Bob Marshall: McAuliffe thinks he can get away with it

Chris Graham

“If [Governor-elect] Mr. McAuliffe thinks he can usurp powers of the legislature, he’s courting a divorce before the honeymoon… this is Virginia, not Washington.” That’s what I told the Charlottesville NBC affiliate recently when asked to comment about McAuliffe’s plan to extend special protections to certain classes of state employees.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine hails passage of defense bill

AFP

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hailed final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014 – the annual defense bill that includes important provisions Kaine advocated for Virginia during committee markup of the legislation in June 2013. The measure was passed, 84-15.

Bob Goodlatte: House Judiciary Committee to hold hearing on asylum system abuse

AFP

According to an internal Customs and Border Protection document obtained by the Committee, and as reported by the Washington Times today, many people claiming a “credible fear” of persecution at our ports of entry have a direct or indirect association with drug trafficking and other illegal activity such as human smuggling.

Earth Talk: Navy sonar testing in oceans impacting marine mammals

Roddy Scheer

Active sonar is a technology used on ships to aid in navigation, and the U.S. Navy tests and trains with it extensively in American territorial waters. The Navy also conducts missile and bomb testing in the same areas. But environmentalists and animal advocates contend that this is harming whales and other marine wildlife.