Issues

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 reforming current processes.

We must start by enhancing our border security. A physical barrier would deter those attempting to enter the country illegally, while also helping direct those seeking asylum to the proper points of entry.

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.

Thousands of inadmissible migrants arrive at our border every day and overwhelm our immigration system. The current immigration policy of catch-and-release is extremely flawed. In order to remedy this, we need to 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.

The First District economy is also significantly impacted by temporary and seasonal visa programs, and future immigration policy must balance timely processing for these visas while also ensuring effective visa enforcement.

We are a compassionate nation made up of immigrants and a prosperous nation due to the rule of law. I believe we don’t have to choose one or the other.

It is imperative that we get our nation’s fiscal house in order and work to address our debt and deficit – or else we will continue to push the problems of today onto our children and grandchildren. The longer we fail to address our nation’s spending problem, the harder it becomes to solve the problem of our country’s crippling debt.

We absolutely must take tangible steps to reduce our deficit and debt. While we can certainly start with eliminating duplicative programs, wasteful spending, and fraud, if we don’t address the broken budget and appropriations system producing these spending deals, we won’t ever solve this problem. We need to need to know where our money is going and work through our funding packages in a responsible, thoughtful, deliberate way through regular order – not rushed through at the last minute. Returning to regular order —moving spending bills through the committee process where we read, debate, and vote on them — will go a long way towards bringing transparency back to the budget and appropriations process. However, this requires holding Members of Congress accountable. I authored three bills to achieve this:

Stay on Schedule (S.O.S) Resolution – would force Speaker Pelosi to keep Congress in town until all 12 appropriations bills are passed, instead of adjourning for the August recess.

No Budget, No Pay Act – would serve as an enforcement measure to hold members of Congress accountable for their actions. It is the legal obligation of Congress to pass a budget, and member pay should be withheld until that job is done.

Inaction Has Consequences Act – would hold Congress Members’ salaries if we do not pass regular appropriation bills in a timely manner.

This level of transparency and accountability is critical not only to get the budget process under control but also to rein in wasteful spending. A sound fiscal footing fosters an environment for a strong economy, opportunities for growth, and prosperity for all people. If we keep letting our debt spiral out of control, we put our country at risk of a financial crisis.

I believe The Affordable Care Act showed that government-run health care does not sufficiently address the core challenges facing our health care system; in many cases, physician choice disappeared, and premium costs skyrocketed. I will continue to push back against the Democrats’ attempts to institute Medicare For All, a single-payer health care plan run by the federal government that would cost $32 trillion to operate.

As Co-Chair of the Public Health Caucus, I am committed to protecting Virginians and raising awareness about how public health issues impact lives and communities. Lowering drug prices and increasing access to effective medical treatments for all Virginians is very important to me. It is critical that we continue to lower the cost of health care and ensure all Virginians can access coverage.

There are common sense health care initiatives that we can all agree on: provide insurance coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, allow young people to stay on a parent’s plan, and eliminate lifetime caps for insurance coverage. I strongly believe that we must ensure access to insurance for all Americans with pre-existing conditions and have voted repeatedly to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions.  In fact, one of the very first votes I took in the 116th Congress was on a Republican measure to force Congress to legislate on locking in protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.

I believe The Affordable Care Act showed that government-run health care does not sufficiently address the core challenges facing our health care system; in many cases, physician choice disappeared, and premium costs skyrocketed. I will continue to push back against Democrat’s attempts to institute Medicare For All, a single-payer health care plan run by the federal government that would cost $32 trillion to operate.

Single-payer plans would eliminate the private health care market and completely transform the health care system as we know it by implementing socialized medicine. This would require a massive tax increase and would outlaw the choice of private insurance, forcing 158 million Americans who get their health insurance through their employer into a one-size-fits-all government-run plan. Individuals should be able to do what’s best for them, not what the government dictates for them. Putting the government between you and your doctor will cause gridlock and will majorly debilitate the flow of innovation.

I hear constantly from folks about the high costs of health care – especially from their daily prescriptions. I believe we must reform our health care system to provide quality, affordable healthcare to every American. Reforms should focus on increasing accessibility, lowering cost, and improving choice while maintaining programs like Medicare and Medicaid. I believe lowering the costs of prescription drugs is a critical component to fixing our broken health care system. I support the three bills that passed with unanimous, bipartisan support in the Energy & Commerce Committee: H.R. 965, The CREATES Act, which would penalize branded drug makers that withhold samples from generic manufacturers; H.R. 1499, The Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act, which would ban pay-for-delay agreements; and H.R. 938, The Bringing Low-cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics (BLOCKING) Act, which would limit first-approved generic makers’ ability to stall another rival’s launch.

The First District of Virginia is home to some of the most unique transportation challenges in the country and solving these problems is one of my top priorities. We face congestion on I-95, strained commuter rail, crumbling roads and bridges, and maintaining the Port of Virginia. I believe that we must get out of just fixing current problems and get to investing in a 21st Century infrastructure. The role of the federal government is not to dictate what to build, but provide stable, long-term funding to states for their road project priorities. I will continue to fight for projects that prioritize innovation, leverage public-private resources, and maintain the safety of motorists within the region.

The I-95 corridor in Northern Virginia has been identified as the “worst traffic hot spot” in the nation and as a commuter myself who travels along I-95 almost every day, I know firsthand the issues with congestion in the area. To help alleviate congestion on I-95, I supported the Rappahannock River Crossing Project along I-95 between Rt. 17 and Rt. 3 as part of the Atlantic Gateway Program and extending HOV lanes on I-95 to exit 126 – the Massaponax Exit.

An important component to reducing traffic congestion in Northern Virginia is commuter rail. Long Bridge, which spans the Potomac River between Virginia and DC, is a critical gateway between southeast and northeast rail networks. The current Long Bridge structure is the primary constraint limiting Virginia Railway Express’s (VRE) ability to operate more passenger trains that could significantly reduce traffic in Northern Virginia. Healthy investments in federal formula programs will support the VRE’s ongoing and future investments to expand their service. Constituents in my district rely on the services of Amtrak and the VRE to commute throughout D.C. and Northern Virginia. I have fought for federal funding to help expand and improve commuter capacity of the VRE and expand existing platform capacity at many stations within the DC metro area.

In other parts of the First District, our bridges and infrastructure need special attention. The Coleman Bridge in Gloucester is a connector not only for vehicles to the Middle Peninsula but also for Navy ships traveling between installations. I included a provision in the annual defense authorization that aims to save local taxpayer dollars by requesting the Department of Defense to review the military value of the bridge to determine whether they should split costs in funding bridge management and upkeep. I am also active in bringing stakeholders together to find a state funding solution to fix the Norris Bridge. I authored a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, expressing my concerns with the bridge’s safety and urging completion of a replacement for the bridge. Furthermore, I hosted a Norris Bridge Roundtable with county officials of the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula and Virginia Deputy Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue where we discussed options for innovative funding sources. Moving forward I remain committed to ensuring rural transportation projects are not forgotten.

Right outside the First District is the Port of Virginia, which services all 48 contiguous states and faces an urgent need for expansion. Widening to 1,400 ft. will make way for safe and efficient two-way passage between larger commercial vessels and other operators in the Harbor and Channels including the Navy. With a Benefit-Cost-Ratio of more than $5 returned for $1 invested in construction, the Norfolk Harbor deepening and widening presents a huge return on investment for the nation. It will allow American businesses from across the country to further benefit from the Port of Virginia as an integral part of their supply chain.

As Co-Chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus, I am fighting to ensure that our nation’s rural and unserved populations are no longer left on the sidelines, but instead gain access to key services such as telemedicine, online education, and applications that help small businesses compete in the 21st Century. Currently, almost 50% of rural Virginians either lack access to high-speed internet, while 29% don’t have any internet service at all.

High-speed broadband has the potential to revolutionize and improve the way rural populations live their lives, including the potential to expand economic opportunity and fuel our economy.  As folks in urban areas today benefit from the everyday experiences of online banking, email, or ridesharing, rural populations continue to be left on the sideline. It is essential that any federal efforts to close the digital divide focus on the truly unserved first. 

I am leading the effort to bring unserved and underserved regions of Virginia into the digital revolution.  I have hosted several Broadband Task Force meetings throughout the First District with key stakeholders from the telecommunications industry, small business, and federal government, including FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, to discuss broadband expansion, the challenges we face in getting service to the truly unserved, and how to overcome them.  We discuss the importance of eliminating the labyrinth of red tape and regulations, defining prescriptive easements, establishing dig once policies, and strengthening public-private partnerships. 

In Congress, I fought to secure $600 million in new funds for rural broadband expansion in unserved areas and I have been working tirelessly to direct those funds to projects in the First District. I also have worked with the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to ensure that broadband expansion be part of any long-term infrastructure package, as it is critical to closing the gap between rural and urban job growth opportunities in Virginia. Expanding access to high-speed internet is critical to economic development and growth in our nation.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have remained a staunch supporter of our men and women in uniform. As Ranking Member of the House Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, I have the privilege of fighting to give back to our sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines. It is my responsibility to ensure we bring the capability of our Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force closer to meeting the reality of the threats facing the United States and to project power around the globe to deter our adversaries. A strong national defense is necessary to deter the threats of tomorrow.

The First District is home to Marine Base Quantico, NSWC Dahlgren, and Fort AP Hill, as well as many Department of Defense civilians. I am dedicated to reliable, sustainable funding for our Armed Forces and it is critical that we provide the resources to allow these brave men and women to carry out their missions. In the 115th Congress, my piece of legislation, the SHIPS Act, was signed into law, making it our national policy to work towards a 355-Navy, the number our nation needs to combat increasing global threats and replace aging ships in a timely manner.

Another provision I have long championed was signed into law – allowing the Navy to proceed with a dual buy of aircraft carriers, which saves taxpayers billions of dollars, supports Virginia’s strong shipbuilding industrial base, and shows that Congress is committed to the thousands of workers who build and maintain aircraft carriers in Virginia. This means hundreds of skilled, reliable jobs for Virginians and safer, higher quality ships for our sailors.

I refuse to deprive our men and women in uniform the resources they need to be successful in their missions and I am doing everything in my power to ensure that these women and men are returned safely to their families. I will continue to lead the fight to provide the right capabilities to support our warfighters, deter our adversaries, and keep our troops safe.

Nearly 800,000 Veterans call Virginia home, and I am committed to ensuring our veterans can access the benefits they’ve earned through their service to a grateful nation. We need to continue to focus on streamlining the Veterans claims process and ensuring that Veterans are receiving reimbursement in a timely way.

During my time in Congress, I have been fighting to preserve the benefits for our soldiers and their families, as well as reform the Veterans Administration. In fact, I have introduced three VA Accountability bills aimed at removing administrative roadblocks to Veterans Administration (VA) services and improving the customer experience within the VA.

The Veterans Choice Accountability Act expands veteran access to non-VA medical care and establishes a review of the VA’s implementation of the Veteran’s Choice Program.

The Veterans Collaboration Act creates a VA pilot program to foster collaboration between qualified non-profit veterans service organizations (VSOs) and educational institutions that provide assistance to veterans.

The Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures with DoD Doctors Act requires that the service member’s separation physical examinations conducted by military doctors be used to determine service-connected disability. This would speed up access to care for veterans by not subjecting them to another round of medical screenings before a disability rating is issued. The bill also continues to demand that the VA and DoD share medical and service record data electronically.

America’s veterans deserve the highest quality medical care and most efficient delivery of benefits possible. I supported legislation that expands opportunities of the VA CHOICE Program to allow Veterans to receive care both faster and outside the VA system. The VA MISSION Act consolidated the VA’s multiple community care programs and authorities and provides further funding to sustain the Choice Program so veterans can get the care they earned and deserve.

Our nation’s veterans deserve the highest quality medical care and most efficient delivery of benefits possible. I supported legislation that expands opportunities of the VA CHOICE Program to allow Veterans to receive care both faster and outside the VA system. The VA MISSION Act consolidated the VA’s multiple community care programs and authorities and provides further funding to sustain the Choice Program so veterans can get the care they earned and deserve.

As a gun owner and strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, I believe that the constitutional right to keep and bear arms must be diligently protected, and throughout my time in Congress I have supported, and will continue to support, policies that protect the Second Amendment.

However, I am extremely concerned about gun violence and I believe it is absolutely critical that we continue to address this problem. We must be focused on preventing criminals from acquiring firearms in the first place, addressing the behavior that leads to this violence, and deterring this behavior from happening in the first place.

I have cosponsored common sense solutions that get to the actual issues that lead to gun violence:

Fix NICS Act
I supported the Fix NICS Act, now signed into law, which strengthens the information contained in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to better protect the public, protect Second Amendment rights, and curb gun violence.

STOP School Violence Act
I supported the STOP School Violence Act, now signed into law, to help schools and law enforcement prevent, recognize, and respond to warning signs of violence.

21 Century Cures Act
I supported the 21 Century Cures Act, now signed into law, which gave the most funding, ever, to improving mental health services and prevent an individual from reaching that crisis point.

Mass Violence Prevention Act
I am a cosponsor of the Mass Violence Prevention Act, which would help prevent firearm violence by ensuring local, state and federal law enforcement can better share information and coordinate responses to potential threats of mass violence. The MVP Act would also reduce the flow of firearms into the black market, where we often see violent criminals buying their weapons and circumventing background checks.

Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act
I am a cosponsor of the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act, which would provide state and local entities the training, support, and resources needed to stand up community-based, multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and management units. Law enforcement, mental health professionals, and educational entities can work together using this process to prevent and manage potential threats.

My mother was a teacher, and my wife, Kathryn has taught Elementary School for 39 years, so I know the importance that our teachers play in student’s lives.  Our education system serves our children best when the federal footprint is reduced, local control is restored, and parents and local education leaders are empowered to take control of their own education and hold schools accountable for effectively teaching students.

I understand the commitment and sacrifice our nation’s teachers make on a daily basis. Their dedication does not go unrecognized—the positive influence and selflessness that our educators possess is invaluable.  Strengthening America’s education system is important in fostering innovation and promoting our economic security.

Currently, businesses across America are facing a severe talent shortage due to a lack of vocational education and technical training. I am partnering with schools and local businesses to address the skilled worker shortage and ensure our students have the opportunity to succeed in the 21st century economy. One of my top priorities is promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs as a way to cultivate the skill sets needed in today’s workforce and connect students with more opportunities for good jobs at good wages.

STEM and CTE programs give students the opportunity to develop a practical skill set to succeed in the 21st-century job market. We can better prepare our professionals of tomorrow by increasing access to dual enrollment CTE training courses today so students can work toward certifications and credentials while still in high school. By taking less than two years, or sometimes even a few weeks to complete, these qualifications provide a more tangible approach to education and qualify students for well-paying jobs. We must better prepare our students and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to compete in a global economy.

As a child of adoption, I value protecting the sanctity of life and will continue to be a standard-bearer for upholding family values. My birth mother’s decision to choose life gave me more opportunities than she felt she could provide.

All life is precious and deserves to be protected. As a stalwart defender of life, I have voted to defund Planned Parenthood; taxpayers should not, and will not, be forced to participate in the abortion industry. I also believe it is critical that we allow health care providers to exercise one of their most basic rights—to live out their convictions without fear of discrimination from the government. My actions in the defense of life have led me to obtain a 100% rating from both the National Right to Life and the Family Research Council (FRC).

I am a staunch supporter of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 962) as an original co-sponsor. This bill establishes requirements for medical professionals to provide proper care in the event of a child surviving an abortion or attempted abortion. While we may disagree on a host of policies, when it comes to what it means to defend the vulnerable, there’s no ambiguity here; infanticide is morally reprehensible. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require doctors to provide the same care for a baby born alive after a failed attempt at abortion as they would for any child of the same gestational age.

I am focused on creating more jobs and opportunities for all Americans and promoting pro-growth policies. These policies have led to a strong economy – small business optimism is high, unemployment is at historic lows, and Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned money. The pro-growth policies supported in the 115th Congress brought jobs back from overseas, lifted the burden on small businesses, provided relief for community banks, rolled back job-crushing regulations, and lowered taxes for families and small businesses – resulting in more money in the pockets of hard-working Virginians.

It is critically important to protect our individual liberties and economic freedoms. The government’s role should be to eliminate barriers to success, not create them.  The federal government must continue to let the free market do what it does best: grow, thrive, and create more opportunities for a greater number of people.

A strong economy is good for all Virginians. I am focused on policies that spur economic growth, create an environment for small businesses to thrive, create more jobs for hard working Americans, and continue to grow paychecks. It’s the American entrepreneurial spirit—not Washington—that is guiding our nation’s economy forward, and I will do everything in my power to continue to support our job creators.

The First District of Virginia is full of natural resources that play important roles in the culture, economy, history, and recreation of our region.  In my role on the House Natural Resources Committee, I am proud to have spent my career in Congress fighting to protect our environment so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

As Co-Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Caucus, I have been leading the effort in Congress to maintain the Chesapeake Bay Program, specifically advocating for funding when the President’s Budget suggests cuts. My priority is to increase oversight over how federal dollars are spent on Bay Cleanup. In 2015 my Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act was signed into law and has introduced an Independent Evaluator and budgetary reforms to cleanup efforts.

Having grown up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region and spending countless hours outdoors hunting, fishing, and enjoying the natural beauty of my surroundings, I support protecting our wildlife and coastal communities, which are vital to Virginia’s economy. Last Congress, I introduced the National Centers of Excellence in Coastal Flood Research and Education Act, which would further world-class research to better prepare Virginia cities for coastal flooding. I also introduced the Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act, now signed into law, that renews a critical volunteer program that makes it possible for over 50 million visitors to experience our nation’s wildlife.

In 2018, after decades of bipartisan efforts, my legislation giving recognition to six Virginia Indian tribes passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump. These tribes, many of whom are first-contact tribes, will finally receive the recognition they deserve. This status enables them to pursue repatriation of historical and cultural artifacts, comment on federal agency actions that could affect their future and gain access to a number of federal programs.

As a lifelong conservationist, I am committed to the preservation of our public lands, wetlands and vast natural resources. I supported a lands package, signed into law by President Trump, which designated 1.3 million acres as wilderness, the nation’s most stringent protection and allowed agencies to set aside land for wildlife habitat.

This legislation also permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which channels royalty revenue the federal government receives from offshore oil and gas projects into conservation projects, from expanding national parks, to protecting habitat on private lands, to maintaining Civil War battlefields.

I recently reintroduced the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which authorizes $60 million a year for wetlands conservation from 2020 to 2024. It would also help reduce the disappearance of wetlands by leveraging federal investment to raise contributions from private organizations like landowners, businesses, and state and local governments that support conservation grants.

In my roles on the House Natural Resources Committee, as Co-Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Caucus, as Co-Chair of the Wildlife Refuge Caucus, and as a Member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, I will continue to work to ensure our lands can be enjoyed by tourists, sportsmen and women, and conservationists for years to come.

I believe Medicare and Social Security have served our nation well, providing medical benefits and retirement security for millions of Americans. Addressing the challenges facing Social Security, a program created decades ago to help prevent seniors from falling into poverty, is critical to strengthening retirement security for seniors today and generations to come.

I am firmly committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare for our seniors. We must honor our commitment to current Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries and those who are nearing eligibility – there should be no change to their plans.

It is critical for us to ensure the long-term substantiality of these programs so future generations can have the peace of mind and security these programs provide current seniors. I will continue to look for bipartisan solutions that preserve and strengthen Social Security for today’s seniors and future generations, while also promoting policies that help Americans at all stages of life save for retirement. Rest assured, I’m committed to preserving these critical programs for decades to come so they are available for future generations.