Hey folks,

I spent last week visiting with folks across Southwest and Southside Virginia – hearing concerns, answering questions, touring local industry, and presenting federal money. I’m incredibly proud of our extremely successful year in Congress so far, passing a truly historic set of laws, but spending time with Virginians and hearing directly from folks is what brings all that work home, and it’s what inspires the next round of legislation that I’ll work on.

Throughout the week, I had the opportunity to talk about some of our greatest legislative accomplishments over the past year, like our infrastructure law, which will fix Virginia’s roads and bridges, expand broadband across the state, and create good-paying jobs. I also met with mining communities and discussed our successful campaign to secure permanent funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which helps miners and their families deal with the impacts of mining-related disease. I talked to stakeholders in local public schools and health care facilities, and presented million of dollars of federal money to organizations already doing incredible work in their communities. I also shared updates on the passage of the Creating Helpful Incentivizes to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act  and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), two bills designed to ease the supply chain, onshore American jobs, and ramp up domestic production of energy and technology.

Grayson County

At every stop, I fielded questions and suggestions about ways that Congress can better serve Virginians. In Buchanan County, I met with the victims of recent flooding and toured affected buildings firsthand, and I’m going to keep speaking up about ways FEMA can work better for rural communities impacted by natural disasters. I also heard many concerns that rural communities receive their fair share from laws like CHIPS and the infrastructure law, and so I’m working to see how we can get more grants and programs funded by those laws straight into Southwest and Southside.

Buchanan County

All my visits shared a common theme – one that I’ve witnessed in all my trips to the regions in the last 20+ years – Southwest and Southside Virginia are filled with persevering, hardworking people that look out for one another. Folks aren’t looking for handouts from Uncle Sam – they’re just seeking decent representation that preserves their natural resources and promotes safety and prosperity. I’m going to keep fighting for all Virginians, and I’m ready to start back our next work session in DC with the needs of Southwest and Southside Virginia at the top of my mind. I’m grateful to live in and work for our great Commonwealth, and I’m so glad to be able to stop and snag some of the finest hot dogs in the world, too.

Wytheville, VA

If you want to share your thoughts about an issue that’s important to you, you can send me an email any time using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,