Issues

Fighting for the Future of the First District

Job Creation

One of my main priorities is creating jobs and opportunities for all Virginians by promoting pro-growth policies for small businesses. To achieve this, we must incentivize rehiring, eliminate regulatory barriers, and bring back our supply chain from foreign adversaries like China.

I continue to advocate for policies that generate jobs and boost the income of hard-working Virginians. Workforce development and emphasis on Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs are crucial to prepare our future workforce for a competitive global economy.

Education

My mother and my wife Kathryn were both teachers, so I know first-hand the importance that our teachers play in students’ lives. Our educators’ positive influence is invaluable. In addition to supporting our teachers, we must strengthen the American education system to foster innovation and promote economic security.

As a father of two and grandfather of six, I believe parents should be empowered and protected when it comes to having a say in their children’s education. Parents and local education leaders, not unions or bureaucrats, are best qualified to oversee their children’s curriculum. We should be teaching our students how to think, not what to think.

The longer we fail to address our nation’s spending problem, the harder it becomes to reduce our country’s crippling debt, which now stands at over $34 trillion.

While we can start by eliminating duplicative programs, wasteful spending, and fraud, if we don’t address Congress’ broken budget and appropriations system, we’ll never solve this problem. We must bring transparency back to the budget and appropriations process.

I have authored several bills to hold Members of Congress accountable and promote fiscal responsibility:

I believe in a better healthcare future for Virginians. We must reform our healthcare system to provide quality, affordable health care to every American. I am focused on providing real healthcare solutions that include patient-provider centered reforms which expand choices for consumers, increase access to care, reduce health care costs, and enhance transparency in our healthcare system. Individuals and families should have the ability to make decisions for themselves based on what best fits their needs, wants, and budget. Patients and their doctors should be in control of their own health care decisions and everyday American families have the option to see a doctor of their choice.

Before serving in Congress, I earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health and spent 26 years working for Virginia’s Department of Health — so, I am passionate about protecting Virginians and raising awareness about how public health issues impact lives and communities. As Co-Chair of the Public Health Caucus in Congress, it is my duty to bring attention to public health and prevention issues and support federal policies that result in improved overall health for citizens across the United States.

To achieve true healthcare reform, we must address the high cost of prescription drugs, bring manufacturing back to the United States, expand telemedicine with equitable reimbursement rates, and promote Health Savings Accounts to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Transparency in healthcare and prescription drug markets, along with ending surprise billing, are essential steps. Additionally, removing government barriers to patient access to new treatments and allowing the purchase of health care across state lines will lower costs and prioritize patients over the government.

Transportation

As I commute from Montross to Washington each day that Congress is in session, I witness first-hand the transportation challenges in Virginia’s First District. We face congestion on I-95, I-64, I-360, 76, Broad Street, and other major highways, strained commuter rail, crumbling roads and bridges, aging airports, and maintaining the Port of Virginia.

I believe that we must get out of just fixing current problems and get to investing in true 21st Century infrastructure. I will continue to support projects that prioritize innovation, leverage public-private resources, and maintain the safety of motorists and pedestrians within the region. In many parts of the First District, our bridges and roadway infrastructure need special attention. Rural transportation infrastructure’s unique challenges need to be considered in order to meet our nation’s transportation goals of safety and economic competitiveness.

Broadband

As the House Rural Broadband Caucus co-chair, I’m dedicated to bridging the digital divide to ensure our rural and unserved populations receive high-speed broadband access. This connectivity is vital for telemedicine, virtual education, online banking, job applications, and rural community development.

I’ve championed the following legislation to improve high-speed internet access:

Border Security

Our current immigration system is broken, and we need strong, serious changes to our current laws. We are a nation of laws, and we must continue to keep Americans safe, and although America is also a nation of immigrants, those wishing to enter the country need to come here legally. Our approach to combating illegal immigration must be comprehensive and include permanently securing our border, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring law enforcement has the resources they need.

We must start by enhancing our border security. A border wall is needed to deter those attempting to enter the country illegally.

Current rules incentivize illegal behavior and don’t prioritize the needs of America’s economy. We must take the necessary steps to deter people from coming to our country illegally by requiring employers to utilize the E-Verify system to confirm that all future hires are eligible to work in the United States; ending chain migration by eliminating extended family visa categories that allow U.S. citizens to sponsor extended, non-nuclear family members; and replacing the visa-lottery system, that grants green cards through a random lottery with no regard to work experience or educational background, with a merit-based system instead.

We must also invest in our Border Patrol agents and law enforcement officers. We have laws on the books— we must ensure that our nation’s current immigration laws are enforced, immigration programs work properly, and that we provide the resources for law enforcement officials to get their jobs done. We must hire additional immigration judges and support staff, hire additional Border Patrol agents, and increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel

National Security

As vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, my commitment lies in supporting our men and women in uniform and strengthening our Armed Forces. As the proud home to a large military population and robust defense industrial base, Virginia’s First District plays a vital role in our national defense, with the Commonwealth deriving nearly 20% of its GDP from defense spending. I continually advocate for sustainable funding for our military to ensure we have the necessary resources to protect our homeland. We must modernize our Naval fleet, replace aging ships, and prepare for challenges arising from the Chinese Communist Party’s rising aggression. I will always support our servicemen and women and fight to ensure their safe return. 

I’ve sponsored the following legislation to support our troops:

  • COBIA Act: Ensures local schools educating military service-connected children receive full federal impact aid support.  
  • COMFORT Act: Authorizes additional mental health counseling services for military families.
  • Independent and Objective Oversight of Ukrainian Assistance Act: Establishes enhanced reporting requirements and oversight of assistance to Ukraine.
  • H.R.3011: Establishes a task force of the DoD on servicemember mental health improvement efforts

Veterans

Throughout my time in Congress, I have remained a strong advocate for Virginia’s over 700,000 veterans, ensuring they can access their well-deserved benefits. Our veterans deserve high-quality medical care and efficient benefits delivery, which is why I’ve worked to streamline the claims process and improve customer experience at the Veterans Administration (VA).

I authored and supported several bills to improve educational opportunities as well as mental and physical healthcare services for those who served our country: 

Law Enforcement

We can never thank our brave law enforcement officers and first responders enough for putting their lives on the line every single day. I will always advocate for equipping them with the resources they need to protect our communities.

I will do everything in my power to support them at the federal level and ensure that the law enforcement officers in Virginia’s First District know that I will always have their backs.

Environment

In my role on the House Natural Resources Committee, I am a staunch advocate for protecting the bounty of natural resources we are lucky to have in Virginia’s First District. I continue to lead efforts to maintain federal support for the Chesapeake Bay, including enhanced cleanup efforts to protect this national treasure. My work has also led to the recognition of six Virginia Indian tribes, granting access to federal programs and artifact repatriation.

As a lifelong conservationist, I care deeply about preserving public lands, wetlands, and natural resources. I supported a lands package that designated 1.3 million acres as wilderness and permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund, directing revenue from offshore oil and gas projects into conservation initiatives.

That’s why I introduced and supported the following legislation:

Energy

I believe in an all-of-the-above approach to energy investment, embracing clean and reliable sources such as nuclear, hydropower, natural gas, wind, solar, and carbon capture. By doing so, we can protect the environment while fostering job creation, prosperity, and national security.

The United States is already a leading nation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through innovation – we should keep our focus on removing barriers to deploying new technologies that can develop and export clean energy. By prioritizing affordable and reliable energy to meet consumer needs, we can simultaneously bolster American security and prosperity. A diverse array of energy sources are readily available within the United States, and we should use them to ensure energy independence and lower costs for American families.

That’s why I introduced the following legislation: