Friends,

Happy New Year! After a peaceful and relaxing Christmas celebration with my family, I was blessed to start the New Year by spending last week here at home in Virginia's 2nd District. As we conclude the holiday season, I'm more excited than ever to continue working for Hampton Roads...!

Fighting for Military Families

Last month, Senator Tuberville finally dropped his legislative hold and allowed the Senate to confirm more than 400 military nominations and promotions, some of which had been held up for nearly nine months.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Senator Tuberville’s actions put our national security at risk and kept hardworking Hampton Roads military families in limbo. While I share his policy disagreements with the Pentagon, holding up military promotions at a time when the world desperately needs American strength is wrong.

I'm relieved that the Senator's months' long blockade is over; however, our servicemembers and their families still suffered from this delay in promotions. That's why I recently joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce the Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023, which provides backpay and retroactive benefits for members of our Armed Forces whose promotions were delayed.

I came to Congress to restore strength in our military; prioritizing our military men and women is a critical piece of achieving that mission. I am proud to serve on the House Armed Services Committee's bipartisan Recruitment, Retention, and Quality of Life Task Force, and am hopeful that this critical piece of legislation will advance with strong support!

To learn more about the Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023, click here.

Celebrating Chesapeake's New Fire Chief

I recently attended the Chesapeake Fire Department's (CFD) swearing in of Sam Gulisano as Fire Chief...! Chief Gulisano has been with CFD since 1995 and has served as their Deputy Chief since 2019. Chief Gulisano is taking over the role from outgoing Chief Edmund Elliott, who has been with CFD for nearly 50 years! He skillfully led CFD for many years with much success, including the creation of Chesapeake’s Hazardous Materials unit, and several specialty units following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Thank you to both Chief Gulisano and Chief Elliott for all they have done and all they will do to keep our community safe. Our entire community is incredibly grateful for these two dedicated leaders, who have kept and will maintain our community's safety for years!

Protecting our Wetlands

Coastal Virginia is blessed to be home to a large network of estuaries and other wetlands that act as critical barriers against hurricanes, tropical storms, and other natural disasters. Ensuring that these lands are protected and properly cared for is critical to their ability to shield communities in our Commonwealth from destructive weather.

I recently joined several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce the bipartisan Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act, which would strengthen federal efforts to protect these coastal and estuary habitats!

In 1972, Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), which established the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP). The goal of this program was to provide grants to state and local governments to protect coastal and estuarine areas that have conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, or aesthetic value. Unfortunately, the program’s authorization expired in fiscal year 2013 and other federal funding mechanisms ran out in 2017.

By reauthorizing funding for this program, our legislation ensures that our local and state governments have the resources they need to keep our wetlands happy, healthy, and able to absorb and repel harmful weather systems that threaten inland communities. Conservation is a critically important issue to southeast Virginians. To learn more about the Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act, click on the picture above!

ODU Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Old Dominion University Army ROTC Program's Winter Commissioning Ceremony! I spoke to these young men and women about the incredibly challenging and rewarding journey they're setting out on, as well as expressed how grateful our community and our country are for their service.

I also reminded them of how important their mission is. In a world that grows more dangerous by the day, it is so important that our nation is able to rely on strong military men and women like those who took their oaths today. Congratulations to these nine exceptional young officers; I have no doubt you'll all go on to do great things!

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, we honor Congressional Medal of Honor Lieutenant Beauford T. Anderson of the U.S. Army. (Medal of Honor Action Date April 13, 1945, Rank Technical Sergeant). 

Lieutenant Anderson was born in July of 1922 in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. He enlisted in the Army in 1942 and in 1944 was deployed to the South West Pacific Theater. While serving on the island of Leyte in the Philippines he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. By 1945 Lieutenant Anderson, at the time a Technical Sergeant, participated in the Battle of Okinawa as a member of the 381st infantry regiment, 96th Infantry Division. 

On April 13, 1945, during an overwhelming predawn counterattack carried out by Japanese forces, Anderson and his fellow soldiers came under attack at their unit’s flank. After instructing his men to take cover, he single handedly charged the oncoming Japanese soldiers. He would eventually commandeer a mortar, which he threw into a group of enemy soldiers, killing several of them. Locating a new box of mortar shells, he proceeded to slam the base of the mortars on nearby rocks and hurled them one by one towards the approaching enemies. His actions killed 25 Japanese soldiers and resulted in their forces retreating. Anderson, bleeding profusely from a shrapnel injury, refused medical attention and instead reported the retreat to his company commander.

Through his display of tremendous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, Anderson was awarded the Medal of Honor in June of 1946 at the White House by President Truman. After the War, Anderson continued his service in the Korean War, where he eventually received his commission as a second Lieutenant in September of 1952, and later continued his service in the Army Reserves. He passed away in November, 1996 and is interred next to his wife, Phyllis, in Arlington National Cemetery.

Five Fast Facts About Virginia!

1. Archeological evidence suggests people have been living in the area now known as Virginia for at least 18,000 years.
2. Virginia’s nickname, the Old Dominion, derives from the fact that it was the first, and oldest overseas settlement of England.
3. Arlington National Cemetery, one of America’s most renowned military cemeteries, was originally built in the early 19th century as a mansion by George Washington’s adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis.
4. Located on the Chesapeake Bay, Tangier Island was permanently settled in the 1770s. Many who live on the island speak a one-of-a-kind dialect of American English, which some people believe to be derived from British English.
5. Mountain Dew is an iconic soda, but few people realize it has ties to Virginia. The creators, Barney and Ally Hartman, had a tough time selling their drink. Eventually, they garnered interest from Virginia's Tip Corporation, who enhanced the recipe to add more of a citrus flavor. While the original soda was crafted in the mountains of Tennessee, it was truly perfected here in Virginia.

I'm back in Washington this week as we work to fully fund our government while fighting for critical border security measures and spending cuts. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with me or say hi during these last few weeks!

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my DC 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