcement of our immigration and federal drug laws. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the statement below on tomorrow’s hearing: “President Obama has blatantly disregarded the Constitution’s mandate to faithfully execute the laws.  He has changed key provisions in Obamacare without congressional approval, failed to enforce our immigration and drug laws, and ignored his Constitutional duties for the sake of politics. It is apparent that the President’s vested interest is not in the protected liberties of the American people, but in the advancement of his own agenda and interests.” Witnesses for tomorrow’s hearing include: •    Mr. Michael F. Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute; •    Mr. Nicholas Rosenkranz, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center; •    Mr. Jonathan Turley, Professor, George Washington University Law School; and •    Mr. Simon Lazarus, Senior Counsel, Constitutional Accountability Center. All House Judiciary Committee hearings are webcast live at www.judiciary.house.gov. For more information on the hearing, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363022,Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for December,2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of December.  In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk.  Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions or to confirm that traveling hours are still in effect. December 4, 2013  Smyth County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Town Council Chambers 138 West Main Street Marion, VA Covington:     10:00am – 12:00pm Covington City Hall City Hall Conference Room 333 W. Locust Street Covington, VA Craig County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Craig County Administration Building 108 Court Street New Castle, VA Bristol:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bristol VA Public Library Upstairs Conference Room 701 Goode Street Bristol, VA December 6, 2013 Martinsville:     11:00am – 1:00pm NCI Room 106 – Classroom Building 30 Franklin Street Martinsville, VA Scott County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Community Services Building Community Room 190 Beech Street Gate City, VA Norton:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Norton City Council Chambers 618 Virginia Avenue NW Norton, VA December 11, 2013 Radford:     10:00am – 12:00pm Radford Public Library Meeting Room 30 West Main Street Radford, VA Pulaski County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Pulaski County Library Meeting Room 60 3rd Street NW Pulaski, VA  December 12, 2013 Grayson County:    10:00am – 12:00pm Grayson County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room Suite 206 129 Davis Street Independence, VA Russell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center 141 Highland Drive Lebanon, VA Tazewell County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bluefield Town Hall – Council Chambers 112 Huffard Drive Bluefield, VA Galax:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Galax Municipal Building Conference Room 111 E. Main Street Galax, VA  December 13, 2013 Wise County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Big Stone Gap Federal Courthouse 3rd Floor Room 303 332 Wood Avenue E Big Stone Gap, VA Alleghany County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Clifton Forge Library Conference Room 535 Church Street Clifton Forge, VA 24422  Dickenson County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Dickenson Center for Education & Research 818 Happy Valley Drive Clintwood, VA Roanoke County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm   Roanoke Library Hollins Branch 6624 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA December 17, 2013  Giles County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Pearisburg Town Hall 112 Tazewell Street Pearisburg, VA Tazewell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Richlands Town Hall 200 Washington Square Richlands, VA Buchanan County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Grundy Town Hall 1185 Plaza Drive Grundy VA Salem:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Salem Library 28 East Main Street Salem, VA  December 18, 2013 Henry County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bassett Historical Society       3964 Fairystone Parkway Bassett, VA Bland County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bland County Courthouse Admin. Office Room 200 612 Main Street Bland, VA Wythe County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Wythe County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 245 South 4th Street Wytheville, VA Patrick County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Patrick County Administration Building Conference Room 106 Rucker Street Stuart, VA   December 19, 2013 Lee County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Lee County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 33640 Main Street – Suite U101 Jonesville, VA December 20, 2013 Carroll County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Carroll County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room 605 – 1 Pine Street Hillsville, VA  Floyd County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Floyd County Library 321 W. Main Street Floyd, VA **Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362866,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.25.13,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Many children are taught that America’s First Thanksgiving took place in 1621 at Massachusetts’ Plymouth Plantation.  But it is Virginia, and not the Bay State, that has the right to claim ownership of the First English settlement Thanksgiving.   In 1619 – around a year before the pilgrims even arrived at Plymouth – a group of English colonists arrived at Berkeley Plantation and established the Thanksgiving tradition.  In accordance with instructions sent by the London Company, upon arriving at Berkeley, Captain John Woodlief and fellow colonists prayed*: “We ordain that this day of our ship's arrival, at the place assigned for plantacon, [meaning plantation], in the land of Virginia, shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.” Of course, it is true that the colony at Plymouth held a three-day festival to celebrate their safe travels, a successful growing season, and the assistance of the Native Americans.  The relationship between these new settlers and the Native Americans did not end with this meal.  Obviously, Native Americans and European settlers would engage in numerous wars, acts of treachery, and atrocities, but when our nation was threatened from powers across the seas, Native Americans were proud to defend these United States. As written in the Washington Post, “During the dark, early days of World War II, American military commanders were desperate for a code that could not be cracked by the Japanese. “The solution rested in the obscure languages spoken by Native American tribes, unfathomable to the Japanese.  Native American code talkers, as they became known, were able to transmit messages quickly and securely, giving American forces a critical edge.” The first recorded use of code talkers as a part of our Armed Forces was in October of 1918.  They thwarted our enemies, using their native language to communicate securely and secretly.   According to the Defense Department, more than 400 code talkers served during World War I and World War II.  Navajo code talkers served in the largest numbers, and were recognized for their service in a 2001 ceremony featuring President George W. Bush.  However, many Native American code talkers of different tribes were not given the same recognition. In 2008, Congress passed a bill that would authorize gold medals for other tribes and, because there are no central records regarding code talkers, the Pentagon researched for the last several years to determine which tribes were eligible for recognition.  Perhaps complicating matters further is the fact that, because code talkers were sworn to secrecy, many of them passed away without having revealed their heroic actions, even to those they loved. Just last week, I joined other members of the House and the Senate in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall for a ceremony honoring Native American code talkers from 33 tribes throughout the United States with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest expression of gratitude. The tribes being recognized at this moving ceremony received Congressional Gold Medals of a unique design befitting that tribe.  Also, more than 200 silver medals were presented to living code talkers or a surviving family member. As Speaker John Boehner said of code talkers, “They mobilized the simplest weapon – language – to thwart the fiercest enemy free people have ever known.”   Attending the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony was the Robinson family from Roanoke County.  Mr. Robinson’s uncle, Mr. Harold W. Morgan, was a code talker, and a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.  Speaking with the Robinsons after the ceremony about their family heritage and about Mr. Morgan, his service to our nation, and the Pawnee Nation’s Congressional Gold Medal was humbling.  I will never forget it.   This season, more than any other, is the time in which we gather together in thanksgiving, in recognition of our blessings, and in praise.  Along with being thankful for the blessings bestowed upon me and my family, I will express my deep gratitude this Thanksgiving for heroes like Mr. Harold W. Morgan, his fellow code talkers, and other members of our Armed Forces both past and present.   May God bless these heroes, may God bless you and your loved ones, and may God bless these United States.  Best wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.   As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ### * http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/in-virginia-a-season-of-thanksgiving/article_8c11aad7-9402-5984-8e59-6b4d347f09ab.html ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131155059/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/473,GOODLATTE & ESHOO NAMED 2014 CO-CHAIRS OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APP COMPETITION,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE & ESHOO NAMED 2014 CO-CHAIRS OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APP COMPETITION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) released the statements below after the House Administration Committee appointed them as Co-chairs of the first ever House Academic Competition to promote innovation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “Because of your established leadership in this field, the Committee appoints you as co-chairs for the 2014 STEM Competition,” the Committee wrote to Goodlatte and Eshoo. As Co-chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus, Goodlatte and Eshoo have been at the forefront of promoting education and innovation in the STEM fields, making them ideal candidates to lead the 2014 competition. The first competition will be formally launched in February 2014 and will be an app competition for high school students in participating Congressional districts. “The demand for students educated in engineering and technology continues to rise in the United States but part of the challenge is how to engage students in these subjects and further the understanding of these valuable skills,” said Goodlatte, who is also Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “The House Academic Competition is a great opportunity to promote these fields which are driving American innovation. I look forward to working with my Co-Chair Anna Eshoo to oversee this competition which will help to build a workforce equipped with science, technology, engineering and math skills.” “I’m thrilled to be leading such an extraordinary opportunity for our nation’s youth and to help foster interest in science, technology, engineering, and math education,” said Eshoo, who also serves as Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee. “According to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the next decade will bring approximately 8.5 million STEM job opportunities, but during the same time we will face a shortage of 1 million STEM graduates. We need to address this mismatch by encouraging our children’s innate curiosity and creativity. What better way to do so than through a mobile apps competition?” Eshoo continued, “From mobile medical apps that may soon revolutionize the way we seek and receive healthcare, to apps that enable video conferencing and the streaming of online video, our lives have been forever changed by the mobility and economic impact these applications provide. I thank the House Administration Committee for the appointment, and I look forward to the competition.” Background: Earlier this year, the House voted to establish an academic competition that promotes greater innovation among students across the country. The competition, which allows Members to conduct annual contests among students in their district, will encourage greater participation in the STEM fields and help emphasize their importance to our economic success. On November 20th, the House Administration Committee advanced this important initiative by adopting the regulations governing the competition, including rules on administration, contestants, judges, and resources. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131210102409/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/472,GOODLATTE: HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON ASYLUM ABUSE,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE: HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON ASYLUM ABUSE WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today announced that it will hold a hearing on our nation’s asylum laws by the end of the year.  According to an internal Customs and Border Protection document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee, and as reported by the Washington Times today, many people claiming a “credible fear” of persecution at our ports of entry have a direct or indirect association with drug trafficking and other illegal activity such as human smuggling. Since there are intelligence gaps and loopholes in the system, the asylum process – which was designed to help innocent victims of persecution – is being abused by individuals who would otherwise be subjects of interest or subjects of criminal investigations. Once these unscrupulous individuals falsely claim a “credible fear” of persecution, there is virtually no investigation by U.S. authorities. Because the Obama Administration refuses to detain most of them, criminals and those who pose national security threats are then able to live and work in the U.S. for many years before their cases are ever heard by immigration judges. Below is a joint statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), and Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a fellow Judiciary Committee member who is also chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, on this upcoming hearing. “It’s outrageous that members of Mexican drug cartels and others involved in illicit activity are so easily able to exploit our asylum laws and live in the U.S. virtually undetected.  Our asylum laws are in place to help individuals who are facing truly serious persecution in their countries.  However, dangerous criminals are gaming the system by claiming they have a ‘credible fear’ of persecution when often they’ve been the perpetrators of violence themselves. Their claims almost always get rubberstamped by the Obama Administration and once these individuals are in the U.S., the illegal activity doesn’t stop.   “Unfortunately, it appears the Obama Administration is compromising our national security and the safety of our communities for its political agenda. The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing soon to closely examine this egregious abuse to see what can be done to put an end to it.”   Below are some examples cited in the document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee: •    Two families involved in drug trafficking came to the U.S. claiming “credible fear” of persecution, then began targeting each other once they were here. •    Two women made a claim of asylum and three months later were apprehended at a Border Patrol checkpoint with more than $1 million in cocaine. •    Cartel hit-squad members came to the U.S. after they “fell out of grace” with their employers. •    An ex-Mexican military soldier and his family claimed “credible fear” and settled in Colorado.  When U.S. authorities followed up on them, they were linked to an open investigation involving the seizure of 3,000 pounds of marijuana.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141132/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/471,HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPROVES PATENT REFORM BILL,2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPROVES PATENT REFORM BILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today approved the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) by an overwhelming vote of 33-5.  This bipartisan bill takes steps to combat the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation.  The legislation addresses abusive practices taking place in our courts. House Judiciary Committee Chairman and chief sponsor of the Innovation Act Bob Goodlatte praised today’s Committee vote:  “Abusive patent litigation is having a significant impact on American innovation, needlessly costing small and large businesses alike tens of billions of dollars every year – resources that could have been used to create innovative new products and services.  “Today’s Judiciary Committee passage of the Innovation Act takes a pivotal step toward eliminating the abuses of our patent system by discouraging these frivolous patent lawsuits.  The Innovation Act contains needed reforms to address the issues that businesses of all sizes and industries face from patent troll-type behavior, while keeping in mind several key principles, including targeting abusive behavior rather than specific entities, preserving valid patent enforcement tools, preserving patent property rights, promoting invention by independents and small businesses, and strengthening the overall patent system. “This legislation will help fuel the engine of American innovation and creativity, help create new jobs and grow our economy.” Key Components of the Innovation Act: •    Target Abusive Patent Litigation: The bill targets abusive patent litigation behavior and not specific entities with the goal of preventing individuals from taking advantage of gaps in the system to engage in litigation extortion.  It does not attempt to eliminate valid patent litigation. •    Protects the Patent System: The patent system is integral to U.S. competitiveness.  This legislation does not diminish or devalue patent rights in any way. •    Increases Transparency: This legislation includes heightened pleading standards and transparency provisions. Requiring parties to do a bit of due diligence up front before filing an infringement suit is just plain common sense. It not only reduces litigation expenses, but saves the court’s time and resources. Greater transparency and information is a good thing and it makes our patent system stronger. •    Modernizes Fee Shifting: The legislation includes a modernized version of Section 285 fee shifting that is fair, clear and will ensure consistent judicial determinations. •    Provides Greater Clarity: The legislation provides for more clarity surrounding initial discovery, case management, joinder and the common law doctrine of customer stays.  The bill works hand-in-hand with the procedures and practices of the Judicial Conference and the courts. •    Small Business Education: The bill provides for small business education and outreach by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141136/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/470,GOODLATTE EARNS 'TAXPAYERS' FRIEND' RECOGNITION,2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE EARNS 'TAXPAYERS' FRIEND' RECOGNITION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after receiving the “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” for 2012 from the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) for his consistent votes to reduce and control the tax burden on American taxpayers.  Congressman Goodlatte is the only member of the Virginia Delegation to receive an “A” rating, which is based on 274 votes taken in the U.S. House of Representatives during the 2nd Session of the 112th Congress. “It is an honor to receive this recognition as a ‘Taxpayers’ Friend,’” said Rep. Goodlatte.  “As the 113th Congress continues working to make real changes to the culture of excess spending and put us on the path to a balanced budget, I will remain a strong advocate for responsible spending and tax policies.  If we are to spur greater economic growth and job creation, we must take serious steps to restrain federal spending and implement real reforms to our tax system.  We must also look toward fiscally sound policies that truly address entitlement spending, one of the greatest contributors to our debt.  Tackling these issues will help to ensure a more prosperous future for businesses and families in the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia as well as generations to come.” PHOTO: Congressman Goodlatte receives the “Taxpayers’ Friend  Award.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123003436/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2337,Wolf To McAuliffe: Prioritize Ending Domestic Hunger,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF URGES GOVERNORS OF ALL 50 STATES TO PRIORITIZE ENDING DOMESTIC HUNGER   Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today urged the governors of all 50 states to prioritize the issue of domestic hunger and food insecurity, laying out initiatives that have proven effective in his home state of Virginia and calling on each governor to adopt similar provisions in their states. In letters to each governor, Wolf described how 49 million Americans – including 17 million children – are considered food insecure.  While food donations will increase during the upcoming holidays, Wolf wrote, food banks and pantries typically have scant resources during the other 10 months of the year. Wolf, who’s provision to create a bipartisan national commission on hunger is currently moving through Congress, said programs like the “Governor’s Bowl” food and fund drive, the Legal Food Frenzy, the Feds Feed Families program and the Scouting for Food program have proven to be highly successful in Virginia, even breaking records for total pounds of food donated.  In a separate letter to Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe, Wolf praised these past efforts and encouraged their continuation, urging McAuliffe to prioritize this issue as he begins to assemble his new cabinet. Wolf also made suggestions for ways to combat hunger at no cost to taxpayers, including designating one staff member in the governor’s cabinet to serve as the point on this issue; creating a one-stop Web site with real-time information about food shortages in each area; coordinating rolling food drives with friendly competition among businesses, schools, churches and civic groups; incentivize farmers to set aside land for gleaning; and educating the public about the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, a law Wolf introduced which removes liability issues for schools so they may donate unused food. “These are but a few examples that barely scratch the surface,” Wolf wrote.  “There are so many ways we can combat the pervasive yet solvable hunger problem that exists all over the country … I look forward to working with you.” For more on Wolf’s work on this issue, click here. For the full text of Wolf’s letter to McAuliffe, click here. The full text of Wolf’s letter to all other governors is below. Dear Governor, As the holiday season approaches, more Americans become mindful of those in need of food because of our strong tradition of helping the less fortunate this time of year.  Yet at a time when nearly 49 million Americans are food insecure – including 16 million children – we need to recognize the need for food donations throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. No one should go hungry in America, the land of plenty and the world’s wealthiest nation.  A proposal is moving through Congress to create a congressional commission aimed at alleviating hunger in the United States.  The bipartisan group would develop recommendations to encourage public-private partnerships and greater involvement from community and faith-based groups to reduce the need for government nutrition programs while still providing a safety net for the most vulnerable and hungry.  The plan has been endorsed by Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World and Feeding America. The federal government presently provides roughly 96 percent of the money spent on food assistance; private charities provide the rest.  Given our nation’s current fiscal woes, this is unsustainable.  While it is important for the government to continue to provide a safety net for those who fall on hard times, the simple reality is that until we fully address our nation’s exploding debt and deficit, further cuts to discretionary spending are all but inevitable.  As you are aware, stimulus-level food stamp spending expired on November 1, which translated into a reduction of roughly $5 billion on SNAP spending for fiscal year 2014.  These changes are independent of any potential fluctuations to the program that may result from those being considered by the Farm Bill conferees.  This is already having an impact on food banks in my region, and I anticipate your state will see the same effects. Today, I wrote Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe of Virginia with suggestions that would ensure food is distributed to those in need year round – at no cost to taxpayers.  Several of these ideas could be implemented in your state as well: •    Designate one person in your office to serve as the food bank/pantry coordinator so the food banks would have one point of contact who would be responsible for working with the food banks and pantries across the state.  With the growing demand for food, it has become nearly impossible for food bank workers to do any outreach, so the point of contact would be charged with keeping the “need” in the news. •    Have one of your agencies develop a central “one-stop” Web site for all food banks and pantries to provide information for donors, volunteers and clients, which would centralize information and provide a platform where people could learn more about needed items and how to get involved. It would also include contact information, links to each food bank/pantry’s site, a summary of each food bank’s unique services and needs, a map of where each food bank/pantry is located, and “real time” information on food shortages in each part of the state for churches, civic groups, the business community and the press to access. •    Pledge to end hunger by calling on all state agencies, schools, businesses, churches and civic organizations to commit to participating in a rolling food drive to re-stock the shelves of local food pantries.  For example, schools could donate in the late winter, churches and civic organizations in the spring, businesses in the summer and state agencies in the fall.  Currently, there is a large influx of food during the holiday season but shelves are often empty in the spring and summer months as people turn attention elsewhere.  This would ensure a rolling system of food donations. o    Have your Secretary of Administration develop a program for state employees similar to the highly successful Feds Feeds Families program that just this year collected a record-breaking 9 million pounds of food, up from 7.2 million in 2012. o    Have your Secretary of Agriculture incentivize farmers to set aside land for the purpose of gleaning and allowing it to be qualified as a charitable gift, and have farmers set aside an acre of their land for the local Scout group to cultivate and then donate to an area food bank. o    Have your Secretary of Education ask each school hold one or two food drives and donate unused cafeteria food to local food banks. o    Have your Secretary of Commerce ask the Chambers of Commerce, major corporations and small businesses around the state to hold food drives, or “adopt” a local food bank.  Honor those organizations that donate the most food and develop a marketing campaign to raise public awareness.  If successful, this could become an annual event. •    Take a leadership role in educating schools about the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which protects schools from liability issues they used to fear if they gave away unused food, and allows donations of excess food to local pantries.  In 2011, language that I authored was signed into law making this explicitly clear – schools can donate food without fear of liability.  The purpose of the law is simple – keep excess school food out of the garbage and get it to our food banks – and it has already proven successful in places like the Blue Valley School District in Kansas, which has been leading the way with their innovative school recovery program that puts this law into action.  A short video summarizing their efforts may be found at http:// wolf.house.gov/foodrecovery.   Virginia has already had success with programs like the “Governor’s Bowl” food and fund drive, which has allowed business communities across the state to take part in a friendly competition aimed at helping meet the needs of local food banks and pantries during the summer months, when donations are typically at their lightest.  The Legal Food Frenzy has produced more than 8.5 million pounds of food through the efforts of the Attorney General of Virginia, the Young Lawyers Division of the Virginia Bar Association and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.  The Scouting for Food program is also extremely successful, and I regularly meet with local food banks and pantries to discuss their needs. In the coming weeks, food drives will be held in offices, schools, churches and communities all over America.  But as you know, families are in need during the other 10 months out of the year.  They have scant resources after the holidays are over when donations stop coming in. These are but a few examples that barely scratch the surface.   There are so many ways we can combat the pervasive yet solvable hunger problem that exists all over the country, and you should feel free to contact my staff in Washington if you would like more information.  I look forward to working with you. Best wishes. Sincerely,      Frank R. Wolf             Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123003636/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2336,Wolf To Governors: Prioritize Ending Domestic Hunger,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF URGES GOVERNORS OF ALL 50 STATES TO PRIORITIZE ENDING DOMESTIC HUNGER Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today urged the governors of all 50 states to prioritize the issue of domestic hunger and food insecurity, laying out initiatives that have proven effective in his home state of Virginia and calling on each governor to adopt similar provisions in their states. In letters to each governor, Wolf described how 49 million Americans – including 17 million children – are considered food insecure.  While food donations will increase during the upcoming holidays, Wolf wrote, food banks and pantries typically have scant resources during the other 10 months of the year. Wolf, who’s provision to create a bipartisan national commission on hunger is currently moving through Congress, said programs like the “Governor’s Bowl” food and fund drive, the Legal Food Frenzy, the Feds Feed Families program and the Scouting for Food program have proven to be highly successful in Virginia, even breaking records for total pounds of food donated.  In a separate letter to Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe, Wolf praised these past efforts and encouraged their continuation, urging McAuliffe to prioritize this issue as he begins to assemble his new cabinet. Wolf also made suggestions for ways to combat hunger at no cost to taxpayers, including designating one staff member in the governor’s cabinet to serve as the point on this issue; creating a one-stop Web site with real-time information about food shortages in each area; coordinating rolling food drives with friendly competition among businesses, schools, churches and civic groups; incentivize farmers to set aside land for gleaning; and educating the public about the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, a law Wolf introduced which removes liability issues for schools so they may donate unused food. “These are but a few examples that barely scratch the surface,” Wolf wrote.  “There are so many ways we can combat the pervasive yet solvable hunger problem that exists all over the country … I look forward to working with you.” For more on Wolf’s work on this issue, click here. For the full text of Wolf’s letter to McAuliffe, click here. The full text of Wolf’s letter to all other governors is below. Dear Governor, As the holiday season approaches, more Americans become mindful of those in need of food because of our strong tradition of helping the less fortunate this time of year.  Yet at a time when nearly 49 million Americans are food insecure – including 16 million children – we need to recognize the need for food donations throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. No one should go hungry in America, the land of plenty and the world’s wealthiest nation.  A proposal is moving through Congress to create a congressional commission aimed at alleviating hunger in the United States.  The bipartisan group would develop recommendations to encourage public-private partnerships and greater involvement from community and faith-based groups to reduce the need for government nutrition programs while still providing a safety net for the most vulnerable and hungry.  The plan has been endorsed by Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World and Feeding America. The federal government presently provides roughly 96 percent of the money spent on food assistance; private charities provide the rest.  Given our nation’s current fiscal woes, this is unsustainable.  While it is important for the government to continue to provide a safety net for those who fall on hard times, the simple reality is that until we fully address our nation’s exploding debt and deficit, further cuts to discretionary spending are all but inevitable.  As you are aware, stimulus-level food stamp spending expired on November 1, which translated into a reduction of roughly $5 billion on SNAP spending for fiscal year 2014.  These changes are independent of any potential fluctuations to the program that may result from those being considered by the Farm Bill conferees.  This is already having an impact on food banks in my region, and I anticipate your state will see the same effects. Today, I wrote Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe of Virginia with suggestions that would ensure food is distributed to those in need year round – at no cost to taxpayers.  Several of these ideas could be implemented in your state as well: •    Designate one person in your office to serve as the food bank/pantry coordinator so the food banks would have one point of contact who would be responsible for working with the food banks and pantries across the state.  With the growing demand for food, it has become nearly impossible for food bank workers to do any outreach, so the point of contact would be charged with keeping the “need” in the news. •    Have one of your agencies develop a central “one-stop” Web site for all food banks and pantries to provide information for donors, volunteers and clients, which would centralize information and provide a platform where people could learn more about needed items and how to get involved. It would also include contact information, links to each food bank/pantry’s site, a summary of each food bank’s unique services and needs, a map of where each food bank/pantry is located, and “real time” information on food shortages in each part of the state for churches, civic groups, the business community and the press to access. •    Pledge to end hunger by calling on all state agencies, schools, businesses, churches and civic organizations to commit to participating in a rolling food drive to re-stock the shelves of local food pantries.  For example, schools could donate in the late winter, churches and civic organizations in the spring, businesses in the summer and state agencies in the fall.  Currently, there is a large influx of food during the holiday season but shelves are often empty in the spring and summer months as people turn attention elsewhere.  This would ensure a rolling system of food donations. o    Have your Secretary of Administration develop a program for state employees similar to the highly successful Feds Feeds Families program that just this year collected a record-breaking 9 million pounds of food, up from 7.2 million in 2012. o    Have your Secretary of Agriculture incentivize farmers to set aside land for the purpose of gleaning and allowing it to be qualified as a charitable gift, and have farmers set aside an acre of their land for the local Scout group to cultivate and then donate to an area food bank. o    Have your Secretary of Education ask each school hold one or two food drives and donate unused cafeteria food to local food banks. o    Have your Secretary of Commerce ask the Chambers of Commerce, major corporations and small businesses around the state to hold food drives, or “adopt” a local food bank.  Honor those organizations that donate the most food and develop a marketing campaign to raise public awareness.  If successful, this could become an annual event. •    Take a leadership role in educating schools about the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which protects schools from liability issues they used to fear if they gave away unused food, and allows donations of excess food to local pantries.  In 2011, language that I authored was signed into law making this explicitly clear – schools can donate food without fear of liability.  The purpose of the law is simple – keep excess school food out of the garbage and get it to our food banks – and it has already proven successful in places like the Blue Valley School District in Kansas, which has been leading the way with their innovative school recovery program that puts this law into action.  A short video summarizing their efforts may be found at http:// wolf.house.gov/foodrecovery.   Virginia has already had success with programs like the “Governor’s Bowl” food and fund drive, which has allowed business communities across the state to take part in a friendly competition aimed at helping meet the needs of local food banks and pantries during the summer months, when donations are typically at their lightest.  The Legal Food Frenzy has produced more than 8.5 million pounds of food through the efforts of the Attorney General of Virginia, the Young Lawyers Division of the Virginia Bar Association and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks.  The Scouting for Food program is also extremely successful, and I regularly meet with local food banks and pantries to discuss their needs. In the coming weeks, food drives will be held in offices, schools, churches and communities all over America.  But as you know, families are in need during the other 10 months out of the year.  They have scant resources after the holidays are over when donations stop coming in. These are but a few examples that barely scratch the surface.   There are so many ways we can combat the pervasive yet solvable hunger problem that exists all over the country, and you should feel free to contact my staff in Washington if you would like more information.  I look forward to working with you. Best wishes. Sincerely,   Frank R. Wolf Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361926,"Griffith Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan, Bicameral Compounding Agreement",2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Following months of bipartisan negotiations and Congressional hearings into last year’s deadly fungal meningitis outbreak resulting from tainted steroid injections, the House of Representatives on September 28 passed the Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204).  This bipartisan, bicameral agreement incorporates some of the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), introduced on September 12 by Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Congressman Gene Green (D-TX), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO). Today, the Drug Quality and Security Act passed the Senate in a voice vote.  The Drug Quality and Security Act is a first step towards helping to ensure the safety of compounded drugs.  It will work to clarify the authority of state and federal regulators such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an effort to prevent a national public health crisis like the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak tied to the New England Compounding Center (NECC).  64 deaths and 750 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis resulted from tainted steroid injections from the NECC. After Senate passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: “I am pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation.  Though work remains to be done, the Drug Quality and Security Act will clarify who is responsible for overseeing facilities that produce sterile drugs.  This bill, if in effect prior to last year, would have prevented NECC's improper conduct from going undetected by the appropriate agencies.  We look forward to President Obama signing this common-sense, practical, workable, health care bill into law.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361932,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.18.13,2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Drill, Baby, Drill – Guess What?  It Worked! Previously, President Obama mockingly described Republicans’ energy strategy as:  “Step one is drill, and step two is drill, and then step three is keep drilling.” However, regular readers of this column know that simply isn’t the case.  To provide jobs, secure our energy future, and keep costs low, we believe in an all-of-the-above energy policy in which we dig, discover, deregulate, and – yes – drill.  For more, see my Energy webpage at /issues/. And guess what?  The “drill, baby, drill!” aspect of our energy policy is working.  As the Wall Street Journal recently noted, “U.S. gasoline prices have fallen to their lowest level in nearly 33 months amid a boom in domestic oil drilling …”  The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas is now $3.19, which is the lowest it has been since February 2011.  We still have work to do, because in the week prior to President Obama getting first sworn in to office, gas nationwide averaged around $1.90.  That is why we should continue to explore for more domestic areas where we can drill, and welcome oil from our neighbor and ally to the north, Canada, by approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Furthermore, according to International Energy Agency estimates, the United States is expected to surpass Saudi Arabia and Russia in order to become the world’s top oil producer by 2015 – two years ahead of its prior target year of 2017.  And as President Obama mentioned in his November 16 video address to the nation, “for the first time in nearly two decades, the United States of America now produces more of our own oil here at home than we buy from other countries. “ Of course, drilling for our own domestic oil and natural gas presents us with the opportunity to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and also lower prices at the pump.  But there is more that can be done to tap into our country’s abundant and affordable domestic energy resources. In addition to our oil and natural gas, other resources like coal, nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass may all play a vital role in securing our energy future.  We just need to have a regulatory environment that will allow and encourage private investments to use all of the above resources. When I say ‘deregulate,’ I am not saying that we should get rid of all regulations.  Instead we should roll them back to a reasonable level, getting government out of the way and allowing private businesses to more freely explore for and make use of our domestic energy resources.  The various energy companies won’t need taxpayer dollars if we give them a rational regulatory system. I have said it before, and I will continue to say it: American workers are the very best in the world.  We are experienced, innovative, and hard-working.  When we combine these qualities with our affordable energy resources and get the government out of our way, no other country can compete with us. Obamacare Enrollment Numbers, In Perspective For weeks, the Administration tried to lower expectations regarding Obamacare enrollment numbers.  Now we see why:  they recently announced that only 106,185 people enrolled in the health care law in the month of October.  Of those, less than 27,000 selected an insurance plan through the federal website. To put that in perspective, all 106,185 of those throughout the country who selected a plan last month could attend a race at Bristol Motor Speedway with room to spare: more than 53,800 of the speedway’s seats would be left unfilled! As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361670,Griffith Statement on House Passage of Keep Your Health Plan Act,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act, which passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 261-157: “I remain of the belief that Obamacare was fatally flawed from its inception, that it will not work, and that it ought to be repealed and replaced.  But until that happens, we ought to continue working together to keep the President’s ‘if-you-like-it-you-can-keep-it’ promise and see that more Americans are able to keep health care plans of their choice. “The American people have been told over the last several years that they would be able to keep their health insurance plan.  As we have been seeing, for many people, that simply isn’t true.  The President shouldn’t try to patch this with an administrative fix of questionable legal authority.  He should instead use the constitutionally sound method of working with Congress.  I call on President Obama to help Congress find a permanent way to keep his promise of health care choice.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141137/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/469,ETHANOL POLICY REFORM LEGISLATORS REACT TO EPA DECISION ON ETHANOL BLEND REQUIREMENT,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"ETHANOL POLICY REFORM LEGISLATORS REACT TO EPA DECISION ON ETHANOL BLEND REQUIREMENT Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Steve Womack (R-AR), authors of the Renewable Fuel Standard Reform Act (H.R. 1462), reacted this afternoon to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reduce the amount of ethanol blended into fuel in 2014.  These same Members led an October letter signed by 169 House colleagues urging the EPA to adjust ethanol levels. “While the EPA’s slight reduction of the RFS for 2014 acknowledges that the mandate is unworkable, it is not enough to provide the much-needed relief businesses, farmers, and consumers need,’ said Goodlatte. “Today’s announcement makes it even clearer that it will now be up to Congress to fix this broken mandate. There is a growing appetite in Congress to reform the ethanol mandate, and I urge Chairman Upton and the House Energy and Commerce Committee to consider the RFS Reform Act (H.R. 1462) as a legislative fix to the growing problems with the RFS.” “Today’s announcement is welcome news and a call to action for Congress to move forward with much needed ethanol policy reform. While well-intentioned, the federal ethanol mandate is inflicting significant economic harm on families by driving up food prices, on dairy farmers by driving up feed prices, and on homeowners and outdoorsmen by ruining small engines,” Rep. Welch said. “The EPA’s decision to lower the fuel standard is a clear sign that this law isn’t working.  Congress should get about the business of overhauling this misguided policy before more harm is done.” ““EPA has finally realized that it was time to step back and stop gambling our food and energy security on a broken policy. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was well-intentioned, but this flawed policy needed to be brought back into balance,” said Costa. “There is still more that needs to be done to restore balance to our energy and ethanol policies, but this is the good-faith effort we needed to continue the conversation about the future of the RFS.” “Today’s decision by the EPA is a step in the right direction that acknowledges that the RFS isn’t working, but it’s not enough,” said Womack. “The RFS is a weight on our economy, and Congress must make fundamental ethanol policy reforms, which provide a long-term solution to this problem and do more to protect American consumers and businesses.”   The Renewable Fuel Standard Reform Act would repeal the corn ethanol mandate; cap ethanol use at 10% (E10); and preserve the mandate for the fledgling cellulosic biofuels industry.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123003837/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2332,Wolf Statement On Intelligence Committee Hearing On Benghazi,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136   WOLF STATEMENT ON INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HEARING ON BENGHAZI Washington, D.C. (November 15, 2013) – In response to press reports following yesterday’s classified House Intelligence Committee hearing on Benghazi, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), author of legislation to create a Select Committee on Benghazi, issued the following statement: “There were two major breakthroughs in the Benghazi investigation yesterday.  First, for the first time in 14 months, the House Intelligence Committee heard eyewitness testimony from survivors who were on the ground in Benghazi the night of the attack.   I have called on the committee to meet with these survivors for many, many months and I appreciate that they held this hearing.  I hope that a similar public hearing will be held so the American people can hear their important story of how they saved so many lives that night.    “I particularly want to commend Rep. Devin Nunes for his leadership in ensuring that the record reflects what actually happened in Benghazi, and not just accepting the disjointed narrative put forward by the Obama Administration over the last 14 months.  In a letter last week to Speaker Boehner, Rep. Nunes outlined nine areas of unanswered questions or conflicting information about what happened in Benghazi.  These nine points mirror many of the same issues I have raised in letters to the speaker and on the House floor over the last six months.  As Rep. Nunes indicated in an interview with Chris Wallace yesterday evening, testimony from eyewitnesses yesterday further underscores conflicting accounts in each of these areas.     “In another major development, FBI Director Comey testified before the Senate that he has no objection to making all Benghazi witnesses available to the Congress for testimony.  This puts to rest once and for all the administration’s excuse that witnesses may not appear before Congress because it could impact the ongoing FBI investigation of the attacks.   I appreciate Director Comey’s straightforward response and independent leadership of the bureau.  “The Benghazi investigation will not be complete until key questions have been answered and conflicting testimony is resolved.  As Rep. Nunes noted in his interview, “all of these [elements of the investigation] are not in the jurisdiction of the Intelligence Committee, that’s first off.  We don’t have jurisdiction over the State Department, for example, and a lot of questions remain there … so we need to take all the committee work if [the Intelligence Committee] can’t get the answers...” “Clearly, there continue to be jurisdictional barriers between committees that are hampering this investigation.  That’s why I continue to support a Select Committee with representation from all of the committees of jurisdiction – and cross-subpoena authority – to ensure that these outstanding issues are resolved and the American people learn the truth.”    EDITOR’S NOTE:Wolf’s measure, H. Res. 36, to establish a House Select Committee on Benghazi, presently has 178 cosponsors and has been endorsed by The American Legion, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, respected national security leaders, like former Attorney General Mukasey as well as some of the family members of the Benghazi victims.  The poll mention above also found that 62 percent of voters say it’s important for Congress to create a special committee to get the truth about Benghazi.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004038/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2331,Wolf: Science And Academic Community Should Advocate For Chinese Colleagues Silenced By Regime,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF: SCIENCE AND ACADEMIC COMMUNITY SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHINESE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SILENCED BY REGIME Washington, D.C. (November 15, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today asked the U.S. scientific and academic communities to become a voice for their beleaguered colleagues in China who are being silenced or oppressed by their government, specifically citing the recent firing of Xia Yeliang, an outspoken economics professor at Peking University. In a letter yesterday to the leaders of many of the nation’s leading science organizations, Wolf noted the “relative silence from the American academic community when their Chinese colleagues are imprisoned for free speech” compared to the uproar over legislation limiting NASA’s bilateral collaboration with the Chinese government.  Wolf has been the subject of recent criticism by some in the science community over the misinterpretation of legislation he authored that provoked a boycott of an upcoming conference at a NASA center in California.  NASA has admitted the mistake was theirs and has resolved the issue.  Wolf is the chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. “If the science community is to threaten boycotts of American conferences over restricted access, it should be up in arms at the treatment China’s own academic community by its own government,” wrote Wolf, long recognized as one of Congress’ leading voices of the persecuted around the globe.  “As has been widely documented, the abuses sustained by Chinese academics and thinkers goes well beyond their ability to participate in a particular conference.   It involves censorship, loss of wages and livelihood, unjust termination and in some cases imprisonment.” Wolf also announced that the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will hold a hearing in the coming months on the lack of academic freedom in China and invited the groups he wrote to participate.  Wolf is the co-chairman of the commission. “I urge your organization and membership to take up the cause of human rights, to use the entrée you have with Chinese scientists and government officials to advocate on behalf of your fellow academics and researchers and to communicate in no uncertain terms to the Chinese government that the most profound notions, the greatest discoveries, and the richest debate that has emerged from our own nation are the result of the free and unfettered exchange of ideas – cornerstones of our own democracy and the foundation of any free society,” Wolf wrote. Click here for The Washington Post editorial Wolf cited in his letter. The full text of the letter is below. I write to share with you an editorial which recently ran in The Washington Postregarding the firing of an economics professor, Mr. Xia Yeliang, from Peking University in China in retribution for his criticism of the Communist Party.  I believe the American academic community, including your association’s membership, should be aware of and concerned about this repression, which is sadly all too common in China. According to the editorial, “Eager to burnish its international connections, Peking University recently signed an agreement with the Association of American Universities and the League of European Research Universities in which it pledged to respect academic freedom. Mr. Xia’s firing demonstrates the emptiness of that promise. It shows that Chinese universities continue to be subject to political orders from the Communist leadership, which under Mr. Xi has launched a new campaign of repression against dissent.” While deeply troubling on a host of levels, this case is hardly an anomaly.  Human rights broadly speaking are daily under assault in China and the academy is no exception. The Chinese government is an equal opportunity oppressor of human rights advocates, academics and people of faith – Catholic bishops, Protestant house church leaders, Tibetan monks and nuns, Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners to name a few.  Harassments, intimidation and imprisonment are the order of the day. The Chinese government maintains a brutal system of slave labor camps on the order of the Soviet gulags.  Common criminal languish behind bars with Chinese Nobel laureates who dared to question the regime’s authority.  China has a thriving business of harvesting and selling for transplant kidneys, corneas and other human organs from executed prisoners, including political prisoners.  All of these examples are symptomatic of a broken system in China.  A system infused with corruption and threatened by dissent.  Despite explosive economic growth, China remains a “closed society” when it comes to information.  The Chinese government recognizes that ideas have consequence and they go to great lengths to restrict Chinese citizens’ access to information through the “Great Firewall” which censors so-called “offensive” speech.  Against this backdrop it is not surprising that the government’s repression seeps into academia.  The U.S. Department of State’s annual human rights report described the situation this way: “The government continued restrictions on academic and artistic freedom and political and social discourse at colleges, universities, and research institutes. Instructors generally were told not to raise certain sensitive topics in class, such as unrest in the Middle East or the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. The General Administration of Press and Publications, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, and the Central Propaganda Department issued restrictive regulations and decisions that constrained the flow of ideas and people. Some academics self-censored their publications, faced pressure to reach predetermined research results, or were unable to hold conferences with international participants during politically sensitive periods.” Given these realities any U.S. academic institutions – including administrators, faculty and scientists – must be clear-eyed when entering into a partnership with a Chinese educational institution or attending a conference sponsored by the Chinese government or affiliated entities.  The long arm of Chinese government repression knows no bounds, and absent a clear moral compass which refuses to participate in, or as is more likely, turn a blind eye to such abuse, respected American thinkers and universities could find themselves complicit in stifling academic freedom, restricting access to information and ultimately repressing human freedom.  As you may have read last month, a number of American scientists threatened to boycott a conference held at a NASA center because misguided information was circulated by the center’s staff that Chinese scientists were restricted from attending.  As the author of language limiting NASA’s bilateral collaboration with the Chinese government, I worked to quickly clarify that the statute did not, in fact, restrict these Chinese scientists and urged NASA to correct the error, which they did. In light of these recent incidents, I can’t help but note how the American scientists willingness to boycott the NASA conference over this mistake stands in stark contrast to the relative silence from the American academic community when their Chinese colleagues are imprisoned for exercising free speech.  If the science community is to threaten boycotts of American conferences over restricted access, it should be up in arms at the treatment China’s own academic community by its own government.  As has been widely documented, the abuses sustained by Chinese academics and thinkers goes well beyond their ability to participate in a particular conference.   It involves censorship, loss of wages and livelihood, unjust termination and in some cases imprisonment. Looking ahead, I urge your organization and membership to take up the cause of human rights, to use the entrée you have with Chinese scientists and government officials to advocate on behalf of your fellow academics and researchers and to communicate in no uncertain terms to the Chinese government that the most profound notions, the greatest discoveries, and the richest debate that has emerged from our own nation are the result of the free and unfettered exchange of ideas—cornerstones of our own democracy and the foundation of any free society. In that vein, in the months ahead I intend to convene a hearing through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission which looks broadly at issues of academic freedom and the repressive role of the Chinese government and I invite you to begin considering what your association might contribute in that regard as I hope to solicit testimony from a myriad of groups including scientific associations, academic institutions and the like regarding steps they are taking to resist censorship and related issues and even promote human right and basic freedoms as the opportunity presents itself. Best wishes.                                                               Sincerely,                                                                                                                             Frank R. Wolf Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=491,Wittman Supports the Keep Your Health Plan Act,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) today supported the Keep Your Health Plan Act (H.R. 3350), and released the following statement: Too many folks living in America's First District are losing their current health insurance because of Obamacare. I have heard many personal stories and struggles of Virginians who have been informed that their current health plans are being cancelled, and simply cannot afford a costly alternative. That's why I supported this legislation today, the Keep Your Health Plan Act. This bill would permit Americans to keep their health care plans despite the problems with Obamacare, as we continue efforts to improve the affordability and accessibility of health care. I am committed to working toward real health care reform solutions that ensure coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions, allow youth up to the age of 26 to stay on their parents' insurance plans, allow the sale of insurance across state lines, enact real medical liability reform, protect the doctor-patient relationship, limit government interventions in individual health care decisions, protect jobs and reduce the overall cost of delivering health care. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=492,Wittman Statement on House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee Briefing on Military Readiness,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Rob Wittman (VA-1) today hosted a briefing with Department of Defense officials on the impacts of cuts to national security on the military's readiness to respond to global events. The briefing included including Dr. Laura Junor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, Department of Defense and Brigadier General Martin Schweitzer. Following the briefing, Wittman released the following statement: Reality tells us that our forces will be unprepared to deploy, they will face increased risk, their safety will be jeopardized, their missions compromised, and there will be an increased likelihood that more Americans will be killed carrying out their Constitutional duty, both on the battle field and in training if cuts to our national security are allowed to continue. Readiness was already in decline before sequestration. It is critical that Members responsible, under the Constitution, to provide for our common defense, understand what these cuts mean to our neighbors' sons and daughters who are sacrificing their all to serve our nation. I appreciate the efforts of the DoD to help educate Members of Congress on how best to equip and train our servicemembers, especially as we work to complete the business of fiscal year 2014 and beyond. All members of the U.S. House of Representatives were invited to the briefing, titled, Defense Cut Impacts on the U.S. Military's Readiness to Respond to Global Events, hosted by Readiness Chairman Wittman and Ranking Member Madeleine Bordallo, joined by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA). Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361588,Benghazi Investigation Update,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Dear Friend, You may think that the House of Representatives has dropped the investigation into what transpired in the September 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi, but if so, you are mistaken.  This important investigation is ongoing, and can be tracked at the website below or by typing ‘Benghazi’ in the upper right corner of the website for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence - http://intelligence.house.gov/. http://intelligence.house.gov/benghazi-investigation I hope you will find this to be a valuable resource.  As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Sincerely, H. Morgan Griffith Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=493,Scalise announces RSC Military Readiness Task Force chaired by Rep. Rob Wittman,2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Scalise announces RSC Military Readiness Task Force chaired by Rep. Rob Wittman f t # e Washington, D.C., November 12, 2013 Washington, D.C.-Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise today announced that Rep. Rob Wittman will chair the newly created RSC Military Readiness Task Force for the 113thCongress. The RSC has always stood up for a strong national defense, and we are focused on the threats posed by President Obama's refusal to address the long-term spending crisis that is jeopardizing the readiness of America's Armed Forces and the security of our nation, Scalise said. As fiscal conservatives, we have worked to prioritize a strong national defense by shifting sequestration cuts to other parts of the discretionary budget in order to maintain a high level of military readiness. We will continue fighting for a balanced federal budget in order to achieve a healthy economy and a strong national defense. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Readiness Subcommittee, Rob Wittman has the expertise, the respect, and the first-hand knowledge necessary to spearhead the RSC Military Readiness Task Force. I appreciate his passion and leadership at this critical time in America's history. ""I'm pleased the RSC has honed its focus on this critical issue as we enter the final phase of discussions on the fiscal footprint for 2014, Wittman said. Members of the RSC have an important role in these discussions and I'm grateful for the opportunity to help educate my colleagues and the nation on the impacts on our national security as our military is continually squeezed during these tight budget times. Our debt and deficit present a national security threat, but how we trim those back is an important conversation. Our military readiness is suffering under the indiscriminate cuts of the sequester. Congress must do everything in its power to mitigate those effects and ensure our men and women of the military are trained and equipped with the tools they need to keep themselves and our country safe. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360904,Griffith Statement Honoring America’s Veterans,2013-11-11,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement honoring America’s veterans for their sacrifice and dedication to our country: “Generations of American men and women have bravely fought to protect our great nation and our allies as well.  On this day in particular, we honor our veterans for their service and sacrifice.  We owe them and their loved ones an enormous debt, for the freedoms that we are fortunate enough to enjoy are not free.  To all those who have served or continue to serve these United States, preserving our values and protecting our way of life, I thank you.” Griffith’s office is available to help those needing assistance with veterans’ benefits.  Please contact Griffith’s Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or the Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To seek assistance via email, please visit Griffith’s website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360926,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.11.13,2013-11-11,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Keep Your Health Plan Act Americans who have a health care plan that they like ought to be able to keep that plan.  To that end, I joined Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and a number of other Members of Congress in introducing H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act.  This bill would allow health insurance plans currently available on the individual market to be offered next year, and also would give Americans the choice to continue enrolling in those plans without being penalized under Obamacare’s individual mandate. Both before and after the Obamacare health care plan was signed law into more than three years ago, President Obama and other supporters of the law repeatedly reassured Americans that “If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period.  No one will take it away.  No matter what.”  This promise – made without caveats or exceptions – was reportedly spoken by the President at least 34 times, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ independent Politifact. However, this blanket promise simply isn’t true for everyone.  Because of new Obamacare standards, “thousands of people in Virginia and elsewhere are getting notices that their existing plans will no longer be offered after Jan. 1 or the next time they are up for renewal,” read a recent report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Clarence Page, a member of the editorial board at the Chicago Tribune – President Obama’s hometown paper – says he “support[s] most of [President Obama’s] policies and programs,” but “in this instance, he would have to be delusional to think he was telling the truth.”  In a recent interview with NBC News, the President admitted that “we weren't as clear as we needed to be,” and said “I am sorry that [people] -- you know, are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me.”   My colleagues and I in the House of Representatives are ready, willing, and able to help President Obama keep this broken promise.  This is a mess that he and his Democrat allies in Congress created, passing Obamacare without Republican input or support.  If the President and his allies want to help us fix this mess – and are not intent on just bashing Republicans – they too will support the Keep Your Health Plan Act.   If you wish to make your voice heard on the “if-you-like-it-you-can-keep-it” promise, you can contact my office or become a Citizen Cosponsor of our bill at https://www.cosponsor.gov/details/hr3350-113.  You can also contact my office or visit www.gop.gov/yourstory/ to share your experience with Obamacare. Upcoming Traveling Staff Office Hours My team and I view constituent services a top priority, and we work hard to serve you.  In an effort to conveniently assist you and others throughout Southwest Virginia, Southside Virginia, and the Alleghany Highlands, we travel regularly throughout the Ninth District to participate in meetings, attend events, and hold traveling staff office hours.  I unfortunately cannot attend every meeting that I am invited to because of work in Washington and the geographic size of the district.  I often tell people that, if you draw a line roughly from Covington to Salem and then another from roughly Salem to Martinsville (and take out Franklin County), everything else in Virginia is in the Ninth District.  That is why we have traveling staff office hours at least once a month in every area of the district. During traveling staff office hours, members of my team will be on hand in various communities for you to voice your opinion on legislative matters or to help you with federal agencies or programs like the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security, or Medicare.  The traveling staff office hours schedule for the remainder of this year can be found on my website, www.morgangriffith.house.gov. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141200/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/468,GOODLATTE: VETERANS KNOW 'FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE',2013-11-09,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE: VETERANS KNOW 'FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE' WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement in honor of America’s veterans: “We are blessed to live in this great nation amongst so many American heroes.  As we mark Veterans Day, I ask you to join me in reflecting and taking a moment to thank the members of our Armed Forces past and present.  I look forward to joining veterans across the Sixth District at events honoring their service. “We have all heard the old adage that ‘freedom is never free.’  For America’s veterans, these words could not ring more true.  Since the birth of our nation, millions of brave Americans have served in the United States military.  On far-flung battlefields in the jungles of Vietnam, to the beachheads of Normandy and ships in the South Pacific, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq and at installations both at home and abroad, American soldiers have long protected our fellow citizens and advanced the ideals of freedom and democracy around the world.   “For generations, they have made countless sacrifices so that we could live freely under the Stars and Stripes.  I am grateful for the service of those who have defended our nation and valiantly stood guard over the principles of freedom and liberty at the core of this nation. May God continue to bless the United States of America and guide our men and women in uniform home safely.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004239/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2328,Wolf Statement On Need For Answers About Benghazi,2013-11-07,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF STATEMENT ON NEED FOR ANSWERS ABOUT BENGHAZI Washington, D.C. (November 7, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today released the following statement in response to reports by CNN and The Daily Beast that a member of the House Intelligence Committee is publicly speaking out on the need to get more answers about what happened in Benghazi: “I have read the letter Rep. Devin Nunes wrote Speaker Boehner yesterday ‘to outline the areas that have the most critical outstanding questions’ about what happened in Benghazi.  It is particularly noteworthy that Rep. Nunes is a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee.  His letter reaffirms many of the same questions I have been asking for months on the House floor and in letters to Speaker Boehner.  We need to get to the bottom of what happened in Benghazi.  Four Americans were killed.  No one has been held accountable for the intelligence failures leading up to the attack.  No one has said what the CIA was doing in Benghazi.  None of the terrorists have been brought to justice.  It has been 14 months since the attack and, as a recent bipartisan poll showed, 63 percent of the American people believe the Obama Administration is covering up the facts on what happened that night.    “I was pleased to read that Rep. Nunes is open to considering ‘new measures to complete the investigation and synthesize the information obtained by the Intelligence Committee and the other committees investigating the Benghazi attack’ if questions remain unanswered.  I continue to believe the best way to get answers is to create a House Select Committee, building on the work already done by the five committees presently examining the events of that night.  Select committees were used for Watergate and Iran-contra.  There is no reason why one shouldn’t be used for Benghazi, where a U.S. Ambassador was killed along with three other Americans.  Whatever is done must be done in the open.  Public accountability is a must.  Public hearing also would help restore trust in government.  There is nothing so secretive about a terrorist attack, and the events leading up to one, that American people cannot – and should not – know.” EDITOR’S NOTE: Wolf’s measure, H. Res. 36, to establish a House Select Committee on Benghazi, presently has 178 cosponsors and has been endorsed by The American Legion, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, respected national security leaders, like former Attorney General Mukasey as well as some of the family members of the Benghazi victims.  The poll mention above also found that 62 percent of voters say it’s important for Congress to create a special committee to get the truth about Benghazi.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004439/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2327,Wolf: Troubling Developments In Plight Of Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini,2013-11-06,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN ABOUT TROUBLING DEVELOPMENTS IN PLIGHT OF IRANIAN-AMERICAN PASTOR SAEED ABEDINI Urges President Obama to Again Personally Engage and Urgently Seek His Release   Washington, D.C. (November 6, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today spoke out against the recent transfer of Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini from the notorious Evin Prison to the even more brutal Rajai Shahr Prison and urged President Obama to again personally engage and seek Pastor Abedini’s immediate release. In a November 4 letter to President Obama describing this development, the American Center for Law and Justice cited comments made by a Dutch diplomat stationed in Tehran in 2005 describing the fate of many who are transferred to this particular prison: “Rajai Shahr is the place where political prisoners who are seen as a nuisance, are stowed away.  Going to Karaj [the location of the prison] is a severe punishment.  Once in there one stops to be a human being. One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press.  In Rajai Shahr, political prisoners have to share cells with dangerous criminals like murderers, rapists and drug addicts who don't hesitate to attack their cell mates. They have nothing to lose: many of them are condemned to death anyway. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence.” In light of these grim realities and the continued unjust detention of Pastor Abedini, Wolf made the following statement: “I am deeply troubled by the latest news out of Iran regarding the fate of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen, who has already spent more than a year behind bars because of his Christian faith.   With this development – a development without explanation or notice – Pastor Abedini’s life is further endangered.  Time is of the essence.  President Obama and Secretary Kerry must again engage at the highest levels and press in clear and unequivocal terms for the immediate and unconditional release of this innocent man.  Tehran brutally represses its own people, especially religious minorities including Christians and Baha’is.  America always has an obligation to stand with those whose voices have been silenced wherever they may be.  But that is perhaps no more true than when one of our own citizens is at the mercy of a murderous regime.  Such is the case with Pastor Abedini.”  This is the latest in a series of efforts by Wolf aimed at securing the release of Pastor Abedini.  In March, Wolf, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, held a hearing to raise awareness about religious freedom abuses in Iran, specifically focusing on Abedini’s case. Wolf, along with several other members of Congress, followed up on the hearing with a letter to Secretary Kerry urging that religious freedom and specifically Pastor Abedini’s release be State Department priorities. Wolf’s legislation to create a special envoy at the State Department charged with focusing exclusively on the plight of religious minorities in South Central Asia and the Middle East overwhelmingly passed the House in September. For more on Wolf’s work on this issue, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360071,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.1.13,2013-11-01,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"This Week in Washington: Coal and Obamacare Obamacare Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday, October 30 testified before my colleagues and me on the Energy and Commerce Committee on the rollout of the health care law.  Even after her testimony, more questions remain. However, what Secretary Sebelius made clear to me was that she doesn’t want to join the exchanges and live under Obamacare like the rest of the American people. I am supportive of a proposal which would require the President and his political appointees, including Secretary Sebelius, to live under Obamacare like Members of Congress and tens of millions of other Americans.  In my view, the President and his cabinet secretaries ought to also be in the marketplace or Obamacare exchanges after January 1.  In recent negotiations, a proposal similar to this was being discussed in the halls of Congress, but President Obama threatened to veto the proposal. Hmmmmm.  President Obama would veto a bill that would make him and his family live under Obamacare.  It’s good for us, but not good for him!  Well isn’t that special. Congressman Cory Gardner (R-CO), whose family’s individual health care plan has been cancelled, pushed Secretary Sebelius on why she – the architect of the health care law’s implementation – is not signing up for health care coverage through the law’s exchanges.  Secretary Sebelius, who is offered coverage by her employer as part of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan, replied, “If I have affordable coverage in my workplace, I'm not eligible to go into the marketplace. ... It’s illegal.” Really?  Let’s see what Washington and Lee University of Law Professor Tim Jost had to say.  He told the Washington Post on October 30 that “She could purchase a plan on an exchange since she is lawfully present in the U.S. and not incarcerated,” however ""She could not get premium tax credits both because she has employer coverage and because she is Medicare eligible.” Congressman Billy Long (R-MO) also pushed Secretary Sebelius on this issue.  He asked, “Can you tell the American public – if your advisors behind you happen to have given you wrong information - if it is possible for you to go into the exchange like all these millions of Americans that are going into the exchanges, will you commit to forego your government insurance plan that you’re on now and join us in the pool?”  Secretary Sebelius essentially dodged the question, saying she “will take a look at it.” Again I ask, “If Obamacare is good for the goose, why is it not good for the gander?”  President Obama, Secretary Sebelius, and other cabinet secretaries ought to join the federal marketplace so that they too are living under the health care law that they designed and now have the duty to implement and make work. Coal On Tuesday, October 29, I was proud to participate in the Stand Up for American Energy Jobs Rally sponsored by the National Mining Association, and join the thousands of coal miners, energy workers, and friends of coal who brought the fight for jobs and affordable energy to Washington.  It was wonderful to see folks from coalfields across America, particularly those from Virginia, who traveled to our nation’s capital to support this fight. I hope that our message was heard by legislators in the House and the Senate, by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, and also by President Obama.  Those who wage the war on coal and coal-related industries ought to visit Central Appalachia, and see for themselves the devastating impact their harmful policies have on coal communities in the Ninth District and across Central Appalachia.  That and taking into consideration the cost to America’s manufacturers, industries, and even household electric bills should make them understand that the future of America is not against coal, but is with coal.  Until that time, I and other enlightened legislators in Congress will continue our fight against the war on coal. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131102125551/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/467,169 BIPARTISAN MEMBERS URGE EPA TO LOWER RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD,2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"169 BIPARTISAN MEMBERS URGE EPA TO LOWER RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Steve Womack (R-AR) sent a letter today to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging her to consider a fair and meaningful adjustment to the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA): “Whether it’s increasing amounts of ethanol in fuel or higher food and feed prices, the RFS continues to negatively impact American consumers and the economy.  The demands of the current RFS are unrealistic and are causing great uncertainty.  As the blendwall approaches, it is clear that this flawed policy is not working.  The growing support from Members of Congress from across the nation and a diverse coalition of outside groups makes it clear that we must consider real legislative reforms to this mandate.  In the meantime, I urge Administrator McCarthy to take immediate action to provide much needed relief from the RFS.” Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT): “While well-intentioned, the federal ethanol mandate is inflicting significant economic harm on families by driving up food prices, on dairy farmers by driving up feed prices, and on homeowners and outdoorsmen by ruining small engines.  Administrator McCarthy has at her fingertips the authority to push the pause button so that Congress can reevaluate this misguided policy before more harm is done. She should do so immediately.” Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR): “The RFS is unrealistic, and the EPA knows it.  It is time for the agency to exercise its authority and provide immediate and much-needed relief to American consumers and our economy by adjusting the RFS.” A PDF copy of the letter is available here. The full text is below:   Dear Administrator McCarthy:   Nearly eight years ago, Congress approved the Energy Policy Act of 2005, establishing the first Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”).  In 2007, Congress significantly expanded the 2005 law when it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which increased the mandate to 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.  Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of the RFS, its premise and structure were based on many assumptions that no longer reflect the current market conditions, and the imposition of the 2014 volumes now threatens to cause economic and environmental harm.   As Congress continues its bi-partisan work to address these concerns, we are writing to request that the EPA use its authority to adjust the 2014 RFS volumes. As you are aware, the U.S. corn market has been increasingly volatile since the expansion of the RFS in 2007.  This reflects the reality that more than 40 percent of the corn crop now goes into ethanol production, a dramatic rise since the first ethanol mandates were put into place in 2005.  While well intentioned, the rigid nature of the federal law has not allowed it to change as new realities emerge in the market place.  Ethanol now consumes more corn than animal agriculture, a fact directly attributable to the federal mandate.  Corn price volatility is just one example of the economic harm caused by the RFS. Due to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive wetlands and grasslands into production. According to the EPA's analysis, the lifecycle emissions of corn ethanol in 2012 were higher than those of gasoline – and will be for years to come.  Despite promised environmental benefits when the RFS was implemented, the National Academy of Sciences has noted that overall ethanol production and use lowers air and water quality. Perhaps the newest challenge is the imposition of the statutory requirement of 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2014, of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol.  In particular, the combination of rising ethanol mandates and declining gasoline demand has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blendwall- the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that current vehicles, engines, and infrastructure can safely accommodate.  The EPA explicitly acknowledged this challenge in its final rule implementing the 2013 volumes—“EPA does not currently foresee a scenario in which the market could consume enough ethanol sold in blends greater than E10, and/or produce sufficient volumes of non-ethanol biofuels to meet the volumes of total renewable fuel and advanced biofuel as required by statute for 2014.”   We understand that the EPA signaled its intention to address these concerns in the 2014 rulemaking and commend the EPA’s willingness to use the authority Congress granted to it when crafting the RFS. While the blendwall is a pressing issue, the federal government can help avoid a dangerous economic situation by adjusting the normally rigid Renewable Fuel Standard mandate down to align with gasoline market conditions and realities.  We therefore urge the EPA to consider a fair and meaningful nationwide adjustment to the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard.  Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.  We strongly urge you to exercise your authority and take the necessary steps to protect American consumers and the economy.  Thank you for your immediate consideration of this request. Full List of Members: Aderholt, Robert B. (R-AL, 4th) Amodei, Mark (R-NV, 2nd) Andrews, Robert E. (D-NJ, 1st) Barletta, Lou (R-PA, 11th) Barrow, John (D-GA, 12th) Benishek, Dan (R-MI, 1st) Bentivolio, Kerry (R-MI, 11th) Bilirakis, Gus (R-FL, 12th) Black, Diane (R-TN, 6th) Blackburn, Marsha W. (R-TN, 7th) Boustany, Charles W. (R-LA, 3rd) Brady, Kevin (R-TX, 8th) Bridenstine, Jim (R-OK, 1st) Brooks, Mo (R-AL, 5th) Broun, Paul (R-GA, 10th) Burgess, Michael C. (R-TX, 26th) Butterfield, G. K. (D-NC, 1st) Calvert, Ken (R-CA, 42nd) Campbell, John (R-CA, 45th) Capito, Shelley Moore (R-WV, 2nd) Carter, John R. (R-TX, 31st) Chabot, Steve (R-OH, 1st) Chaffetz, Jason (R-UT, 3rd) Coble, Howard (R-NC, 6th) Cole, Tom (R-OK, 4th) Collins, Chris (R-NY, 27th) Collins, Doug (R-GA, 9th) Conaway, Mike (R-TX, 11th) Connolly, Gerry (D-VA, 11th) Cook, Paul J. (R-CA, 8th) Costa, Jim (D-CA, 16th) Cotton, Tom (R-AR, 4th) Crawford, Rick (R-AR, 1st) Cuellar, Henry (D-TX, 28th) Culberson, John (R-TX, 7th) Daines, Steve (R-MT, At Large) DeFazio, Peter A. (D-OR, 4th) Denham, Jeff (R-CA, 10th) Dent, Charles (R-PA, 15th) DeSantis, Ron (R-FL, 6th) DesJarlais, Scott (R-TN, 4th) Diaz-Balart, Mario (R-FL, 25th) Duncan, Jeff (R-SC, 3rd) Duncan, John J. Jr. (R-TN, 2nd) Ellmers, Renee (R-NC, 2nd) Farenthold, Blake (R-TX, 27th) Fincher, Stephen (R-TN, 8th) Fleischmann, Chuck (R-TN, 3rd) Fleming, John (R-LA, 4th) Flores, Bill (R-TX, 17th) Foxx, Virginia (R-NC, 5th) Franks, Trent (R-AZ, 8th) Frelinghuysen, Rodney (R-NJ, 11th) Gallego, Pete (D-TX, 23rd) Garamendi, John (D-CA, 3rd) Garrett, Scott (R-NJ, 5th) Gerlach, Jim (R-PA, 6th) Gibson, Chris (R-NY, 19th) Gingrey, Phil (R-GA, 11th) Gohmert, Louie (R-TX, 1st) Goodlatte, Bob (R-VA, 6th) Gosar, Paul (R-AZ, 4th) Granger, Kay (R-TX, 12th) Graves, Tom (R-GA, 14th) Green, Gene (D-TX, 29th) Griffin, Tim (R-AR, 2nd) Griffith, Morgan (R-VA, 9th) Hall, Ralph M. (R-TX, 4th) Hanna, Richard L. (R-NY, 22nd) Harper, Gregg (R-MS, 3rd) Harris, Andy (R-MD, 1st) Heck, Joe (R-NV, 3rd) Hensarling, Jeb (R-TX, 5th) Himes, Jim (D-CT, 4th) Hinojosa, Rubén (D-TX, 15th) Holding, George E. (R-NC, 13th) Hultgren, Randy (R-IL, 14th) Hunter, Duncan D. (R-CA, 50th) Hurt, Robert (R-VA, 5th) Issa, Darrell (R-CA, 49th) Johnson, Sam (R-TX, 3rd) Jones, Walter B. (R-NC, 3rd) Kelly, Mike (R-PA, 3rd) Kingston, Jack (R-GA, 1st) Kuster, Ann McLane (D-NH, 2nd) Labrador, Raúl (R-ID, 1st) LaMalfa, Doug (R-CA, 1st) Lamborn, Doug (R-CO, 5th) Lance, Leonard (R-NJ, 7th) Lankford, James (R-OK, 5th) LoBiondo, Frank A. (R-NJ, 2nd) Long, Billy (R-MO, 7th) Luján, Ben R. (D-NM, 3rd) Lummis, Cynthia M. (R-WY, At Large) Marchant, Kenny E. (R-TX, 24th) Marino, Tom (R-PA, 10th) Matheson, Jim (D-UT, 4th) McCarthy, Kevin (R-CA, 23rd) McCaul, Michael (R-TX, 10th) McClintock, Tom (R-CA, 4th) McHenry, Patrick (R-NC, 10th) McKinley, David B. (R-WV, 1st) McMorris Rodgers, Cathy (R-WA, 5th) Meadows, Mark (R-NC, 11th) Meehan, Pat (R-PA, 7th) Michaud, Mike (D-ME, 2nd) Miller, Jeff (R-FL, 1st) Moran, Jim (D-VA, 8th) Mullin, Markwayne (R-OK, 2nd) Mulvaney, Mick (R-SC, 5th) Neugebauer, Randy (R-TX, 19th) Nugent, Richard (R-FL, 11th) Nunes, Devin (R-CA, 22nd) Nunnelee, Alan (R-MS, 1st) Olson, Pete (R-TX, 22nd) Owens, Bill (D-NY, 21st) Palazzo, Steven (R-MS, 4th) Pearce, Steve (R-NM, 2nd) Perry, Scott (R-PA, 4th) Pingree, Chellie M. (D-ME, 1st) Pittenger, Robert (R-NC, 9th) Pitts, Joe (R-PA, 16th) Poe, Ted (R-TX, 2nd) Posey, Bill (R-FL, 8th) Price, Tom (R-GA, 6th) Radel, Trey (R-FL, 19th) Reed, Tom (R-NY, 23rd) Rice, Tom (R-SC, 7th) Richmond, Cedric L. (D-LA, 2nd) Rigell, Scott (R-VA, 2nd) Roe, Phil (R-TN, 1st) Rogers, Mike (R-MI, 8th) Rohrabacher, Dana (R-CA, 48th) Rooney, Tom (R-FL, 17th) Ross, Dennis A. (R-FL, 15th) Rothfus, Keith J. (R-PA, 12th) Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA, 46th) Schrader, Kurt (D-OR, 5th) Schweikert, David (R-AZ, 6th) Scott, Austin (R-GA, 8th) Scott, Bobby (D-VA, 3rd) Scott, David (D-GA, 13th) Sensenbrenner, Jim Jr. (R-WI, 5th) Sessions, Pete (R-TX, 32nd) Shuster, Bill (R-PA, 9th) Simpson, Mike (R-ID, 2nd) Smith, Chris (R-NJ, 4th) Smith, Lamar S. (R-TX, 21st) Stewart, Chris (R-UT, 2nd) Thompson, Bennie G. (D-MS, 2nd) Thompson, Glenn W. (R-PA, 5th) Thornberry, Mac (R-TX, 13th) Valadao, David G. (R-CA, 21st) Veasey, Marc (D-TX, 33rd) Vela, Filemon (D-TX, 34th) Walberg, Tim (R-MI, 7th) Walden, Greg (R-OR, 2nd) Weber, Randy (R-TX, 14th) Webster, Daniel A. (R-FL, 10th) Welch, Peter (D-VT, At Large) Westmoreland, Lynn A. (R-GA, 3rd) Williams, Roger (R-TX, 25th) Wilson, Joe (R-SC, 2nd) Wittman, Rob (R-VA, 1st) Wolf, Frank R. (R-VA, 10th) Womack, Steve (R-AR, 3rd) Woodall, Rob (R-GA, 7th) Yoho, Ted (R-FL, 3rd) Young, Don (R-AK, At Large) ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004640/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2329,Wolf Joins Effort Urging EPA To Adjust Ethanol Mandate In Renewable Fuel Standard,2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF JOINS EFFORT URGING EPA TO ADJUST ETHANOL MANDATE IN RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD   Washington, D.C. (October 31, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (VA-10th) today joined 168 bipartisan members of Congress in signing a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging her to adjust the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “Due to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive wetlands and grasslands into production,” according to the letter, organized by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-6th).  The letter also notes that there could be a potentially dangerous economic situation if the RFS is not adjusted to align with the gasoline market. “Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.” The full text of the letter is below. Dear Administrator McCarthy:   Nearly eight years ago, Congress approved the Energy Policy Act of 2005, establishing the first Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”).  In 2007, Congress significantly expanded the 2005 law when it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which increased the mandate to 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.  Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of the RFS, its premise and structure were based on many assumptions that no longer reflect the current market conditions, and the imposition of the 2014 volumes now threatens to cause economic and environmental harm.   As Congress continues its bi-partisan work to address these concerns, we are writing to request that the EPA use its authority to adjust the 2014 RFS volumes. As you are aware, the U.S. corn market has been increasingly volatile since the expansion of the RFS in 2007.  This reflects the reality that more than 40 percent of the corn crop now goes into ethanol production, a dramatic rise since the first ethanol mandates were put into place in 2005.  While well intentioned, the rigid nature of the federal law has not allowed it to change as new realities emerge in the market place.  Ethanol now consumes more corn than animal agriculture, a fact directly attributable to the federal mandate.  Corn price volatility is just one example of the economic harm caused by the RFS. Due to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive wetlands and grasslands into production. According to the EPA's analysis, the lifecycle emissions of corn ethanol in 2012 were higher than those of gasoline – and will be for years to come.  Despite promised environmental benefits when the RFS was implemented, the National Academy of Sciences has noted that overall ethanol production and use lowers air and water quality. Perhaps the newest challenge is the imposition of the statutory requirement of 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2014, of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol.  In particular, the combination of rising ethanol mandates and declining gasoline demand has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blendwall- the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that current vehicles, engines, and infrastructure can safely accommodate.  The EPA explicitly acknowledged this challenge in its final rule implementing the 2013 volumes—“EPA does not currently foresee a scenario in which the market could consume enough ethanol sold in blends greater than E10, and/or produce sufficient volumes of non-ethanol biofuels to meet the volumes of total renewable fuel and advanced biofuel as required by statute for 2014.”   We understand that the EPA signaled its intention to address these concerns in the 2014 rulemaking and commend the EPA’s willingness to use the authority Congress granted to it when crafting the RFS. While the blendwall is a pressing issue, the federal government can help avoid a dangerous economic situation by adjusting the normally rigid Renewable Fuel Standard mandate down to align with gasoline market conditions and realities.  We therefore urge the EPA to consider a fair and meaningful nationwide adjustment to the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard.  Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.  We strongly urge you to exercise your authority and take the necessary steps to protect American consumers and the economy.  Thank you for your immediate consideration of this request. Sincerely,     Members of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004841/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2326,Wolf Renews Call For Select Committee On Benghazi,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF RENEWS CALL FOR SELECT COMMITTEE ON BENGHAZI Says We Have ‘Reached the Threshold’ Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2013) – In a 30-minute speech today on the House floor, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) again called on House leadership to create a Select Committee on Benghazi, saying the threshold for creating the special panel has been reached in terms of the number of cosponsors and endorsements of the measure, as well as several revelations about the attack that have been covered in the press in recent weeks. Wolf said that in the nearly 11 months since he first introduced the measure, the broad support that has been built “makes it clear we have more than passed the threshold for a Select Committee now … Let’s get to the truth once and for all so we can find out what happened and restore the American people’s confidence in congressional oversight.” Just last week, a bipartisan national poll revealed that 63 percent of Americans think the Obama Administration is covering up the facts about the Benghazi attack, and just 29 percent of registered voters believe the administration has been honest.  Further, 83 percent of Republicans and 58 percent of Independents support the idea, and notably, nearly half of Democrats said it was important to create a bipartisan committee to learn the truth. “Bottom line: Americans from across the political spectrum recognize that not only are they not being told the truth [about Benghazi], but they feel Congress needs to change its approach to the investigation by creating a special committee,” Wolf said.   Wolf also pointed to several recent developments that confirm the individuals involved in the Benghazi attack were senior al Qaeda associates with ties to the group going back decades, and that the plot appears to have been weeks, if not months, in the making. Wolf said that according to Fox News’ Catherine Herridge, “sources said one of the suspects was believed to be a courier for the Al Qaeda network, and the other a bodyguard in Afghanistan prior to the 2001 terror attacks,” noting that “the direct ties to the Al Qaeda senior leadership undercut early characterizations by the Obama administration that the attackers in Benghazi were isolated “extremists"" – not Al Qaeda terrorists – with no organizational structure or affiliation.” Further, Wolf described a 60 Minutes piece that aired this past Sunday in which CBS’ sources confirmed what Wolf had detailed on the House floor this past July: “a quick reaction force from the CIA Annex ignored orders to wait and raced to the compound, at time running and shooting their way through the streets just to get there.”  Alarmingly, the piece also included information saying that when the terrorists stormed the consulate property, they said “We’re here to kill Americans, not Libyans” and spared the lives of the Libyan guards, Wolf said. CBS’ Lara Logan also addressed the pressure on witnesses she encountered during the 60 Minutes investigation, saying “An extraordinary amount of pressure on anyone in the government – the military side, the political side – not to say anything outside of official channels.” “This is consistence with the concerns I have repeatedly raised on the House floor about efforts by this administration to silence survivors and witnesses to the Benghazi attack and response,” Wolf said.  “What are they afraid of these witnesses sharing with the American people?  And how can the Congress stand by and allow this to happen, knowing full well it is taking place?” Wolf pointed out numerous intelligence failures that occurred prior to and following the attack. “The administration’s response to the Benghazi attack over the last year has been nothing short of shameful – and that also merits a full investigation by a Select Committee,” Wolf said.  “From the first hours of the attack, when it became apparent that no help was coming to assist those under attack – either from U.S. forces or our allies in the region – to the failure of the FBI to gain access to key suspects in Tunisia and Egypt over the last year, this administration has sent a signal to terrorists that the U.S. will not strongly respond to an attack on Americans abroad.” Wolf’s measure to create a House Select Committee on Benghazi currently has 178 cosponsors – more than a supermajority in the House.  It has been endorsed by the family members of the victims, the Wall Street Journal editorial page, the Special Operations community and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents the Diplomatic Security agents who were at the consulate in Benghazi. For a full list of endorsements, click here. For more on Wolf’s work on Benghazi, click here.   The full text of Wolf’s floor speech is below. Mr. Speaker, last week a new national poll was released by respected pollsters Pat Caddell, a Democrat, and John McLaughlin, a Republican, making clear the American people still don’t feel they know the truth about what happened in Benghazi nearly 14 months ago.   According to the poll, commissioned by Secure America Now, 63 percent of Americans “think the Obama Administration is covering up the facts about Benghazi” and “only 29 percent of registered voters say the Obama Administration has been honest about Benghazi.”   Think about that for a moment: a supermajority of Americans believe they have been misled by their government about what happened in Benghazi.  This is remarkable.   The American people know how significant it is that Ambassador Stevens, the president’s personal envoy to Libya, was the first ambassador killed in the line of duty in four decades on September 11 – 11 years to the day that nearly 3,000 people were killed by al-Qaeda terrorists.  The American people intuitively understands that a plot of this scale was not “spontaneously inspired,” as claimed in the administration’s now-infamous talking points.  The American people also know that it’s remarkable that no effort was made by Washington to rescue the Americans in Benghazi, or dispatch a hostage rescue team after the ambassador went missing that night.   I think the American people also wonder just what the CIA was doing in Benghazi.  Was it involved in the collection and transfer of weapons to foreign countries, possibly to support the Syrian rebels?  And could some of those weapons fallen into the wrong hands, like Syrian jihadists?   It is too easy to just say this is “classified” information and expect the American people to look away.  Four Americans were killed that night and no one came to help them.   Was it because the CIA was conducting a covert operation and if something went wrong, that was the price of doing business?  Were the CIA activities in Benghazi part of the reason the consulate and annex were targeted?  These are legitimate questions the American people are asking that deserve clear answers.   The McLaughlin-Caddell poll also found that 62 percent of the American public support creating a “special bipartisan committee with broad powers to get to the truth about the attack in Benghazi.”   83 percent of Republicans and 58 percent of Independents support the idea; notably, nearly half of Democrats said it was important to create a bipartisan committee to learn the truth.   Bottom line: Americans from across the political spectrum recognize that not only are they not being told the truth, but they feel Congress needs to change its approach to the investigation by creating a special committee.   Why is it, despite more than a year of investigations in five separate committees, the American people feel they still don’t know the truth about what happened? Perhaps it’s because, despite more than a year of investigations by five committees, most of the questions raised about that night remain unanswered.  Perhaps it’s because, despite more than a year of investigations by five committees, hardly any of the key witnesses responsible for the government’s response that night – or lack thereof – have publicly testified.  Perhaps it’s because, despite more than a year of investigations, none of the survivors that could help answer key questions have publicly testified before Congress.  Perhaps it’s because, despite more than a year of investigations, so few public committee hearings have been held. Or perhaps it’s because, despite more than a year of investigations, what little the American people have learned have come from news reports from CNN, CBS, FOX, and other news organizations, not from congressional hearings or testimony.   I think all of these factors have contributed to the sense among the American people that the Congress has failed in its oversight responsibility.  The American people know they haven’t been told the full story about what happened that night, and they believe they have been intentionally misled by the administration. I have come to the floor today to once again call on my leadership to create a House Select Committee on Benghazi. I am often asked what is holding up the creation of a Select Committee.   The simple answer is because the Speaker hasn’t agreed to it.  I like the Speaker.  He has a tough job.  And he may have a good reason for not wanting to establish a Select Committee, but I don’t know what it is.  More important, I don’t think the American people know what it is.     Let me be clear: my not criticism is not with any chairmen of committees that are looking into this.  They are all good men.  But their hands are tied.  They are required to stay within their own jurisdictional lanes, examining only what they are allowed to investigate according to their committee charter.   What happened in Benghazi is interrelated.  The “lanes” crisscross. The White House, the State Department, the CIA and the Defense Department were all involved, resulting in overlapping but uncoordinated investigations.      Benghazi was a terrorist attack.   We need a team effort to find out what happened, why it happened and how we are going to bring the perpetrators to justice.       Any of these chairmen would be capable of leading the Select Committee, and other members of their committees would be good to serve as well. And let me be clear: I have no intention of chairing or serving on the Select Committee.   I just want to learn the truth, just like the American people.   There is a history in Congress that when things overlap between committees and transcends jurisdictions select committees are established.  Two well-known examples: Watergate and Iran-Contra.  I am submitting for the Record a list of past House Select Committees over the last 50 years.  A Select Committee would take members from each committee, with their individual expertise, and have them work on this investigation day in and day out with no other distractions.  It also would prevent the administration from saying one thing to one committee of jurisdiction and something else to another. I am reminded of the poem, the “Blind Men and the Elephant,” which is said to have originated in India.   In the poem, six blind men touch a part of an elephant and each provides a different description of what the elephant must look like.  They argue at great length between themselves and the poem ends by saying while each is partly right, they are all wrong.  The moral of the poem is that independently, people may think their understanding of the situation is correct.  Yet they don’t know the truth until the full picture comes into focus.        Each of the five committees may not be seeing the entire picture of what happened that night.  Regular order has limited the committees from going beyond their jurisdiction.   One group ought to have the responsibility to get to the bottom of all parts of this tragedy.  One group needs to lay out a roadmap to obtaining and reporting that information to the American people, so we can restore confidence that Congress has a serious oversight plan on Benghazi.  Remember, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  We need to see the whole of this tragedy. My bill to create a Select Committee, H. Res. 36, now has 178 cosponsors – more than three-quarters of the Republican Conference; more than a supermajority of the Majority.  Nearly three-quarters of the Republican members who serve on the committees already investigating Benghazi now support a Select Committee.  That means a plurality of the Members who have been directly involved in committee investigations believe a Select Committee would be a more effective approach.   The bill has been endorsed by: The American Legion.  The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents the diplomatic security agents that were present in Benghazi.  Groups representing the Special Ops community. The editorial page of The Wall Street Journal. Perhaps most important, it has been endorsed by some family members of the Benghazi victims, like Sean Smith’s mother and Ty Woods’ father, who want to know the truth about what happened to their children that night and why their country fell short in its response.  Nothing will bring their children back, but we can at least provide them with clear answers and assign accountability for those responsible for intelligence failures and the inept response that night.   The best way to do this is to break down the stovepipes between the five committees, hold public hearings and issue subpoenas to all of the survivors from Benghazi, those who were in Tripoli and those who were in Washington responding that night.   We need a public hearing with the principals involved in the decision making process in Washington on September 11, 2012, including former Secretary Panetta, former Secretary Clinton, former CIA Director Petraeus, former White House advisor and current CIA director John Brennan and former AFRICOM commander General Ham, as well as the White House. We also need a similar hearing with each of their deputies and others who were witness to the calls for help and the decisions surrounding the response.   Unless we hear from these people publicly, the American people will never learn the truth about whether there were warnings prior to the attack, what calls for help were made that night, whether the CIA security team was in fact delayed in leaving to respond to the initial attack at the consulate and what the response was from Washington, among many other questions.   Until these key individuals are sitting side-by-side answering questions under oath, we will never get a clear picture of who made decisions that night and why.  Failure to get those answers means there will never be any accountability, which further erodes public confidence in government. Absent a Select Committee, the Congress will fail to learn the truth about what happened that night because the administration will continue to use the jurisdictional barriers between each committee to continue to slow walk or deny information. There are a number of new developments in recent weeks that make a Select Committee more timely than ever.   First, our colleague Mike Rogers, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, confirmed earlier reports telling Fox News that the plot against the consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi appears to have been weeks, if not months, in the making and that at least two of the plot’s leaders had close connections to senior al Qaeda leadership.   Nearly a year ago, I circulated a memo to all Members prepared by respected terrorism analyst Thomas Joscelyn detailing the apparent connections and likely coordination between al-Qaeda affiliates in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen that resulted in threats and attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in those countries the week of September 11, 2012.  Unfortunately the committees have not held public hearings looking at the connection between these threats.   Last week, Fox News’ Catherine Herridge first reported that: “At least two of the key suspects in the Benghazi terror attack were at one point working with Al Qaeda senior leadership, sources familiar with the investigation tell Fox News. The sources said one of the suspects was believed to be a courier for the Al Qaeda network, and the other a bodyguard in Afghanistan prior to the 2001 terror attacks.” Herridge noted that, “The direct ties to the Al Qaeda senior leadership undercut early characterizations by the Obama administration that the attackers in Benghazi were isolated “extremists"" -- not Al Qaeda terrorists -- with no organizational structure or affiliation.” Then, on Sunday, CBS’ 60 Minutes aired a segment by Lara Logan further explaining what happened that night and the increasingly clear connection to al-Qaeda.  Logan reported that “Just a few weeks ago, Abu Anas al-Libi was captured for his role in the Africa bombings and the U.S. is still investigating what part he may have played in Benghazi.  We’ve learned that this man, Sufian bin Qumu, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee and long-time al Qaeda operative, was one of the lead planners along with Faraj al-Chalabi, whose ties to Osama bin Laden go back more than 15 years.  He’s believed to have carried documents from the compound to the head of al Qaeda in Pakistan.” It is particularly notable that al-Chalabi reportedly delivered documents from U.S. facilities in Benghazi to “the head of al Qaeda in Pakistan,” establishing a direct link between the Benghazi attacks and most senior leadership of al Qaeda.            Among the other revelations in the 60 Minutes segment: •    Al-Qaeda stated its intent to attack Americans in Benghazi, along with the Red Cross and the British mission well in advance of September 11.  Lt. Col. Andy Wood, the top American security official in Libya in the months leading up to the attack told CBS that both the State Department and Defense Department were well aware of the threat and the attacks on the Red Cross and British mission and it was “obvious” to the Americans in Libya that it was only a matter of time until an attack on the U.S. facilities.   •    When the terrorists stormed the consulate property, they said: “We’re here to kill Americans, not Libyans” and spared the lives of the Libyan guards.   •    Confirmation of information I detailed on the House floor in July noting that “a quick reaction force from the CIA Annex ignored orders to wait and raced to the compound, at times running and shooting their way through the streets just to get there.”   •    The Americans faced a “professional enemy” as they encountered waves of intense fighting on the CIA annex in Benghazi during the early morning of September 12.   Mortars fired during the final wave of the assault hit the roof of the annex three times in the dark.  Lt. Col. Wood described hitting a target like that as “getting the basketball through the hoop over your shoulder” and that it took “coordination, planning training, experienced personnel” to pull off such a “well executed attack.” •    Two Delta Force operators who fought at the CIA annex, apparently as part of the impromptu team that flew in from Tripoli with Glen Doherty during the attack without permission from Washington, have “been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross – two of the military’s highest honors.” •    The U.S. already knew that senior al Qaeda leader Abu Anas al-Libi was in Libya and was “tasked by the head of al Qaeda to establish a clandestine terrorist network inside the country.  Al-Libi was already wanted for his role in bombing two U.S. embassies in Africa.”  Notably, the administration made no mention of his connection to the Benghazi attacks in its announcement of his capture last month.     •    Some of the key questions that remain unanswered are why the CIA security team was ordered not to respond to the attack at the consulate and “why no larger military response ever crossed the border into Libya – something [U.S. deputy chief of mission] Greg Hicks realized wasn’t going to happen just an hour into the attack.” It’s particularly noteworthy that Logan addressed the pressure on witnesses she encountered during her investigation, saying: “An extraordinary amount of pressure on the people involved not to talk.  And an extraordinary amount of pressure on anyone in the government – the military side, the political side – not to say anything outside of official channels.” This is consistent with the concerns I have repeatedly raised on the House floor about efforts by this administration to silence survivors and witnesses to the Benghazi attack and response. What are they afraid of these witnesses sharing with the American people?    And how can the Congress stand by and allow this to happen, knowing full well it is taking place?   CNN in July reported that: “Since January, some CIA operatives involved in the agency’s missions in Libya, have been subjected to frequent, even monthly polygraph examinations, according to a source with deep inside knowledge of the agency’s workings. The goal of the questioning, according to sources, is to find out if anyone is talking to the media or Congress.” Fox News, in a separate piece in July, reported: “At least five CIA employees were forced to sign additional nondisclosure agreements this past spring in the wake of the Benghazi attack.” As someone who represents thousands of federal employees and contractors, including many who work for the CIA, FBI, State Department and the Defense Department, I know from years of firsthand experience how agencies can sometimes use various forms of pressure and intimidation to keep employees from sharing information of concern with Congress.   I know the Benghazi survivors and other witnesses that night from those agencies need the protection of a “friendly subpoena” to compel their testimony before Congress, particularly on a matter as sensitive as this.     So far, the committees have failed to provide this protection to allow survivors and other witnesses to allow them to share their story publicly.            Based on disclosures in recent news reports, I now believe that the Benghazi plot represents a significant intelligence failure by the U.S. at several levels.  Understanding these failures – as well as the government’s inexplicable response during and after the attack – is critical to preventing future attacks.   I want to outline a number of the apparent intelligence failures leading up to the attack, which I believe a Select Committee investigation would confirm: First, the State Department and CIA apparently failed in their assessment of the militia groups working for the Americans in Benghazi, including the February 17 Martyrs Brigade responsible for guarding the consulate property, which abandoned the Americans and may have even facilitated access to the compound for the terrorists.  According to a May 21 article by Eli Lake on The Daily Beast, CIA “officers were responsible for vetting the February 17 Martyrs Brigade, the militia that was supposed to be the first responder on the night of the attack, but melted away when the diplomatic mission was attacked.”   Second, the State Department, Defense Department and CIA apparently failed to adjust their security posture to support the Americans in Benghazi based on the growing number of attacks on Western targets in Benghazi during the summer of 2012.  To date, no one has explained or been held accountable for why the U.S. mission was so poorly secured, despite pleas for assistances from the Embassy staff in Tripoli to Washington.  No one has adequately explained why the Defense Department’s emergency response team was on a routine training mission in Croatia during the week of September 11, when it should have been on alert to respond – especially given the threats to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt earlier in the day before the Benghazi attacks.              Third, the intelligence community apparently failed to understand the size and scope of the attack brewing in Benghazi in the months leading up to September 11.  As Chairman Rogers acknowledged to Fox News’ Catherine Herridge last week, this was a well-coordinated attack that was many weeks, if not months in the making.  Earlier this year, CNN reported on the number of foreign fighters that arrived in Benghazi to participate in the attack in the days leading up to September 11.   A witness in the 60 Minutes report noted how black al-Qaeda flags were openly flying in the months before the attack, and also noted the announced threat against U.S., British and Red Cross facilities.  How did the government miss these warnings?  Or were they simply ignored?     Fourth, the intelligence community seems to have more broadly failed to understand and anticipate how al-Qaeda was metastasizing in North Africa.   This administration has been quick to take credit for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011 and declared throughout the 2012 presidential campaign that as a result of its efforts that “core al-Qaeda” had been decimated.   However, the facts don’t support the administration’s narrative.   As CNN reported on Monday, terrorist attacks hit a record high in 2012 and, “More than 8,500 terrorist attacks killed more than 15,500 people last year as violence tore through Africa, Asia and the Middle East.”  Increasingly, this includes North African countries, like Libya.    CNN also said that “Despite the death of Osama bin Laden and capture of other key al Qaeda leaders, the group has exported its brand of terrorism to other militant Muslims.”  These groups include affiliates like Ansar al Sharia in Libya.   Additionally, CBS’ Lara Logan noted earlier this week following her report on Benghazi that, “it became evident to us during the course of our research that very little is known publicly about the true nature of al Qaeda's network in Libya.  And that has consequences beyond Benghazi and beyond Libya. It has consequences that speak to the national security interests of the United States of America.”          Most of these affiliate terrorist groups have sworn an allegiance to al-Qaeda and appear to closely coordinate their activities and plots with the “core al-Qaeda” leadership, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s successor.  To dismiss or minimize their relationship with al-Qaeda’s senior leadership is misguided and dangerous, as we have seen over the last several years.   I fear that this administration’s insistence in treating “core al-Qaeda” in Afghanistan and Pakistan differently than groups like Ansar al Sharia in Libya has led to a dangerous mischaracterization of the threat – and has apparently resulted in a failure to anticipate attacks like the one that occurred in Benghazi.   Fifth, it appears that documents were taken from the consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi in the wake of the attacks.  As I said earlier, 60 Minutes reported that terrorist Faraj al-Chalabi, whose ties to bin Laden go back nearly two decades, is “believed to have carried documents from the compound to the head of al Qaeda in Pakistan.”  What was taken from the consulate and annex and given to al Qaeda’s leadership?   Additionally, as Lara Logan noted following her report, “We did not expect that we would find the U.S. compound in the state that we found it.  There was still debris and ammunition boxes and a whiteboard that had the day’s assignment for the security personnel at the compound as of September 11, 2012.”  Clearly in the chaos of the fighting and evacuation that night, information was left behind at the facilities that may have consequences for Americans operating in the region.   I also believe the administration’s response to the Benghazi attack over the last year has been nothing short of shameful – and that also merits a full investigation by a Select Committee.  From the first hours of the attack, when it became apparent that no help was coming to assist those under attack – either from U.S. forces or our allies in the region – to the failure of the FBI to gain access to key suspects in Tunisia and Egypt over the last year, this administration has sent a signal to terrorists that the U.S. will not strongly respond to an attack on Americans abroad.  The failure to either arrest or kill any of the scores of terrorists responsible for the attacks more than a year later is inexcusable and reflects unwillingness by this administration to bring diplomatic pressure to bear on countries harboring these terrorists.   I am increasingly convinced that this administration is more comfortable using the ongoing FBI investigation as an excuse not to answer questions than they are in bringing these terrorists to justice.  As I said on the House floor in July, last year, Tunisia detained the first suspect in the Benghazi terror attacks, Ali Harzi, after he was deported from Turkey in the weeks following the attack.  Tunisia, despite being the beneficiary of more than $300 million in U.S. foreign aid, refused to allow the FBI access to this suspect for nearly five weeks.  It was only after Congressional threats to cut off the aid that the government of Tunisia reconsidered its position.  Ultimately, the FBI interrogation team returned to Tunisia and was allowed just three hours to interview Harzi, with his lawyer and a Tunisian judge present.  Not long after the FBI interview, Harzi was inexplicably released by Tunisian authorities, and his release was celebrated by Ansar al Sharia terrorists.   Last month, it was confirmed that Harzi has been involved in at least one assassination of a Tunisian political leader.   In another equally concerning case in Egypt, the FBI has been denied access to Muhammed Jamal, an al Qaeda-connected terrorist who ran training camps in Egypt and eastern Libya prior to the Benghazi attacks.  Several of Jamal’s associates are believed to have participated in the Benghazi plot, and terrorism analysts believe that Jamal may have communicated directly with Zawahiri and al Qaeda leadership about this and other terrorist attacks.  Although Jamal has been in Egyptian custody for more than a year on other terrorism-related charges, the U.S. has never been provided access to him under both the Morsi government and now the military government.  I personally delivered a letter to former Ambassador Patterson in Cairo asking then-President Morsi to provide the FBI access to Jamal and his documents.  I don’t believe the ambassador ever even delivered my letter, despite her assurances.  Jamal’s connection to the Benghazi attack is particularly noteworthy given that both the U.S. and the United Nations formally designated him as a terrorist earlier this month.  However, in another example of this administration’s aversion to discussing terrorist connections to the Benghazi attack, the UN designation clearly notes Jamal’s connection to the Benghazi attack, whereas the State Department designation omits it.    I believe there has been pressure from the administration to omit this type of information from U.S. intelligence products, sending conflicting signals to both our allies and to countries that may have Benghazi suspects of interest to the FBI.  But if we’re unwilling to identify their involvement in the attacks, it further erodes U.S. credibility in asking for access to these individuals.  This willful blindness is disingenuous and, ultimately, dangerous. In early January, when I offered an amendment to create a Select Committee in the House Rules package for the 113th Congress, Speaker Boehner told the Republican Conference he didn’t believe that we had “reached the threshold” for a Select Committee.  He suggested that we might get to the threshold, but the committees of jurisdiction just needed a little more time.   That may have been the case in January, but nearly 11 months later, I think the broad support that has built over the last year makes clear we have more than passed the threshold for a Select Committee now.  I believe the “threshold” has clearly been reached in terms of cosponsors, endorsements and new revelations from press reports.   I was particularly struck by comments made by Ambassador Stevens’ deputy Greg Hicks in the 60 Minutes segment on Sunday: “for us, for the people that go out onto the edge, to represent our country, we believe that if we get in trouble, they’re coming to get us.  That our back is covered.  To hear that it’s not, it’s a terrible, terrible experience.”   It is not enough for the administration to just say there’s nothing more that could have been done, especially given that evidence indicates that they didn’t try much at all to assist the Americans under fire in Benghazi.   Mr. Speaker, it’s time for a unified, bipartisan Select Committee. Let’s get to the truth once and for all so we can find out what happened and restore the American peoples’ confidence in congressional oversight.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123005042/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2333,Wolf: Tougher Restrictions Needed On Prescription Painkillers,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF: TOUGHER RESTRICTIONS NEEDED ON PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2013) – Continuing his efforts to fight prescription drug abuse, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today joined 28 of his colleagues in urging the Secretary of Health and Human Services to put tighter controls on highly addictive pain medications.      In a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, the group said the secretary should immediately adopt the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendation to regulate prescription painkillers using the active ingredient hydrocodone.  The change would reclassify hydrocodone from a Schedule III to a Schedule II drug, putting it in the same category as other opioid painkillers like OxyContin. “Addressing prescription drug abuse needs to be a priority,” Wolf said.  “These tighter controls would recognize the powerful and addictive nature of these medications that can cause substantial unintended damage if they are not used properly.” The FDA recommendations for hydrocodone painkillers mirror the Safe Prescribing Act (H.R. 1285), legislation that Wolf has cosponsored this Congress.  In fact, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has also supported this change for nearly 20 years.  Wolf chaired a Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations subcommittee hearing in April where DEA Administrator Michelle Leohart said that she supports the reclassification of hydrocodone medications.    Additionally, The Washington Post recently editorialized its support for reclassifying hydrocodone as a Schedule II drug.  Wolf has long worked to stem prescription drug abuse, especially the problem of pill mills, pain clinics serving as fronts for the illegal distribution of painkillers.  He has also worked with the DEA to coordinate nationwide prescription drug “take-back” initiatives where people can return unwanted drugs for proper disposal. The full text of the letter is below.  The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Secretary Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC  20201   Dear Secretary Sebelius: We are writing to urge you to immediately adopt the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendation to place tighter controls on prescription painkillers using the active ingredient hydrocodone.  This change mirrors legislation we introduced on March 20, 2013 to reschedule hydrocodone combination drugs from a Schedule III to a Schedule II drug – making them more difficult to prescribe and obtain.     Prescription drug abuse continues to wreak havoc on countless families and communities throughout our nation.  This epidemic has reached such violent proportions that fatal drug overdoses now outweigh the total number of traffic fatalities in this country.  Products containing hydrocodone, such as Lortab and Vicodin, are fueling this scourge.  These drugs are now the most widely prescribed painkillers in the U.S.    On a dose by dose analysis, hydrocodone is comparable in both potency and potential for abuse to oxycodone, a Schedule II drug. While almost every opioid painkiller is placed in Schedule II, hydrocodone combination products are conspicuously missing from this list.   That is why we introduced the Safe Prescribing Act of 2013 (H.R. 1285) to correct this misclassification, a change the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has supported for nearly 20 years. Reclassifying hydrocodone combination drugs to a Schedule II would limit how much hydrocodone a patient can receive in between doctor visits and would require written prescriptions.  Our legislation has received widespread support from law enforcement, the medical community and addiction advocates.  Dr. Andrew Kolodny, President of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, said our bill will “correct an error made over 40 years ago when the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) incorrectly classified hydrocodone combination products.  There is clear and convincing medical evidence that hydrocodone has the same abuse liability as the Schedule II opioids.” Rescheduling of hydrocodone combination drugs alone is not enough to end the scourge, and we need to ensure that any changes protect the ability of patients with a legitimate medical need to access these medications.  But regulating these potent narcotics in an appropriate manner could go a long way toward combating a national epidemic.  We have heard too many stories of a father who started taking painkillers for a bad back only to overdose a few years later.  We have heard of too many teenagers who failed to grasp the potency of these narcotics and whose lives were cut far too short. On February 28, 2012, you testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that “the data is enormously alarming -- prescription drugs have now outpaced criminal drugs in terms of over abuse, and deaths, and injuries.”  We simply cannot wait any longer to act.       We urge you to immediately accept the FDA’s recommendation in the name of every man, woman and child who has endured the horrors of prescription drug abuse. Sincerely,     Members of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123005243/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2324,Wolf Renews Call For Secretary Kerry To Meet With Wife Of Chinese Dissident Gao Zhisheng,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF RENEWS CALL FOR SECRETARY KERRY TO MEET WITH THE WIFE OF CHINESE DISSIDENT GAO ZHISHENG Urges an Elevation of Human Rights, Religious Freedom in Bilateral Relations with China Washington, D.C. (October 30, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, yesterday renewed his call for Secretary of State John Kerry to meet with the wife of imprisoned Chinese dissident Gao Zhisheng, a respected human rights lawyer. In a letter to Kerry, Wolf, who last year “adopted” Gao as part of the Defending Freedoms Project, an initiative launched by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in conjunction with Amnesty International and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,pointed to a recent piece in the Washington Post that similarly calls for high-ranking U.S. officialsto meet with Chinese dissidents and their families who “can speak with unique authority about the persecution they continue to face in China.” The opinion piece, written by Jared Genser, whose Freedom Now legal advocacy organization provides pro bono representation to several Chinese dissidents in their families, including Chen Guangcheng, Gao Zhisheng and Liu Xiaobo, argues that a meeting with Kerry and President Obama would “in particular, make clear that the United States views human rights as a central component to its foreign policy.” Wolf renewed his call for a meeting with Gao’s wife as well as Chen Guangcheng and other prominent dissidents and their families “thereby elevating human rights and religious freedom in our bilateral relations with China, and restoring hope to the thousands who suffer daily under house arrest and unjust imprisonment.” Wolf previously wrote Kerry last February urging that he meet with Gao’s wife, and then later joined with several House members, including House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in writing a separate letter in May about Chen Guangcheng’s case, which echoed a similar request for a meeting.  To read more about Wolf’s work on this topic, click here. The full text of the letter is below. The Honorable John Kerry Secretary of State 2201 C St NW Ste 7276 Washington DC 20520 Dear Secretary Kerry: I again write to you regarding the case of imprisoned Chinese dissident Gao Zhisheng, who I “adopted” last December as part of the Defending Freedoms Project, an initiative launched by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in conjunction with Amnesty International and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. On February 15, 2013, I sent you a letter urging you to “publicly and privately raise the case of Gao Zhisheng – a man who has suffered greatly at the hands of his own government solely for proclaiming his Christian faith and defending the persecuted.”  I also encouraged you to meet with Gao’s wife, Geng He, “who now resides in the U.S., to hear first-hand the suffering that her husband and family have endured over several years.”  I concluded, “It is painfully clear that our current approach to China is not working.  Quiet diplomacy, whereby grave human rights and religious freedom abuses are reportedly discussed in private meetings but rarely, if ever, raised publicly, has not yielded results and has in fact emboldened the oppressors.”  This remains true today. Jared Genser, founder of Freedom Now, which provides pro bono counsel to the families of several prominent Chinese dissidents, including Gao, authored a piece in the Washington Post on October 27 which plainly states that Beijing feels comfortable “flouting its legal obligations to its own people” and “lying to the international community.” Genser concluded, and I couldn’t agree more, that “…continued inattention only breeds more persecution, a new strategy is desperately needed.”  The complete op-ed is enclosed, but among the recommendations that Genser makes is for “…the U.S. administration to meet with Chinese dissidents and their families who can speak with unique authority about the persecution they continue to face in China. Meetings with President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, in particular, make clear that the United States views human rights as a central component of its foreign policy.” To my knowledge, more than eight months after my initial correspondence, you have failed to meet with Geng He.  In a separate letter in May I joined with several other Members of the House, including Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, in urging you to meetwith Chen Guangcheng and his wife, Yuan Weijing.  This request too fell on deaf ears.  As such, I renew this call in the hopes that such a meeting with prominent dissidents and their family members would take place in the very near future, thereby elevating human rights and religious freedom in our bilateral relations with China, and restoring hope to the thousands who suffer daily under house arrest and unjust imprisonment. Such a meeting would be especially timely given China’s pursuit of a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council this November – yet another mockery of the council’s stated mission. Best wishes.                                                               Sincerely,                                                                                                                             Frank R. Wolf                                                             Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=356933,Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for November,2013-10-29,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of November: November 1, 2013 Martinsville:     11:00am – 1:00pm NCI Room 106 – Classroom Building 30 Franklin Street Martinsville, VA Scott County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Community Services Building Community Room 190 Beech Street Gate City, VA Norton:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Norton City Council Chambers 618 Virginia Avenue NW Norton, VA November 6, 2013 Smyth County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Town Council Chambers 138 West Main Street Marion, VA Covington:     10:00am – 12:00pm                    Covington City Hall City Hall Conference Room 333 W. Locust Street Covington, VA Craig County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Craig County Administration Building 108 Court Street New Castle, VA Bristol:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bristol VA Public Library Upstairs Conference Room 701 Goode Street Bristol, VA November 7, 2013 Wise County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Big Stone Gap Federal Courthouse 3rd Floor Room 303 322 Wood Avenue E Big Stone Gap, VA November 13, 2013 Radford:     10:00am – 12:00pm Radford Public Library Meeting Room 30 West Main Street Radford, VA Pulaski County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Pulaski County Library Meeting Room 60 3rd Street NW Pulaski, VA  November 14, 2013 Grayson County:    10:00am – 12:00pm Grayson County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room Suite 206 129 Davis Street Independence, VA Russell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center 141 Highland Drive Lebanon, VA Tazewell County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bluefield Town Hall – Council Chambers 112 Huffard Drive Bluefield, VA  Galax:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Galax Municipal Building Conference Room 111 E. Main Street Galax, VA November 15, 2013 Carroll County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Carroll County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room 605 – 1 Pine Street Hillsville, VA Floyd County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Floyd County Library 321 W. Main Street Floyd, VA November 19, 2013 Giles County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Pearisburg Town Hall 112 Tazewell Street Pearisburg, VA Tazewell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm American Legion Building 226 Central Avenue Tazewell, VA Buchanan County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Grundy Town Hall 1185 Plaza Drive Grundy VA Salem:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Salem Library 28 East Main Street Salem, VA November 20, 2013 Henry County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bassett Historical Society       3964 Fairystone Parkway Bassett, VA Bland County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bland County Courthouse Admin. Office Room 200 612 Main Street Bland, VA Wythe County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Wythe County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 245 South 4th Street Wytheville, VA Patrick County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Patrick County Administration Building Conference Room 106 Rucker Street Stuart, VA   November 21, 2013 Lee County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Lee County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 33640 Main Street – Suite U101 November 22, 2013 Alleghany County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Clifton Forge Library Conference Room 535 Church Street Clifton Forge, VA 24422  Dickenson County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Dickenson Center for Education & Research 818 Happy Valley Drive Clintwood, VA Roanoke County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm   Roanoke Library Hollins Branch 6624 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA **Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=357006,"Griffith: “The Future of America is With Coal, and Not Against Coal”",2013-10-29,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today joined a crowd of coal miners and other friends of coal at the Stand Up for American Energy Jobs Rally on the west side of the U.S. Capitol Building.  Griffith was one of many lawmakers to address the rally.  An excerpt from his remarks: ""Several years ago, the President said, 'When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, you know, under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.' ""Mr. President, who do you think the 'consumers' are?  The consumers are you, they’re me, they’re the hardworking men and women of the United States of America who are going to pay for the policies – not only in lost jobs, but they are going to pay for the policies through skyrocketing electric rates all over this country.  The President knew it, he set out to do it. …  ""And he went on in that same interview to say, 'So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.  It’s just that it will bankrupt them.'  ""But ladies and gentlemen, it’s not just the people building the coal power plants.  It’s the coal operations that are being bankrupted, it’s the businesses that rely on the coal operations, it’s the miners, it’s the workers, it’s the people who work at the factories that make things for the coal mines.  It’s the restaurant in Big Stone Gap that I love to go to that’s no longer open because business is bad.  It’s the hospital in Lee County that, along with Obamacare, the bad economy forced out of business. It’s the Mom-and-Pop-shops all over coal country that the President is bankrupting.  And ladies and gentlemen, I’m glad that you brought the fight and the anger here to Washington, because our legislators both in the House and the Senate need to hear from you! … ""I hope that [Environmental Protection Agency Administrator] Gina McCarthy and the President will come to Central Appalachia and see the devastation that they’re doing to our economy.  Maybe then they will understand that the future of America is with coal, and not against coal.  ""Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate each and every one of you being here today.  I hope you talk to your Congressmen and to your Senators and we get that message across."" A photo of Rep. Griffith addressing the rally and audio of his remarks are attached. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141204/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/466,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON FISA REFORM LEGISLATION,2013-10-29,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON FISA REFORM LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte today released the statement below following new NSA intelligence gathering allegations and the introduction of the USA FREEDOM Act, a bill authored by Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.): “With each revelation of the scope of NSA’s intelligence gathering programs, it’s increasingly clear that we need to take legislative action with regard to these programs to ensure that they adequately protect Americans’ civil liberties and operate in a prudent manner.  I commend Crime Subcommittee Chairman Sensenbrenner for his efforts to examine how best to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.  This bill is a good first step and will generate a healthy discussion about what provisions need to be changed in current law.  I am committed to working with him and other members of the House Judiciary Committee, House leaders, and other members of Congress to ensure our nation’s intelligence collection programs include real protections for Americans’ civil liberties, robust oversight, and additional transparency, while maintaining a workable legal framework for national security officials to keep our country safe from foreign enemies.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=356875,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 10.28.13,2013-10-28,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Obamacare Implementation Failures – Website and Rural America Since the launch of the health care reform law’s exchanges on October 1, we have seen many reports of significant problems with the law’s website and, even worse, health insurance plans that are more expensive and/or have significantly higher deductibles.  Furthermore, an October 24 piece in Forbes* stated that more Americans (over 500,000 individuals) in 3 States have had their insurance policies cancelled than have “filed” applications (476,000 applications) in all 50 States. This is all very troubling, and has led to increasingly frequent calls for delays of or changes to the law– even among people like Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). Americans are seeking answers as to who in the federal government was aware of technical issues, when these issues came to light, who made the decision to delay items like the law’s Spanish language platform, etc.  I hope that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will have the answers to these important questions and others during the times that she testifies before Congress. Didn’t Know or Didn’t Disclose? On Thursday, October 24, the Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing seeking to find out what has been happening with Obamacare’s implementation.  Several of the top contractors working on the health care law’s website testified at this hearing. The contractors told us that HHS was responsible for comprehensive, “end-to-end” testing of the system before it went live.  Witnesses said that the federal government didn’t conduct that final testing until just two weeks before the October 1 launch.  According to CNN,** Andrew Slavitt of Optum/QSSI testified that “The system didn’t receive adequate end-to-end testing.”  Cheryl Campbell of CGI Federal told us of a last minute change by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that prevented people from checking out Obamacare before having made a final decision as to what plan is right for their family.  Although Ms. Campbell said she was never given a reason for this last minute change, it appeared to me to be a political decision so that the American people wouldn’t get sticker shock when they saw how much Obamacare will actually cost them.  Is it really that so many of these issues weren’t known, or is it instead that they weren’t disclosed?  I fear it is the latter, but am hopeful that the Administration will provide some clarity on this and the many other questions that remain unanswered. New York Times: “Health Care Law Fails to Lower Prices for Rural Areas” A recent story in the New York Times*** highlights a major concern I share with many others from rural areas – that “…evidence is emerging that one of the program’s loftiest goals — to encourage competition among insurers in an effort to keep costs low — is falling short for many rural Americans.” In this story, Wyoming’s insurance commissioner Tom Hirsig said, “I think the problem was that the Affordable Care Act was designed for where the majority of the people live, in the big cities where there’s a lot of competition among health care providers.” Our neighbor West Virginia is mentioned in this story as one of those States suffering from lack of competition. ""It is also difficult to attract new insurers to areas where the population has health problems,"" the authors wrote.  ""Only one carrier, Highmark Blue Cross, is offering coverage in West Virginia, which has high rates of obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes."" Here in Southwest Virginia, many localities will have severely limited competition.  Nine localities will have no competition in at least one of the two categories, with only one insurance company in either the Individual and/or SHOP (small business) exchanges.  Those localities are Bland, Bristol, Buchanan, Carroll, Grayson, Lee, Scott, Tazewell, and Wythe. No Republicans voted for Obamacare.  At the time, then-Ninth District Representative Rick Boucher voted no, saying of Obamacare “… Because of massive funding reductions for Medicare, it would adversely affect the quality of care received by Southwest Virginia senior citizens. It would result in health insurance premium increases for those who have insurance. It contains unacceptable special benefits for some states at the expense of the others. It does not correct the unwarranted disparities in Medicare reimbursements that penalize rural areas. …” While he and I disagreed on many issues, on this one, we agreed.  It’s a shame more rural Democrats didn’t have the same vision. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.  ### * http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/10/24/more-americans-have-had-their-insurance-canceled-under-obamacare-than-have-filed-an-exchange-account/ ** http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/politics/congress-obamacare-website/ *** http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/business/health-law-fails-to-keep-prices-low-in-rural-areas.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131123140358/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2323,Wolf Op-Ed: Virginia Can And Should Work Harder To Combat Hunger,2013-10-25,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 OP-ED             OP-ED             OP-ED             OP-ED WOLF: VIRGINIA CAN AND SHOULD WORK HARDER TO COMBAT HUNGER Washington, D.C. (October 25, 2013) – Last year, the USDA reported a record number of Americans are struggling to put food on their tables.  Across the nation, 49 million people – including 17 million children and 6 million seniors – are going hungry, a number that has grown substantially over the last two years, even since the start of the recession.  Because of high unemployment and underemployment rates nationwide, local food banks and pantries are struggling to keep up with demand, even during this period of economic recovery. In some cases, families that once were regular food donors are finding themselves in line for food assistance themselves.  Media outlets have reported that military families are regularly visiting local food banks, some of which have had to close their doors all together as their shelves go bare. As the holidays approach, food drives will be held in offices, churches and communities all over America, and backpacks will be stuffed with canned items.  But what happens to families in need during the other 10 months out of the year?  Where will they turn after the holidays are over when the resources stop coming in? It’s simply unacceptable that people are going hungry in America, the land of plenty and the world’s wealthiest nation.  And frankly, this is a solvable problem that deserves attention.  I’ve proposed several ways to ensure food is distributed to those in need year round, at no cost to taxpayers, such as the National Commission on Hunger, an amendment I proposed that passed the House Appropriations Committee this past summer.  Yet there are things we can do here in Virginia as well. I commend Governor McDonnell for his leadership and effort on this issue.  During his Governorship, McDonnell regularly volunteered at local food banks and brought awareness to the problem of hunger in Virginia by issuing a proclamation to make September “Hunger Action Month” and encouraging Virginians to wear orange.  The month included volunteer activities, food and fund drives, as well as ways to encourage the public to support the efforts of Feeding America and its network of more than 200 food banks and partner agencies. Following the election, I will be contacting the new Governor to work with him to continue McDonnell’s efforts in several ways.  First, a statewide hunger initiative should be organized where the Governor’s office calls on all state agencies, schools, businesses, churches and civic organizations to commit to participating in a rolling food drive to re-stock the shelves of local food pantries year-round.  For example, schools could donate in the late winter, churches and civic organizations in the spring, businesses in the summer and state agencies in the fall in order to ensure steady donations of food to pantries throughout the calendar year. Each cabinet agency would be in charge of its own efforts, and the Governor could honor the organization that donates the most food and even develop marketing campaigns to raise public awareness.  If successful, this effort could be repeated and even modeled in other states. Next, the state should develop a central “one-stop” Web site for all food banks and food pantries to provide information for donors, volunteers and clients, rather than the scattered and copious Web sites that currently exist and are difficult to navigate. By centralizing the information in one place, the state could provide a platform for donors and volunteers to easily locate the closest food bank or pantry, learn what items are needed and how they can get involved, provide contact information for each food pantry, provide churches, civic groups and businesses with “real time” information on food shortages in each area, and much more. Finally, we should require states to donate unused food and clear up any misguidance on liability issues schools fear they face if they give away unused food.  The Governor should take a leadership role in educating schools about the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which legally protects schools from liability – a common deterrent among many schools – and allow donations of excess food to local pantries. In 2011, language that I authored was signed into law making this explicitly clear --schools can donate food without fear of liability.   Sadly, many school districts have been unwilling to donate excess food due to administrative resistance and a misperception that federal regulation doesn’t allow it.  The purpose of the law is simple: to keep excess school food out of the garbage and get it to our food banks.  The Governor should require each school to authorize the cafeteria manager to release excess food to local food banks with the manager’s contact information to facilitate relationships. With these initiatives, we can and will combat the hunger problem that exists in Northern Virginia and all over the country.  For more on Wolf’s work to end hunger in the 10th District, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131104181737/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/465,GOODLATTE INTRODUCES PATENT LITIGATION REFORM BILL,2013-10-23,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE INTRODUCES PATENT LITIGATION REFORM BILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte introduced a bill today to address the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation.  The bipartisan Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) builds on the reforms that were made last Congress in the America Invents Act and addresses certain abusive practices taking place in our Courts. “Abusive patent litigation is a drag on our economy. Everyone from independent inventors, to start-ups, to mid and large sized businesses face this constant threat. The tens of billions of dollars spent on settlements and litigation expenses associated with abusive patent suits represent truly wasted capital – wasted capital that could have been used to create new jobs, fund R&D, and create new innovations and technologies. “The bipartisan Innovation Act is designed to eliminate the abuses of our patent system, discourage frivolous patent litigation and keep U.S. patent laws up to date.  These important actions will help fuel the engine of American innovation and creativity, creating new jobs and growing our economy.” Original cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Howard Coble (R-N.C.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Anna Eshoo (D- Calif.), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), Blake Farenthold (R-Texas), and George Holding (R-N.C.). Key Components of the Innovation Act: Target Abusive Patent Litigation: The bill targets abusive patent litigation behavior and not specific entities with the goal of preventing individuals from taking advantage of gaps in the system to engage in litigation extortion.  It does not attempt to eliminate valid patent litigation. Protects the Patent System: The patent system is integral to U.S. competitiveness.  This legislation does not diminish or devalue patent rights in any way. Increases Transparency: This legislation includes heightened pleading standards and transparency provisions. Requiring parties to do a bit of due diligence up front before filing an infringement suit is just plain common sense. It not only reduces litigation expenses, but saves the court’s time and resources. Greater transparency and information is a good thing and it makes our patent system stronger. Modernizes Fee Shifting: The legislation includes a modernized version of Section 285 fee shifting that is fair, clear and will ensure consistent judicial determinations. Provides Greater Clarity: The legislation provides for more clarity surrounding initial discovery, case management, joinder and the common law doctrine of customer stays.  The bill works hand-in-hand with the procedures and practices of the Judicial Conference and the courts. Small Business Education: The bill provides for small business education and outreach by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A copy of the legislation can be found here and a section-by-section can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=490,Wittman to House Budget Negotiators: Military Readiness Must be Priority in Conference,2013-10-23,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) today penned a letter to House Budget Chairman and House-Senate budget conference committee negotiator Paul Ryan urging him to review critical information specific to the nation's declining military readiness under sequestration. The letter states, in part: We are at a critical time in our history when it comes to our nation's defense. More than ever, our Department of Defense and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines that make up our fighting force demand the attention of the Congress. The time to take action against the sequester cuts to the Department of Defense is now. The readiness of our all-volunteer force and our ability to project power is at stake. As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I am privy to the classified Quarterly Readiness Report briefings that show our declining state of military readiness across the services. I invite you to join me in an intensive review of the latest report in detail to see the true impacts of sequestration, to help inform your decisions, and those of the budget conferees, as you move through conference negotiations. In recent days, Wittman, who serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, also sought to remind and educate all Members of the House on the critical need to address sequestration cuts to defense. Wittman sent a Dear Colleague letter to all members on October 22, 2013,found here. The full text of the letter is below anda PDF copy can be found here. October 23, 2013 The Honorable Paul Ryan Chairman, Committee on the Budget U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Ryan, We are at a critical time in our history when it comes to our nation's defense. More than ever, our Department of Defense and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines that make up our fighting force demand the attention of the Congress. The time to take action against the sequester cuts to the Department of Defense is now. The readiness of our all-volunteer force and our ability to project power is at stake. As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I am privy to the classified Quarterly Readiness Report briefings that show our declining state of military readiness across the services. I invite you to join me in an intensive review of the latest report in detail to see the true impacts of sequestration, to help inform your decisions, and those of the budget conferees, as you move through conference negotiations. Our declining state of military readiness is a very serious issue that will be compounded if sequestration is allowed to continue. If Congress allows sequestration to continue, our forces will be unprepared to deploy, they will face increased risk, their safety will be jeopardized, their missions compromised, and there will be an increased likelihood that more Americans will be killed carrying out their Constitutional duty, both on the battle field and in training. Congress must not stand idly by and watch the dangerous degradation of our nation's military. I urge the conference committee to reduce the defense sequester cuts to the greatest extent possible. Since Secretary Robert Gates announced his efficiency initiatives in August 2010, the Department of Defense has been constrained through a series of internal efficiency initiatives, successive budget cuts, the Budget Control Act of 2011, sequestration, and most recently, through a government shutdown. Even before the shutdown, defense spending had already decreased by more than $800 billion from levels proposed just three years ago which projected out to 2020 represents the lowest level of defense funding as a percentage of the U.S. Government's total budget authority since before WWII. These hundreds of billions in cuts over the next 10 years, $52 billion in Fiscal Year 2014 alone, led Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno to warn the House Armed Services Committee in recent testimony that future cuts could lead to a situation where we would struggle to meet even one major theater contingency. The other Chiefs echoed his concerns about the United States' potential inability to execute the most basic strategic requirement: defeating an enemy in a single major contingency. This dire assessment comes on the heels of a year-old Defense Strategic Guidance that ended a generation's worth of strategy that called for the U.S. military to be postured to prevail in two major contingencies due to budget constraints. Using words like bleak, insidious, difficult, and devastating, the Chiefs outlined a future military far from the one we had just three years ago. To describe further cuts, General Mark Welsh, Air Force Chief of Staff, warned that further reductions would lead to fewer new combat systems and long-term deferment of critical upgrades that help maintain our technological edge: if the reduced caps under current law continue, our modernization forecasts are bleak. This funding level will impact every one of our investment programs. He also warned the Committee of a dramatically smaller Air Force divested of entire fleets of A-10 close air support aircraft, KC-10 tankers, and F-15C fighters. Concerned about cuts to end strength, Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos stated, Further reductions will incur heightened, and in some cases prohibitive, risk to the National Security Strategy. He also warned this smaller force would mean that Marines would have significantly less time home between deployments. General Odierno described a future Army that would have to eliminate nearly half of its 45 Brigade Combat Teams and cancel enough training to render 85 percent of soldiers unprepared for combat and Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the Chief of Naval Operations, warned of a Navy unable to meet U.S. Strategic Command presence [nuclear deterrent] requirements In another more recent Armed Services hearing, Marine Corps Lieutenant General William Faulkner and Army Lieutenant General Raymond Mason, the top logisticians for the Army and Marine Crops charged with resetting the force after 13 years of combat, described the human toll of budget cuts and furloughs by warning that they already see the initial signs of a mass exodus of the best and brightest engineers, planners, and managers with decades of experience who are leaving for a more stable private sector or retirement. They warned this cadre of professionals will be impossible to replace in the short-term. Air Force Space Command General William Shelton captured the cumulative impacts of these budget-driven decisions telling a conference that sequestration probably represents a bigger threat to our capabilities than anything an enemy is thinking up. I know you share my passion to honor the oath that we took to this nation and to support and defend the Constitution. I believe there is no higher calling in this office then to abide by Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution; Provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States To raise and support Armiesand to provide and maintain a Navy. Again, I invite you to join me to review the Quarterly Readiness Report in detail and see the true impacts of sequestration on our all-volunteer fighting force and the security of our nation. Sincerely, Robert J. Wittman MEMBER OF CONGRESS Cc: Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355980,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 10.21.13,2013-10-21,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Implementation of Obamacare is “fabulous??” October 1 was the day that the website for Obamacare launched, and Americans were able to try and research or sign up for health care coverage through the law’s exchanges.  Leading up to the website’s launch (and despite warnings of significant problems and an impending train wreck)… Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, known for having said that Congress had “to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it,” said on June 26 that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ “implementation of [Obamacare] is fabulous.”  In a July 28 television interview, Secretary Sebelius herself said, “we are on track to flip the switch on October 1 and say to people ‘come on and sign up.’”  Testifying on August 1 before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on which I sit, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner also insisted that the website was not in trouble, saying “Sixty days from now is the beginning of open enrollment when Americans will be able to compare and enroll in affordable health care coverage, and that implementation is on track.” And as recently as September 19, a mere 11 days before implementation of the exchanges, Gary Cohen, the federal official in charge of the exchanges, testified under oath before the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations while I was there, that, “consumers will be able to go online, they will be able to get a determination of what tax subsidies they are eligible for, they’ll be able to look at the plans that are available where they live, they will be able to see the premium next of subsidy that they would have to pay, and they will be able to choose a plan and get enrolled in coverage beginning October 1.” The American taxpayer has spent more than $400 million on the exchange system, but when October 1 rolled around more than three years after Obamacare was signed into law, Americans across the country were not met with the “fabulous” experience promised them.  The exchanges were not on track.  Countless Americans were unable to complete enrollment tasks.  Because Obamacare eliminates the current federal health policy for Members of Congress and congressional staff, my wife has attempted to log into the system.  She experienced problems similar to those being reported by other Americans, problems including error messages and difficulty in creating accounts.  Many problems remain unresolved today, nearly three weeks after the website launched. Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that, “Insurers say the federal health-care marketplace is generating flawed data that is straining their ability to handle even the trickle of enrollees who have gotten through so far, in a sign that technological problems extend further than the website traffic and software issues already identified.  Emerging errors include duplicate enrollments, spouses reported as children, missing data fields and suspect eligibility determinations…” On October 7, Secretary Sebelius appeared on New York’s The Daily Show – a late night satirical television show often covering government and politics – where she dodged the usually light-hearted host’s tough questions about Obamacare. The American people deserve answers as to what has been happening with Obamacare’s implementation.  On Thursday, October 24, my colleagues and I on the Energy and Commerce Committee are holding a hearing to look into the bungled launch of Obamacare.  We have invited Secretary Sebelius to testify at this hearing but she is refusing to appear, choosing instead to attend the Kennedy Forum Gala in Boston the day before the hearing.  However, it is important to note that there are flights that would return to the Capitol in time for the Secretary to attend our hearing. Secretary Sebelius’ task of fixing the Obamacare website may be impossible, but she should be working overtime to try.  It ought to be her first priority, since it is three weeks since it was launched.  She has time to attend galas and appear on The Daily Show, but she doesn’t have time to do her duty and answer congressional questions now? The rollout of Obamacare exchanges has not been fabulous.  Now, the same people that told you the exchanges would be fabulous and ready on October 1 will be telling you that the entire program will be fabulous and ready for full implementation on January 1.  With less than 70 days to go and having heard the same rhetoric before the rollout of the exchanges, I suspect full implementation will not be fabulous either. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355729,"Griffith: “If Obamacare is good for the goose, why is it not good for the gander?”",2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Senate amendments to raise the debt ceiling without corresponding spending cuts: “In our legislative process, each side must give up some priorities to come to a common agreement.  Over the past several weeks, my colleagues and I made numerous attempts to compromise, but the President and the Democrat-controlled Senate never negotiated in good faith with House Republicans.  In fact, while House Republicans were considering a proposal that would have only required the President and his political appointees to live under Obamacare like the rest of the American people, the President told House Democrats that he would veto any debt ceiling bill that included that provision.  If Obamacare is good for the goose, why is it not good for the gander?*  Further, the final agreement’s only ‘concession’ to Republicans is that the Administration follow what is in existing law – that Americans receiving taxpayer-funded Obamacare subsidies be required to verify that they meet income eligibility requirements. “However, Republicans don’t control the White House or the Senate, and we did not win this Obamacare battle.  But I continue to believe that the health care law is a train wreck that can not and will not work, and remain committed to seeing it repealed and replaced.  “It is true that this evening’s Senate amendments raise the debt ceiling for nearly four months and put us on a track to negotiations to agree to a budget for the first time since 2009.  But the President, who once called letting the debt rise unchecked ‘unpatriotic,’ has been insisting that he won’t negotiate over raising the debt ceiling.  While hopeful, I am skeptical that the President and Senate will change course, and come to the table to constructively work with Republicans to rein in the federal government’s spending addiction.  We need a clear, disciplined, well-thought-out spending reduction plan in order to decrease our deficits and our debt, preventing us from further burdening future generations of Americans with excessive debt.  For that reason and others, I could not in good conscience vote in favor of the Senate amendments.” ###  *The President would be the gander, the American people would be the goose. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141207/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/464,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VOTE ON SENATE PROPOSAL,2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VOTE ON SENATE PROPOSAL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement regarding tonight’s vote in the House of Representatives: “The Senate’s plan raises the debt limit and merely delays discussion on debt and spending for a short time and does little to address the fundamental fiscal challenges facing our nation.  The fact of the matter is that unrestrained government spending and unsustainable entitlement programs that make up nearly 70 percent of our spending remain untouched by this measure.  After years of debate it is time to take action. “Unfortunately, the Senate’s unwillingness to negotiate resulted in a measure that does not provide the reforms required to address the nearly $17 trillion national debt and the massive new entitlement program in the form of Obamacare.  Getting spending under control and reducing our debt remain my highest priorities, and this bill did not meet those goals.  That is why I could not vote in support of this proposal.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=489,Wittman Votes to Re-Open Government,2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) tonight voted in favor of legislation to re-open the federal government and fund its operation through January 15, 2014. The legislation also sets up an agreement for the House and Senate to work out differences in funding levels for the entire 2014 fiscal year. I do not advocate for last-minute deals, but tonight the choice was yes or no, and the right thing to do was to re-open our government and stand by our obligations, Wittman said. This bill re-opens a government that has been shuttered 16 days too long, while federal employees have sat at home, veterans wonder if they will receive the benefits they have earned, and Americans have been denied basic government services. This bill ensures the government can pay the bills it owes; however, I strongly believe that Congress must not simply kick the can, but have a healthy debate and return to regular order, instead of governing by shutdown threats and risk of default. This is no way to govern. For the past two years, I've been arguing that Congress needs to get the job of funding the government done before Congress goes home for an August recess. The business of the nation needs to be done. We have to get back to doing business in a regular order and stop this cycle of crisis management. I supported previous efforts to fund government and repeal Obamacare because I believe the law is fundamentally flawed. The fight for real health reform will continue, and the fight for responsible governing will continue. I believe that America has great days ahead, and hope for Congress to listen to the people. Washington is broken, and has a long way back to even ground. Our founding fathers intended healthy debate on critical issues affecting our republic, but not at the expense of its citizens. We have an opportunity to improve, and I intend to fight every day for what is right for our country and for our future because it is so important. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 285-144, and will now head to the President's desk for his signature. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355496,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 10.14.13,2013-10-14,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The House as a Footstool? The President refused to negotiate with any Republican in either the House or the Senate to work out a potential solution to the partial government shutdown until Thursday, October 10, which was the tenth day of the partial shutdown.  House discussions with the Obama White House collapsed the next day, however, and Senate leaders took up negotiations over the weekend of October 12 and 13. When government is divided, as it currently is, there must be ongoing conversations involving all parties.  All parties must be prepared to compromise.  While the House majority is of a different party than the President, each one of the 232 House Republicans were elected by the constituents of their districts.  The Founding Fathers didn’t intend for the House to merely be a footstool for any President, and the House must be involved in the negotiating process.  The President’s general refusal to participate in discussions with the House has been damaging to the negotiating process. As long as I have the honor to represent the Ninth District of Virginia, I do not intend for the House to be a footstool.  I don’t care whether that President is a Democrat, Republican, or Independent.  The constitutional prerogatives of the House must be defended.  As this column is being written, it is being reported that Senate leaders are approaching agreement.  While I believe that serious negotiations should have started long ago, these are the facts that we must deal with.  Therefore, a reasonable, short-term extension may be appropriate.  The full extent of this reported agreement has not yet been released by the Senate negotiators.  I will need to review the proposal in detail before determining whether in my opinion it is in the best interest of the United States.  In the Meantime… Since the beginning of the partial government shutdown, there has been an ongoing controversy regarding why open-air monuments and other park facilities (some of which don’t cost any federal dollars) were closed as a response to the partial government shutdown.  On Sunday, October 13, veterans and other supporters traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of the “Million Vet March” to protest the partial shutdown-related closure of monuments and memorials.  While a very small number of the participants behaved inappropriately, the vast majority were there to visit war memorials.  The National Park Service had the memorials barricaded so the veterans could not visit them.  In the last week, though, the National Park Service gave clearance for a pro-immigration reform concert and rally.  Then, a few days later, the same Park Service attempted to block veterans from paying tribute to those who died in the various wars.  I believe it was out of frustration that many of the veterans participated in acts of civil disobedience by gathering barricades and moving some of them to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – aka the White House – where they made it clear, as one veteran said, “Mr. President, tear down these barricades!” While the partial government shutdown is not something that anyone could or should truly want, I and others have to question why, during this difficult time, the Administration would choose to close down open-air war memorials.  Please keep in mind that, in the previous 17 shutdowns since the new budgeting process was started in the 1970s, NO OTHER PRESIDENT has taken such action. To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131016000051/http://wolf.house.gov:80/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2316,Wolf: Show Humility and Start Governing,2013-10-14,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 Click here to watch a video of Wolf's statement.  WOLF: SHOW HUMILITY AND START GOVERNING Says American People are Losing Washington, D.C. (October 14, 2013) – In remarks delivered on the House floor today, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) today called on his colleagues and the president to follow the advice of the  chaplain of the Senate to show humility and start governing. “The Congress and the president have been entrusted with much, namely the responsibility to govern this country,” Wolf said.  “The American people rightly expect us, regardless of party affiliation, to come together, especially during times of crisis, and find ways to get things done.  They are understandably fed up with this current dysfunction, and I am, too.  “Each side thinks it is winning, but in reality, the country and the American people are losing,” Wolf continued.  “Senate Chaplain Barry Black says there's a level of insanity involved in the current government shutdown.  Asked what it would take to end the current impasse, the former Navy chaplain said, ‘It's going to take humility.’ Wise words.” Below is the complete text of Wolf’s remarks: In Luke 12:48 Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” The Congress and the president have been entrusted with much, namely the responsibility to govern this country.  The American people rightly expect us, regardless of party affiliation, to come together, especially during times of crisis, and find ways to get things done.  They are understandably fed up with this current dysfunction, and I am, too.  Each side thinks it is winning, but in reality, the country and the American people are losing.  Senate Chaplain Barry Black says there's a level of insanity involved in the current government shutdown.  Asked what it would take to end the current impasse, the former Navy chaplain said, “It's going to take humility.”  Wise words. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”  There is too much pride poisoning this debate.  The American people should be the winner, not one party or the other, not the administration or the Congress.   Short-sighted political victories aimed at capturing the latest headline in the 24 hour news cycle will not stand the test of time, nor will they be viewed well through the lens of history, especially if on our watch the trust that must exist between elected officials and the electorate is frayed beyond repair. For those of us who think Obamacare is a disaster – and that is a growing number of people in our country – its future will not be decided by shutting or opening of the government.  In fact,the current failings of the system including the widespread glitches plaguing the Web site are not getting the news coverage they should because the “story” has become the shutdown.  The public debate surrounding Obamacare, which will undoubtedly be at the forefront heading into the mid-term elections, will play second fiddle until the government is once again operational. It also bears mentioning, that while important, Obamacare must be placed in a larger context of theexploding national debt and deficit, and unsustainable spending and entitlement programs set against the backdrop of a public discourse bereft of civility.  Only through enacting reforms based on the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles recommendations will we ever solve the drivers of our deficits.  We have put these tough, but important, reforms off for far too long.  To my colleagues in the Congress and to President Obama who think they are “winning”at this particular moment, we would do well to remember the words of Napoleon Bonaparte in speaking of the changing nature of public opinion.  Napoleon said: “The crowd which follows me with adulation, would run with the same eagerness were I marching to the Guillotine.” I return again to the sentiments of Scripture: We have been given a great trust, and it is demanded of us to come together to solve these problems.  It is time to show some humility.  It is time to govern.  Let’s get the government back open, ensure we don’t default on our debt and then commit ourselves to curbing unsustainable entitlement spending. -30-",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141209/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/462,"GOODLATTE SIGNS ON IN SUPPORT OF 'PROTECTING STATES, OPENING NATIONAL PARKS ACT'",2013-10-14,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE SIGNS ON IN SUPPORT OF 'PROTECTING STATES, OPENING NATIONAL PARKS ACT' WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Goodlatte signed on as a cosponsor of the Protecting States, Opening National Parks Act (H.R. 3286).  This bipartisan legislation would ensure that states are reimbursed within 90 days for all state funds spent to pay for National Park operations.  Congressman Goodlatte has also been working with Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech, and other state and local leaders on a plan to reopen the National Parks in Virginia, including the Shenandoah National Park.  He released the following statement: “Our National Parks play an important role in the economy of many communities in the Sixth District of Virginia.  They provide numerous jobs and help to generate income for many small businesses, especially during peak leaf season.  Last week, I voted in support of critical legislation that would provide funding to reopen the National Park system.  However, the Senate has failed to act on this bill and left the gates of our National Parks closed.   “While the Obama Administration has finally agreed that individual states may reopen National Parks, the burden would be placed on the states to pay for any expenses incurred.  The Protecting States, Opening National Parks Act would ensure that Virginia and other states would be rightfully reimbursed for these costs.  With this legislation in mind, I encourage Governor McDonnell to consider taking steps to reopen the National Parks in Virginia, including the Shenandoah National Park and all of the operations on the Blue Ridge Parkway.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141210/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/463,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON AL-LIBY ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK TO STAND TRIAL,2013-10-14,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON AL-LIBY ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK TO STAND TRIAL WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the statement below following today’s announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that senior Al Qaeda leader Abu Anas al-Liby, who was apprehended in Libya earlier this month, has arrived in the United States to stand trial in federal court for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa. Chairman Goodlatte: “Earlier this month, U.S. special operations forces captured Abu Anas al-Liby, a senior Al Qaeda operative who helped mastermind the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing 224 people.  Since his capture on October 5th, al-Liby has been held on the USS San Antonio where he was interrogated for intelligence-gathering purposes.  Today’s announcement by DOJ that al-Liby has arrived in New York in order to stand trial in federal court raises numerous questions and concerns.   Chief among those concerns is the short amount of time that was spent interrogating this foreign terrorist who was once a member of Osama bin Laden’s inner circle.  In just over one week, one of the world’s most wanted terror suspects was questioned and then brought to New York where he is being afforded the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens, including the right to remain silent.  I find it hard to believe that 15 years of intelligence was gathered in just a few days of interrogation. It certainly begs the question whether rushing foreign terrorists into U.S. courts is a strategy that is in the best interests of the United States.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141914/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/461,GOODLATTE NAMES PEOPLE PLACES 'ANGEL IN ADOPTION',2013-10-09,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE NAMES PEOPLE PLACES 'ANGEL IN ADOPTION' WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Goodlatte, a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, named People Places as the Sixth District of Virginia’s 2013 “Angel in Adoption.”  The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption Program is designed to celebrate individuals, couples, or organizations from across the nation that have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of homes.  Members of Congress have the opportunity to honor one nominee from each congressional district who is making a difference in the lives of children. “People Places has made a tremendous impact in the lives of children and families throughout the region,” said Congressman Goodlatte. “The principle starts with their name – the goal of this organization is to provide healing for troubled children in ‘people places’ or families, instead of facilities.  They are truly putting the well-being of the children they serve first and working diligently to provide the necessary support and care.  What started as a vision has transformed over the years into a reality that is today serving more than 100 children.” Founded in 1973, People Places was the first therapeutic foster care (TFC) program in Virginia and one of the pioneers in the nation. The agency's mission is to create effective community-based treatment services for troubled children and youth as an alternative to residential placement.  They have had 37 discharges in 2013, with 81 percent of those to less restrictive settings, including adoption or reunification with family.  This year they are on track for a record number of adoptions, with 15 adoptions finalized thus far.  Currently, People Places works with approximately 90 families in the Shenandoah Valley and nearly 40 families in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area.   “It is my honor to recognize People Places as this year’s ‘Angel in Adoption,’” said Congressman Goodlatte.  “I congratulate People Places on 40 years of service and thank them, and the families they work with, for their dedication to making better lives for children in our community.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141916/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/460,"HOUSE ASKS SENATE TO FORM WORKING GROUP, NEGOTIATE",2013-10-08,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE ASKS SENATE TO FORM WORKING GROUP, NEGOTIATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 3273, the Deficit Reduction and Economic Growth Working Group Act of 2013: “Understanding that we have our differences, last week the House passed legislation requesting the Senate to come to the table for a Conference Committee.  Yet, the Senate refused even this common sense offer.  The Deficit Reduction and Economic Growth Working Group Act passed by the House tonight asks the Senate once again to stop stalling and begin negotiations now to identify a path forward on funding the federal government and the approaching debt limit.  If both sides are not talking, we cannot move forward and end this partial government shutdown. I ask my colleagues in the Senate to be reasonable. Let’s come together to negotiate and work through these differences to find a fiscally responsible and sustainable solution for the American people.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352705,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 10.7.13,2013-10-07,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Winning? Really?!                                            The Wall Street Journal recently quoted a senior White House official on the partial government shutdown as saying: “We are winning... It doesn't really matter to us how long the shutdown lasts because what matters is the end result.” Really?!  Nobody’s winning.  It’s this kind of talk that makes me extremely frustrated.  This is not a game.  Everyone is losing to some extent.  Government is not operating properly.  Some services have been delayed.  National parks are closed.  Many federal workers have been furloughed.  And yet, instead of negotiating with the duly elected House of Representatives, the White House is using the partial shutdown to try and score political points.  They’ve barricaded businesses that receive no money from the federal government in North Carolina and forced Virginia businesses to close along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The presidential leadership on this issue is lacking and disappointing.  It is not leadership to barricade oneself in the Oval Office and refuse to talk to Congress. While some in the White House seem to be playing games, and the Senate is stuck in neutral, the House continues to work to fund certain parts of the government until a wholesale resolution can be reached.  With my support, the House has passed legislation that includes funding for veterans’ benefits, national parks, National Institutes of Health (NIH), national guardsmen and reservists, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and nutritional assistance for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).  Unfortunately, one week into the partial shutdown, the Senate has refused to fund any of these programs.  The House plans to continue proposing solutions.  My colleagues and I in the House will consider any good faith offer from the Senate that will fund the government and allow it to reopen.  Averting Another Shutdown We can all agree that there are better ways to run the federal government than by continuing on our current course of operating under a series of missed deadlines and short-term spending bills.  Obviously, the current process in Congress is badly in need of repair.  While it’s my hope that we quickly resolve the impasse of the current partial government shutdown, we also need to find ways to ensure that we don’t repeat this process again.   Accordingly, I have cosponsored a bill that could prevent another partial shutdown.  Introduced by Representative Lankford (R-OK), The Government Shutdown Prevention Act (H.R. 1164), would sustain government spending when Congress misses its deadline to pass funding bills.  Importantly, the bill also incentivizes Congress to do its spending work by providing full government funding for only 120 days.  After that period, funding would drop by one percentage point and would continue to decrease by that amount every 90 days.  For example, if Congress hadn’t completed its spending bills six months after the deadline, government would only be funded at 98 percent.  This approach would remove the threat of a partial government shutdown, and it would push Congress towards funding agreements, which is how the process should function.  The last time Congress passed all government funding measures on time was 1997.  Clearly, real reforms are needed.  This bill may not be the perfect approach towards averting another shutdown, but it’s a step in the right direction. The Debt Ceiling – Then and Now In 2006, then-Senator Obama and Senator Harry Reid opposed raising the debt limit for fear it would weaken our country.  Here is what they said then. Senator Obama said, “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.  It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills… Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally.  Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’  Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.  America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.  Americans deserve better.” Senator Reid said, “How can the Republican majority in this Congress explain to their constituents that trillions of dollars in new debt is good for our economy?  How can they explain that they think it’s fair to force our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren to finance this debt through higher taxes?  That’s what it will have to be.  Why is it right to increase our nation’s dependence on foreign creditors?  They should explain this. Maybe they can convince the public they’re right. I doubt it.  Because most Americans know that increasing debt is the last thing we should be doing…” Now, they want Congress to sign a blank check.  Don’t worry, they’ll fill in the dollar amount. To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=487,Wittman Votes to Protect Federal Workers' Pay,2013-10-07,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Votes to Protect Federal Workers' Pay f t # e Washington, D.C., October 7, 2013 Washington, D.C. Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement after the House passed, by a vote of 407-0, the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act: Today, I was proud to support our hardworking federal employees by voting to provide retroactive pay for the duration of the government shutdown. We must stand by the commitment and dedication of our federal workforce and ensure they are treated fairly and have certainty in regards to their pay. I have spoken with numerous federal employees whose lives have been dramatically affected by the shutdown, at no fault of their own. Many are struggling to make ends meet, pay their bills, and put food on the table, and they should not be punished because Congress is dysfunctional. I have been telling their stories to my colleagues and urging the House Leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote, and I am pleased to see the House take this important action today. Wittman is a lead cosponsor of H.R.3223, the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. # # # f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=488,Wittman Statement on Implementation of the Pay Our Military Act,2013-10-07,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Statement on Implementation of the Pay Our Military Act f t # e Washington, D.C., October 7, 2013 Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) today released the following statement: ""I am pleased that Secretary Hagel is implementing the Pay Our Military Act and has recalled the majority of Department of Defense civilians back to duty. I look forward to further exploring the implementation of this law by DoD, specifically with regard to the impact on DoD contractors, at the Readiness Subcommittee hearing I will be chairing on Thursday, October 10, 2013. I will continue to fight for the pay of all those that support our Department of Defense during this government shutdown -- our active duty personnel, our reserves, our national guard, our civilians, and our contractors."" Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141918/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/459,GOODLATTE: WHY CAN'T THE SENATE DO THE SAME?,2013-10-04,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE: WHY CAN'T THE SENATE DO THE SAME? WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after voting in support of the National Emergency and Disaster Recovery Act (H.J.Res. 85) and the Nutrition Assistance for Low-Income Women and Children Act (H.J.Res. 75) – both of which garnered the support of Republicans and Democrats in the House:     “As the partial government shutdown continues, the House voted yet again today to fund critical parts of the federal government.  In the midst of hurricane season, I voted in favor of the National Emergency and Disaster Recovery Act to restore funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  I also voted in support of a bill to provide nutrition assistance for low-income women and children, commonly known as WIC.  These are votes that both sides of the aisle in the House can agree upon. Why can’t the Senate do the same? The American people expect their representatives in Congress to work together to find a common sense way forward.  We are acting in the House and are ready for the Senate to do the same.”    ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141817/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/458,"GOODLATTE VOTES TO ENSURE FUNDING FOR VETERANS BENEFITS, PAY GUARD & RESERVE",2013-10-03,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE VOTES TO ENSURE FUNDING FOR VETERANS BENEFITS, PAY GUARD & RESERVE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after voting in support of the Honoring Our Promise to America’s Veterans Act (H.J.Res. 72) and the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 3230).  H.J.Res. 72 passed the House by a vote of 259-157 with 224 Republicans and 35 Democrats voting in favor.  H.R. 3230 was approved by a vote of 265-160 with the support of 229 Republicans and 36 Democrats.   “Today, I voted in support of legislation to provide funding for veterans benefits and ensure that members of our National Guard and Reserves receive pay.  Earlier this week, the Senate passed the House’s Pay Our Military Act to guarantee our Armed Forces, who protect and defend America, will be paid during this partial government shutdown.  I see no reason why the Senate should not pass these bipartisan bills as well to pay Guard and Reserve members and make certain that our veterans, who have served this nation bravely, do not have to worry about whether or not their benefits will be available.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352210,Griffith Speaks on House Floor: Defy Obama and Visit the Parkway Shops,2013-10-02,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Friday, October 4, 2013 – This evening Congressman Griffith (R-VA) spoke on the House Floor about President Obama’s Park Service and how they are needlessly blocking access to private businesses that adjoin the Blue Ridge Parkway.  These businesses lease land from the federal government, but do not receive money from the federal government.  Most of the “concession” businesses actually pay the federal government.  The current debate in Washington is about federal spending and is not about private businesses located on or near national parks.  Additionally after speaking on the Floor, Congressman Griffith asked, “Why is the Park Service using ‘essential’ personnel to try to close these taxpaying businesses?""  Further he said, ""I hope everyone will visit the shops on and around the Parkway this weekend."" Video of Griffith’s remarks can be found by clicking here. To see information on the North Carolina situation, click here. To see the Washington Times article, referenced in Congressman Griffith’s one minute speech, click here.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352503,Griffith Statement on House-Passed Parks and NIH Funding Measures,2013-10-02,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wednesday, October 2, 2013 – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Open Our National Parks and Museums Act, which ensures funding for National Park Service operations, and the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act, which ensures funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH): “This process would be faster if the Senate were to join us at the negotiating table to sort out our differences.  However, if the Senate won’t negotiate with us, we ought to move forward on areas where we are in agreement.  While continuing to urge the Senate to appoint negotiators, I also urge them to work with us in advancing proposals like those passing the House today, which would open national parks, monuments, and museums and provide funding for critical medical research including vital cancer research, among other things.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131006045335/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/457,GOODLATTE TO SENATE: 'LET'S TALK',2013-10-02,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE TO SENATE: 'LET'S TALK' WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement tonight in support of legislation to re-open our National Parks and museums and provide funding for the National Institutes of Health, and also reiterating his request for the United States Senate to agree to a Conference Committee to work out the differences between plans to fund the federal government: “Despite continued efforts by the House of Representatives, Harry Reid and the Democratic-controlled Senate have rejected every offer and refused to come to the negotiating table.  Every time Harry Reid refuses to negotiate, he is slamming the door on re-opening the federal government.  The House has been ready to talk.  It is time that the Senate works with the House to negotiate a fiscally responsible solution to fund the federal government and ensure fairness for all Americans under Obamacare.” “However, the House is not waiting for the Senate. Instead, we are continuing to pass legislation to provide funding for portions of the federal government.  Tonight, I voted in favor of two of these funding bills, including legislation that would immediately re-open our National Parks, monuments, and museums like the Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Sixth District.  I strongly encourage the Senate to take up, and pass, these bills immediately.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131002212842/http://www.wittman.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=846:wittman-supports-continuing-government-operations-with-third-house-vote&catid=34:2013-news&Itemid=100133,Wittman Supports Continuing Government Operations with Third House Vote,2013-10-01,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"October 01, 2013 Washington, DC - Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement after the House voted to again fund government operations and to delay the individual mandate for health care insurance included in the Affordable Care Act: ""The folks of America's First District do not support a government shutdown and that's why tonight, I voted for the third time to continue government operations and against a shutdown. Governing at the eleventh hour is simply unacceptable, but the House voted again tonight to keep government running while also delaying key pieces of the harmful Obamacare legislation."" Wittman supported two previous versions of legislation to continue government operations, and for legislation to ensure troops are paid regardless of the political situation. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=486,Wittman Supports Continuing Government Operations with Third House Vote,2013-10-01,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Supports Continuing Government Operations with Third House Vote f t # e Washington, D.C., October 1, 2013 Washington, D.C. - Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement after the House voted to again fund government operations and to delay the individual mandate for health care insurance included in the Affordable Care Act: ""The folks of America's First District do not support a government shutdown and that's why tonight, I voted for the third time to continue government operations and against a shutdown. Governing at the eleventh hour is simply unacceptable, but the House voted again tonight to keep government running while also delaying key pieces of the harmful Obamacare legislation."" Wittman supported two previous versions of legislation to continue government operations, and for legislation to ensure troops are paid regardless of the political situation. # # # f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351765,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 9.30.13,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Ongoing Funding Negotiations Congress is embroiled in a fight over the spending of your tax dollars.  As I write this, agreement has not yet been reached.  At this time, I think it is important to quickly review the role of Congress as envisioned at this country’s founding. The Constitution formed a republic based on democratic principles, with the Republic including a system of checks and balances between the governing branches.  The Executive Branch executes the law.  The Legislative Branch writes laws and dictates spending, having the power of the purse.  And the Judicial Branch enforces the law. The power of the purse is the most powerful check on the Executive Branch that is granted by the Constitution to Congress.  Accordingly, during the debate on federal spending is exactly where issues such as spending on the health care law ought to be discussed.  Not only is it right, but it is our Constitutional duty.  For some to suggest that it is not appropriate to debate specific spending items during funding and debt discussions is a further undermining of the Constitutional powers of Congress, thus inappropriately tilting power toward the Executive Branch. As a devoted believer that our Constitutional Republic is the best form of government ever devised, I cannot concede the argument of debating specific spending issues during a funding and debt fight to those who would ignore the bedrock principles of the Constitution in favor of fleeting political issues. Clearly former Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill agreed with me on this.  When he was Speaker, there were 12 government shutdowns.  Interestingly, Democrats controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives for the first five of those government shutdowns. I recognize that it is also part of my duty to look for a compromise.  But that doesn’t mean that, in seeking compromise, I ought to give up my beliefs and those of the people I represent. At the time of the writing of this column, I have voted during this spending fight on two proposals that would prevent a government shutdown and control spending.  The second proposal was an attempt by the House to compromise.  The Senate has rejected each of these proposals.  The Senate Leadership needs to compromise too. Compounded Drugs – A First Step In the year that has passed since the tragic meningitis outbreak caused by tainted steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center (NECC), the Energy and Commerce Committee has held a number of hearings on the drug compounding issue.  And after months working with Congressman Gene Green (D-TX) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) on legislation that would prevent another NECC-type outbreak from occurring again, we introduced the Compounding Clarity Act in mid-September. Provisions of our bill were recently incorporated into the larger Drug Quality and Security Act, which passed the House on Saturday, September 28.  In my view, the Drug Quality and Security Act is a first step.  Though it does eliminate some of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) perceived confusion regarding oversight, it leaves certain areas of practice where clarification may still be needed – specifically office use, repackaging, and nuclear pharmacies.  Congressman Green, Congresswoman DeGette, and I will continue working on these areas that need additional clarification in an effort to see that there are no more NECCs. U.N. Arms Trade Treaty – An Update Despite concerns that it could infringe on Second Amendment Rights, Secretary of State John Kerry recently signed the United Nations (U.N.) Arms Trade Treaty.  The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty is intended to regulate global arms trade, stop illegal arms sales, and keep human rights abusers from obtaining weapons, but as the saying goes, “the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.” International agreements such as the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty must be approved by the Senate by a two-thirds majority before it can be ratified and therefore consented to.  I remain opposed to the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty and have cosponsored a resolution making clear that this treaty undermines the Constitution, but I do not have a vote on ratification of this treaty.  To express your views, I would encourage you to contact the offices of Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine.  The United States can’t allow the U.N. to dictate a restriction on our Constitutional rights, and I fear ratification of this treaty could do just that. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351857,Griffith Statement on Latest House Efforts to Keep the Government Open,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement on the House of Representative’s latest proposal to keep the government open, which would also delay implementation of the health care law’s individual mandate for one year and end the federal government employer contribution towards the premium costs of employee health plans for Members of Congress, their staffs, the President, his staff, and political appointees: “I remain opposed to the health care law known as Obamacare, and think it is bad medicine for Americans.  I will continue working to repeal and defund it.  As our work on that issue continues, I will be supporting the House of Representative’s latest efforts to compromise, keep the government open, and control spending.  With the passage of this compromise by the House, the Senate will again have the opportunity to join us in keeping the government open and ensuring fairness for all under Obamacare.  A vote in favor of this proposal would make sure that the President and Congress have to live with Obamacare like other Americans, and also would delay the individual mandate on the American people as President Obama delayed the employer mandate for American businesses.  I would strongly encourage the Senate to join us in supporting this measure.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131006045330/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/456,"GOODLATTE VOTES TO KEEP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPEN, DELAY INDIVIDUAL MANDATE",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE VOTES TO KEEP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPEN, DELAY INDIVIDUAL MANDATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement tonight after voting in support of the House of Representatives’ latest compromise that will fund the federal government, delay Obamacare’s individual mandate requiring every American to purchase health insurance or pay a tax for one year, and require all Members of Congress, all congressional staff, the President, Vice-President, and all political appointees within the Administration to purchase their health insurance on the Obamacare exchange without a federal government employer contribution.   “Tonight’s vote marks the third time in the past two weeks the House has taken common sense, bipartisan steps to ensure the federal government remains funded.  Unfortunately, earlier today the Senate once again failed to act on the proposal passed by the House late Saturday night.  Because of the Senate’s refusal to act, this evening the House presented yet another offer to Harry Reid and the Democratic Leadership to keep the federal government open.  This common sense bill offered by the House would keep the government running, delay Obamacare’s individual mandate requiring every American to purchase health insurance or pay a tax for one year, and ensure Members of Congress and the President are not given special treatment. Importantly, this legislation gives individual Americans the same one-year delay from Obamacare President Obama has already given to business employers and labor unions. This is an issue of fairness. “The bottom line is that the House has acted three times to avert a government shutdown while the Senate has shown no willingness to compromise. I do not want to see the government shut down and neither do the American people. I urge the Senate to stop the tabling motions, stop the delaying, and act now to keep the federal government open and enact common sense changes to Obamacare.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131002031128/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/455,"GOODLATTE URGES SENATE TO COMPROMISE, ENSURE TROOP PAY",2013-09-29,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE URGES SENATE TO COMPROMISE, ENSURE TROOP PAY WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement tonight after voting in support of the Pay Our Military Act as well as amendments to the Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government, while also providing for a one-year delay of Obamacare: “Over one week ago, I voted in support of bipartisan legislation to fund the federal government, which also included a provision to defund Obamacare. However, the Senate failed to pass this legislation and protect the American people from a law that will raise health care costs and restrict access.  Tonight, I voted in support of the House's bipartisan compromise to delay implementation of the Obamacare train wreck for one year and keep the doors of the federal government open. I urge Harry Reid and the Democratic Leadership to accept this compromise. “However if the Senate refuses to work with the House, Members of the Armed Forces should not be subject to the Senate’s political ploys.  The Pay Our Military Act ensures that members of the Armed Forces will continue to receive pay, even in the case of a government shutdown. If the Senate fails to pass this legislation, they will be denying our men and women in uniform, who serve and defend our nation, the pay they deserve, in the event of a Senate-induced government shutdown.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=485,"Wittman Votes to Continue Government Operations, Troop Pay and Obamacare Delay",2013-09-29,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Votes to Continue Government Operations, Troop Pay and Obamacare Delay f t # e Washington, D.C., September 29, 2013 WASHINGTON, DC Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement after voting to keep the government running through December 15, 2013, and to ensure the military receives their pay regardless of inaction in Washington: ""Last night, the House again took action to keep the government open; I voted to continue government operations and against a shutdown. I do not support a government shutdown,"" Wittman said. ""I was also pleased to support legislation ensuring the military is paid regardless of the political situation in Washington, and to delay Obamacare. Unfortunately, this legislation does not prevent furloughs for thousands of hardworking federal employees which is disruptive and undeserved for these folks dedicated to service to the nation. It is my hope the Senate can pass legislation to ensure the government does not shut down."" Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351563,"Griffith, Green, DeGette Support Bipartisan, Bicameral Compounding Agreement",2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Congressman Gene Green (D-TX), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) participated in a series of Energy and Commerce hearings on the drug compounding issue.  They recently introduced the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), and today signed on as cosponsors of the Drug Quality and Security Act.  The Drug Quality and Security Act, which incorporates some of the Compounding Clarity Act, is a bipartisan, bicameral first step to help ensure the safety of compounding drugs.  It also will work to prevent a national public health crisis like the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak tied to the New England Compounding Center (NECC).  64 deaths and 750 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis resulted from tainted steroid injections from the NECC. Griffith said, “The Drug Quality and Security Act is a first step at clarifying current law.  It eliminates perceived confusion that existed as a result of court decisions on advertising related to compounding drugs and adopts the notification provisions that were in the Griffith-Green-DeGette Compounding Clarity Act.  The Drug Quality and Security Act leaves a large portion of existing law intact.  It also leaves many areas of practice where clarification may still be needed, particularly as it relates to office use, repackaging, and nuclear pharmacies.  Along with my colleagues, I will continue working to oversee the FDA’s interpretation and implementation of this law.”  Green said, “The Drug Quality and Security Act is a positive step forward toward enhancing public health and ensuring that compounded drugs are safe and dependable.  I am proud to have worked with my colleagues Reps. Griffith and DeGette in pressing for enhanced FDA oversight of compounding.  While I believe the FDA dropped the ball with regards to the NECC, with this law they must succeed where in the past they failed.  This bill still lacks clarity in many important areas: office use, how nuclear pharmacies are regulated, and repackaging of sterile products.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide meaningful oversight of the FDA to make sure another NECC type outbreak never happens again and to make sure they are using the type of enforcement discretion necessary to preserve patients’ access to critical medicine.” DeGette said, “The deadly fungal meningitis outbreak that sickened hundreds across the United States last year represented a tragic failure of the compounding drug manufacturing system and made clear we must have a stronger and more effective regulatory framework to oversee that system.  That is why I was proud to join with my friends and colleagues Congressmen Griffith and Green earlier this month in introducing legislation that ultimately served as a foundation for the Drug Quality and Security Act introduced today. Today’s bipartisan, bicameral bill will take important steps forward to develop a more robust regulatory framework that can save people’s lives. I know my colleagues and I look forward to the passage of this bill and to continuing to work to ensure we take every step possible to secure the compounding drug manufacturing chain, and protect the lives of American patients.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350763,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 9.23.13,2013-09-23,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Defunding Obamacare and Controlling Spending With my support, on Friday, September 20, the House passed legislation known as a continuing resolution that prevents a government shutdown AND also prevents money from being spent by the federal government on the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  PPACA is also known as Obamacare. It is my belief that the Senate ought to publicly acknowledge the negative impact that Obamacare will have on the American people and businesses, and join us in defunding Obamacare once and for all.  Obamacare as written will not work.  Senator Max Baucus, one of the law’s chief architects, said that Obamacare will be a “huge train wreck.”  In my opinion, it is the duty of the House and the Senate, if they see a trainwreck coming, to get the American people not only off the tracks, but well away from the prospective wreck.  The House has done its work.  It’s now up to the Senate. As this column is being written, this legislation’s fate has yet to be determined by the Senate.  No matter what your opinion is on Obamacare, you should let your Senators know how you feel.  Their office numbers are: Senator Mark Warner 202-224-2023 Senator Tim Kaine 202-224-4024 The War on Coal Continues Also on Friday, September 20, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced greenhouse gas standards for new power plants, a regulation harsh enough to essentially ensure that we cannot build another coal-fired power plant here in the United States. Sadly, our region is all too familiar with the impact of anti-coal policies like this.  For the Ninth District of Virginia and other coal-producing regions, I strongly urge President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to declare a ceasefire in the war on coal and stop the regulatory assault on America’s power sector, related businesses, and hard-working American people. Trees for Schools – An Update Over a century ago, the federal government promised rural communities that it would actively manage forest land to the communities’ benefit, historically sharing around 25 percent of revenues from timber harvests with rural counties that contain National Forest Land.  This money could be used in lieu of revenue these communities might otherwise have received from property taxes if the land were not owned by the federal government, and could be used to fund schools, teachers, police officers, etc.  Recipients of these funds within the Ninth District of Virginia include the following counties: Alleghany, Bland, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe. Due to federal regulations and environmental lawsuits, however, the Forest Service over the years has reduced the amount of federal forest land being timbered.  In my opinion, this not only has destroyed jobs and deprived rural communities of needed revenue, but also is poor forest management, making the land more susceptible to invasive species and wildfires.  Tragically, the House Natural Resources Committee states that wildfires burned 9.3 million acres last year alone. Badly needed is a long-term solution to improve forest health and management, fulfill the federal government’s promise to rural communities, and grow jobs.  To that end, the House Natural Resources Committee over the last several months has worked to advance H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act.  This legislation would promote responsible timber production, improve state and local involvement, and restore the federal government’s commitment to rural communities.  This should mean more money for Southwest Virginia localities. I am an original cosponsor of this legislation, which recently passed the House with my support.  Similar legislation recently passed the Senate.  I will continue monitoring the progress of this legislation, and working to promote healthier forests and get residents of the Ninth District’s rural communities back to work. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20130925024633/http://wolf.house.gov:80/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2306,"Wolf: If Bashir Comes To The U.S., Arrest Him",2013-09-23,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Frank Wolf,W000672,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Contact: Jill Shatzen (202) 225-5136 WOLF: IF BASHIR COMES TO THE U.S., ARREST HIM Tells President Obama Granting Him a Visa Compromises Moral Legitimacy Washington, D.C. (September 23, 2013) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) said today that if internationally indicted war criminal Omar Bashir, the president of Sudan, is allowed into the United States, he should be arrested. In response to media reports over the weekend that Bashir booked a hotel room in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting, Wolf sent a scathing letter to President Obama, acknowledging that while the United States as a host country has certain obligations, allowing someone responsible for genocide into the United States would compromise moral legitimacy, embolden war criminals and entrench Bashir. Wolf said the clear message to Bashir from the United States should be: “You are an international pariah; not a legitimate head of state.  We are not required to embolden evil.  Should you choose to come to New York, you will be met by U.S. law enforcement officials and a plane prepared to transfer you to the Hague.” EDITORS NOTE:Wolf has been a longtime critic of Bashir and Khartoum.  He has travelled to Sudan on multiple occasions and was the first member of Congress to visit Darfur, in 2004.  Last year, Wolf offered an amendment to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill which would have cut non-humanitarian foreign assistance to any nation that allowed Sudanese President Omar Bashir into their country without arresting him.  The amendment was adopted with bipartisan support by voice vote.  Notably, the amendment garnered the support of 70 prominent Holocaust and genocide scholars.  Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of the Wyman Institute, who wrote a letter to the Obama Administration from these scholars expressing support for the Wolf amendment, said: “Halting aid to those who host Bashir would be the first concrete step the U.S. has taken to isolate the Butcher of Darfur and pave the way for his arrest.  If the Obama Administration is serious about punishing perpetrators of genocide, it should support the Wolf Amendment.”  Instead, the administration actively sought to remove the language from the final bill.  This year, at Wolf’s urging, the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which has passed out of the full committee, included language consistent with the amendment Wolf offered last year.  Wolf has long argued that Bashir should be diplomatically isolated and that the U.S. should utilize its foreign assistance, especially incentivized foreign assistance like the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grants, to press countries to deny travel or pursue Bashir’s arrest.  In fact, after repeatedly writing the MCC leadership and pressing them to take action when Malawi’s late president Bingu wa Mutharika welcomed Bashir to the country, MCC eventually suspended the compact in March 2012.   According to MCC’s press release announcing the decision, “Malawi’s decision to allow Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to attend a trade summit in Lilongwe, despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) outstanding warrant for his arrest, further deepened MCC’s concerns.” For more on Wolf’s work on this issue, click here. The full text of Wolf’s letter is below. The Honorable Barack H. Obama The President The White House Washington DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: When news first broke that Sudanese President Omar Bashir had applied for a visa to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, I expressed my profound opposition to a senior State Department official and was left with the distinct impression that your administration would do the right thing.  Outrageously, it appears that that is not the case.  Multiple news outlets are reporting Bashir’s assertion yesterday that he has booked a hotel room in New York to attend the General Assembly meeting, which leads me to believe that the State Department may have granted Bashir’s visa request.  I understand that there are host country obligations as it relates to the United Nations.  Nevertheless, don’t we have a higher moral obligation not to allow an internationally indicted war criminal to step foot on U.S. soil unless it is solely for the purpose of arresting him?  Bashir has the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents on his hand—Christian, Muslim and Animist alike.  From this point forward, the message to Bashir should be: You are an international pariah; not a legitimate head of state.  We are not required to embolden evil.  Should you choose to come to New York, you will be met by U.S. law enforcement officials and a plane prepared to transfer you to The Hague. Failure to convey this message will have devastating ripple effects.  Other war criminals will be emboldened, U.S. moral legitimacy will be compromised and Bashir will become further entrenched.  Anything that delays Bashir being brought to justice is indefensible.  We must not forget that his government gave safe haven to Osama bin Laden in the early 1990s, and Khartoum was a revolving door for Hamas and other designated terrorist groups.  Further Bashir has long brutalized his own people.  In June 2004, I led the first congressional delegation with Senator Sam Brownback to Darfur, soon after the world began hearing about the atrocities being committed against the people of that region.  I witnessed the nightmare with my own eyes.  I saw the scorched villages and overflowing camps. I heard the stories of murder, rape and displacement.  The International Criminal Court prosecutor has described Bashir’s crimes in stark terms saying he, “has selected his weapons; they are: rape, hunger, fear.  They are the most efficient method of destruction, in the face of international scrutiny.”  But Bashir’s assault on his own people pre-dates Darfur.  Consider the more than 2 million that perished during the North-South war.  And his murderous aims persist to this day in the Nuba Mountains. During your campaign for the presidency, when asked about Darfur, you said, ""We can’t say ‘never again’ and then allow it to happen again.  And, as President of the United States, I don’t intend to...turn a blind eye to slaughter.""   Bashir was the architect of that slaughter.  You have before you a clear choice.  Will you turn a blind eye to slaughter and extend diplomatic courtesy to such a man?  Or will you seize the opportunity presented by Bashir’s brazenness and facilitate his transfer, as is legally permissible, to The Hague, such that he is finally made to account for his crimes? Best wishes.   Sincerely,   Frank R. Wolf Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350501,Griffith Statement on EPA’s Continued War on Coal,2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) released a regulation to set greenhouse gas New Source Performance Standards for new coal-fired power plants: “Current federal policies, let alone the regulation announced today, are devastating the economy of the Ninth District of Virginia.  Each week, our region must absorb the devastating impacts of the Administration’s war on coal.  This assault, though targeting the coal industry, affects us all.  It’s not just those working in the coal fields that suffer – also suffering are industries that rely on coal mines. “This EPA regulation would require a new coal-fired power plant to use technologies that are not yet available in the marketplace.  These regulations will fulfill one of the President’s promises from his 2008 campaign, and send our electric rates sky-high.  President Obama also admitted in 2008 that the cost of these policies will be passed on to consumers.  We all know who those people are.  Those ‘consumers’ are hard-working, middle-class Americans. “I strongly urge President Obama and EPA Administrator McCarthy to declare a ceasefire in the war on coal and stop the regulatory assault on America’s power sector, related businesses, and hard-working American people.” Griffith questioned EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy at a September 18, 2013 Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing.  Video can be seen here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350514,"Griffith Applauds House Passage of Legislation Defunding Obamacare, Controlling Spending",2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of legislation to defund Obamacare and control spending: “Like many Americans, I am of the view that Obamacare as drafted cannot and will not work, and I have joined my House colleagues in supporting various measures that would speed up its demise.  We hope the Senate will promptly take up the fight, and take appropriate action to defund the President’s unworkable health care law.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350581,Griffith Statement on Bill that Continues “Trees for Schools”,2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act: “Our National Forest Lands are great assets to the American people, and it is important that they be properly managed in an effort to avoid such problems as invasive species and wildfires, which burned more than 9 million acres in 2012.  Additionally, harvesting timber creates needed jobs and revenue in rural forest communities like many in Virginia’s Ninth District that struggle to meet their school budgets, pay for police and fire services, and fund necessary infrastructure repairs.  I am pleased to support this common-sense ‘Trees for Schools’ legislation that seeks to properly manage National Forest Lands, help provide jobs for hard-working Americans, and support rural forest communities.” BACKGROUND: Over a century ago, the federal government promised to actively manage forest land to the benefit of rural communities.  Historically, the U.S. Forest Service shared approximately 25 percent of revenues from timber harvests with rural counties containing National Forest Land.  These funds could be used for schools, teachers, police officers, etc. in lieu of revenue the communities might otherwise receive from property taxes if the land were not owned by the federal government, which does not pay local taxes. Due to federal regulations and environmental lawsuits, however, the Forest Service over the years has reduced the amount of federal forest land being timbered.  This has created controversy regarding proper forest resource management while also destroying jobs and depriving rural regions of needed revenue. In an effort to provide rural counties with “transition periods” while the federal government worked to increase timber production, Congress in 2000 passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS).  Recipients of SRS funds within the Ninth District of Virginia include the following counties: Alleghany, Bland, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.  Since 2000, however, the federal government has not properly managed the forest nor increased timber harvests, though it continued to provide money to rural counties. Earlier this year, following the implementation of 2013 federal budget cuts, the Obama Administration decided to retroactively demand repayment of nearly $18 million in 2012 SRS funds that had already been disbursed.  Griffith joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for this action to be halted and requesting a detailed explanation of the legal authority for demanding repayment of these funds.  On September 4, 2013, the House Natural Resources Committee issued subpoenas to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of Management and Budget for documents the agencies have thus far failed to provide the Committee as it has worked to conduct oversight into this action.  More information on the Committee’s oversight efforts can be found at www.naturalresources.house.gov. While the Natural Resources Committee has sought information such as how and why this decision was made, it also has worked to advance a long-term solution that would fulfill the federal government’s promise to rural communities, improve forest management and health, and grow jobs.  H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, would promote responsible timber production, improve state and local involvement, and provides for an extension of SRS payments to rural counties. Griffith is an original cosponsor of the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, which passed the House today in a vote of 244-173.  He also attended a House Natural Resources Committee hearing and spoke on this issue, video of which can be seen here.  Similar legislation recently passed the Senate. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141730/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/454,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON HOUSE VOTE TO DEFUND OBAMACARE,2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON HOUSE VOTE TO DEFUND OBAMACARE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement today after voting in support of legislation to defund Obamacare: “I voted against Obamacare before it was signed into law, and today I voted again to defund Obamacare before more American jobs are lost and health care costs climb any higher. As this bill heads to the Senate, they have to justify why a law that will raise health care costs and restrict access for Americans should move forward.  I urge Harry Reid and the Democratic leadership to immediately consider the negative impacts the President’s health care law will have on the American people and pass this bill defunding Obamacare for good.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=484,"Wittman Votes to Prevent Government Shutdown, Defund Obamacare",2013-09-20,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Votes to Prevent Government Shutdown, Defund Obamacare f t # e Washington, D.C., September 20, 2013 Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) today released the following statement after voting in favor of legislation to continue federal government operations past September 30, 2013: Today I voted in favor of legislation to prevent a government shutdown and prevent a harmful law from being implemented, Wittman said. It is unfortunate that Washington, D.C., was again on the brink of another fiscal year without completing its business. I have said time and time again that last-minute deals are no way to govern, but I firmly believe that the government must continue to operate, to ensure our service members and federal employees continue to be paid, and other operations that folks count on each and every day are not interrupted. I urge the Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation and avert a government shutdown. The House today passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through December 15, 2013, with a provision to defund and delay Obamacare. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=482,Wittman to Host Military Academy Information Session for Students in Fredericksburg this Saturday,2013-09-19,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman to Host Military Academy Information Session for Students in Fredericksburg this Saturday f t # e Washington, D.C., September 19, 2013 Representative Rob Wittman (VA-1) invites all high school and middle school students, their parents and guidance counselors to a U.S. Service Academy Day in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on September 21, 2013. Attendees will be provided a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Service Academies and their admissions process.In addition, students and parents will be able to meet with officials from West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy. Date: September 21, 2013 Time: 9:00 am to 11:00 am Location: University of Mary Washington Stafford Campus 125 University Boulevard, Fredericksburg Constituents with questions may contact Wittman's office at (540) 659-2734. As the First District Representative in the U.S. House, each year Wittman may nominate a limited number of people to four of the five service academies. The honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. More informationhere. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20130920144810/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/453,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON CLASSIFIED FISA HEARING,2013-09-18,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON CLASSIFIED FISA HEARING WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following today’s House Judiciary Committee classified hearing on the Administration’s use of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorities, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the statement below: “Over the past few months, the House Judiciary Committee has conducted vigorous oversight of our nation’s foreign surveillance programs, including today’s classified hearing.  I appreciate the witnesses’ testimony today further detailing these programs and the current practices employed by the agencies to protect U.S. citizens’ civil liberties. However, I am convinced that further protections are necessary.  I am committed to working with members of the House Judiciary Committee, House leaders, and other members of Congress to ensure our nation’s intelligence collection programs include robust oversight, additional transparency, and protections for Americans’ civil liberties while maintaining a workable legal framework for national security officials to keep our country safe from foreign enemies.” At today’s classified hearing, members of the House Judiciary Committee were afforded the opportunity to further probe government officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation about our nation’s surveillance programs.  In July, the Committee held a public hearing to examine the statutory authorities that govern certain surveillance programs operated under FISA, in which the Committee heard from officials from the DOJ, the NSA, the FBI, and from civil liberties groups. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141554/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/451,GOODLATTE STATEMENT IN HONOR OF CONSTITUTION DAY,2013-09-17,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT IN HONOR OF CONSTITUTION DAY WASHINGTON, D.C.: Today, Congressman Bob Goodlatte issued the following statement in honor of Constitution Day, which was first observed in 2005. “226 years ago on September 17, 1787, the founders of our country signed the United States Constitution that laid the foundation for our freedoms today. Formed in the middle of crisis and fashioned by one of the world’s youngest nations, it has stood the test of time as the oldest written constitution still in use today. “That historic day in Philadelphia may be thought on with reverence as we reflect on the great risks made by the original 39 delegates who chose to sign the Constitution and establish a new form of government. Thanks to the delegates who stood up for freedom and democracy, this document continues to safeguard America and provide necessary checks and balances for our country hundreds of years later. “This year on Constitution Day, we are concerned whether the President is adhering to his constitutional duty of ‘faithfully executing the laws’ in light of laws he has circumvented or refused to enforce. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee that has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to the U.S. Constitution, I am pleased to announce a Constitution hearing in coming weeks on this topic.” Congressman Bob Goodlatte is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over Constitutional amendments and other issues pertaining to the U.S. Constitution. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131122142740/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/452,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON SUCCESSFUL JOB FAIR,2013-09-17,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON SUCCESSFUL JOB FAIR FISHERSVILLE, VA: Congressman Bob Goodlatte held the Valley Job Fair at Augusta Expo in Fishersville today.  More than 50 businesses, representing between 1,600 – 1,700 open positions, were on hand meeting with job seekers.  Today’s Job Fair attracted over 750 job seekers.  Congressman Goodlatte issued the following comments at the conclusion of the Job Fair:       “Today’s Job Fair was a great success.  I want to thank the employers who were on hand to meet with job seekers.  I had the opportunity to speak to a number of job seekers who were encouraged by the volume of employment opportunities represented here today.  I am hopeful that we were able to match job seekers with local businesses in our community who are looking to hire.  Connecting these individuals will only help get more folks back to work in the Sixth District and grow our local economy.”   Background: This is the fourth job fair Congressman Goodlatte has hosted. He has previously held similar events in Harrisonburg, Roanoke, and Lynchburg. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=349783,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 9.16.13,2013-09-16,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Government Spying – An Update In early July, I joined with Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI) and fourteen other Members of Congress in filing an amicus (friend of the court) brief in support of a motion to disclose Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA court) secret opinions interpreting Section 215 of the Patriot Act.  I am pleased to report that the FISA court recently ordered that the Justice Department (DOJ) begin a declassification review of relevant opinions, giving DOJ until October 4 to identify related documents. For the past twelve weeks, I have been trying to obtain FISA court opinions discussed in the press, and have not been able to get full access to them.  I am pleased that the FISA court appears to recognize the need for increased transparency when it comes to the government’s surveillance program, and look forward to reviewing these opinions. No More NECCs As we approach the anniversary of the fungal meningitis outbreak that devastated families in Southwest Virginia and across the nation, it is vital for Congress to take action to prevent another public health crisis.  On Thursday, September 12, after many months of work, I joined with two of my colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee – Congressman Gene Green (D-TX) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) – in introducing H.R. 3089, the Compounding Clarity Act, which would prevent another New England Compounding Center (NECC)-type outbreak from occurring.  The text of our bipartisan proposal can be found on my website, www.morgangriffith.house.gov. I appreciate Congressman Green and Congresswoman DeGette for their partnership and dedication, and look forward to our continued work on this issue.  As the legislative process continues, I will keep you informed. LEGO, Bubble, & Pop Tart Guns, NRA T-Shirts… and School Suspensions?? My seven- and six-year-old boys take great delight when one of their McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets comes in the shape of a gun.  There also have been instances in which my six-year-old has taken a bite out of his Pop Tart and has taken aim at his seven-year-old brother with his Pop Tart gun.  This doesn’t bother me.  I don’t think they will grow up to become gun-toting hoodlums or terrorists because of it. But do you remember hearing of the Massachusetts five-year-old who faced school suspension after having built a gun out of LEGO building blocks?  Or the young boy from Maryland who, in trying to form a mountain out of his strawberry breakfast pastry, was suspended from school for two days when a teacher instead thought the pastry looked like a gun?  There also was the young girl from Pennsylvania suspended after talking about her “Hello Kitty” bubble gun, and the West Virginia eighth-grader who was arrested after refusing to take off his National Rifle Association t-shirt while at school. Of course, it is essential that our students have a safe learning environment.  However, the strict application of some schools’ “zero tolerance” policies in situations where there is no viable threat to safety may needlessly stifle children’s creativity and deter harmless play.  Old fashioned common sense shouldn’t be completely discarded. After hearing from constituents on this issue, I have reviewed and cosponsored H.R. 2625, the Student Protection Act, which would withhold federal funding from schools that punish a student for “brandishing a pastry or other food which is partially consumed in such a way that the remnant resembles a gun; possession of a toy gun which is two inches or less; possession of a toy gun made of plastic snap together building blocks; using a finger or hand to simulate a gun; vocalizing imaginary firearms or munitions; wearing a T-shirt that supports Second Amendment rights; drawing a picture of, or possessing an image of, a firearm; or using a pencil, pen or other writing utensil to simulate a firearm.”  In this country, instead of spending our energy being upset about children playing, we need to focus on real hoodlums, real bad guys, and terrorists.  That includes going after those who would attack our citizens in such cowardly attacks as that on the Washington Navy Yard.  It doesn’t mean we should give away our constitutional freedoms such as the First and Second Amendments.  But it does mean we should spend our time and our resources thwarting real evil like random shooters, and stop worrying about children being children. As this column is being written, we do not know the full extent of the injuries and deaths at the Navy Yard.  But like you, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=349368,Griffith Statement on the Closing of Lee Regional Medical Center,2013-09-12,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement on the closing of Lee Regional Medical Center: “I was very distraught to hear about the closure of Lee Regional Hospital, Wellmont Health Systems.  This is a great loss for the community, both in terms of providing health care and providing jobs to our citizens.  I stand ready both to assist the displaced workers to access resources that can be of help to them at this troubling time, and to continue to look for solutions to the growing problem that our rural hospitals are facing.  It is always of great concern when we have a direct impact to access of health care as a result of the loss of a local hospital facility.  Accordingly, I am working with the local officials as we explore all possibilities to increase access to health care in Lee County.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=349397,"Griffith, Green, DeGette Introduce Bipartisan Compounding Clarity Act",2013-09-12,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Congressman Gene Green (D-TX), and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) today introduced the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), bipartisan legislation that would clarify Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over compounding, particularly large-scale entities like the New England Compounding Center (NECC) that act as drug manufacturers.  Nationwide, there were 64 deaths and 750 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis resulting from tainted steroid injections. Griffith said, “As we approach the anniversary of the fungal meningitis outbreak that devastated so many families across the nation including Southwest Virginia, it is vital for Congress to take action to prevent another public health crisis.  Since the outbreak, I have been working hand-in-hand with my friends across the aisle on a legislative solution that we are proud to be introducing today.  This bipartisan proposal would prevent another NECC-type outbreak from occurring and ensuring the quality and safety of all compounded drugs in the country.  The Compounding Clarity Act also requires the FDA to better communicate with state boards of pharmacy, and safeguards our local community pharmacies who were not at fault in last year’s outbreak from burdensome federal regulations.  I am grateful to Congressman Green and Congresswoman DeGette for their partnership and dedication, and look forward to our continued work on this issue.” Green said, “For the last several weeks, a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers have been meeting to make sure we never relive the tragedy of the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that originated in a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts.  Congressman Griffith and Congresswoman DeGette have been exceptional leaders on addressing this public health threat and I believe this bill is a good step in that direction.  These discussions have been productive and are ongoing, and by dropping this bill we are keeping the pressure on House leadership and maintaining the momentum we have built.” DeGette said, “Almost a year has passed since a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak sickened hundreds across the United States.  This rare incident was traced to contaminated steroid injections produced by a so-called compounding pharmacy.  The outbreak, and subsequent troubling incidents, highlight the need for a stronger and more effective regulatory framework to oversee the compounding pharmacy system.  That is why today I am pleased to join with my friends and colleagues Congressmen Griffith and Green to introduce the Compounding Clarity Act, a critical step in working to prevent these types of deadly outbreaks in the future.  This bill represents a bi-partisan effort to develop a more robust regulatory framework that can save people’s lives and I look forward to working together to see it become law.” BACKGROUND: According to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, the FDA’s ability to take action against large-scale entities that exceed the bounds of traditional pharmacy compounding and pose risks to patients has been hampered by ambiguities in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).  While claiming they were exempt from FDA oversight, NECC had long ago ceased operating as a traditional compounding pharmacy and were clearly engaged in illegal drug manufacturing. To clarify FDA’s authority, the Compounding Clarity Act replaces section 503A of the FDCA with a new regulatory framework for traditional compounding pharmacies.  The legislation removes the constitutional concerns about advertising that were raised in court cases that created ambiguities that the agency had cited. The Compounding Clarity Act protects traditional pharmacies by clarifying FDA's role in regulating compounding.  Under the legislation, traditional pharmacies will continue to remain under the jurisdiction of state boards of pharmacy and remain exempt from FDA’s manufacturing authority.  The bill protects access to the customized, compounded medications that patients need.  Chiefly, all compounding must be done pursuant to a patient-specific prescription, while allowing for anticipatory compounding based on a preexisting relationship with a patient or doctor.  Recognizing a need for uniform quality, the legislation also establishes an enforceable safety standard for all compounded drugs. The legislation also maintains the important practice of office use where drugs can be dispensed to hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other healthcare settings to administer before an identified patient is known.  However, once these compounded drugs are administered to a patient, a prescription or patient name must be reconciled back to the pharmacy within 7 days.  The legislation also draws a volume limitation on the practice that both protects public health, while maintaining patient access to these drugs, especially in border regions. Given the concerns that FDA received numerous complaints from state boards about NECC and failed to act on them or alert other concerned state boards, the Compounding Clarity Act requires the timely implementation of a notification system to allow for meaningful communication with the state boards of pharmacy; submissions of concerns relating to the products and practices of compounding pharmacies; and facilitation of appropriate inspections and/or enforcement actions from the FDA. Finally, the legislation clarifies FDA’s authority over the large-scale compounding entities, or outsourcing facilities, by outlining new federal requirements.  Outsourcing facilities are compounding entities that exceed the legislation’s volume limitations and would now be subject to annual registration; reporting and listing of the drugs they compound; labeling; adverse event reporting; inspections and user fees. Text of the Compounding Clarity Act is attached. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z