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Congressman Rob Wittman visits Westmoreland, urges timely appropriations, cites postal and broadband priorities
Summary
Rep. Rob Wittman told the board that Congress should finish appropriations on time and touted bills such as 'no budget, no pay' and stay-on-schedule proposals; he also highlighted federal broadband funding and ongoing problems at the Richmond mail processing center that affect county deliveries.
Congressman Rob Wittman addressed the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission, pressing federal urgency on appropriations and local services.
Wittman said Congress’s failure to adopt annual appropriations harms counties because local governments must adopt timely budgets. He described two measures he sponsors: a "no budget, no pay" proposal and a "stay on schedule" act that would keep Congress in session until appropriations are passed. "You don't get a budget on time, you don't get a paycheck," he said, describing his approach to compel action.
Wittman also urged investment in broadband and described the ReconnectUSA program and other federal funds that have expanded fiber deployments. He argued higher minimum performance standards are needed for federal deployments, suggesting a 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload floor when funds are used.
On postal service problems, Wittman called the Richmond processing and distribution (Sandston) center one of the worst-performing facilities nationwide and said automation and turnover had caused lost mail and delayed critical items, including veteran medical lab results. He said the Virginia delegation meets with postal leadership and continues oversight.
Board members asked about energy and workforce issues; Wittman discussed refining capacity, small modular reactors and proposals to expand 529 savings and Pell grant uses for career and technical education. He closed by offering district assistance through his district director, Joe Schumacher, and invited constituents to contact his offices for federal help.
Wittman’s remarks were delivered for information; no federal actions or county decisions were made during the meeting.
