Welcome back to another weekly recap! I spent the week in Washington, D.C. to vote on a number of critical pieces of legislation aimed at improving the lives of all Americans. We took up bills that: preserve critical conservation programs, develop civic education curriculums to ensure students understand how communism conflicts with the principles of American democracy, and protect small businesses from government overreach. You can read more information about these bills which I proudly supported below:

I will be back in D.C. again this week to finalize legislation before the 119th Congress begins next year, including debating and voting on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. Read below for more on what I was up to last week!

Breaking Ground on Creeds Facility Renovation

Before traveling up to Washington, D.C., last week, I joined local officials and law enforcement for a ceremony to celebrate the Creeds Law Enforcement Training Facility Groundbreaking! The groundbreaking was a chance to witness the next step in growing the Creeds Training Facility into an even bigger and better space for our law enforcement and military partners to train. I am so proud of the amazing collaboration between the City of Virginia Beach, our military partners, our federal government, and the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD).

Our brave men and women in blue selflessly confront danger to protect us and our families, and I firmly believe it is only right to recognize all they do to keep our communities safe. I know there is more we can do to support these brave men and women through increasing and improving resources like Creeds. Creeds is a multifaceted training facility operated by the VBPD and is also utilized by other local police departments, military partners, and federal agencies. The partnership between our local law enforcement, our military, and our local, state, and federal governments made this exciting groundbreaking possible!

I was proud to secure nearly $700,000 in federal funding last year for the VBPD to improve and expand their advanced training facilities. Whether it's through legislation or simple actions, I am committed to restoring a sense of appreciation for our law enforcement who put themselves in harm's way for our safety. I will continue to advocate for law enforcement in Congress and support legislation that protects our police forces here and around the country.

Reauthorizing Conservation Programs

Coastal Virginia is blessed to be home to the Chesapeake Bay, filled with countless fish and other wildlife that should be protected. Earlier this summer, I partnered with my colleague and fellow Virginian, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), to introduce America's Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 to reauthorize and amend critical conservation programs. These programs were authorized in 2020 under the original ACE Act, and include the North American Wetland Conservation Program, the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, and more.

Our bipartisan legislation will ensure we can continue to protect important wildlife and natural resources across the country, and I was proud to vote on the House Floor last week for the Senate version of our bill, which passed by a vote of 366-21. This legislation will both protect wildlife and wetland habitats and support local economies that depend on outdoor recreation, tourism, and agriculture...like Hampton Roads!

I am honored to be a strong advocate for the preservation of our local habitats so Virginia families and visitors can enjoy them for decades to come. I know this bill will help maintain important private and public partnerships, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law!

You can read the legislation here.

Assisting Our Farmers

Did you know that every five years, Congress renews the Fam Bill to reflect new conditions and changes to America's agriculture market and workforce? However, due to Congressional gridlock last year, the Farm Bill wasn't passed, and it likely will not see the President's desk until next year. This delay is causing devastating issues for small farmers across the country, especially those in Virginia's Second District.

While we wait on the Farm Bill in the U.S. House, our farmers need assistance now. That's why I cosponsored the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation (FARM) Act to get small farmers the emergency assistance they may need so they can continue to feed our country. This bill would provide assistance to producers of eligible commodities that are expected to have a revenue lower than the projected per-acre cost of production. This includes crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, oats, and barley.

Food security is national security, and I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find solutions that help our agriculture market continue to thrive! You can read the legislation here.

Improving Healthcare for Military Kids

Last week, my legislation the Care for Military Kids Act, took another step towards becoming law - Senators Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Thom Tillis (NC) introduced a companion bill in the Senate! This legislation, which passed the House unanimously earlier this fall, will allow military families to maintain critical Medicaid long-term care coverage for their children if they are relocated across state lines during their military service!

Our men and women in uniform sacrifice so much for our country, relocating frequently and spending months apart. As a Navy spouse, mother of four, and a veteran who served for nearly 10 years myself, I firmly believe servicemembers should be able to maintain healthcare coverage for their children when they are relocated. My legislation would amend the Social Security Act to ensure that any dependent of an active duty servicemember currently receiving long-term care services through a state-administered Medicaid plan will remain eligible for those services should their family be stationed in another state.

I want to thank Senators Blumenthal and Tillis for introducing this legislation in the Senate and I look forward to seeing our legislation move through the Senate soon so we can guarantee our military children have consistent healthcare coverage! They should never have to forgo critical care because of their parents' selfless decision to serve!

You can read the text of my legislation here.

Recognizing Our App Challenge Students

On Thursday, December 12, I will be hosting an event to recognize the participants and winners of the Congressional App Challenge in Virginia Beach. The Congressional App Challenge is an annual event sponsored by the House in which students design and submit original apps to their Member of Congress for review. All are welcome to attend and see the amazing hard work of these young technology students! I'll be announcing the winners of the challenge, who will be invited to Washington, D.C. next year to showcase their apps at the House of Code event in the spring.

Check out the graphic below for more details on this exciting event... I hope to see you there!

Weekly Poll

With over 1,000 responses this week, nearly 90% of you said that your you were concerned about political violence, such as the recent bomb threats against elected officials. I agree with you - the rise in political violence over the past several months has been concerning. I am grateful that the recent instances of bomb threats did not result in any injuries or physical violence. We must come together to lower the temperature.

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

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week's Medal Of Honor Recipient of the Week is very special because he was present at my U.S. Navy commissioning ceremony. Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr. was the Guest of Honor at my Navy ROTC Commissioning ceremony on the deck of the USS Constitution in 1993. The new ensigns at Boston University are traditionally commissioned on the deck of the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned ship and having Capt Hudner present that day to address my class and help present our commissions was certainly a great honor. Also present that day was my Dad, COL William Moore who is pictured in his Army uniform standing next to Capt Hudner and about to salute his newly commissioned daughter. It was certainly a wonderful day and an amazing memory! It is a special privilege to acknowledge Captain Thomas Hudner this week!

Medal of Honor recipient Captain Thomas J Hudner Jr. United States Navy (Medal of Honor Action Date: December 4,1950). Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr. was born on August 31, 1924 in Fall River, Massachusetts. The oldest of four siblings, Hudner attended the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. After graduation, he was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy and enrolled in 1943. After graduating in 1946, Hudner initially served aboard the cruiser USS Helena and then as a communications officer at Pearl Harbor. In 1948, Hudner was accepted into flight school and underwent basic flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola followed by advanced training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He officially qualified as a naval aviator in 1949 and was assigned to VF-32 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Leyte (CV-32) where he piloted the F4U Corsair.

At the outbreak of the Korean war, Hudner and the USS Leyte were operating in the Mediterranean Sea. USS Leyte was relieved from its station by another aircraft carrier and was ordered to sail to the Pacific as the pilots and crew of the Leyte were better prepared and better trained. Hudner and USS Leyte arrived on station off of Korea in early October and joined a force of 17 ships which included an additional aircraft carrier and the battleship USS Missouri. Hudner flew 20 missions attacking various military targets of the North Korean army. After Chinese intervention into the war, Hudner and the pilots of USS Leyte were flying close air support missions to support the 15,000 U.S. troops who had been surrounded by a force of over 100,000 Chinese soldiers. 

On December 4, 1950, Hudner was part of a flight of six Corsair fighters launched to provide close air support to U.S. troops in the Chosin Reservoir. Among them was his wingman Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first African American naval aviator. No Chinese troops were spotted by the patrol but Ensign Brown’s aircraft was discovered to be leaking fuel from what was believed to be small arms fire. Brown’s aircraft eventually crashed. Hudner crash landed his aircraft in order to attempt to rescue Brown, and found his wingman trapped in his cockpit unable to escape the aircraft which was burning from an engine fire. A helicopter eventually arrived in an attempt to assist with rescuing Brown, but Hudner and the helicopter pilot were unable to extinguish the engine fire or free Brown. Due to the approaching nightfall, the helicopter was forced to leave the scene with Hudner onboard. Ensign Brown was unconscious and is believed to have died shortly after they left.

Hudner tried in vain to convince his superiors to allow him to attempt another rescue. It was believed to be too risky due the risk of ambushes waiting at the crash site. The site was bombed with napalm later in order to prevent the aircraft from falling into communist hands. Hudner received the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in a ceremony on April 13, 1951. He later served in a variety of roles including commanding squadron VF-53, Training Squadron 24, executive officer of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), and finally as head of Aviation Technical Training for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Just days before his retirement, Hudner attended the commissioning of the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089) where he gave a dedication in the presence of Brown’s widow Daisy Brown Thorne. 

After retiring from the Navy in 1973, Hudner worked as a management consultant and then for the United Service Organizations (USO). He lived quietly with the exception of the roles he held with veterans advocacy groups and eight years as Massachusetts Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner. Hudner worked for years in an attempt to get North Korean authorities to allow the recovery of Jesse Brown’s remains from the crash site, even visiting Pyongyang, North Korea in 2013 but was ultimately unsuccessful. Hudner published his official biography Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship and Sacrifice in 2015. On April 1, 2017, Hudner attended the christening ceremony of an Arleigh Burke class destroyer bearing his name. He died on November 13, 2017 at his home in Concord, Massachusetts at the age of 93 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony attended by Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) was commissioned on December 1, 2018 and is active in service.

Constituent Corner!

I know how difficult it can be to navigate the federal government... Recently, my office was able to assist Jeffery from Virginia Beach with the obtain an expedited passport and make his trip...!

If you need assistance with your veteran 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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