Happy January! Welcome back to another weekly debrief... I hope you all had a great time with your family, friends, and loved ones during this special holiday season...! It was refreshing to be back in Hampton Roads for a little bit before returning to Washington on Friday to kick off the 119th Congress and reelect Speaker Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Before we begin our Weekly Debrief, I wanted to take a minute to address the recent attacks in New Orleans, Louisiana and Las Vegas, Nevada. My heart breaks for all of those affected by the tragedies we saw over the New Year holiday. The victims, their families, and loved ones remain in my prayers. I wish those injured a quick recovery. I am especially grateful for all of the law enforcement officers who ran towards the violence to protect innocent lives. 

Today in America, we have seen an increase in unprovoked violence... and it must stop. Whether driven from radical religious beliefs, political differences, or even random acts of violence, we as a nation must come together to put an end to all of it. There is no place for terrorism in the United States of America.

I will be back in Washington again this week to pick up where we left off in the 118th Congress - working to secure America's future. We have been given a tremendous opportunity to deliver for the American people and it is up to our renewed House majority to get to work.

Now on to the Weekly Debrief!!

Kicking Off the 119th Congress

On Friday, I returned to Washington for the first day of the 119th Congress...! It has been an honor to represent Virginia's Second District in the halls of our nation's Capitol for the past two years, and I am humbled that you sent me back to continue our important work. The House convened to elect a Speaker, take our oaths of office, and vote on the rules that we will legislate under for the next two years.

If you remember back to the beginning of the 118th Congress, it took the House 15 ballots and nearly a week to elect Kevin McCarthy of California as Speaker of the House... I am happy to report that this year was a big improvement. We reelected Speaker Mike Johnson in just one vote – although the vote lasted a lot longer than I would have liked...! I am grateful that some of my colleagues changed their votes to allow the House to get to work on the important issues facing the American people. During his tenure, Speaker Johnson has taken the mission of leading a rowdy Republican Conference in the House head on, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with him to secure America's future.

The beginning of the Congress also brought a new freshman class of representatives who cast their first votes on Friday. I want to wish my new Virginia delegation colleagues, Congressmen John McGuire (VA-05), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) a warm welcome. I look forward to working with these new Virginia congressmen to find bipartisan solutions to the pressing issues facing our Commonwealth!

The Path Ahead

Now that the new Congress has been sworn in, it's time to get to work! Our Republican majority was sent here to govern and achieve results for the American people. We have an ambitious legislative calendar for the upcoming year, and I will wake up every day with the goal of delivering on my promise of restoring America's strength. We have to reignite our economy, secure our border, and restore peace through American military dominance.

I am already busy working to introduce several important bills over the next few weeks to address our nursing shortage, hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable, improve port security, and eliminate bureaucratic red tape for the men and women serving in the Coast Guard. Make sure to stay on the lookout for more information about these and other bills in the coming weeks!

I was sent to Washington to represent over 700,000 Virginians. Our district is one of the most purple and diverse districts in the country. From the Naval aviators stationed at NAS Oceana, to the suburbs of Chesapeake, to the farmers on the Eastern Shore and in Western Tidewater, each region has a unique set of issues facing them every day. I wake up every morning to advocate for every Virginian I am honored to represent in Congress. In the 118th Congress I was ranked the 19th most bipartisan member of Congress, and I am committed to continuing to work across the aisle for the betterment of our district.

What Does Budget Reconciliation Mean?

Over the next few months, there is going to be a lot of D.C. jargon and buzzwords thrown around by the media and members of Congress. As these topics begin to garner attention, I will do my best to cut through the noise and let you know what is really going on and what it means for you. The biggest and possibly the most important of these topics is Budget Reconciliation.

Over the past couple of weeks, you might have heard or seen some news reports on the implications of budget reconciliation under the Trump Administration. But what does budget reconciliation actually mean?

In short, reconciliation is a budgetary tool that was first used in the 1980s. It allows for Congress to harmonize current law with the new Congressional budget, creating a huge opportunity to reform how Washington operates and where it spends money. Importantly, a reconciliation bill only requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate. These reconciliation bills can tackle changes to spending authorities, revenues, and the debt limit.

In recent years, these bills have grown increasingly important in eliminating Washington's reckless spending. In 2017, House and Senate Republicans used this process to pass the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which provided financial relief to countless hardworking American families and small businesses.

Over the next two years, Congress will have the opportunity to once again use this process to tackle some of the top priorities we were sent here to accomplish. While the outline of the plan is not yet finalized, it will most likely focus on reining in reckless spending, lowering taxes for the American people, securing our border, and enhancing government's efficiency. Make sure to stay tuned for additional updates!

Come and Visit YOUR Capitol

Kicking off the 119th Congress means there are some changes up here on Capitol Hill...! We just moved offices, and would love to invite you to come visit! We are now located in Cannon House Office Building 152, and our doors are open to everyone from back home.

At the end of the day, this office belongs to you, the residents of Virginia's Second District. If you are interested in coming up for a tour of YOUR Capitol Building, you can schedule one here!

Resources for Our Veterans and Their Caregivers

I wanted to let you all know about about some upcoming events organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Caregiver Support Line (CSL), which is a toll-free number for caregivers, family members, friends, Veterans, and community partners to contact for information related to caregiving and available supports and services.

This month the CSL will be hosting their monthly programming designed to assist veterans find ways to manage stress and thrive. The informational calls will be held as follows:

• Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. ET
• Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, Jan 22 at 3 p.m. ET 
• Tuesday, Jan 28 at 1 p.m. ET (Presented in Spanish)

To listen to the CSL monthly education calls, dial +1 347-566-4838 Conference ID: 521 546 087#. Caregivers who are unable to listen to the calls can access presentations on the CSL website.

Weekly Poll

And now back to our weekly poll series!! With over 1,100 responses before the break, over 65% of you said that Congress was right to avoid a government shutdown. I agree, which I why I voted for a temporary funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. Now that we are in a new Congress, we have an incredible opportunity to enact serious change and rein in Washington's reckless spending. I'm excited and optimistic for the two years ahead!

And now on to this week's poll question...!

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week I would like to honor Medal of Honor recipient Colonel (Col) Donald E Ballard United States Army (Medal of Honor Action Date: May 16, 1968)

Col Donald Everett Ballard was born on December 5, 1945 and was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1965, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was rated as a hospital corpsman. After completing Field Medical Service School, he was then assigned to M Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division in South Vietnam. 

On May 16, 1968 while treating two Marines for heat exhaustion, Ballard’s platoon was attacked by a North Vietnamese unit. While treating a wounded Marine, a grenade landed near him and four other Marines. Col Ballard threw himself on top of the grenade. When the grenade failed to explode, he threw it away and it exploded in mid air, saving himself and the other Marines. He then continued treating other wounded Marines. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in a ceremony at the White House on May 14, 1970. 

Col Ballard left the Navy in 1969 and joined the Kansas National Guard in 1970 as a medical officer. General Westmoreland offered Col Ballard a direct commission as an active duty officer but Col Ballard turned it down. While attending Officer Candidate School and wearing his Medal of Honor ribbon,his instructor strongly verbally reprimanded him and sent him to the commanding officer’s (CO’s) office, believing him to be wearing the award fraudulently. Upon arrival at the CO’s office with the instructor, the CO informed Col Ballard’s instructor that he was indeed authorized to wear the award and Col Ballard recounted in a talk watching the color drain from the instructor’s face. 

Ballard served in a variety of roles with the Kansas National Guard including as an ambulance platoon leader, company commander, and creating a new medical detachment which serves to perform medical work on Kansas Guard members and saves the state money from having to contract outside medical providers to perform the work. Ballard was advanced to the rank of Colonel on April 5, 1998 and served his final assignment as a Special Assistant to the Adjutant General. Col Ballard retired in 2000.

Col Ballard is active within the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the United Services Organization, and the American Legion. He was inducted into the National Guard Hall of Fame in November 2001 and a statue depicting his actions which earned him the Medal of Honor may be viewed at the National Medical War Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. Ballard is also active in working with funeral homes to provide no-cost veteran’s funerals. He is also a speaker and regularly speaks to active and reserve military units throughout the country. 

Constituent Corner!

I know how difficult it can be to navigate the federal government... Recently, my office was able to assist William from Chesapeake navigate TRICARE's bureaucracy, saving him time and hassle.

If you need assistance with your military benefits or with another federal agency, my team is here to help. Contact my District Office at (757) 364-7650 or visit my website and my team will be in touch!

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!

If you or your family are visiting Washington, DC in the coming fall months, please stop by to say hello! If you are interested in a tour, please let us know!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District

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