News and opinions from our elected officials
A recent award ceremony including a Southwest Virginian at the Library of Congress reminded me of our region’s rich musical heritage. The course of American music was shaped by traditions, people, and places found within the borders of Virginia’s Ninth District. The Southwest Virginian honored in Washington is Eddie Bond of Fries, among the foremost […]
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after voting to support an amended version of H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which will soon go to President Trump’s desk: “The opioid crisis is the most urgent health crisis of our time, as many residents of the Ninth District know from […]
Our part of Virginia understands the damage that can be inflicted by excessive regulation. The War on Coal was largely waged in this manner, as the Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed layers of rules providing no benefit to the environment but imposing massive new costs on the coal industry. The coal industry is […]
With three Town Halls this week – in Martinsville, Bristol and Catawba – the Flaccavento for Congress Campaign will have completed ninety of a planned 100 such community meetings. By our estimates, well over five thousand people have already participated, many of whom have shared their concerns, priorities and ideas about how to best solve […]
Health care policy touches on some of the most important and personal decisions people make. From my vantage point on the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I continue to look for ways to improve health care in the Ninth District. Health care policy revolves around quality, availability, and affordability. All three of […]
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representative passed legislation including his bill, the Promoting Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower Act: “Closed-loop pumped storage hydropower is a technology with great promise for Southwest Virginia. Abandoned mines would provide the infrastructure, construction at the location of the facilities would create jobs, […]
Social media occupies a prominent place in modern America. Remarkably prominent, given how novel the medium is. Facebook and Twitter were both founded this century. These companies pioneered new avenues for people to interact with each other, and a recent study found that 67% of Americans get at least some news on social media. The […]
We dedicate Labor Day each year to the social and economic contributions American workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. While the first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, it would not become a nationally recognized holiday until 1894. On June 28, 1894, […]
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has announced $250,000 in grants to two local drug prevention coalitions in the Ninth District through the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Substance Abuse Taskforce in Rural Appalachia, Inc. (SATIRA) of Tazewell, Virginia and Piedmont Regional Community Services of Rocky Mount, Virginia, which also has facilities in […]
Recently, I’ve participated in the announcement of five projects that will repurpose old coal mine lands for a variety of uses, from economic development to recreation. Securing federal money for these projects has been a priority of mine in the House of Representatives, and it has been a multi-year process. Money for abandoned mine land […]
A town hall meeting will take place in Riner on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, from 6pm to 8pm at Sinkland Farms on Route 8. Invited guest, Anthony Flaccavento, Democrat U.S. congressional candidate for the 9th district of Virginia, will attend and speak with the audience in a question and answer format. All residents of the […]
I recently enjoyed a stop at the Virginia State Peach Festival, held in Stuart on August 16. For 31 years, the festival has been celebrating peaches and all their uses, from eating them on their own to enjoying them in a homemade cobbler. Celebrating peaches is fun, but a lot of work goes into getting […]
On August 7, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced a $500,000 grant to the Health Wagon for construction of a health care clinic in Clintwood. Some people think Obamacare is the only thing that matters when it comes to health care, but as this recent good news from ARC reminds us, there is plenty of […]
During two visits to local manufacturing facilities today, I heard encouraging news about the economy that I wanted to share with you. My stops at Blue Ridge Diesel and Carter Machinery in Salem offered a positive outlook of how businesses and jobs are faring today. People at both locations let me know that reducing regulations […]
Help for Veterans Although the Veterans Administration was formally organized during the Herbert Hoover presidency, benefits for veterans can trace their roots to near the nation’s birth. Veterans deserve the thanks and support of all Americans for the sacrifices they made on our behalf. Thus, veterans are promised benefits in recognition of their service. For […]
The 115th Congress has been working to improve the lives of average Americans. From taking on the opioid crisis to cutting taxes for the great majority of Americans, the House of Representatives has pushed for solutions. I believe the results make Americans better off. Economy Constituents frequently ask about jobs and economic development when I […]
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act: “Educational programs should provide students with the skills they need to thrive in the workforce. Career and technical education programs provide a vital way to prepare prospective employees for jobs. […]
Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement on legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through November 30, 2018: “The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) needs improvements, and I do not like extending it for a mere four months. However, I also don’t want people living in areas subject to flooding to go […]
The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 2345, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) is a cosponsor of the measure. He issued the following statement: “The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers professional help for those in crisis, but the lengthy phone number may impede its accessibility. A simple three-digit number, similar […]
For Americans from all parts of the country to participate in modern life, it is vital that they have access to broadband. We increasingly use the Internet for information, entertainment, business, indeed, almost every aspect of our lives. In the 20th century, rural electrification projects brought power to parts of the country that were unserved […]
The House of Representatives today adopted an amendment to prohibit funding to enforce an Obama-era Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation that defines truck trailers as motor vehicles. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) joined Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) in offering the amendment. He issued the following statement: “The Obama Administration’s EPA defied logic in declaring that truck […]
