Congressman Robert Hurt Applauds Announcement of Fort Pickett as Site for Embassy Security Training Facility

Thursday, April 17, 2014

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Congressman Randy Forbes applauded today's announcement that Fort Pickett, Virginia will be the location for a new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) to train U.S. diplomatic and government personnel assigned to high-threat posts around the world.  After a multi-year exhaustive search for the best site, the Administration has determined Fort Pickett is the best site to meet the State Department's operational requirements, and take advantage of synergies by being in close proximity to the State Department, its Foreign Service Institute, intelligence agencies, and military facilities in the Washington D.C. area.

 

"I am pleased that Fort Pickett has been selected as the home for the new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center," said Hurt. "The safety and security of our foreign service personnel is vitally important, and I applaud the decision to utilize the resources that Fort Pickett and the surrounding areas have to offer.  We also look forward to the potential job opportunities and investment associated with this decision for the people of Southside Virginia."

 

"These training facilities play an important role in the protection of American diplomatic personnel, and I am very pleased we were able to make a winning case for the selection of Fort Pickett in Blackstone," Warner said. "This training center will generate new economic activity in Virginia while also helping the State Department improve its training efficiencies while holding down costs."

 

"Our diplomats, security personnel and their families serve in some of the most dangerous places in the world, and I think everyone can agree they deserve the best security training possible.  Fort Pickett provides that venue," Kaine said. "The local community in Virginia is ready to support this project and I am happy the Administration is moving forward on it."

 

"America has an obligation when we send our diplomats and their families around the world to represent our nation that we have provided the best training for them and those responsible for their protection," said Forbes.  "Fort Pickett has remained the number one choice by the State Department to locate the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center and I could not be more pleased to see this critically important project now able to move forward.  There is no question that working together on this issue with my colleagues in Virginia, as well as the outstanding cooperation from our state and local partners, was critical in making this happen."

 

Warner, Kaine, Forbes, and Hurt have long-supported the establishment of a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center. The need for improved training for State Department personnel was underscored by the 2012 tragedy in Benghazi and more recently by threats to a number of U.S. embassies around the world. In response to the Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB) recommendation, the State Department reported to Congress in February 2013 that Fort Pickett was the best-suited site to meet operational requirements and provide synergistic training.

 

Congressman Robert Hurt Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia) and Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), today attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, Henry County and Martinsville's newest business park.  Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a long-awaited permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with development of the site, a major economic development initiative.

 

Henry County and the Martinsville-Henry Co. Economic Development Corp. have long worked to secure a permit from the USACE for site preparation to attract job-creating manufacturing firms to the county.  Congressman Robert Hurt, along with Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Congressman Morgan Griffith, introduced legislation to address the flawed regulatory interpretation of the Corps that has led to the longstanding road block in Henry and Pittsylvania counties.  The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act (H.R. 2937) was introduced in August 2013 and would allow for job creation at economic development sites while ensuring commonsense environmental protections.

 

Hurt said, "Today marks a great day for the people of Henry County and Martinsville.  This area is blessed with skilled and hardworking individuals who have been looking for opportunities to get back to work. Commonwealth Crossing will provide exactly the opportunities that so many have looked for in recent years. 

 

"This region has a proud history in manufacturing and I firmly believe that Commonwealth Crossing is an important step toward enhancing job growth in our area.  I sincerely thank our local officials in Henry County and Martinsville, who have worked diligently to complete this project and bring jobs to Southside Virginia."

 

Why We Celebrate

Gary L. Bauer

Campaign for Working Families
 

As most of you know, the persecution of Christians around the world has reached levels not seen since the early days of the church. In fact, according to a recent report by Reuters, the number of Christian martyrs doubled between 2012 and 2013.

Recently, American Values, my public policy organization, traveled to the Middle East to learn more about how our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering at the hands of Muslim extremists. Please watch and share this riveting short video, which tells the stories of a few of the Christians in Lebanon and Syria who are risking their lives by living the Gospel message.

It is appropriate that we learn about the sacrificial love of Middle East Christians today, on Good Friday, a day in which we reflect on the cross and the sacrifice paid for our sins.

When I learned about the Easter story as a child, part of me wanted a different ending. If only He had come down from the cross and destroyed His enemies, I thought -- that would have demonstrated His power to the world! Of course, I soon realized how wrong I was.

Christ had to die so that we might have everlasting life. His sacrifice on the cross saved all who believe in Him. If Christ had not risen from the grave and ascended to Heaven, he would have been forgotten as a criminal.

Thank God for the cross and the empty tomb! Carol and I send our love to you and yours. This weekend, may each of you find a remembrance of the peace that surpasses all understanding.

"We Must Eliminate The Cross"

Gary L. Bauer

American  Values


Did that headline get your attention? I hope so.

Those words were spoken recently by Nasir al-Wuhayshi, Al Qaeda's number two leader. He was addressing at least 100 Al Qaeda fighters in Yemen, and he spoke out in the open, in plain view.

He told them, "We must eliminate the cross. ... The bearer of the cross is America!"

Let that sink in for a moment, folks. For all those who say this isn't a religious war, think again. For those who insist that our foreign policy or that America's support for Israel is the problem, think again. There is a reason the extremists in Iran refer to America, not Israel, as "the great Satan." Israel and America are allies in the same war against the same enemy -- radical Islam.

Video of al-Wuhayshi's comments is burning up jihadi websites right now. CNN writes that it shows what is believed to be "the largest and most dangerous gathering of Al Qaeda in years." One terrorism expert describe it as "extraordinary," adding that al-Wuhayshi was "taking a big risk" speaking so publicly.

And we missed it. Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst, commented, "The U.S. intelligence community should be surprised that such a large group of Al Qaeda assembled together, including the leadership, and somehow they didn't notice."

Responding to this video, Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that Al Qaeda is re-grouping and getting ready to strike again. Rep. Rogers also suggested that the Obama Administration has taken its eye off the ball:

"…[Al Qaeda is] feeling empowered. The less pressure you put on them, the more they take that as a victory, the more that they believe that they can get away with plotting, planning, organizing… All of the things that they would need to do to strike a Western target, they're going through that process."

I know many Americans are war-weary. But radical Islam has declared war on us. And it clearly has not surrendered yet.

Email of the Day

Here are the 2,700 pages of the OBAMACARE (PPACA) condensed into one sentence.

ObamaCare: To insure the uninsured, we first make the insured uninsured and then make them pay more to be insured again, so the original uninsured can be insured for free to buy votes for the Democratic party.

 

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Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement at Financial Services Hearing: “Legislative Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation for Small and Emerging Growth Companies

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) delivered the following remarks at today's Financial Services Committee hearing entitled, "Legislative Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation for Small and Emerging Growth Companies."  Video is available below, as well as text.

 

 

Clicking the image above or HERE.

 

"Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for holding today's hearing on the legislative proposals to further enhance capital formation.  I thank all of the witnesses for being here, as well.  This subcommittee's work on the issue of capital access for small and emerging growth companies has resulted in the bipartisan passage of numerous bills in the full Committee and in the House.  I look forward to their enactment so we can continue to expand upon the successes of the JOBS Act we have witnessed over the last two years. 

 

"Even with those successes, I continue to hear from companies, both public and private, in my district about the impacts of outdated and burdensome regulations on their ability to access capital.  As our markets and the needs of its participants continue to evolve, it is necessary for our regulatory structure to reflect those new realties.    

 

"Today, I especially look forward to testimony from our witnesses regarding Chairman Garrett's Disclosure Modification and Simplification Act and reforming our corporate disclosure regime.  I am encouraged by the comments by a majority of the commissioners at the SEC, including Chair Mary Jo White, about the need for the SEC to engage in a comprehensive review of our disclosure requirements.  They have noted that disclosure overload is having negative impacts on investors, public companies, and the SEC itself. 

 

"Fostering capital formation in our capital markets requires consistently reliable information on public companies; however, too much information for the sake of information itself can create inefficiencies and confusion, especially among investors unable to make informed decisions.  Streamlining our disclosure regime to better reflect the SEC's three missions will lead to benefits for both businesses and investors. 

 

"I appreciate this Committee's continued focus on ensuring that our small businesses and startups have the ability to access the necessary capital in order to innovate, expand, and create the jobs that our local communities need.  I look forward to the testimony of our witnesses and thank you again for your appearance before the subcommittee. 

 

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I yield back the balance of my time."

Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition Letter Questions Air Force Academy on Religious Liberty

April 09, 2014

Group calls for answers about Air Force Academy religious liberty abuses

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) and members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition (RMRFC) have written a letter to Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, asking about a recent incident in which a Bible verse was removed from a white board. This was done despite official academy policy, which permits the use of white boards for personal messages.

In the letter, the Coalition asks for a meeting with Lt. Gen. Johnson to discuss what this incident means for religious liberty in the Air Force. The RMRFC is a coalition of organizations dedicated to defending religious expression in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Two excerpts from the letter read:

"As a general matter, somewhere along the way the Air Force and the Academy seem to have adopted a novel view of American law regarding the First Amendment and freedom of speech and expression - particularly, religious speech. While it is certainly true that there are occasions in which military necessity requires that 'the good of the entire unit' be placed above that of the interests of 'any single individual,' the incident involving the cadet, his white board, and the Bible verse written on it cannot be construed to be one of them - even remotely.

"We believe the Academy has overstepped its constitutional and statutory bounds in the incident involving the cadet's white board. This is not a minor matter. The Academy's actions and policy pronouncements, unless quickly corrected, will continue to chill speech at the Academy, harm morale, and create unnecessary confusion for cadets. Thus, we urge you to obtain more objective analyses of the First Amendment issues involved here and correct the errors that have been made."

To read the entire letter, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF14D21.pdf

To learn more about the coalition, click here: http://militaryfreedom.org/

FRC Submits Amicus Brief in Fourth Circuit Virginia Marriage Case

April 09, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the debate about redefining marriage continues in the courts, Family Research Council (FRC) has submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in the case Bostic v. Schaefer (formerly Bostic v. Rainey).

FRC's brief was written by Paul Linton, Esq., a highly regarded constitutional appellate attorney. Linton has submitted amicus briefs on behalf of FRC in several marriage cases around the country, including in the 10th Circuit Utah marriage case being argued this week. FRC has been a long-time supporter of state laws to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman around the country.

In his brief for FRC, Linton makes the case that the state has an interest in preserving marriage as it always has been known. He writes:

"The State has legitimate interests in encouraging responsible procreation, in furthering an environment in which the children so procreated will be raised in a family with both a mother and a father to whom they are biologically related and in preserving the traditional institution of marriage. In its equal protection analysis, the district court essentially conceded the legitimacy of these interests..."

Of the Virginia marriage case, FRC President Tony Perkins said:

"Just over the past few days the insatiable intolerance of homosexual activists has become abundantly clear. On Monday the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the Elane Photography decision arising out of New Mexico. Business owner and wedding photographer Elaine Huguenin followed her Christian conscience by politely declining to participate in a same-sex wedding. For that she was punished by the New Mexico Human Rights Commission - a decision upheld by the state's Supreme Court.

"We continue to see how redefining marriage is about far more than the marriage altar; it is about fundamentally altering society. Our most basic freedoms of speech and religious liberty are at stake. Mozilla forced the resignation of its CEO because of his belief in marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The backlash Mozilla received for pushing out its CEO shows that the American people are tiring of the tactics used by those seeking to redefining marriage.

"Public debate and opposition to the redefinition of natural marriage will undoubtedly intensify as Americans wake up to the consequences for all freedom in America, especially freedom of religion and freedom of speech," concluded Perkins.

To read FRC's Fourth Circuit amicus brief in the case, click here: http://frcblog.com/media/filer/2014/04/09/frc_va_amicus_bostic_v_schaefer_v05_20140404_fnl.pdf

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A Victory for Job Creation in Virginia's Fifth District

Congressman Robert Hurt

Weekly Column 4/07/14

 

Last week's March Jobs Report once again demonstrated that this Administration's policies are hindering the dynamic economic and job growth we so desperately need.  The report showed that our economy is not growing fast enough to reduce the unemployment rate, the percentage of able-bodied adults that have given up looking for a job is nearly the highest it's been in thirty years, and more than seven million Americans are only working part-time when they would rather work full-time.  This bleak status quo that our country has experienced for the past five years is unacceptable, and we should do everything we can to remove the federal government as a roadblock to job creation so people have greater opportunities to provide for their families.

 

Thankfully, our efforts to remove one of those roadblocks impeding job growth in the Fifth District came to a successful resolution this week.  I was pleased by the news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finally issued a permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with the development of the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre after a lengthy and unnecessary delay.  This site has the potential to bring a significant number of much-needed jobs to Southside Virginia.  Along with Congressman Morgan Griffith and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, we introduced the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act last summer to expedite approval of the site, as we have long supported efforts by Henry County and Martinsville to secure a permit for site preparation.  I thank our local officials in Henry County and Martinsville who have worked diligently to bring jobs to Southside Virginia despite the bureaucratic red tape that continually stalled their progress. 

 

I look forward to Commonwealth Crossing’s development and the jobs it will bring to area residents.  It is my hope that the Corps will now turn its attention to approving the permit for Pittsylvania County’s Berry Hill Mega Park, which is currently at a standstill because of the same unnecessary red tape that stalled Commonwealth Crossing.  To remedy these problems permanently, I will continue working with my Virginia colleagues to pass the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act, which will ensure that future economic development projects do not face the same regulatory hurdles as Commonwealth Crossing and Berry Hill and instead can focus on creating jobs for Virginians.

 

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.

 

Family Research Council Hires Fired Fox Sports Analyst Craig James

April 08, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Craig James, a Fox Sports football analyst who was fired after the network learned that he had expressed his views in support of natural marriage during his race for the U.S. Senate 18 months earlier, has joined Family Research Council (FRC) as an Assistant to the President. In this role, Craig will cultivate relationships with like-minded Americans across the country who share a common concern for the growing hostility toward free speech and religious liberty in the U.S. He will continue to share his own story of religious discrimination and educate Americans to the expanding threats to our First Freedom.

"We are very excited and pleased to announce that Craig James is joining Family Research Council's team," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. "Losing one job because of his religious beliefs has made room for another: raising awareness about the threats to our most precious liberty - the freedom of religion. His leadership skills, his courage in the face of religious hostility, and his passion for faith, family and freedom will make him a great addition to the FRC team.

"Craig has experienced the very workplace disqualification that cultural elites are seeking to impose throughout the country: expressing a politically incorrect opinion on a cultural issue, totally unconnected to employment, is enough to get you fired. Whether you work for Mozilla, Gallaudet University, or serve in the military, you shouldn't have to fear being fired for holding to the belief in marriage as the union of a man and a woman. This discrimination runs over the most basic constitutional liberties that have long made our country great. With religious hostility reaching an all-time high, Craig will play a critical role in educating Americans about what they can do to stand up for freedom," concluded Perkins.

In 1989, Craig began his career as one of the lead analysts in college football. He worked for ESPN/ABC, CBS, Yahoo! Sports and The Sporting News, among others. In 1993, he founded the Craig James School of Broadcasting and spent ten years training professional athletes and coaches on the skills needed to become a professional broadcaster. In the fall of 2009 he released his first book "Game Day," which took fans behind the scenes of college football. From 2010 through 2011, Craig served on the board of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In 2012 he ran for the open United States Senate seat.

"I am honored to join the country's premier Christian public policy organization," said Craig James. "I have a passion for Family Research Council's mission of faith, family and freedom. After I was fired by Fox Sports, I was deeply moved and emboldened by the countless number of people and organizations like Family Research Council that came to my side. Now it is my turn to offer encouragement to others encountering the same kind of religious bigotry. While the challenges to our freedoms are great, I strongly believe the game is far from over," concluded James.