Political

Opioids can affect people from any walk of life. As the House of Representatives considers legislation to fight the opioid epidemic, Democrats and Republicans in Washington are finding a lot of common ground. During two weeks in June, the House will devote itself largely to opioid legislation. This week, a bill I introduced called the […]

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after his bill, H.R. 5812, the Creating Opportunities that Necessitate New and Enhanced Connections That Improve Opioid Navigation Strategies (CONNECTIONS) Act, passed the House of Representatives today: “Fighting the opioid crisis is an urgent priority for all of us, and it’s important that we have accurate, up-to-date […]

On June 8, the House of Representatives passed the Energy and Water appropriations bill to fund the Department of Energy (DOE), among other programs. The United States is in the middle of an energy boom, and I believe the Energy and Water bill we passed will help keep us on the right path. Energy policy […]

High prices for prescription drugs affect the pocketbooks of many residents of the Ninth District. Even with health insurance, people have trouble paying for their prescriptions. Many factors affect what a person pays when he or she fills a prescription. There isn’t a silver bullet that will take care of this problem, but I believe […]

“The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” So began the order of John […]

Improving Care for Veterans One of our highest obligations as a nation is “to care for him who shall have borne the battle,” as Abraham Lincoln eloquently stated in his Second Inaugural Address. The men and women who wear the uniform of the United States military put their lives on the line for our freedoms, […]

A saying often attributed to the late Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) goes, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.” It’s a warning about how easily government spending can spiral out of control. But through a special procedure called rescission, Congress may soon make targeted cuts here or there that, […]

School safety has been on the minds of many recently. As I’ve traveled the Ninth District, constituents have frequently approached me to discuss this topic. For our communities, schools are at the center of their life. Therefore, I believe the most important decisions regarding them should be made by the community. It would be neither […]

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t want clean air and clean water. Protecting our environment is something we all desire. But there are grand ideas about refashioning (but damaging) our economy that offer theoretical benefits we may never see, or there are nuts-and-bolts approaches that can make positive differences in both our environment and our […]

Perhaps this person is your neighbor or friend. Perhaps you know this person from church or went to school together. Perhaps this person is your brother or sister, your father or mother, your son or daughter. Many of us know someone who has suffered from opioid addiction. It’s an affliction that does not recognize race, […]

This year’s federal income tax return due date is Tuesday, April 17. It’s the last time you will have to file under the old tax code that was replaced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which will apply to next April’s returns. Although Americans will file under the old, broken tax code this last […]

As the House of Representatives considers banking legislation, I find myself thinking about the legacy of Maggie Walker, a great success story from the annals of Virginia. Walker was born in Richmond in 1864 to a former slave who, after the War Between the States, worked as a laundress. She helped her mother with this […]

You probably hear a lot about the disagreements in Washington, and that’s not surprising. Having two major parties that disagree on some bedrock principles, such as the role of government, means a lot of give and take. But there are some things on which we largely agree. Solving the opioid crisis, which takes the lives […]

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting against the $1.3 trillion omnibus appropriations bill: “I could not vote for the omnibus on the floor today. In the roughly seventeen hours between the release of the text and the vote on the bill, I was not able to complete reading it, nor was […]

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2018, a bill that expands access to experimental treatments for patients with terminal illnesses. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), an original cosponsor of the bill, issued the following statement: “Many Americans have long sought […]

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has been inducted into the bipartisan House Liberty Caucus. He issued the following statement: “I believe public officials have a duty to defend the liberties guaranteed by our Constitution. Whether fighting for the repeal of laws and regulations that infringe on peoples’ rights or calling for Congress to take back its […]

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 4909, the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act: “Schools should be safe havens for students as they learn and grow. This legislation would authorize funding efforts to prevent violence and improve security at schools across the country. […]

Everyone knows something is wrong with prescription drug prices. I hear frequently from constituents struggling to pay exorbitant prices for drugs. What is to be done in this situation and who is to blame are hot topics in public discourse. It’s worth keeping this background in mind when pondering what to make of insurance giant […]

Members of Congress gathered together on the morning of Wednesday, February 28, not to vote or meet in committee, but for another important purpose: to honor the life of Reverend Billy Graham, who died on February 21. Billy Graham was only the fourth person to “lie in honor” (distinct from lying in state) in the […]

Traveling Across the Ninth When the House of Representatives is not voting in Washington, I use the time I have to travel across the Ninth District to hear your stories, your questions, and your concerns. So far this year, I have visited all 29 jurisdictions that make up the Ninth. These visits covered topics from […]

Committees are the engines that drive Congress. At the committee level, Members of Congress learn about issues, carefully consider legislation, and conduct oversight to see what works in the Federal Government and what doesn’t. Serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as I do, means a busy schedule. We have a broad jurisdiction that […]