This week we will be celebrating the time of Thanksgiving. Many folks have had very challenging times over this past year and may even find it difficult to find reasons to be thankful. While our economy has struggled and more folks have found themselves unemployed there are things to be thankful for no matter how small. It was Charles Dickens that said "Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many - not your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."

Last week the House passed a healthcare reform bill by a largely partisan vote of 220-215. This vote represents what frustrates folks at home as they watch the legislative process in Washington unfold. They see Congress needing to listen to the folks they represent and find common ground to develop common sense solutions to the problems facing the Commonwealth and Nation.

I am excited to report that the full House of Representatives approved my bill (H.R. 3433) to amend the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) by voice vote and without opposition this week. This bill is a commonsense solution to improve international wetlands conservation efforts and protects migratory birds that travel to the U.S. Specifically, H.R. 3433 would allow up to 50 percent of the non-federal share of projects in Canada to be paid for by Canadian conservation supporters. 

This past Thursday I met with several constituents as well as folks from the greater Hampton Roads area who have been affected by toxic Chinese drywall. For those of you who aren't familiar with this issue, during the housing boom U.S. drywall manufacturers were unable to keep up with the demand from home builders and companies began to import drywall from China.

I'm excited to report that this week the House of Representatives passed my Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act (H.R. 1053), by a bipartisan vote of 418-1. I introduced the bill at the beginning of the 111th Congress and it would streamline the monitoring and coordination of the Bay restoration efforts amongst 10 federal agencies, six states and the District of Columbia, over one thousand localities and multiple non-governmental organizations. 

On Tuesday, I met with the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, to discuss the increased role that the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren will play in our Nation's defense from missile attacks. Adm. Roughead assured me that the additional responsibilities will come with greater opportunities for employment and enhanced educational partnerships in and around Dahlgren, VA.  

Although gas prices have stayed relatively stable this summer and we were spared from $4 a gallon prices, the threat of increased prices still looms on the horizon. In August of 2008 I joined citizens and several of my fellow legislators in Congress to call for an all of the above energy program to ensure that America is placed on the track for energy independence. While fossil fuels are not a reliable long-term energy source, we must develop our resources at home as a bridge to future energy sources, including nuclear, wind and solar power.

Healthcare reform is an issue which has brought deep felt emotions out of folks who are concerned and anxious about what it means for their personal health care and that of their loved ones. This past week I participated in town hall meetings in Warsaw, Newport News, and Fredericksburg to discuss healthcare legislation and other issues of interest.

This past week the Virginia Employment Commission released its June unemployment numbers showing that the percentage of those out of work had reached 7.3% statewide and 7.4% in Hampton Roads. Additionally just this past Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that 247,000 more Americans lost their jobs in July.

Well folks, as we wind up the month of July and look into the August work period back in the district, we have the issues of financial services reform, food safety and Department of Defense spending left to take up in Washington.  There is also the possibility of the health care reform bill coming before us.  All of us here in Congress agree that we must fix the current system to reduce costs to make health care affordable.  We cannot continue on our current path where, we as a nation spend 17% of what we produce on health care and with this increasing at 1% per year.

Congress returned to Washington this past week and hit the ground running on several important issues. A hearing on my Chesapeake Bay legislation took place, we passed a bill to aid small businesses, and we announced a grant to help transport wounded warriors in Virginia to job training programs.

It has been great spending this past week back in the First Congressional District and visiting with folks from Fredericksburg to Yorktown.  I've met with many constituents and seen first hand the impact of lost jobs and a continually slowing economy on their daily lives.

This past week, while participating in a conference call with General Motors management and members of the President's Automotive Task Force, I received the troubling news that General Motors plans to close its Powertrain plant in Spotsylvania County by December 2010. GM's decision to end their thirty year relationship with the area will have a tremendous impact on both the employees who worked there and the surrounding community. In response to this news, I wrote to Frederick Henderson, the C.E.O. of G.M., and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, urging GM to reconsider the closure and evaluate the plant's eligibility for retooling to be a part of future parts production. 

This week in Washington, Congress has taken action to reign in credit card companies from performing unscrupulous business practices. Unfortunately, I've heard from many constituents who have received a letter from their credit card company notifying them that their card's limit has been reduced or their interest rate has been raised without notification.

Just yesterday the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee in an effort to request 50 million dollars to cover the costs of continued detention of enemy combatants currently at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba after the facility is shut down within the next year. The money Secretary Gates is requesting could cover the costs of modifying U.S. military or civilian prisons or adding new wings to accommodate the detainees.

Although I have spent the first week of the Congressional District Work Period back in the First District, I have continued to monitor developments in Washington and have several things to report to you all back at home. First, the Secretary of Defense issued his budget recommendations for the coming fiscal year. Then, I joined other Virginia Congressmen and others from around the country in a bipartisan letter to the President continuing to urge against the move of a nuclear aircraft carrier from Norfolk, VA to Mayport, FL. Lastly, at the end of the week the Department of Defense decided to in fact postpone their decision on shifting the carrier until the end of 2010.

On Wednesday evening, I joined the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, at the Fredericksburg Military Affairs Council dinner to announce the establishment of the Navy Air and Missile Defense Command (NAMDC) on Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center. More importantly, this new Command will add 75 high paying jobs and an annual payroll of $10 million to the local economy. It is encouraging to see there are still opportunities for job creation in this time of economic uncertainty. I would like to see similar initiatives for the creation of jobs through small businesses. It is the obligation of our government to create opportunities for our citizens to take hold of our great American spirit of entrepreneurship to get our country moving again.

The first week of a new session of Congress is similar to the first week back to school after the summer break.  Like a student learning where his or her locker is, getting a new class schedule and finding homeroom, a Member of Congress is getting adjusted to the legislative schedule, finding his or her way to a new office, selecting new committee assignments, and learning the priorities of new leadership.  It was an honor to be sworn in as the Representative of the 1st Congressional District for the 111th Congress and it was exciting to feel the energy on the House floor when the new Congress was gaveled to a start. 

Since World War Two, leaders and celebrities have traveled to support American men and women who are in harm's way around the world.  These efforts are especially important for morale around the holidays, when distance from loved ones can make a difficult job in a hostile land feel even more difficult.  During the week before Christmas, I had the distinct honor of spending time with our troops in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Germany.  I traveled with other Members of the House Armed Services Committee to assess operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to visit wounded warriors in Germany. It was truly a humbling experience.  This week, I want to focus on my visit to Iraq. 

The events that began last week on Wall Street are reshaping the American marketplace and the global economy.  On Friday, I participated in a conference call with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.  During the call, I had the opportunity to ask some tough questions and express my concerns about the Administration's proposed bailout.

In Virginia's First District, transportation is an issue that touches each of us on a daily basis.  Anyone who has sat in traffic around Quantico or fought congestion in the Hampton Roads area understands why we must continually invest and expand our highway system.  Making sure that the federal government is an active partner in building and maintaining Virginia's roads is one of my top priorities in Congress.

Virginia is the number two importer of trash in the nation, taking some seven million tons into our landfills in 2007 alone.  Earlier this summer, I introduced the Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act of 2008, H.R. 6166.  This legislation would give states and localities greater control to regulate waste levels by giving them the ability to limit imports to their landfill facilities. 

I spent the week of Independence Day working throughout the First District. In between working in my district offices, I was honored to spend time with the Coast Guard, take a tour and meet with officials at William & Mary, visit Ferry Farm for the unveiling of archaeological discovery of George Washington's boyhood home, and to meet with constituents in Fredericksburg about gas prices.

I would like to update you on some of the work I've been doing that relates to the natural, historic and cultural significance of our area.

As I reported a few weeks ago, I was recently chosen to serve on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC).

This week was a rather interesting one. My colleagues and I discussed some very important issues and the debates that took place at times were somewhat heated.

Hello from Washington D.C.

Last week I had the privilege of visiting Iraq and thanking our troops for the amazing job they are doing in defense of our freedom...