Remarks Of Del. Rob Wittman At The Republican Nominating Convention

Remarks Of Del. Rob Wittman At The Republican Nominating Convention

Good Afternoon!

Convention delegates and candidates, it is an honor and a privilege to come before you today to seek the Republican nomination for the upcoming 1st Congressional District election.

As you hear from other candidates, I am sure that you will be asking, "What sets each of these folks apart?"

I offer myself as the candidate with the most extensive experience in elected office. I have served in the House of Delegates since 2005 and on the Board of Supervisors in Westmoreland County for 10 years - two as Chairman - and 10 years on the Montross Town Council, four of them as mayor.

I have experience in getting things done at both the state and local levels. And I have established the ability to persuade others to support my ideas and viewpoints in order to make things happen. I know the workings of legislative bodies through years of first-hand experience.

You might ask, "What experience does he have with the military?" That is important to the 1st Congressional District with the extensive military presence here.

Through military high school and college at Virginia Tech, I was a member of a corps of cadets, was sworn in as an Army reservist, and was honorably discharged.

In my legislative district, I have two military installations - Naval Support Facility Dahlgren and Fort AP Hill. I work very closely with Captain Judy Smith, commander at Dahlgren, and Colonel Graese at AP Hill. I also worked last year to obtain $3 million in the Virginia budget to build an educational center for Virginia universities to provide advanced degrees in science and engineering for folks at Dahlgren and in the Washington, D.C., area. This action was meant to enhance the mission of Dahlgren in order to provide more protection in the next round of Base Realignment Commission closures.

I will continue to build a strong national defense - one that can meet the threats of terrorism and the conventional military threats of China, North Korea and Iran.

I will assure that our ship-building capacity at Northrup Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding is not endangered. The viability and long term economic health of Newport News Shipbuilding is vital to the security of our nation and to the economy of our region, and I will fight to assure that it remains strong and vigorous.

I will oppose new taxes and support continuing the Republican tax cuts and reduce spending to cut the federal deficit.

I will push for strong economic development of the 1st district including enhancing our tourism industry and our seafood economy.

I will push the federal government to approve the introduction of the non native oyster that will survive the diseases that are wiping out the native oyster in order to restore our oyster populations in the Bay.

I will make sure that our federal government works with Virginia to conserve our natural and cultural resources, most importantly the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is a shadow of its former self as the most productive supplier of seafood in the world. It is an important part of our economy and heritage, and we cannot let it continue to slip away. Strong and decisive action is needed now to keep the Bay as a living resource for us all.

I will fight to have more of the federal highway tax dollars collected in Virginia come back to the state for highway improvements to help solve our transportation crisis.

I will assure that federal projects and expansions in Virginia come with money to pay for required highway improvements.

I will work to create a world class education system both in our secondary schools and institutions of higher learning. We must create a system in which our students are prepared with the skills they need to compete against other nations of the world, such as China and India.

I will work to increase the number of students who graduate with science and engineering degrees to insure our continued position as world leader in technology development.

I will advocate that we finish the job in Iraq and not leave that country in chaos. We must secure all areas of the country and push the Iraqi government to have their forces maintain security and we assure that this effort remains successful. We must have a stable Middle East or else the long-term security of our country will be in danger.

I will absolutely work to stop illegal immigration by immediately securing our borders; enforce existing immigration laws; and provide the resources to secure our borders and enforce existing laws. We have an individual assigned right now through the Eastern District of U. S. Attorney's Office to prosecute illegal immigrants

I will apply Jeffersonian principles of limited government to the workings of our federal government. We must have strong state governments and a less strong federal government.

Our government is in need of a spiritual awakening and moral direction. I have a strong moral compass by which I am guided, and that compass comes from an unshakable faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In fact, I can think of no more appropriate words than those of George Washington when he said, "Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America. Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal." I stand ready to be part of that spiritual awakening.

You need someone in Washington that will fight for you and for Republican values.

You need someone who has record of getting things done as a member of a legislative body.

You need someone who is going to go to Washington and not become part of that 30 square mile piece of fantasy land surrounded by reality.

You need someone who will not give in to special interests and will look out for the good of the people he represents

You need someone with the passion to get the job done, and not just to make government work but to make government work with a conscience.

The ancient Greeks used to measure one's worth and impact on the world - not by a list of accomplishments but by the amount of passion displayed in the things accomplished. I am here before you today because of my passion to get the job done in Washington. I will be there to stand strong for Republican principles, to keep Nancy Pelosi in check, to be a thorn in her side, to make our nation safer, to lower our taxes and reduce spending, to support our military and our military industries, to protect our natural and cultural resources, to address our transportation problems, to stop illegal immigration, to advance our system of education, and to be guided by faith in God.

Ladies and gentleman, I am Rob Wittman, and I ask for your vote to be your nominee for America's 1st Congressional District, and together we will build a stronger 1st District, a stronger Virginia, and a stronger nation.

May God bless you, and may God bless America

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