Friends,

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your families! With so much going on in the world, it is more important than ever to take time around the holidays to pause and enjoy our families, traditions, and celebrate the blessings that unite us.

As Hampton Roads residents, each of us knows someone who has served or is serving in the military. I'd like to send a special "thank you" to all military men and women at home and abroad who work every day to defend our freedoms, especially on Christmas Day. Special appreciation goes out to our military families who are missing someone at their dinner tables this holiday. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed, and we are looking forward to welcoming your loved ones back home hopefully very soon.

Click on the below video to hear a special Christmas message directly from me:

Securing SSG Cermak's Purple Heart Posthumously

In 2012, Staff Sergeant Frank Cermak Jr. was injured when a rocket exploded ten feet away from where he was performing his medic duties. Sadly, Staff Sergeant Cermak passed away in 2021 having not received the Purple Heart Medal from the Army that he was owed for his service.

This past year, his family contacted my team to help right this wrong, and on Monday I had the incredible honor of presenting Staff Sergeant Cermak’s family with his Purple Heart Medal. We are so thankful for the service and sacrifice of Staff Sergeant Cermak and all other men and women who risk their lives every day to defend our great nation.

Protecting Main Street from Tax Hikes

One of the main reasons I came to Congress was support small businesses, create jobs, and strengthen our economy. That's why I recently cosponsored the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which would stop an enormous tax increase currently scheduled to strike small businesses at the end of 2025.

The 20% Small Business Deduction is set to expire in 2025, and without it, small businesses will have to limit their plans to grow, invest, and hire. Absent congressional action, countless small businesses will face a massive tax hike and will likely be forced to reduce wages or eliminate jobs. Congress neglecting to renew a law should not be the reason that small businesses suddenly owe more taxes. By making the deduction permanent, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act will provide small business owners the tax certainty they need to make business decisions about their future...!

Supporting Military Spouses and Families

As a former Navy helicopter pilot and a Navy wife, I have seen how hard it can be for military spouses to find employment. Currently, more than a third of military families cite difficulties finding spousal employment as a reason they are leaving active-duty service.

A large factor in these high rates of attrition is a lack of flexibility and transparency for working military spouses during a servicemember's change of duty station. Many military spouses have been forced to resign their federal jobs because of their spouses’ transfers, losing out on benefits that accrue over years of continuous service. That's why I cosponsored the READINESS Act.

The READINESS Act allows for military spouses preparing to move with their servicemember to request individual determination about whether their job can be completed remotely on a temporary basis, be reassigned to the new duty station, or be transferred to a comparable job. If none of these options fit, the bill allows the employee to go into non-pay status. The spouse would retain their nonfinancial benefits while their employer would get to fill the position. 

Our great nation demands much from our military spouses...the least we can do is ensure we help them maintain their own careers in public service. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this important bill to help remove undue barriers to employment for military spouses and give our government the opportunity to retain the immense talent this community brings to the workforce.

Congressional App Challenge STEM Night

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Old Dominion University's Data Science Institute for our Congressional App Challenge STEM Night last week…!

The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is the most prestigious student prize in computer science. This district-specific contest, which is open to middle and high school students, allows students to create and submit their own original apps for judging by Congressional offices. The goal of the Challenge is to encourage students to learn STEM skills while inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science.

This past week, I hosted a Congressional App Challenge STEM Night to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their apps to attendees, showcase their innovation and ingenuity, and meet representatives from local tech-related businesses and universities with strong computer science programs. I was very impressed by our students' creativity and tech skills.

Congratulations to all our winners and everyone who participated… all these young men and women have bright futures in STEM!!

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week we honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward C. Byers Jr. (Medal of Honor action date December 8-9, 2012; Rank at time of action: Chief). 

Chief Byers was born in Lucas County, Ohio in 1979 and enlisted in the Navy in September of 1998. He started his career as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, serving at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. Chief Byers Jr. was later attached to the 2nd battalion, 2nd Marines and deployed in 1999 with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Austin. In 2002, he attended basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, graduating with BUD/S Class 242. After attending the Special Operations Combat Medic Course in 2003, he was assigned to his first SEAL team in May of 2004. 

Chief Byers was deployed eleven times overseas, which included nine combat tours with multiple of those being to Iraq and Afghanistan as a part Operation Enduring Freedom. On December 8th, Byers and his team were assigned to rescue American hostages who were captured by the taliban. The SEAL Team hiked over four hours overnight through rough terrain to reach the compound where the hostages were being held. When they were less than 75 feet away from their objective, a taliban guard spotted them, and sounded the alarm. Within seconds, Byers and his teammate Nicolas Checque responded by eliminating the guard and entering the compound.

Once inside the compound, Checque was shot by a Taliban fighter from within the single room where the hostages were held. Undeterred, Byers burst into the room, killing an armed Taliban fighter. He then tackled and straddled another insurgent who was scrambling to the corner of the room to get a rifle. When the American hostage called out to Byers, Byers killed the insurgent he was straddling and then hurled himself on top of Joseph to protect him from harm. At the same time, Byers pinned another militant to the wall with a hand to the throat until another SEAL shot him. Byers, the teams medic, then turned his attention to his fellow SEAL and teammate Checque and attempted to resuscitate him during the 40 minute flight back to Bagram Airfield, without success. Checque was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions. 

Master Chief Byers' bold and decisive actions under fire save the life of the hostage and several of his teammates. He was awarded the Medal of Honor on February 29th of 2016 at the White House by President Barack Obama. He was inducted into the Ohio Military Veterans Hall of Fame.

Five Fast Facts About Christmas!

1. Jingle Bells was originally a Thanksgiving song, but over time became more associated with Christmas.
2. The Grinch movie released in 2018 is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, grossing over $500 million.
3. Candy Canes were invented in 1670 at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany to keep kids occupied through the Nativity.
4. The NORAD Santa Tracker began on accident, when a child in the 1950’s mistakenly dialed the wrong number and called a NORAD command center.
5. The Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days of the year.

It's hard to believe that our 2023 legislative session is over! I'm back in Southeast Virginia working for the people of VA-02 and spending time with my family during the Christmas holiday. I hope to see you around!

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!

Merry Christmas,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District