Friends,

After two weeks in Washington, I was in VA-02 this week for a district work week! Being back home and hearing from directly from southeast Virginians about their concerns is one of the most important parts of my job. It was a busy week: I met with local leaders, held our first ever "Coffee with the Congresswoman", and - of course - celebrated Saint Patrick's Day!!

I'm honored that the "green" I wore on Saint Patrick's Day was also my official Congressional Member pin! Each Congress the colors of the pins change - last Congress wore red and blue pins. I'm lucky everyday to represent you in Washington...!

I had a great time at our beautiful Virginia Beach oceanfront this weekend running the Shamrock Marathon Weekend 8k race on Saturday and watching the marathon on Sunday...! "Running tourism" is alive and well in Virginia's Second District! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful place to call home.

Congratulations to all of the participants... I had a great time running alongside you!

The Inaugural “Coffee with the Congresswoman”!

On Thursday, we hosted our first “Coffee with the Congresswoman” at Kempsville Library in Virginia Beach! I’ll be hosting these on a regular basis to connect with you and hear about the issues that matter most to you. It was fantastic to speak face to face with so many Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from across VA-02!

My first priority as your Member of Congress is to represent you to the best of my ability. Hearing about what is most important to you and your family helps me ensure your government is putting you and our entire community first.

I was so happy to see so many friendly faces… I’m already looking forward to the next one!

Congressional Art Competition

Applications for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition are now open!

If you've ever visited our Nation's Capital and walked through the tunnel that leads from the House Office Buildings to the Capitol itself, you've seen the beautiful artwork from high schoolers around the country displayed in the corridor. Walking past our students' masterpieces is one of my favorite parts of my job, and I can't wait to see one of our local bright young artist's work representing Virginia’s Second District up there soon!

The deadline for submission of artwork is Monday, April 24, 2023. For more information and to submit artwork, please click on the photo below:

Meeting with Local Leaders

I kicked off my district work week on Monday with City of Suffolk officials! Maintaining strong relationships with our local governments is very important to me and crucial to my ability to represent our local interests in Washington. We discussed the City’s priorities for the coming year and ways that I can best serve them in Congress.

I’m honored to be your representative in Congress!

Cracking Down on Crime

Our new House Majority is continuing to honor our Commitment to America by ensuring that whether they’re visiting or residents, people deserve to feel safe in our Nation’s Capital! I joined the Kerry and Mike Show on WNIS 790 to discuss our D.C. Crime Bill which I proudly voted for!

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the picture below:

Reducing Wait Time for Veterans Seeking Benefits

This week, I was proud to cosponsor bipartisan legislation called the Veterans’ Appeals Backlog Improvement Act, which focuses on making sure veteran disability claims can be processed faster! 

The current VA appeals process leaves veterans waiting far too long for disability payment decisions. The backlog of pending appeals has increased in recent years, topping 200,000 undecided cases in February. The average veteran filing an appeal faces a wait time of 440 days before a decision...! That is unacceptable.

Specifically, this bill would improve the Board of Veterans’ Appeals ability to hire qualified attorneys and address the backlog of disability claims by:  

• Establishing a competitive internship program for law students to serve with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals
• Creating a nine-year pilot honors program for recruiting entry-level attorneys
• Authorizing a report on improving access to the Board’s tele-hearings 

I'm proud to support this bill because no veteran should have to wait months or even years to get their disability claim processed.

Getting America Back to Work

To quote the great Ronald Reagan, “the best social program is a job”! Across our country, businesses are back open and America is once again the land of opportunity; in fact, there are over 11 million job openings across the country...

However, despite the large number of employment opportunities, some states still have pandemic rules in place that allow people to circumvent SNAP work requirement. I'm proud to cosponsor my colleague Dusty Johnson's legislation that ensures those receiving benefits have a pathway out of poverty and into the workforce. America works best when Americans are at work...!

You can learn more about the America Works Act of 2023 by clicking on the photo above!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, I want to highlight Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Francis Colton Hammond (Medal of Honor action date: March 26, 1953).

Navy Hospital Corpsman Francis Hammond was serving with the 1st Marine Division during a counterattack offensive against a large entrenched enemy force when he came under heavy mortar and artillery fire. Following the enemy barrage, the opposing forces, which greatly outnumbered the American troops, launched an attack against HC Hammond and the Marines.

Despite being critically wounded himself, HC Hammond advanced through enemy fire to administer aid to the wounded members of his division for four hours while they withstood the attack. When the American troops were ordered to withdraw, he directed the evacuation of the casualties, and then remained in the area to assist the relieving corpsman. While providing assistance, he was mortally wounded by a round of mortar fire and fell on the battlefield.

Hospital Corpsman Francis Colton Hammond was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a[n] HC serving with the 1st Marine Division in action against enemy aggressor forces on the night of 26–27 March 1953”. He was born on November 19, 1931, in Alexandria, Virginia, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. His Medal of Honor was presented by Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson to his infant son, and is accredited to Francis C. Hammond Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Five Fast Facts From VA-02!

1. Naval Air Station Oceana was commissioned on August 17, 1943. It was transformed from a swampy wasteland into the Master Jet Base on the East Coast with more than 7 miles of runway!
2. The Chesapeake Bay Tunnel was completed in 1964, and is over 17 miles long.
3. Accomack is the northernmost county on Virginia's Eastern Shore - and in our district!
4. Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek takes up 2,120 acres of real estate in Virginia Beach.
5. John Brown was the first person to represent VA-02 in Congress - he served from 1789 to 1792.

Please don't hesitate to contact my D.C. Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District