Webb joins in effort to curb automatic congressional pay raises

Chris Graham

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb joined Sen. Claire McCaskill and other senators in introducing bipartisan legislation to abolish automatic pay raises for members of Congress. The new legislation mirrors a bill introduced by Sen. Webb and Sen. Russ Feingold during the last Congress (S.317). “With many Americans still out of work and trying to figure out…

Webb: Congress should end ethanol subsidies

Chris Graham

U.S. Jim Webb, D-Va., today called for an end to costly ethanol subsidies and tariffs. In a bipartisan letter, Sen. Webb and other senators urged Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kent., to eliminate the protections currently manipulating ethanol costs and restricting U.S. trade. The current subsidies and tariffs on domestic…

Linda Meric: Memo to Congress-extend programs that help us

AFP

Dear Member of Congress: You’ve got a lot to consider in this month. You’re scheduled to debate international treaties and internet censorship. There’s talk of military affairs and revamping federal agencies. But this should be at the top of your agenda:  extending benefits for unemployed workers and making sure struggling parents can continue to make…

Perspectives on the economy: U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling

Chris Graham

Interesting week for me in my often overlapping roles as a business writer and politics writer. On Wednesday, I met with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, after a roundtable in Staunton with local business owners and business leaders who gave Warner quite the earful about the state of business and the state of the…

Susan Shaer: If you want to know what Congress values, watch the supplemental vote

AFP

Column by Susan Shaer Submit guest columns: [email protected]   It’s not enough that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have topped $1 trillion. Now there is a supplemental appropriations bill awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives that will add $37 billion more, plus some other odd bedfellows. This so-called supplemental allows other “emergency”…

Perriello introduces legislation to ban foreign corporate money from U.S. elections

Chris Graham

   Staff Report News tips: [email protected] Fifth District Congressman Tom Perriello has introduced legislation that would ban electioneering activity by corporations whose shareholders include any foreign nationals. Perriello introduced H.R. 4523, the Save Our Democracy From Foreign Influence Act of 2010, to close a dangerous loophole that “would appear to afford the same protection to…

Perriello-backed unemployment extension wins approval in Congress

AFP

Today, Rep. Tom Perriello praised the huge victory in Congress to extend unemployment benefits in all 50 states. He had been fighting for the changes since the U.S. House passed a bill in September that did not help Virginians. “This is a major victory to get help to those who need it the most. I’m…

Virginia congressional delegation secures funding for expansion of Craney Island in Norfolk

Chris Graham

Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, and Congressmen Bobby Scott and Glenn Nye today announced the inclusion of $100,000 in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill to initiate the eastward expansion of Craney Island. Thursday’s inclusion of funds moves the project from the “planning” to “construction” phase, making it eligible for future…

Rita Sutherland | Putting local radio back on the congressional radar

AFP

Nine years ago, when my family lost our radio business, our community lost the voice it had known for 46 years. On May 15, 2000, WABN’s broadcast was silenced. When Congress and the Federal Communications Commission deregulated ownership of stations nationally and locally, Bristol Broadcasting Inc., a group that already owned 15 radio stations across…

Jill Hanken | Will Congress take up a health-care solution?

AFP

As we recognize “Cover the Uninsured Week,” we can note the ever-increasing number of Americans who don’t have health insurance as well as those who can’t afford the spiraling costs of health insurance premiums and required out-of-pocket expenses. The average health insurance premiums for family coverage have skyrocketed 90 percent since 2000, leaving millions of…