Tag Archives: Bob McDonnell

Governor McDonnell Delivers “State of the Commonwealth” Address

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Tonight, Gov. Bob McDonnell will be delivering his “State of the Commonwealth” Address. Below is the text of his speech:

State of the Commonwealth Address
Governor Robert F. McDonnell

January 11, 2012 – 7:00pm

Richmond

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President.

Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the State Corporation Commission.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the General Assembly, my fellow Virginians.

My fellow Virginians.

Good evening.

It is both my duty and my privilege to join you on the set of Steven Spielberg’s epic feature film “Lincoln,” for the annual State of the Commonwealth Address.

And I hope it’s alright with everyone that I invited your neighbors over. The First Lady, and four of the McDonnell children are here with us tonight.

This is always a very special night, when the leaders of all three branches of government are gathered in a building designed by Thomas Jefferson, from which, for centuries, ideas promoting liberty and opportunity have sprung.

I want to congratulate all of the newly elected members of the General Assembly and the new leaders of each caucus. Thank you for your service to Virginia and her people.

Over these past two years we have shown that while we hail from diverse regions, align with different political parties and subscribe to competing philosophies, we can still come together to make progress on the issues important to our eight million people.

That has always been, and must always remain, the Virginia Way because it works.

This session we must remember that while seating charts and committee assignments may have changed, the Virginia Way cannot.

To the members in the majority I say: Don’t be arrogant. Don’t overreach.

To the members in the minority: Don’t be angry. Don’t obstruct.

To all of us: let’s be civil and productive.

We are blessed to live in a Commonwealth with an unemployment rate that is the lowest in the Southeast.

We are the best state in America for business.

We have the nation’s best public university system.

We have weathered rough seas far better than most other states.

We owe this success to many factors.

We have kept taxes low, regulation and litigation to a minimum, and invested wisely for the future in economic development, education, transportation, and in our people.

But, perhaps more importantly, we have risen above the daily sniping of partisan politics to solve problems and get results.

Our representative democracy has stood the test of time as the most effective and fair form of government on the planet.

America was born on the banks of the James River.

From Virginia came four of the first five Presidents; eight in all.

The author of the Declaration of Independence.

The fathers of the Constitution.

Governor Patrick Henry attended the laying of the cornerstone of this building in 1785, and 205 years later this same Capitol welcomed L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first African-American governor.

The early leaders who guided the young American Republic through its infancy and into the mature, global power we are today were from here.

Now, it is our duty to lead this Republic into a prosperous future.

Virginians are ready. Every day they show their exceptional character.

A few are here tonight.

On December 8th we were reminded of the daily peril faced by our public safety officers.
On that day Virginia Tech police officer Deriek Crouse was at work protecting students and faculty.

During a routine traffic stop on campus, he was shot and killed.

Deriek was an Iraq war veteran; a husband; a brother; a son; and a father of five.

Deriek was a hero.

Deriek’s wife Tina is here with us tonight.

Tina, on behalf of a grateful Commonwealth, we pledge to you that Deriek’s great sacrifice will never be forgotten.

At almost the exact same time of the Blacksburg tragedy, another military veteran turned law enforcement officer was facing a similar situation in Caroline County.

After detaining a suspect found along I-95, Senior Virginia State Trooper Michael Hamer had placed the individual in his vehicle, when, suddenly, the suspect grabbed for Trooper Hamer’s weapon, forcing it to discharge into Trooper Hamer’s upper leg.

Bleeding profusely, in the midst of a violent struggle, Trooper Hamer was able to reach for a second weapon that he kept nearby and subdue the suspect.

Trooper Hamer was rushed to Mary Washington University hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Tonight, Trooper Michael Hamer, along with his wife Erika, is here with us in the gallery. Trooper Hamer we salute you for your bravery and commitment to the safety of the citizens of Virginia.

The heroism of Officer Crouse and Trooper Hamer is why I am supporting a review of, and necessary amendments to, the Line of Duty Act, so that all qualified first responders and their families receive key benefits in their time of need, not later.

That same spirit of service has also been displayed by Virginians on the field of battle.
Since September 11th, 2001, nearly 14,000 members of the Virginia National Guard have left their families and jobs to defend our freedom. Over 230 Virginians have given their lives in the Global War on Terror.

On December 18th, the last convoy of American soldiers left Iraq for Kuwait, ending our nearly 9 years in that nation.

Eight days before that I welcomed home to Sandston over 200 Virginia Army National Guard soldiers from the 2nd Assault Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, who had been serving in Iraq since April.

With us tonight are the battalion’s executive officer, Major Carl Engstrom and a father and son who deployed together, First Sergeant Kelvin Franklin and his son, Private First Class Quinton Franklin.

Gentlemen, thank you for your deep commitment to freedom.

The brave men and women who volunteer for the Virginia National Guard are great patriots.
That’s why I propose that we provide in-state tuition for all members of the Virginia National Guard, regardless of how long they’ve lived here.

We will continue to make this the most veteran-friendly state in America. You serve Virginia, we serve you.

We serve all Virginians well when we run a wise and frugal government, defend individual rights and the rule of law and care more about enacting good policy than making a good quote.

Simply put: our people want results, not rhetoric; they want solutions, not sound bites.

Over the past two years, that is how we have governed together.

Working across party lines last year we put the most new funding into transportation in a generation, and I want to thank Speaker Bill Howell for his leadership in this effort.

As a result, over $4 billion in new funding was provided in our six-year plan to support highway and rail projects.

This funding has supported hundreds of projects across the state and the advertisement and award of nearly $2 billion in new contracts in 2011.

It has also made possible public-private partnerships including the Midtown/Downtown Tunnel in Hampton Roads, the Coalfields Expressway, Route 58 between Hillsville and Stuart and the I-95 HOV/HOT Lanes Project in Northern Virginia.

We created a path to award 100,000 more degrees in the next 15 years in job creating disciplines. Thanks to leaders in this effort like Delegates Kirk Cox and Rosalyn Dance, and Senator Tommy Norment, Virginia colleges were able to admit 5,800 additional in-state students last fall.

We’ve created nearly $100 million in new economic development incentives to promote job creation. Acentia, Bechtel, Amazon, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Albany Industries are all coming to Virginia. I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Senator Chuck Colgan and Delegate Terry Kilgore for their leadership in this effort. Over 56,000 more jobs have been created in Virginia since our first full month in office.

Overseas visitors spent a record-breaking $321 million here in 2011, and I was on hand to open trade and agricultural offices in London, Shanghai, New Delhi and Mumbai to sell Virginia products around the world and create more good jobs here at home.

Our trade missions are getting results. Last month alone one ship left Chesapeake and delivered $25 million worth of Virginia soybeans to China. Two weeks ago, another vessel began the same journey, with another 25 million worth of Virginia soybeans.

From Brunswick to Beijing. That’s how we grow our economy in the global marketplace. I want to thank Delegate Steve Landes for his leadership in getting new funds to grow our agricultural exports and create more Virginia jobs.

Working together we eliminated $6 billion in budget shortfalls not by raising taxes, but by reforming government and reducing spending.

We turned two massive budget shortfalls into nearly $1 billion in surpluses.

These are collective, bipartisan accomplishments. Virginia is charting a fiscally responsible course to a brighter future.

But this is no time for victory laps.

Our global economy is still uncertain.

The actions of our federal government are still unpredictable.

The unemployment rate is still unacceptable.

This is not a status quo period in the life of Virginians and Americans, therefore this cannot be a status quo session.

Now, I can’t ask you to fix every problem in the short time we have together this session….but I can ask you to fix some big ones.

We must do more now to spur private-sector job creation.

We must reform our pension system now, so that it will be there for the hundreds of thousands of Virginians depending on it.

We must make our K-12 education system more accountable and innovative now, so all our students get a world-class education.

We must complete higher education reform and reinvestment now, so that more Virginia students can access and afford college.

We must improve our transportation maintenance system now, so that our citizens can get to their jobs and families without delay.

And we must pass a fiscally responsible, structurally balanced budget on time that provides the stability and liquidity we need to navigate the uncertain years ahead. I applaud Delegate Putney and Senator Stosch and the leaders in both parties for proposing much needed reforms to the budget conference process to facilitate timely decision making, and reduce drama. Well done.

*****

Our work starts with finding work for the 260,000 Virginians who are currently unemployed. It is the most pressing issue facing our Commonwealth: Virginians need good paying private-sector jobs.

This session, I am asking you to put $38 million more into targeted programs that spur job creation.

I have proposed state incentives and initiatives for tourism, film, agricultural and forestry products, technology, modeling and simulation, cyber security, international marketing, workforce development, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences. These are proven job and revenue generators.

I am also proposing a new investor tax credit to provide working capital to small businesses which create 70 percent of the new jobs in America, and the extension of time during which the major business facility job tax credit may be taken.

*****

States are competing against each other, and the world, for job-creating businesses.

When deciding where to move or expand, businesses look for a well-educated and well-trained workforce. We owe every student the opportunity to be career-ready or college-ready when they graduate from high school. A good education means a good job.

I have proposed an increase in funding for K-12 education of $438 million over this biennium to strengthen the Virginia Retirement System for teachers and school employees, increase dollars going to the classroom, hire more teachers in science, technology and math, improve financial literacy, and strengthen Virginia’s diploma requirements.

We will also provide new funding for the successful Communities in Schools program, as well as funding for all 10th graders to take the PSAT, and for the start up of new health science academies.

However, while we will put more funding into K-12 in this budget, more funding alone does not guarantee greater results.

Over the past decade, total funding for public education increased 41 percent, while enrollment only went up 6 percent. This budget will provide new funding, but we will also seek more accountability, choice, rigor and innovation.

Providing flexibility to local school divisions is important. It is time to repeal the state mandate that school divisions begin their school term after Labor Day unless they receive a waiver. Already, 77 of the 132 school divisions have these waivers, so that the exceptions have become the rule.

Local communities can best balance their teaching and calendar needs with the important concerns of local tourism and business. They know their situations far better than Richmond.
Our teachers are well educated and motivated professionals who deserve to be treated as such.
Just like workers in most other jobs get reviewed every year, and are therefore able to be more accurately promoted and rewarded for their success, so too should our teachers.

I am asking that we remove the continuing contract status from teachers and principals and provide an annual contract in its place. This will allow us to implement an improved evaluation system that really works and give principals a new tool to utilize in managing their schools. Along with the merit pay pilot program we approved last year, we will provide more incentives and accountability to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers.

We’ve got so many great teachers in Virginia, teachers like Stacy Hoeflich, a fourth grade teacher at John Adams Elementary School in Alexandria, who was recently named the National History Teacher of the Year.

I happen to think my sister Nancy, a public school teacher in Amherst County, is a great teacher.

Your House Majority Leader, Kirk Cox, is a great teacher.

We all know strong teachers who deserve to be better recognized for the invaluable roles they play in the development and learning of our students.

We will also fund policies to ensure all young people can read proficiently by third grade, so they are ready to become lifelong learners. Social promotions are not acceptable. When we pass a student who cannot read well and is not ready for the next grade, we have failed them.

Our public education system must also embrace multiple learning venues and opportunities.

I agree with President Obama that we need to expand charter schools in our nation. I am proposing that we make our laws stronger by requiring a portion of the state and local share of SOQ student funding to follow the child to an approved charter school, and to make it easier for new charters to be approved and acquire property.

We need a fair funding formula for the fast growing virtual school sector. I will propose that a portion of the state and local share of SOQ student funding should follow the student in this area as well, and that we implement new regulations for accrediting virtual schools and teachers.

We should also create effective choices for low-income students, so I’m asking you to provide a tax credit for companies that contribute to an educational scholarship fund to help more of our young people, and I thank Delegates Jimmie Massie and Algie Howell, and Senators Walter Stosch and Mark Obenshain for their leadership on this issue. A child’s educational opportunities should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not by her neighborhood or zip code.

We will also propose innovations to promote greater dual enrollment in high school and community college, so motivated students can get a head start on their college educations.

The goal of all of these proposals is simple: at high school graduation, every student who receives a diploma must be college- or career-ready.

*****

When our students are ready for college, our colleges must be ready for them. The American dream becomes more attainable when a college degree is more accessible and affordable.

Our sweeping Top Jobs higher education legislation that passed unanimously last year set a visionary blueprint for reform and reinvestment in higher education. Now, we have to put our money where our policy is.

I am asking you to invest over $200 million in new funding for our colleges and universities.

Additionally, I am proposing a dynamic new funding model for higher education that ties new general funds to achieving our statutory goals. Institutions will be rewarded for increasing the number of degrees, especially in STEM-H fields; improving graduation rates, and expanding practical research. It will also require colleges to be more accountable and efficient, by reprioritizing 5 percent of their current general fund dollars by 2014 to meet the key policy goals we enacted last year, including year round use of facilities and greater use of technology to leverage more programs and courses.

Taken together, these actions cement the direct nexus between higher education and job creation, and begin to reverse the unacceptable trend over the last ten years during which the average college tuition for our constituents has doubled. Parents and students can’t afford it. Those days are over!

*****

Our economy cannot grow if people and products cannot move. Last year’s major new transportation construction funding bill was significant. But more must be done.

We all know that increased fuel efficiency and the emerging use of alternative fuel vehicles have caused gas tax revenues to decline, a trend that is likely to continue. Our growing deficit in maintenance funding is the result, and it must be addressed.

Transportation is a core function of government. We must treat it like one.

I am asking you to increase transportation’s share of the year-end undesignated surplus to 75 percent, and dedicate the first one percent in revenue growth over 5 percent to transportation.

To seriously address the maintenance deficit, I am also requesting that you increase the dedicated transportation allocation of the state sales tax from .5 percent to .75 percent over the next 8 years.

The introduced budget starts that process by increasing the dedicated sales tax percentage to .55 percent, generating over $110 million in new transportation maintenance dollars.

To put it in perspective: $110 million is one-eighth of one percent of the total $85 billion budget.

If we can’t find the resolve to use just one-eighth of one percent of our budget for additional transportation maintenance funding, then we just aren’t serious about maintaining our infrastructure.

We will also propose numerous measures to further reform VDOT, and reduce timelines for construction projects. We will also reform, promote and greatly expand both the Port of Virginia, a great asset that must be a global leader in international shipping, and the growing commercial space industry at Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore.

*****

It is also time that we address, head on, the hard realities of our woefully underfunded state pension system.

As of the June valuation, the funding status of the system was 70 percent for state employees and 66 percent for teachers. According to JLARC, the plans could reach lows of 63 percent and 61 percent, respectively, in 2013. That is unsustainable. I will not pass this problem on to another governor. You cannot pass this problem on to another General Assembly.

Our responsibility is clear. That is why I have proposed the largest employer contribution to the Virginia Retirement System in history, recommending $2.21 billion in total funding to the systems for state employees and teachers, including $876 million in state general fund dollars. This more than doubles the employer contributions from the last budget.

The state is doing its part. Localities will have to fund their share of teacher’s retirement, since teachers are local employees, and local governments have the duty to fund VRS. Doing the right thing at the state level is not an unfunded mandate on localities. The rates have been set, the bills are now due.

This new state cash infusion will not, by itself, fix the system. To ensure a stable retirement system in the decades ahead, state employees, who do tremendous work for us every day, will be asked to accept some plan adjustments. In the days ahead, I will announce a number of specific VRS reform proposals to ensure long term solvency, and I look forward to working with you to enact them this session.

I also want to continue the success we found in bringing private-sector management incentives to state government.

In 2010, we provided a 3 percent performance bonus for state employees contingent on their saving a specific amount of taxpayer dollars by the end of the fiscal year. It worked. Their great efforts saved taxpayers over $90 million, after the bonus payment. That is good government. And we should do it again this year.

In this budget, I have proposed another 3 percent one-time bonus for our employees, again contingent upon a specific amount of savings being achieved, and employees meeting specific performance measures. We will again save money and reward good performance. That is effective government.

*****

Last summer, we all collectively held our breaths as we watched the debt limit fight in Washington. Today we face a volatile Euro and international unrest.

Uncertainty is the new certainty.

While we cannot control what Congress or Europe do, we must prepare as well as possible for the future changes that are certain to come.

That is what I have tried to do in the introduced budget.

The budget does not raise taxes.

Rather, it forces state government to set priorities, live within its means and plan for the future, something I wish our federal government would do.

I am asking you to put $50 million into a newly created Federal Action Contingency Trust (FACT) Fund. This fund will help us to handle impacts from the necessary and likely future federal spending cuts, and to take prudent action to help diversify our economy. I am also proposing we enhance our cash reserves by doubling the Rainy Day Fund to over $600 million by the end of FY 2014.

We will also eliminate the accelerated sales tax policy for 96 percent of merchants, by allocating $50 million in FY 2012. My goal is to get rid of this unfair policy by the time I leave office.

Together, these budget strategies provide structural balance, reduce unfunded liabilities and invest in job creation, transportation and higher education; ideas well received during our visit to the three bond rating agencies in New York last Friday with your money committee leaders.

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To continue building “A Commonwealth of Opportunity”, I will be asking for your partnership in other critically important areas.

Our budget provides $5 million for additional land conservation to continue our bipartisan effort to conserve more open space and protect the environment. We have already been able to add 100,000 acres of lands to protected status in the last two years.

We are also making progress in restoring the jewel that is the Chesapeake Bay.

Striped bass production was at an all-time record high in 2011, the blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997 and eagle populations are up.

The recent budget surpluses have allowed us to contribute over $85 million more to improving water quality. This means more assistance to Virginia’s farmers and a significant contribution to the Water Quality Improvement Fund.

*****

Providing for public safety is one of the top duties of government at every level. If people aren’t safe and secure in their neighborhoods, businesses will not locate there, and our communities will not prosper. Thanks to the smart public policies we have approved, and the selfless service of first responders and law enforcement officers like Deriek Crouse and Trooper Mike Hamer, crime and recidivism are down in Virginia. But we still face challenges.

Repeat drug dealers are a major, perpetual cause of crime in our state. This year, I am proposing tough new laws to put away repeat drug dealers for longer periods of time. If these dealers are behind bars, they can’t sell drugs to our kids, steal from their neighbors or contribute to the tragic cycle of addiction that has stolen the lives of too many Virginians.

We can break that cycle when we combine tough sentences with other effective policies.

In this year’s budget I have provided localities with a mechanism for obtaining authorization for new drug courts, at their expense, as long as they meet certain requirements and provide data necessary to evaluate their success.

For those released from prison, who have learned from their mistakes, we will provide them with positive opportunities for change through effective prisoner re-entry policies. We are a remarkable nation of second chances. Over 90 percent of offenders get out of prison, and we don’t want them going back. We want more good citizens and fewer victims.

This year’s budget maintains critical “599” funding for local law enforcement, fully funds our sheriffs, and adds 40 slots in our state trooper schools.

A more secure society is a more prosperous society.

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We will step up our efforts to make Virginia “The Energy Capital of the East Coast.”

That starts with pursuing an “all of the above; red, white and blue” approach to energy production by utilizing all of our resources. More domestic energy production equals more American job creation and greater energy security.

An important part of our nation’s energy solution is here in Virginia.

Fifty miles off our shores are oil and gas deposits that can be accessed in a responsible manner. We passed legislation in 2010, with strong bipartisan support, approving offshore drilling. America needs the energy and Virginians need the jobs.

I urge the Obama Administration to end the delays and act now to include Virginia in the 2012-17 Outer Continental Shelf Plan. If they won’t, then Congress must.

I thank Senators Warner and Webb and Congressmen Goodlatte and Rigell for leading our fight in that body.

And we must continue to demand that the federal government stop the overreach and overregulation of our important job-creating coal and natural gas industries.

Congress must also revitalize the nuclear industry by setting reasonable policies on the storage and disposal of spent fuel rods after thirty years of inaction.

We will also continue to pursue the development of alternative sources of energy like solar, wind and biomass, as long as they are cost-competitive for consumers. In October we announced that the nation’s first facility for the testing and certification of large offshore and land-based electricity-producing wind turbines will be developed on the Eastern Shore. Wind energy is a developing industry, and Virginia is at the forefront of it. That is why I have included $500,000 in the FY13 budget for research and development to accelerate and assist private development of the Virginia Wind Energy Area.

We are also currently evaluating private sector proposals to move the Commonwealth’s substantial vehicle fleet to alternative domestic fuels to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
Making Virginia “The Energy Capital of the East Coast” will create more jobs and revenues for our citizens.

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We must also continue to reform state government to make it more efficient and effective, or as Mr. Jefferson said, more “wise and frugal.” Over the past decade, state spending has grown 23 percent faster than the rate of growth in population and inflation. We have significant room for improvement.

I am proposing that we close a prison; cut ineffective programs; abolish unnecessary boards and commissions; eliminate and consolidate agencies; end memberships in dozens of outside organizations and make government work smarter.

And we should honor our Virginia founders by putting into our state Constitution a strong property rights amendment that protects the private property of every Virginian.

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We will continue our recent work to dramatically improve mental health funding. Last year we invested $60 million in new funds to strengthen community care capacity. I have already authorized 60 new home and community based waiver slots, specifically for individuals ready to transition from institutions back to the community.

Now, in this new budget, I am asking you to put another $30 million into mental health. We must transition more individuals from institutions to community based care. It’s the right thing to do.
Medicaid spending has increased by 1600 percent over the last 29 years. During the 2011 session, substantial ways to improve the quality, cost effectiveness, and program integrity of the Medicaid program were enacted. We are now moving forward with the statewide adoption of care coordination. This will allow state government to better manage Medicaid expenditures, while ensuring Virginians receive the high quality health care they need.

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You arrive here today at a particularly pivotal moment in the life of our Commonwealth and our country.

The world around us is changing rapidly.

Gone are old regimes in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan. China and India are on the rise. Facebook and Twitter replace texts, which replaced emails, which replaced phone calls. iPhones rule. Products and procedures get obsolete quickly…..even one-term governors…but, I promise you, not too quickly!

In the midst of all this uncertainty and structural change Virginians want government to provide some measure of stability by providing its core services well.

They want good jobs, safe neighborhoods, successful schools, a modern transportation system, a clean environment, strong families, and an equal opportunity to achieve the American dream. We are a nation that rightly guarantees opportunities, not outcomes.

That’s the kind of government enshrined in law by Virginians over two centuries ago. It has made this the freest and most prosperous nation the world has ever known.

In the mid 1840s and 50s, during the Irish Potato Famine, millions of my Irish heritage fled for the United States, having little idea what to expect on the other side of the ocean, but hoping to find survival here. In the galleys of the ships that sailed from ports like Dublin and Cork, the Irish government posted bulletins with the heading “Advice to Irish Emigrants.”

The posters read in part: “In the United States, …Wealth is not idolized; but there is no degradation connected with labor;…an industrious youth may follow any occupation without being looked down upon…and he may rationally expect to raise himself in the world by his labor.”

One hundred years ago this May, that same promise of America led my own grandfather from Ireland to Ellis Island, in search of his own dreams and opportunities.

That’s the Virginia we all believe in. That’s the America we are so blessed to call home.
Our job over the next 60 days is to enact policies that will help ensure that this remains a Commonwealth where any man and any woman, of any race and any creed, from any beginning and any place, will always have the opportunity to raise themselves in the world by their God given talents and their labor.

Together, I know we will.

Thank you all, and may God continue to shower his blessings on the Commonwealth of Virginia!

Rep. Wolf to Submit Legislation to Remove MWAA Board Members

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Today, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) introduced legislation that allow members of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to be replaced more easily. This legislation would allow the Commonwealth of Virginia to have more representation on the board, which also has members from DC and Maryland. The current breakdown on the board allows Virginia to have five seats, and with Wolf’s legislation, Virginia would gain four additional seats on the board. DC would have three seats and Maryland would have two seats, along with three Presidential appointees. Wolf also wants the board members to leave once their terms expire, instead of the current procedure, which allows these members to stay on the board until an appointment is named.

On the legislation, Wolf said:

“I have been one of the strongest supporters of Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as well as the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Extension project. I was one of the original sponsors of the 1986 legislation that transferred from the federal government the operations of Dulles and Reagan. I worked with former Senators John Warner and Paul Trible, former Governor Linwood Holton, and former Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole to enact that important law that created the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). For nearly 25 years MWAA has operated effectively, governed by board members who were pillars of the community and understood the importance of the success of both Dulles and Reagan.

“After the airports authority was created, both Reagan and Dulles prospered. In the past 25 years, Dulles has become the economic engine for not only northern Virginia, but the entire Commonwealth. Without a successful international airport drawing global traffic and myriad businesses, the region would not be as nearly as successful as it is today. Metrorail access to the airport and fast-growing Loudoun County will attract more businesses, create new jobs and ease congestion on area roadways. Dulles Rail being completed on time and at or under original cost estimates is key to many more decades of success.

“While I have been extremely pleased observing MWAA’s achievements over the past two decades, I believe continued success is now threatened by a board of directors that has lost sight of its primary mission of serving airport passengers and residents of the surrounding communities. For many years MWAA was run by competent and dedicated professionals such as Jim Wilding and Jim Bennett. As current CEO Lynn Hampton prepares to retire, the search process for her replacement conducted by the current board of directors has been a study in poor management and political horse trading. When the board voted to advance the nomination of Nathaniel Ford, the deciding vote was cast by proxy by a then board member who was under house arrest in the Ivory Coast.

“This problem arose because under the current law, board members serve until their replacement is confirmed. While this may have worked in the past, in my opinion the law is being abused to keep political favorites in office, even if their service is suspect. The leadership void at MWAA also is reflected in the planning for Phase 2 of Dulles Rail. Under the current board, costs have greatly exceeded original estimates, with more likely to come with the board’s April 6 decision to build an underground station at Dulles Airport.

“Because of these concerns about the direction of MWAA today, I am introducing legislation to make changes to the 1986 law that established the regional operating authority for Dulles and Reagan National airports. This legislation will amend the original statute to give Virginia a majority on the MWAA Board of Directors by increasing the number of Commonwealth appointees from five to nine. With both airports located in Virginia and with northern Virginia residents and local governments providing the lion’s share of the revenue for the Dulles Rail project, it is only fair that the majority of the board be Virginians. The bill will also prevent board members from serving past the end of their appointment, and will establish that board members can be replaced at any time by the respective executives who appoint the board: the governors of Virginia and Maryland, the mayor of the District of Columbia or the president of the United States. I believe these changes are critical if we are to ensure that MWAA will once again function as originally intended and in the best interests of northern Virginia. Phase 2 will require nothing less than the most qualified board possible to be a success.

“It is imperative that these changes to the original law be enacted quickly, and I hope that the committee of jurisdiction will expedite review of the legislation. If the current leadership is allowed to stay in place, it will very likely continue to make decisions that add to the cost of Phase 2 and further jeopardize not only MWAA’s bond rating, but the success of both airports under their control. The respective executives simply must have the ability to appoint new board members as soon as possible to prevent the current board from turning Dulles Rail into a failed project.

“My primary interest is to see the project completed on time and at or under budget and I believe the board’s decision to opt for an underground station at Dulles Airport could be disastrous. Since the announcement, Fairfax and Loudoun counties have indicated that they will not assume the extra costs of the underground station. If the local governments withdraw Phase 2 funding, the project will be in serious jeopardy.

“The underground station also is opposed by nearly every elected official representing northern Virginia residents, including the Fairfax and Loudoun boards of supervisors, the Herndon Town Council, Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton and Governor Bob McDonnell. Independent groups such as the Washington Airports Task Force, Dulles Corridor Rail Association, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and AAA Mid-Atlantic have all spoken out against the underground station. For a board member to recently state, ‘I think the board is committed to the underground station as best for the community at large’ shows astonishing hubris and a willful avoidance of reality.

“Recent Phase 2 cost estimates are extremely troubling. While original projections put the cost of Phase 2 at $2.5 billion, the cost spikes to at least $3.5 billion under the plan approved by the MWAA board. With such dramatic cost increases before a contract is even awarded, some have expressed concerns about the credit worthiness of the bonds that will be issued to pay for Phase 2. Airport authorities nationwide have been placed on notice that bond ratings could be lowered in the future. An additional $300 million or more for Dulles Rail could be a troublesome sign for the bond markets. I fear an increase in borrowing costs could effectively kill the project in the design phase.

“Considering all this information, I do not believe that the current board of directors is acting in the best interests of the northern Virginia residents who will be forced to underwrite costs for Phase 2 through increased tolls on the DTR and increased revenue from county coffers. The underground station will add at least $300 million to the overall cost of Phase 2. When long-term financing costs are included, the underground station could end up adding closer to $500 million to the project. It is my understanding that tolls on the Dulles Toll Road could reach $10.25 in 2020, eight-and-a-half years from now. The initial toll projection issued by MWAA had tolls reaching $11.25 by 2047. As the cost of Phase 2 goes up, so will the tolls.

“A recent Washington Post editorial indicated that commuters could be forced to pay as much as $4,000 a year to use the toll road by 2020. Add in the tolls on the Dulles Greenway and my constituents’ transportation costs could be higher than their monthly car payments. It will be the parents taking their children to school and soccer practice, the business owner that uses the DTR on a daily basis to make deliveries, the realtor who will see home sales decrease due to the higher transportation costs and the commuters to Tysons Corner who will shoulder the heavy burden of the MWAA board’s recent decisions.

“I want both MWAA and Dulles Rail to be successful. Because of that, Rep. Tom Latham, chairman of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and I have asked the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General (IG) to conduct an audit of the operations of the MWAA board. I am pleased that the IG’s office will begin this audit in the near future. Outside of the actual composition of the board, it is my hope that the audit will examine the governance structure of MWAA and determine if it operates with the transparency necessary for an organization tasked with such important responsibilities.

“In the meantime, I urge support for my legislation to update the board’s composition and appointment structure to reflect today’s realities.”

Governor Bob McDonnell also released a statement regarding Wolf’s legislation, and he indicated that this is a good move for Virginia, due to recent decisions by the MWAA with the Dulles Corridor Rail Project. McDonnell said, “I, and the Commonwealth, share Congressman Wolf’s opinion that the project should be managed to give the greatest benefit to the citizens who will use it while minimizing the financial impact to its partners and users of the Dulles Toll Road. All efforts should be made to finish the project on time and at or under budget.”

Wolf’s legislation came at a pivotal time, as the Dulles Corridor Rail Project is going over budget with the recent decision to have an above ground rail station. This move garnered opposition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax and Loudoun counties with the increase in costs and time for the project. This legislation would ensure that Virginia’s interests are considered, when critical decisions need to be made regarding rail projects and infrastructure improvements.

Cross posted at Bearing Drift

Condolences to Governor McDonnell

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My thoughts and prayers are with Governor Bob McDonnell and his family on the passing of his father, John F. “Jack” McDonnell.


John F. ‘Jack’ McDonnell, father of Governor Robert F. McDonnell, passed away this morning in Fairfax County. He was 94. Biographical information about Mr. McDonnell can be found below. Further details on services will be made available at the appropriate time. The governor’s public events for this week and next will be amended to attend to his family.

Lt. Col. John F. ‘Jack’ McDonnell (USAF-RET)
April 15, 1916 – November 2, 2010

John F. ‘Jack’ McDonnell, father of Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell, passed away this morning at a nursing center in Fairfax County following a lengthy illness. He was 94.

Jack was born in Peabody, Massachusetts on April 15, 1916, the oldest of four children and the son of Irish immigrants. A member of “The Greatest Generation,” he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. During World War II, he served in Thurleigh, England with the 306th Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. Jack would serve 23 years on active duty in the Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1964. He went on to a second career with the U.S. Naval Investigative Service.

Jack married Emma Meiller of Bryan, Texas on April 8, 1951 at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. Together they had five children, the Governor being the eldest. In 1955 the McDonnell family moved to Fairfax County. Four years later, Jack was assigned to Wiesbaden Air Force Base in West Germany. After a three year tour overseas, the McDonnell family moved back to Fairfax, where they would remain. The family lived in a house on Wagon Wheel Road in the Mount Vernon area of the county, where the Governor grew up. Mr. McDonnell still owned the home at the time of his passing.

A strong believer in education, he completed his Masters Degree in Education from the University of Maryland after leaving the military. He stressed to his children the importance of obtaining a good education, and all his children graduated from college.

Mr. McDonnell participated in many activities throughout his life as a Sunday School teacher, a little league baseball coach, a regular member of his local Catholic church, a substitute teacher, and a member of the Governor’s Board of Visitors of Mt. Vernon.

Jack McDonnell was a lifelong Notre Dame and Boston Red Sox fan. He had 15 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife in 1994. He will be buried alongside her at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, friends may honor Mr. McDonnell by contributing to the Emma and Jack McDonnell Memorial Scholarship Fund at Mount Vernon.

Emma and Jack McDonnell Memorial Scholarship Fund

PO Box 110

Mount Vernon, VA 22121

Virginia: Most Pro-Business State in America

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Pollina Corporate recently released their top 10 pro-business states for 2010 rankings, and they named Virginia as the most pro-business state in America. The nomination came based on the findings from a study that examined states on 31 factors, including: taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, workers compensation laws, economic incentive programs, etc. Among those filling out the top five include: Utah, Wyoming, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Governor Bob McDonnell released the following remarks regarding the rankings.

“Pollina has pointed out what we’ve known here in Virginia for a long time—that we are the best state in America for business. That’s no small feat in such a tough economy. Pollina clearly recognized the pro-business atmosphere and first-class educational system we have built here in Virginia. And that work is ongoing. This past General Assembly Session, we were able to secure a robust package of economic development incentives which we’re using around the state, country and world to create jobs for Virginians. In addition, we will continue to take an ‘all of the above’ approach to our energy future to work towards Virginia becoming the energy capitol of the east coast. This too will create the high-skill, high paying jobs that Virginians need.”

“Over the past six months, our team has announced 131 projects in Virginia, creating nearly 8,000 jobs with a capital investment of $1.3 billion. This is a great start, but it’s just a start. The more announcements we make, the more jobs we create for Virginians. By keeping taxes and regulation and litigation at a minimum, we are ensuring that major employers, like Northrop Grumman, will continue to invest in the Commonwealth, bringing with them jobs and opportunities for all our citizens. Just this week we announced that another major Virginian employer, DuPont, would reinvest in a new $20 million facility Chesterfield. It’s a great honor for Virginia to be named the most pro-business state in America. We are going to do all we can to ensure that we stay there in the years ahead.”

Congratulations to the Commonwealth of Virginia for this honor. Hopefully, they can continue this trend.

Politics as usual for the Obama Administration

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There have been a lot of references within the blogosphere and mainstream media recently comparing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as President Barack Obama’s “Hurricane Katrina.” Why would such an analogy be posed? Well, take a look at today’s editorial in The Washington Examiner (reminder: the language in the editorial is a little salty) into why this crisis is being mismanaged by the Obama Administration.

An angry, frustrated President Obama reportedly exhorted aides to just “plug the damn hole” a week after the crude oil and natural gas began blowing out of BP’s Deepwater Horizon well a mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s a better piece of advice for Obama, his aides, and everybody else in Washington dealing with what is rapidly becoming the worst environmental disaster in American history: Stop the damn politics, quit pointing fingers, and focus on finding a solution. Nothing else matters until the well is capped. What has been desperately needed from the beginning of this tragedy is leadership. What we’ve gotten instead from the White House has been blame shifting, bureaucratic gamesmanship, and political opportunism.

This is great advice. Instead of playing politics and ahem…attending political fundraisers or vacationing in Chicago.

Now, the ramifications are being passed down to other offshore drilling sites. Recently, President Obama canceling the sale of the coast line off Virginia. This decision has been met with unfavorable reactions. Governor Bob McDonnell released this statement regarding the cancellation of the sale.

It is my hope that the President’s action does not signal the end of offshore energy exploration and production off Virginia in the years ahead. Once we have learned the lessons from this tragic accident, and made the necessary changes and improvements in the offshore industry and government oversight, we should move forward with environmentally responsible domestic offshore energy production for oil and natural gas. This nation needs more domestic energy production. If we decrease the amount of energy produced here in the United States, we will only increase the amount of energy we must import from overseas. We must have the foresight and objectivity to not let this tragic accident cripple our ability to increase energy production in the United States. That would be a tragedy in its own right.

Just as Americans did not quit or retreat from innovation after tragedies in space exploration, so must we learn, change and persevere in advancing energy independence by using all our natural resources. The spirit of American progress is to overcome adversity and conquer obstacles, not quit and accept failure. Our nation needs domestic energy production and the jobs and security that come with it. I am a strong proponent of a comprehensive energy policy for Virginia and America. We should greatly increase our domestic production and utilization of all energy sources. That includes offshore and onshore wind, coal, solar, nuclear, biofuels, waste to energy, natural gas and, with the appropriate improvements in the industry incorporated moving forward, offshore oil and gas. I have great confidence in American ingenuity, intelligence and innovation, and our ability to properly and reasonably move forward following this major setback.”

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling also released a statement saying:

“I am extremely disappointed that President Obama has chosen to cancel the Virginia lease sale for offshore energy exploration that was scheduled for 2012. While I certainly agree that we need to learn from the accident that recently occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and take additional steps to minimize the chance of an incident of this nature occurring again, I remain convinced that offshore energy development can occur safely and I do not believe that we should abandon or postpone responsible efforts to develop our offshore energy resources.

“Proceeding with this lease sale would enable our country to achieve a greater degree of energy security, while enabling Virginia to achieve a greater degree of economic security. The President’s decision will deprive Virginia of the economic resources and jobs that could be created as a result of offshore energy development, resources that are needed to help address critical needs like transportation; and it will keep our country dependent on foreign nations for large amounts of our energy resources. I do not believe that this is the right policy for our country, and I will continue to work to advance the exploration and development of Virginia’s offshore energy resources at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Perhaps, it is time for President Obama to quit playing the politics card and actually display true leadership.

Talk about Embarrassing…

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Terry McAuliffe is back! This time he is focused on attacking Bob McDonnell for not bringing jobs to the Commonwealth. In an interview with reporters, McAuliffe said that McDonnell was making it harder for the Old Dominion to attract jobs. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, McAuliffe said:

“McAuliffe says the new governor, who just marked his 100th day in office, isn’t making it any easier to attract new jobs to the state by getting bogged down in controversies over his Confederate heritage proclamation and resisting legal anti-bias protections for gay Virginians.”

Isn’t it ironic considering that Northrop Grumman is relocating to Virginia? Governor McDonnell worked hard for this deal and has fulfilled one of his campaign promises of bringing more jobs to the Commonwealth. This all happened during the first 101 days in office. There will be 110 new jobs created from this move.

McAuliffe is busy playing politics (supposedly, he wants to run for Governor again) and ignores the positive job growth occurring here in Virginia.

Obama Allows Offshore Drilling in Virginia

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President Obama cleared the way for offshore drilling off America’s coastlines today.  This will also allow for the sales two years from now.  According to The Washington Post, Obama said:

“Given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs and keep our businesses competitive, we’re going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable, homegrown energy,” Obama said. “So today we’re announcing the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration — but in ways that balance the need to harness domestic energy resources and the need to protect America’s natural resources.”

We can thank the hard work of Governor Bob McDonnell, both of Virginia’s U.S. Senators, and some members of Virginia’s Congressional Delegation for taking leadership on this issue.

McDonnell released the following statement upon learning of Obama’s decision.

“I thank the President and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for ensuring Virginia will be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce energy offshore. The President’s decision to allow energy exploration off Virginia’s coast will mean thousands of new jobs, hundreds of millions in new state revenue and tens of billions of dollars in economic impact for the Commonwealth. It will also help our nation take a further step towards energy independence. Environmentally-safe offshore energy exploration and production is good for Virginia workers, the Virginia economy and national security. Just this session the General Assembly passed, with bipartisan support, legislation I requested to authorize offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling and to allocate 80% of revenues to transportation and 20% to green energy research and development.

The effort to ensure that Virginia stayed on track to hold an offshore lease sale as expeditiously as possible has been a bipartisan one at the federal level as well. I want to specifically thank Senator Mark Warner, Senator Jim Webb and Congressman Eric Cantor for their leadership and advocacy on the issue. I also want to thank all the Republicans and Democrats in our Congressional delegation who have strongly advocated for offshore energy production.

With today’s announcement, oil and gas can be produced in an environmentally-safe manner 50 miles off Virginia’s coast. Virginians will benefit from the thousands of jobs that will be created and the economic activity and development that will accompany this vital industry’s arrival in the state. However, to fully participate in the positive impact of offshore energy development, the Commonwealth must be included in all royalty and revenue sharing arrangements, in a manner equivalent to what the Gulf Coast states currently receive. Congressman Bob Goodlatte has already introduced legislation, with bipartisan support, to ensure revenue sharing. I urge our federal representatives to immediately move forward in ensuring Virginia receives our fair share of the revenues derived from our natural resources. I am confident that the United States Congress will act appropriately and expeditiously to ensure this occurs.

Offshore energy production is one part of an “all of the above” approach to ensuring energy security. It is an important component of the comprehensive energy policy that we must enact to move towards greater domestic energy security. We will also do more in Virginia to promote and produce other sources of energy in our borders, including wind, solar, biomass, coal and nuclear. Today’s announcement means future new jobs for Virginians and much-needed revenue for our Commonwealth. Again, I applaud the President for his decision, and thank all the Virginia leaders from both parties who have worked together to make this announcement possible.”

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling also made a statement regarding the decision saying:

“Today’s decision is a significant next step in making Virginia the ‘Energy Capital of the East Coast’ and will help spur our economic recovery. It will also help Virginia address the need for improved transportation infrastructure, create thousands of new jobs and bring in hundreds of millions in desperately needed revenue for Virginia. I am confident that our offshore energy resources will become a critical economic development tool for Virginia as we move forward.

“I would like to thank President Barack Obama and Secretary Ken Salazar for allowing Virginia to move forward with the 2012 lease sale and become the first state on the East Coast to explore for and ultimately produce offshore oil and natural resources. This decision will help bring the nation closer to energy independence and provide a significant economic development and job creation boost to Virginia.

“I want to congratulate Governor McDonnell and our federal partners in the Senate and House of Representatives on their successful and tireless efforts to encourage the Obama Administration to allow the lease sale to move forward. While I am a long-time supporter of developing our offshore energy resources and active advocate to the Obama Administration to keep Virginia in the 2012 lease sale, Virginia was ultimately successful because of broad bi-partisan support from our elected officials, businesses and citizens.

“Lastly, I would like to thank Governor McDonnell, the General Assembly and other stakeholder groups for working to pass legislation in support of Virginia’s offshore energy exploration. The legislative authorizations passed this session set the stage for the development of these resources and will help Virginia address a number of critical challenges in the future.”

RPV Chairman Pat Mullins said:

“President Obama’s announcement on offshore drilling is a victory for the Commonwealth and the entire country,” Mullins said.

“For the first time in decades, we will be able to tap the massive reserves of energy just over the horizon, lessening our dependence of foreign oil,” he said. “Exploration will also bring new, high-paying jobs to our economy, and will eventually bolster our transportation system with royalties from drilling.”

“Today’s announcement wouldn’t have happened without the leadership of Governor Bob McDonnell and a bipartisan majority in the Virginia General Assembly. While past governors have opposed drilling, Governor McDonnell pushed forward, letting Washington, D.C., know in no uncertain terms that Virginia was ready to become the Energy Capital of the East Coast,” Mullins said.

“Earlier this year, while some opponents in the Virginia Senate said offshore drilling was a ‘fantasy’ and ‘a train going nowhere,’ Governor McDonnell and a bipartisan team of legislators pressed on, working with Democrats and Republicans in Washington to make this new opportunity a reality,” he said. “The Governor’s team fought hard for this, and now we will all reap the benefits.”

“I congratulate Governor McDonnell and the bipartisan group that made this day possible for their foresight and persistence. This is truly a momentous day for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” he said.

Offshore drilling will bring more employment opportunities to Virginia and help boost the economy with new incentives, etc.

Governor McDonnell Signs Virginia Health Care Freedom Act Legislation

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Governor Bob McDonnell signed Virginia’s health care freedom act today, joined by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and members of the General Assembly. This legislation will allow Virginians to choose whether or not to have health care coverage and will challenge President Obama’s health care laws. Below are McDonnell’s statements about the legislation:

Speaking about the Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act, Governor McDonnell noted, “We all agree that we must expand access to quality health care and reduce costs for all Virginians. However, that should not be accomplished through an unprecedented federal mandate on individuals that we believe violates the U.S. Constitution. The Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act sets as the policy of the Commonwealth that no individual, with several specific exceptions, can be required to purchase health insurance coverage. The Act was passed with bipartisan support, in sharp contrast to the narrow straight line partisan vote that enacted the federal health care bill on Sunday night. Virginia’s Healthcare Freedom Act received the votes of leading Democratic Senators, as well as the Democratic House Minority Leader. It was an important step to sign this bipartisan legislation today.”

The Governor continued, “The states have long been leaders in identifying and implementing innovative policies to expand access to, and improve the affordability of, healthcare coverage. Virginia will continue to play that important role. We will do this through promoting incentives for the purchase of long term care and individual medical savings accounts, focusing on preventative health and combating obesity, studying our medical delivery systems with the objective of reforming them to work better for our citizens, expanding free clinics and aggressively finding new ways to reduce the cost of our Medicaid system, which has already grown 1600% in the past 25 years. There are fiscally responsible ways by which we can reform healthcare and expand quality coverage that do not involve the forcing of unfunded and unprecedented mandates onto individuals and states, and the unsustainable growing of our national debt.”

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who was present at the event said:

“Virginians spoke loudly and clearly in rallies, in town halls, and at the ballot box about their opposition to the new federal health care law. The governor and both Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly heard them, and as a result, the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act is being signed today.”

The Attorney General added, “The traditional role of the attorney general is to defend Virginia’s laws. It is now my job to vigorously defend this law from the federal government’s overreach of the Constitution and its attempted encroachment on the rights of Virginians. That is my mandate, and that is my promise to our citizens.”

McDonnell signed four health care freedom bills into law: HB 10, SB 417, SB 283, and SB 311.

Health Care Aftermath

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Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed health care reform legislation (219-212) that will dramatically impact Americans, especially those receiving public assistance in Virginia. Aside from Congress’s actions to rob the American people of their liberty to choose whether or not to be enrolled in a health insurance plan, there is no doubt that negative ramifications and aftershocks will occur in the days ahead, particularly if President Obama signs the bill into law.

Let’s take some insight into what the health care reform proposals will entail. Brian over at Too Conservative has a great post detailing what the new health care legislation will do over time, while The Wall Street Journal offers a glimpse into each of the proposals that were at one point on the table.

Meanwhile, others have weighed on the health care legislation. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement:

“For nearly a year now the American people have rejected the Democrats’ health care proposals. They have sent letters and e-mails, made phone calls, attended town hall meetings and come to Washington to rally at the Capitol. Their message has been simple and consistent: We don’t want a government takeover of our health care system.

With complete and total disregard for the will of the American people, House Democrats pushed through their health care legislation, which is defined by federal regulations, mandates, a myriad of new big government programs, and a significant increase in federal spending and debt at a cost to our country too high to bear. This legislation, which I voted against, gives Washington bureaucrats ultimate control over what is best for you and your family – deciding when and what treatment you can receive.

I know Americans are frustrated by rising health care costs, and that is why we in Congress must work in a bipartisan way to cut health insurance costs and make health care better, more available, and more affordable for all Americans. Unfortunately, the only thing bipartisan about the health care bill that passed the House tonight is the strong bipartisan opposition to the bill. It raises taxes, raises health care costs, adds to our national debt, and hurts America’s seniors, families and small businesses.

Specifically, the Democrats’ health care bill includes $569 billion in new taxes and over a trillion dollars in new government spending. This includes $52 billion in new taxes on employers, including small businesses, that cannot afford to provide health coverage or that don’t offer coverage. The effect of this type of tax, similar to a payroll tax increase, would ultimately fall squarely on workers in the form of lower wages or reduced employment. Additionally, the legislation includes $17 billion in new taxes on Americans who do not comply with the individual insurance mandate which is sure to further stifle economic growth.

Additionally, the Democrats’ health care bill includes $523 billion in Medicare cuts, including $200 billion in cuts to the popular Medicare Advantage program which will hurt millions of seniors.

It’s your job to make health care decisions for your family. The government’s job is to ensure you have access to affordable alternatives and then get out of the way. That is why I strongly support the Republican alternative that would empower patients with choices, make high quality coverage more affordable, and protect and preserve the doctor-patient relationship. Unlike the Democrats’ plan, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the plan offered by House Republicans will lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years, all without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses and while improving the quality of your health care. It allows for the purchase of health insurance across state lines, allows individuals and small businesses to join large pools to get more competitive rates, provides tort reform to cut down the high cost of defensive medicine, allows full tax deductibility of health insurance premiums, portability of health insurance and protection against pre-existing condition exclusions. This legislation, that I support, focuses on strategies that help Americans obtain the best quality health care at the least cost, and ensures that the government fosters increased access to quality care based on individual choice, not by taking away choices from people on the grounds that government knows best.”

RPV Chairman Pat Mullins released the following statement in response to the House Health Care vote:

“Let me be perfectly clear. The action taken in Congress tonight will forever alter the size and scope of our Federal government. The legislation that the Obama/Pelosi Democrats forced on the American people tonight will bury our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in mountains of debt,” Mullins said. “Bureaucrats in Washington D.C. will now know better than you and your doctor what medical treatments you need. And our federal government will become more entwined with our daily lives than our founding fathers could have ever imagined.”

“Ultimately, Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Tom Perriello cast the deciding votes on this legislation. They had the opportunity not once, but twice, to stand up and listen to their constituents, but each time they choose to stand with their party bosses,” he said. “They had the power to stop this monstrosity, but they chose not to act.”

“While Congressmen Connolly and Perriello may have cast tonight’s decisive votes to allow for the federal takeover of our healthcare system, it was Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb who cast the deciding votes in the Senate in the dead of night on Christmas Eve that made today’s legislative fiasco possible. Had either Senators Warner or Webb listened to the people of Virginia, we wouldn’t be here tonight. They too will ultimately be held responsible for the actions that took place in Congress today.”

“In one fell swoop, Congressmen Connolly and Perriello, along with Senators Warner and Webb have:

• Put Virginia taxpayers on the hook for sweetheart deals in Nebraska, Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii and others.
• Raised taxes by nearly $1 trillion on individuals and businesses, including the first ever tax on simply being alive.
• Turned the IRS into the national health insurance police.
• Levied a huge unfunded mandate onto Virginia and other states that will either require tax increases or cuts to core services like education and public safety.
• Made it highly likely that dozens of states will pull out of the federal Medicaid program.
• Set the stage for either crippling levels of deficit spending, or the collapse of Medicare as we know it.

“Thousands of Virginians called their member of Congress, Senator Warner, and Senator Webb, emailed them, faxed them, attended town hall meetings, met privately with them, traveled to Washington D.C. and voiced their opposition to this legislation,” he said. “Despite all of their efforts, they could not force Congressmen Connolly and Perriello and Senators Warner and Webb to vote for the will of the people.”

“Unfortunately, Congressmen Connolly and Perriello, Senators Warner and Webb have made their choice and the people of Virginia will have to deal with the consequences,” he said. “While the people of Virginia may not have been heard tonight, I can guarantee you that they will be heard this November when Congressmen Connolly and Perriello become one-term Members of Congress.”

Lastly, Governor Bob McDonnell released a statement on the House Health Care vote:

“Expanding access to reasonably priced quality healthcare is a bipartisan goal. We all agree that we must make it easier for Americans to purchase and retain health insurance.

However, this massive and complex piece of legislation allows the federal government to exercise control over one-sixth of the United States economy. The continued intrusion of this Congress into the free enterprise system, and the placing of new mandates on states, is shocking to the American system of federalism. Most disconcerting is the provision mandating that every American must purchase health insurance or face a monetary penalty. This is an unprecedented expansion of federal power. It is hard to imagine our Founder’s agreeing that the United States Constitution permits Congress to mandate the purchase of a good or service under penalty of law. Just a few days ago I approved a bill, passed on a bipartisan basis, which prohibits mandatory insurance purchases for Virginians. Virginia’s Attorney General has rightly chosen to challenge the constitutionality of the federal mandate. I anticipate that he will be joined by a number of other states. The issues raised by Attorney General Cuccinelli require a full and prompt review by the judicial branch.

While individuals face a mandate in this legislation, so too do the states. The proposed expansion of Medicaid is an historic unfunded federal mandate on the states. This expansion will put at least 400,000 more individuals on Virginia’s Medicaid rolls. The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services has estimated that it will cost the Commonwealth an additional $1.1 billion by 2022. Virginia, and the other 49 states, will bear the financial burden of one of the biggest unfunded mandates in the history of our nation. This will have a significant and unavoidable impact on the bottom line of our state budget, and the general fiscal welfare of Virginia. We simply cannot afford this expansion.

The bill will cut over $500 billion from Medicare, and may reduce the quality of the care our seniors depend upon. The Medicare system is already underfunded and overburdened. This legislation only exacerbates the problems facing the system.

This legislation will raise taxes on individuals and businesses. Our small business owners, who generate nearly 98% of the new jobs in Virginia, will see their taxes go up. This will occur at the same time that federal tax cuts from the early part of last decade expire. We will face significantly higher federal taxes at a time when we need to be keeping taxes low and freeing capital for job creation and economic development. It can also be anticipated that Virginians’ insurance premiums will increase in the years ahead after passage of this legislation.

I am further disappointed that a bill so massive in size is so limited in its approach. Congressional Republicans were right to call for allowing the purchase of health insurance across state lines, and this provision should have been included in the bill.

States have long been leaders in the effort to identify and implement innovative healthcare solutions. Regardless of the future of this legislation, we must continue to play that important role in our federal system. In Virginia we will promote incentives for the purchase of long term care, and promote individual medical savings accounts. We will focus on preventative health and combating obesity. We will study our medical delivery systems with the objective of reforming them to work better for our citizens. Free clinics are an important piece of the coverage equation, and I will look for ways by which the Commonwealth can help with the expansion of these important facilities. We will be aggressive in finding every way by which we can reduce the cost of our Medicaid system, which has already grown 1600% in the past 25 years. It is unsustainable.

Every American should have the opportunity to purchase good quality healthcare coverage. But we will not improve our healthcare system by implementing a massive one-size fits all federal policy that dramatically increases the deficit, puts unprecedented mandates on states and individuals, and jeopardizes the good coverage most citizens already have. I am disappointed in the passage of this bill, and I thank the bipartisan majority of Virginia’s congressional delegation for voting against it.”

The aftermath is far from over. If this is signed into law, there will be several challenges in the judicial system in regards to the unconstitutional nature of the legislation. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is one who is prepared to file the case that very day. Right now, it is a wait and see period to see if the U.S. Senate will follow suit in passing this detrimental legislation that violates the liberty to choose health care (a privilege…not a guarantee) coverage.

Pothole Repair is on the Way

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Today, Governor Bob McDonnell directed the Virginia Department of Transportation to begin patching up potholes beginning in March. This winter has not been very kind to the roads, and potholes are everywhere in neighborhoods across the Commonwealth.

McDonnell had this to say about the potholes:

“VDOT’s top priorities are motorist safety and emergency response. Potholes are a roadway hazard and a nuisance for every person driving our highways, that’s why we’re declaring a Pothole Blitz this March. We are going all-out to repair these pavements and make traveling safer and more comfortable for Virginians.”

However, you can help assist in getting the potholes repaired.

“Motorists traveling across Virginia know best where the worst potholes lie. We want citizens to help us identify potholes as they form so that VDOT crews can quickly be dispatched to make repairs,” McDonnell said. “VDOT crews, state police and contractors report potholes as they travel for their duties. This March, we are asking for citizen’s help to identify these hazards. All Virginians can be a part of this Pothole Blitz so we can work together to improve everyone’s safety and comfort as they travel through our great Commonwealth.”

To report a pothole, citizens should visit http://www.VirginiaDOT.org or call VDOT’s Highway Helpline at 800-367-7623 (ROAD). TTY users, call 711.

Hopefully, winter will soon be over and the nice warm weather will return.