Congressman Robert Hurt's October Monthly Video Report

Friday, November 6, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today released his October Video Report.  Text of the address is available below, as well as video.  You may view the video by clicking the image below, or by clicking here.

 

 

"Hi, I'm Robert Hurt.  Thank you for tuning into our Monthly Video Report for the month of October.

 

"The month of October proved to be very busy here in Washington.  Perhaps the most significant piece of business surrounded the leadership changes which resulted in the election of Paul Ryan from Wisconsin as the 54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Under our Constitution, the Speaker is third in line to the presidency and has the most important responsibility of leading the House as it works to make the laws of this great nation.  I believe Speaker Ryan is uniquely qualified to unite our majority conference and to open up the legislative process so that it encourages more transparency, more collaboration, and more accountability to the people of the United States.  I believe the years that Speaker Ryan has spent working on the existential challenges facing our nation – especially as it relates to U.S. debt and deficits – give him tremendous credibility in using this office to actually solve these problems.  I also believe that this new post will offer him the opportunity to set out and clearly articulate a results-oriented agenda that will limit the size and scope of government, protect our freedoms, and promote jobs and opportunity across America.  I am glad that we are now able to get back to the business of the people who sent us here to do their work.

 

"Among the substantive legislation we dealt with this month was revisiting the issue the President's healthcare law and the effect it is having on Fifth District families, our small businesses, and our family farms.  As I travel across our district, we continue to hear about the negative impacts this law is having in the form of higher health insurance premiums, higher co-pays and deductibles, lost work hours, and fewer choices among providers and among health insurance policies. In fact, just last week we learned that Virginians with Benchmark Plans under the President's healthcare law will once again see their monthly premiums rise next year.  This is why the House took up and passed with bipartisan support the Restore Americans Freedom Reconciliation Act which would repeal several of the most harmful policies within the President's healthcare law -- including both the individual and employer mandates and the medical device tax. Because this legislation is part of the budget reconciliation process and is not subject to the Senate filibuster rule, it is my hope that the Senate will take up this bill as soon as possible and send it to the President for his consideration.

 

"Also this month, I was pleased to be able to continue to work with Congressman Forbes and Wittman and Senators Warner and Kaine in continuing to advocate for expediting the construction of the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center at Fort Pickett, the Army National Guard training facility in Nottoway, Dinwiddie, and Brunswick Counties.  The importance of this facility was highlighted this month with the testimony of former Secretary of State Clinton before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, as the committee seeks find out once and for all exactly what happened on September 11, 2012 that resulted in the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.  The House of Representatives has a profound constitutional responsibility in conducting oversight in this matter, and it is disappointing that the Administration and the former Secretary of State have spent the last three years stonewalling the oversight efforts by the Congress.  I commend Chairman Trey Gowdy for his relentless pursuit of the truth and hope and pray that the results of this investigation will ultimately lead to policies that will ensure the safety of our foreign diplomatic corps in the future.  Certainly, expediting the construction of the training center at Fort Pickett is an important step towards achieving that goal.

 

"Along the same lines, this month the people of Altavista and Campbell County gave thanks for the life of a young veteran named Kevin Mason.  An Altavista native and 10-year Air Force veteran, Mr. Mason was tragically killed military transport plane crash in Afghanistan.  I was proud to be able to be able to attend his funeral service and pay respects to his memory.  Our prayers continue to be with the Mason family.

 

"Finally, we are looking forward to observing Veteran's Day back in the district as it provides an excellent opportunity to thank those who have served this nation in the U.S. Armed Forces.  In addition, in early December, we look forward to hosting a series of five commemorative ceremonies across the Fifth District specifically recognizing our Vietnam veterans as we observe the 50th Anniversary of the commencement of combat operations in the Vietnam War.  If you, or a Vietnam Veteran you know, is interested in participating in one of these commemorative events, please visit our website hurt.house.gov, and look for our Vietnam War Commemoration page under Fifth District Services.

 

"In conclusion, please remember that if we may ever be of service to you in any way be sure to contact one of our district offices or our Washington office.  We can always be reached at our website at hurt.house.gov -- where you can also sign up for regular legislative updates.  And don't forget to join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

"Once again, thank you for tuning in to our October Monthly Video Report."