Serving the First Congressional District of Virginia since 2007, Rob has been focused on strengthening our military and supporting veterans, promoting economic development through fiscal responsibility, fixing our crumbling infrastructure, increasing access to high-speed internet, and promoting workforce development through Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs.
In the U.S. Congress, Rob serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Natural Resources, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of Virginia's First District. He has quickly earned a reputation for being an advocate for our men and women in uniform and for being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay.
I am proud to represent the tens of thousands of federal employees and retirees who live in Virginia's First District. These hardworking patriots serve our nation on a daily basis, whether it be keeping our skies safe for travelers with the FAA or supporting our troops on the front lines of the war on terror with the CIA.
The federal workforce is full of dedicated and committed citizens who exemplify patriotism in everything they do. I believe it is important to support legislative measures that adequately address the specific needs of our hard-working federal employees and retirees. I do not believe that current retirees should see any changes to the retirement benefits that they have earned.
Sequestration & Hiring Freeze
I make it a priority to engage with federal employee groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees, to discuss issues I know are a concern to federal employees. Two of the most pressing issues are sequestration and the recent hiring freeze announcement.
Sequestration, as you know, has been harmful to our federal employees and our national defense. In fact, we've seen an arbitrary 31 percent cut to defense spending between 2010 and 2016. And those cuts have hurt operations, maintenance, and readiness, making our country less safe. I promise to do all I can to work with other leaders in Congress to find a solution to the sequestration challenge.
I am always concerned about furloughs, hiring and pay freezes, restrictions on travel, and limited opportunities for career development that negatively impact workforce morale. In fact, recent results of OPM's annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) revealed that the morale of the workforce has been in a steady decline for several years. In this particular case, I was deeply concerned about the effect the freeze would have on our defense and national security workers. That is why I was pleased to see the Department of Defense exempted those supporting critical military missions and positions in shipyards and depots from the hiring freeze.
Congressional Public Service Caucus
I am a Co-Chair, along with my colleague Congressman Gerry Connolly (VA-11), of the Congressional Public Service Caucus and The Smart Contracting Caucus. Both of these bipartisan caucuses are committed to building public and congressional support for a well-trained, high-performing federal workforce. We will advance policies that will help the government attract and retain talented Americans. I look forward to working with my fellow Caucus members to ensure that lawmakers have the information they need to develop sound policy on federal workforce issues.