Friends,

While many of you know that Congress passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) the other week to avoid defaulting on our nation's debt and address Washington's wasteful spending, what you may not have heard is that this bill also addresses our nation's outdated energy permitting process. I'm pleased to report that the permitting provisions included in this legislation were the most significant federal permitting reforms in more than 40 years!

Permitting reviews currently cost the American taxpayer trillions of dollars each year. These burdensome reviews also dramatically slow down communities’ ability to invest in infrastructure and energy projects. By removing unnecessarily complicated permitting regulations and modernizing outdated laws, the FRA will allow our domestic energy industry to flourish, ranging from renewable resources to conventional energy.

In addition to reining in Washington's wasteful spending and supporting an all-of-the-above energy strategy, I've been hard at work on several bills that will help increase career opportunities in VA-02, increase access to healthcare, and support our economy. Here are some of the highlights from this past week:

H.R. 329, the American Workforce Empowerment Act

The skyrocketing cost of education - coupled with record high inflation - has many of our high school students looking to pursue college alternatives. This legislation would expand the parameters of 529 college savings plans to allow them to fund things like trade school and apprenticeship programs. Not only will this bill support young adults and their families in making the educational and financial decisions best for them, it will also help grow America's skilled workforce by giving the next generation the same access to vocational training as those enrolled in degree programs. I appreciate my colleague Brad Finstad from Minnesota for introducing this commonsense measure!

H.R. 3875, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act

This legislation would increase access to virtual healthcare in Virginia and across the country by expanding the types of medical professionals that may bill Medicare for telehealth services. As a geriatric nurse practitioner, expanding access to healthcare is one of my top priorities in Congress...! I'm proud to join my fellow former Navy helicopter pilot Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) as an original cosponsor of this bill so we can make a positive impact in the lives of millions of Americans, particularly our aging population and rural residents.

H.R. 2830, the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2023

This bill will improve career opportunities for our large veteran population by removing red tape that makes it difficult to use GI Bill benefits to obtain commercial drivers licenses. As a veteran myself, I'm well aware of the expansive skill sets our men and women in uniform possess; it's wrong to discourage them from using those skills once they transition to civilian life! Thank you to my fellow House Veterans' Affairs Committee member Chuck Edwards from North Carolina for introducing this legislation.

Crew-5 Astronauts!

In March, the Astronauts of NASA's Crew-5 mission touched down off the coast of Florida after spending 157 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). During that time, they travelled over 66 million statute miles and orbited the Earth 2,512 times!

On Wednesday, the Main Street Caucus hosted Mission Specialist Koichi Wakat, Spacecraft Commander Nicole Mann, and Pilot Josh Cassadra for breakfast in the Capitol! We had a captivating discussion about their time aboard the ISS and the future of space travel. Thank you so much for coming!

The Growing China Threat

It's no secret that China is our biggest geopolitical adversary. Make no mistake: their rapid military buildup, rampant intellectual property theft, and increasing economic warfare are aimed squarely at us. Over the past few weeks we've seen increasing acts of aggression from the CCP, including flying and sailing dangerously close in front of our aircraft and ships. These actions are meant to intimidate us; unfortunately for the People's Liberation Army, the United States is not and will not be prevented from exercising our right to operate in friendly and international waters and airspace.

It is incredibly important that we maintain strength in our military to effectively combat any threat that our country might be faced with. This means ensuring our troops have all of the necessary resources to complete their mission. It also means maintaining strong partnerships with our allies abroad - especially those in the region.

On Wednesday, I also hosted the Honorable Pat Conroy, the Australian Minister Defense Industry Minister! We had a productive conversation about the U.S.-Australian military partnership and ensuring that our Pacific forces are strong enough to deter the growing dangers facing our two nations. Australia is one of our closest allies; it was an honor to play a role in strengthening our strategic and economic partnership!

The Most Important Part of My Job

Each week - whether I'm in DC or back home - I make sure that I have enough time to call some of the residents of Virginia's Second District that have reach out to my office with their questions, comments, and concerns. When I'm back home, I get the added benefit of being able to make personal visits all around our part of our Commonwealth. Keeping in touch with you - the people I'm honored to represent - will always be at the top of my list of priorities!!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week I want to recognize Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Second Lieutenant Henry Alfred Commiskey Sr. (Medal of Honor action date: September 20, 1950). 

Henry Commiskey Sr. enlisted to join the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1944, two days after his 17th birthday. After completing his recruit training, Commiskey was deployed to the Pacific Theatre during World War II and served in the Iwo Jima campaign. 

During the Battle of Iwo Jima, he was wounded in action and received a citation for “exhibiting high qualities of leadership and courage in the face of a stubborn and fanatical enemy.” After returning from World War II, Commiskey remained in the Marine Corps, eventually completing officer training and commissioning as a First Lieutenant. Prior to being deployed in the Korean War, Lt. Commiskey served at Parris Island, South Carolina and was an instructor at the Marine Corps Schools Quantico, Virginia.

In 1950, Lt. Commiskey was deployed to Korea where he participated in the Inchon Landing. Several days after landing in Korea, Lt. Commiskey, armed with only a pistol, spearheaded an assault on Hill 85, near Yongdungp'o, Korea. Disregarding heavy hostile fire, he jumped into a hostile machine-gun emplacement occupied by five hostile soldiers. Quickly, Commiskey disposed of four with his sidearm and subdued the fifth via hand-to-hand combat until more Marines were able to come to his aid. 

Lieutenant Commiskey was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman for his “gallant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his company to heroic endeavor in seizing the objective” on August 1, 1951. 

After being forced to return to the United States in December of 1950 due to an injury sustained in battle, Lieutenant Commiskey continued his service in the U.S. Marines. He became a Naval Aviator in 1953, and returned to Korea as a pilot in 1945 with Marine Attack Squadron 212, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. After that deployment, he continued to serve the Marines in a variety of functions across the country. He retired from the Marine Corps in 1966 as a recruiter. 

He was born on January 10, 1927 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and died on August 16, 1971 in Meridian, Mississippi, he was 44. He was cremated and his ashes were spread over the Gulf of Mexico. In June, 2004, a United States Postal Service facility was officially named the “Major Henry A. Commiskey Sr., Post Office Building.”

Five Fast Graduation Facts!

In celebration of all the graduates here in the 2nd District, here are five fast facts about graduation!

1. Graduates throwing their caps in the air started at the U.S. Naval Academy Graduation in 1912.
2. Graduation gowns originated in the twelfth century to keep graduates warm because universities at the time often had poor heating.
3. Pomp and Circumstance, the song traditionally played during graduation, was composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1901.
4. Before parchment, original diplomas were made out of sheepskins.
5. Originally, commencement speakers were given by faculty or students, not outside speakers.

As summer gets into full swing, I'll be back in Washington next week to continue to serve the people of Southeast Virginia. It's hard to believe that we're already in the middle of June; time flies...!

As always, 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