Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline: March 30, 2019

The Mueller Report was filed on Friday, March 22, and Attorney General William Barr summarized findings in a letter to Congress on Sunday, March 24. In the Attorney General’s letter, Congress and the American people were informed of the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year, $25 million investigation. The conclusion? The Special Counsel did not find that the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in their efforts to interfere with the 2016 US Presidential Campaign.

As Americans, we should all be relieved that the investigation into potential collusion with a foreign government found no collusion, but many on the left are not satisfied. Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and his colleagues have started a congressional investigation with 81 people receiving subpoenas so far and no telling how many more tax dollars going to waste on an investigation which is already complete. As I told WSHV-TV 3 on Wednesday, it is time to move on and get to work for the American people. We have real issues facing our country, from renewal of the higher education bill to addressing America’s crumbling infrastructure. That is why I encourage my colleagues to refocus their efforts on policy and not politics.

Addressing the concerns of the Sixth Congressional District is exactly what I did on Wednesday as I joined Republican Whip Steve Scalise and my colleagues on the House Energy Action Team to hold a press conference demanding a vote on the ridiculous Green New Deal in the House of Representatives.

The Green New Deal is a terrible idea. It is an attack on agriculture and our way of life in Virginia and the entire country. In the Commonwealth alone, agriculture and forestry have an economic impact of $91 billion and support over 400,000 jobs. If the radical left’s attempt to reverse the Industrial Revolution becomes law, farmers and many others would lose their livelihoods while local economies would be wrecked. In the Sixth Congressional District and all over America, we know the Green New Deal will not work. That is why we are calling for a House vote to once and for all put this bad policy out to pasture.

Before traveling to Washington on Monday, I visited Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) in Roanoke, a community action agency working to help community members improve their own lives.

One service that TAP provides is the weatherization of homes. Last year, TAP weatherized 32 homes in the City of Roanoke. One of those homes belongs to the Vance Family, with whom I met during Monday’s visit. Because of TAP’s weatherization program, they save nearly $30 per month on utilities. Further, the Vance’s neighbors also shared how TAP located a small carbon monoxide leak in their home, likely averting a life-threatening disaster for the family.

I thank the senior leadership of TAP for taking time to inform me on its work in southwest Virginia. If you see me out in your community, please say hello and let me know if you need assistance with a federal agency or call my office at (540) 857-2672. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.