Friends,

This week was the second half of our two-week District work period. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful place to call home...the only problem is that makes it hard to leave when I have to return to Washington!

After a wonderful Easter spent with my family, I got right back to work. This week featured my first "Veteran Listening Session" and my first tour of the Hampton VA Medical Center as a Member of Congress.

Here are the highlights from a defense-forward week across Virginia's Second District...!

Veteran Listening Session

On Wednesday evening, my office hosted veterans at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach for a "Veteran Listening Session". It was an honor to host so many of Hampton Roads' veterans to share their stories about the challenges that they've faced accessing quality care and benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

As a board-certified Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, ensuring our former servicemembers are able to receive top-notch healthcare in a timely fashion is extremely important to me!

As the Chairwoman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, I will work to ensure that every single dollar spent by the VA is directly benefitting the population that it serves. Thank you to all who attended; I can't wait for the next one!

Touring the Hampton VA Medical Center

The morning after our Wednesday evening listening session, I toured the Hampton VA Medical Center, which many of our local veterans rely on for healthcare services. Hearing directly from the doctors and nurses that care for our veterans provided valuable insight into the challenges facing both patients and their healthcare professionals.

Unfortunately, as is the case with much of our healthcare infrastructure, one of the biggest problems facing our VA medical facilities today is staffing shortages. According to the VA, the average wait time for new patients to get an appointment at the Hampton Medical Center is nearly 50 days, while returning patients' is a week; however, I've heard from many veterans that they often wait much longer than that to be seen.

I am committed to working with our local VA medical centers to cut red tape, increase access to providers, and ensure our veterans receive high quality benefits and healthcare when and where they need them.

As a veteran and a healthcare provider, I know we can do better for the men and women who faithfully served our country. Southeast Virginia is blessed to be home to an incredibly large population of our nation’s heroes. It is my honor to fight for them in Congress, and I will not rest until every veteran receives the high-quality care that they were promised when they committed to serve...!

To learn more about this visit and what I learned, you can click on either of the photos above and watch my interview with WTKR News 3!

Ensuring Social Security Fairness

One of the bills several constituents have brought up with me while I've been here working at home is H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023. I'm pleased to report that I am now a cosponsor of this important legislation! Specifically, this bill eliminates provisions - like the government pension offset and the windfall elimination provision - that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, like state and local government pensions.

It's not fair that our firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public servants worked hard their whole life only to find out that they'll see a reduction in benefits due to other benefits that they've earned. I'm proud to be a part of ensuring that their lifetime of public service is justly rewarded...!

Nexcom and Naval Information Forces

This week I had an awesome tour of the global headquarters for the Navy Exchange Service Command! Known as Nexcom, they are an invaluable provider of goods and services for our military members and their families at home and abroad.

I'm proud that VA-02 is home to Nexcom's headquarters and look forward to seeing the “Fleatery” food truck serve our local Navy fleet very soon!

I also recently received a brief from Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) about their capabilities and received a tour of their facility in Suffolk. The Navy's information-based capabilities, including communications, networks, intelligence, meteorology, oceanography, cryptology, electronic warfare, cyberspace operations, and space, play a vital role in our national defense. It was clear to see how crucial NAVIFOR is to the success of our fleet and security of our country. I appreciate the very informative visit and look forward to supporting the great work they do…!

The First 100 Days of the 118th Congress

Today officially marks 100 days since I was sworn in as a Member of Congress. We've already accomplished so much on behalf of the Second District...here are some of the highlights! Since taking office:

• I was chosen to serve on three committees: the House Armed Services Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee, and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee (HVAC). Since January 7th, I have participated in over 30 hearings and markups.
• I have joined sixteen caucuses, including the bipartisan Congressional Nursing Caucus, and the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus.
• I have sponsored three bills and cosponsored 18 pieces of legislation.
• I have opened three District offices in Virginia Beach, Suffolk, and Onley.
• I have held over 90 constituent and policy meetings.
• I hosted a Telephone Town Hall with close to 50,000 constituents.
• My team has helped solve nearly 300 constituent cases with federal agencies, saving close to $235,000 for the people of Virginia's Second District.

In our new House majority, we've also been hard at work fulfilling our Commitment to America. Here are just a few of the legislative items we've accomplished over the past three months:

H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act

Soaring energy prices have caused pain and hardships for the families of VA-02 over the past two years. This legislation lowers those costs by increasing domestic energy production, reforming permitting process, and streamlining our nation's energy infrastructure. It passed the House at the end of March; I strongly encourage the Senate and the President to join us and lower costs for the American people.

Not only will this bill lower costs; it includes my amendment that protects our coast and coastal waterways by ensuring that existing bans on offshore drilling off the coast of Virginia are not effected. I'm so glad to be able to work on legislation that lowers prices while also protects our beautiful way of life here in Hampton Roads...!

H.R. 347, the REIN IN Act

Inflation - largely fueled by wasteful government spending - has been pummeling Americans across the country. This legislation takes square aim at reducing the spending that got us into this mess by requiring the White House to publish the anticipated inflationary effects of executive actions before enacting them.

H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights

In 2021, the nation took notice as parents all across our Commonwealth made it known that we will not be denied access to our children's education. Since then, parents across the nation have stood up and influenced legislation to ensure education systems are transparent and accountable to the families they serve.

A few weeks ago, the House passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights.  It is a transparency bill that enables parents to have access to their childrens' curriculum, school budget, safety record, teacher training, library content, and much more. As a Mom of four current students, I was proud to support this bill!

H.Res. 11, Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

It's no secret that China is our single greatest competitor on the world stage. Establishing this Committee will ensure Congress works on a bipartisan basis to build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values.

...and we are just getting started!!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, I want to honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant First Class Tony K. Burris (Medal of Honor Action Date: October 8, 1951).

U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Tony Burris was serving with Company L in Mundung-Ni, Korea when they encountered heavy fire from an entrenched enemy force. Sfc. Burris - without hesitation - charged forward by himself, lobbing grenades into the position and singlehandedly eliminating 15 enemy soldiers.

The following day, Sfc. Burris led an assault against the enemy positions on an adjacent ridge. Despite being wounded by machine-gun fire, he continued his assault, reached the crest of the ridge before the rest of his company, and sustained another wound. Unfazed, he called for a 57-mm recoilless-rifle team, and intentionally exposed himself to enemy fire to reveal their position. After taking the bait and firing on Sfc. Burris, the enemy position was hastily destroyed.

Refusing evacuation and only agreeing to necessary emergency treatment, Sfc. Burris rejoined his team and continued to assault the ridge; however, they were beaten back by renewed fire from the enemy forces. Determined to take the position, Sfc. Burris charged ahead and destroyed the first enemy position consisting of a heavy machine gun and six enemy soldiers. He quickly moved onto the next enemy position, throwing his last grenade and destroying it. Shortly after he threw the grenade, Sfc. Burris was mortally wounded, and fell on the battlefield.

Inspired by his indomitable courage, his fellow soldiers began a renewed assault, and secured Hill 605, which would later prove crucial during the battle for "Heartbreak Ridge".

Sergeant First Class Tony K. Burris was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by General Omar N. Bradley on August 14, 1952 for "indomitable fighting spirit, outstanding heroism, and gallant self-sacrifice".

He was born on May 30, 1929 in Blanchard, Oklahoma and is buried at Blanchard Cemetery in Blanchard, Oklahoma. His Medal of Honor is accredited to Blanchard, McClain County, Oklahoma and was presented to his mother by General Bradley at the Pentagon.

Five Fast Facts from Virginia's Second District!

1. First Landing State Park, located off Shore Drive in northern Virginia Beach, was originally called Seashore State Park and is the oldest planned state park in Virginia. 
2. In 1974, Congress passed the Dismal Swamp Act, which officially established the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia and North Carolina. A substantial portion of the Great Dismal Swamp is in Chesapeake. 
3. During the War of 1812, British forces led by Adm. Sir George Cockburn established Fort Albion on the southern end of Tangier Island. The fort was used by the British as a base of operations in the Chesapeake Bay region and raids were launched from Tangier Island on major cities including Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. 
4. The Westin Hotel in Virginia Beach Town Center is the tallest building in the Commonwealth. 
5. In terms of land area, Suffolk is the 14th largest city in the entire United States...! 

I'll be back in Washington next week to continue working on legislation that will benefit Southeast Virginians. These district work periods are invaluable to me - there's nothing like getting out and about in our community here at home...! I feel truly blessed to work on issue areas that effect so much of our District.

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