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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell regarding reports that Virginia Intermont College in Bristol is under consideration by HHS as a possible detention center to house immigrant children who have illegally entered the United States: “While I am personally opposed, American citizens impacted by such a decision ought to know beforehand, and they should have a meaningful opportunity to have their voices heard.” The full text of the letter follows below: June 20, 2014 The Honorable Sylvia Burwell U.S. Secretary of...

I believe that, among other things, what makes America great are the freedoms and liberties our Founding Fathers correctly recognized as part of the natural law and incorporated into our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The oath I took as your congressman was to support and defend that very Constitution. Revelations that the National Security Agency has been using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records of American citizens who have not been suspected of doing anything wrong troubles me and others from across the political spectrum. Beginning on June 25, I have been requesting access to legal opinions...

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement today regarding his vote in opposition to the new version of the Budget Control Act of 2011: “Last week I made the difficult decision to compromise and voted for Speaker Boehner’s plan. While the Boehner plan was not perfect, it was a realistic approach and a step in the right direction. Among other things, it required passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution before a second increase in the debt ceiling. “However, the legislation before us today was not quite as good. By contrast, today’s deal only requires a Balanced...

WASHINGTON– Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement today regarding his vote on the Budget Control Act of 2011: “Over the past several weeks, I have been listening to many folks in the 9th District who are rightfully concerned with our nation’s debt and, like I am, are frustrated by Washington’s lack of spending discipline. Many have urged me to make a common sense compromise, and even some of those who oppose the Boehner plan understand the need to do something to bring about stability and peace of mind to the American public. After reviewing constituent comments, I made...

Veteran Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) — a leading coal-state negotiator in last year’s House cap-and-trade debate — has lost his reelection bid against Republican Morgan Griffith in perhaps the first real surprise of the evening.

With Republicans expected to make gains in congressional races across the country Tuesday, four vulnerable Virginia Democrats are fighting to avoid being swept away by a GOP wave.... In the Fairfax-based 11th District, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D) is trying to fend off Oakton businessman Keith Fimian (R). In the 5th District, Rep. Tom Perriello (D) welcomed President Obama to Charlottesville Friday for his uphill race against state Sen. Robert Hurt (R). In the Hampton Roads region, Rep. Glenn Nye (D) is struggling to hold on to the 2nd District seat against auto dealer Scott Rigell (R). And in Southwest...

A dramatic reversal of fortune in Virginia's 9th Congressional District, where Republican challenger Morgan Griffith appears to have awoken after 3 months of polling at 40% and today, 7 days until votes are counted, vaults into a tie with incumbent Democrat Rick Boucher, who had been sailing to a 16th term. In a SurveyUSA polling conducted exclusively for WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, it's Griffith 47%, Boucher 46%, within the survey's theoretical margin of sampling error. Griffith's lead may or may not be statistically significant; the contest should be reported as even. Among traditional midterm voters -- those who vote in most...

WISE, VA. -- The anger at Washington that is seeping across the country registered a while back in the high ridges of Appalachia, a once-indomitable Democratic stronghold where voters turned away from President Obama in 2008 just as overwhelmingly as they embraced him most everywhere else. Voters in Virginia's 9th Congressional District are mad that the government has spent hundreds of billions to fix an economy that seems only to deteriorate around them. They're fearful of a federal takeover of health care. They're petrified that proposed emissions limits would destroy the coal industry that provides most of the region's jobs....