Rob Wittman

Republican

In OfficeUS House · District 1 RunningUS House · District 1 · Republican Primary

About

Natural Resources and Chesapeake Bay

A champion of protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay, Rob serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, to which he brings his professional expertise in water quality, the environment, fisheries, and other natural resources issues. He is a leading voice for the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and is outspoken in supporting its recovery programs. His Chesapeake Bay Accountability Act, signed into law in 2014, increased transparency for how cleanup dollars are spent. Rob has also succeeded in achieving long overdue federal recognition for six Virginia Indian tribes after decades of efforts to get his legislation signed into law. Rob received his undergraduate degree in biology from Virginia Tech and has spent his career fighting to protect our environment so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

Rob Wittman

Since Rob was first elected to serve the First Congressional District of Virginia, his top priority has always been the constituents of the First District. From rebuilding our military, to securing jobs throughout Virginia, to increasing access to broadband, to making sure our children have a 21st-century education, Rob is constantly working for the First District. Rob is a leader in the fight against reckless government spending and returning common sense principles to the budget process. Rob serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Natural Resources, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of the First District. Rob currently serves as the vice chairman of the House Armed Services committee, which has historically been one of the most bipartisan committees in Congress. On the committee, he serves as chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee. He previously served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness, and chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He also currently serves on the House Select Committee on Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), where he works with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take measures that will counter the CCP's military build-up and confront the CCP's use of diplomatic and economic coercion around the world. Rob is a leading voice on key defense issues in Congress and is a consistent champion of our nation's brave service members. With a father who served in the Army in World War II, Rob is a strong advocate for our veterans, fighting to ensure they can access the health care benefits and educational and job opportunities they have earned and deserve. Rob has introduced multiple pieces of legislation that would require more transparency from the Veterans Administration (VA), streamline processes for veterans seeking care, and help transition veterans into the civilian job market after service.

Positions

Fiscal Accountability

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.

Health Care

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.