Wittman Town Hall Focuses On Federal Debt, Taxes

By Sam Thrift Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Speaking about the U.S. budget at a town hall meeting Monday night, Congressman Rob Wittman addressed a crowd of about 60 people who vocalized frustration with the government’s failure to manage the country's debt and high taxes.  

Wittman, who represents District 1, began the meeting by explaining the debt as it stands today. “By July 27, we will have to start borrowing every penny we need,” he said.

The debt is currently at $14.4 trillion, which is equivalent to $46,000 for every person in the country. The congressman told the crowd that the debt threatens job growth, national security and U.S. sovereignty.

“We want to make sure we leave the next generation better off than we are today,” Wittman said. “That’s the legacy that all of us hope to leave for the next generation. We have the opportunity to create that legacy by getting in there and making the tough decisions.”

During the discussion with Wittman, the audience displayed approval of the congressman’s work so far, but disappointment in the lack of action to fix the worsening debt. The event was a platform to reassure Wittman’s constituents that he acknowledged their issues and that, with work and time, change will occur.

William Wilhelm of James City said he was tired of hearing about the same problems that seem to have no solutions. “I appreciate you coming out and making the presentation, but unfortunately I didn’t really learn anything new,” Wilhelm said. “What I was hoping to hear are some solutions. It’s so frustrating for us in the trenches, hearing what goes on. It just doesn’t seem like there’s any common sense.”

Wittman responded by explaining that the budget is a blueprint and that it takes both parties in the House and the Senate to put a plan into action.

“Voting for a budget, putting ideas out there, it’s not a bad thing. Not everyone agrees with the budget,” Wittman said. “I’ve been married for 30 years. I don’t agree with everything that my wife says and she doesn’t agree with everything that I say, but we still find ways to get things done and function as a family. We do the same thing as a nation.”

Matt Curtis, a 44-year-old father from York County, asked about his children’s future in this economy. “Will Social Security, in its current form, be available for my five daughters?”

“No, it will not,” Wittman said, explaining that it would run out by 2018. He said that things such as retirement and disability would also be unavailable. A report last month by the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees produced the same conclusion but different dates: Social Security would be exhausted by 2036, and the Medicare Hospital Insurance Fund by 2024.

When asked what programs he would cut to reduce spending, Wittman shared examples of programs he has been fighting for and against.

The congressman stressed the importance of bills like The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act. The bill, which he says will clean up nitrogen in the bay and increase the oyster population, passed the House in April and still has to make it through the Senate. The bill was first introduced in 2009, but failed to get through the Senate.

A program Wittman considers wasteful was the funding of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, a tank that has the ability to be launched from sea and transport a full Marine rifle squad to shore. “Large programs like this haven’t performed. Let's do something that is workable, that we can get to our Marines,” he said.

Most of the audience members clapped in agreement with all the questions and complaints brought up through the hour-long discussion. It wasn’t until someone mentioned the possibility of raising taxes that the crowd showed hostility.

Calming the crowd, Wittman responded, “Before we ask the taxpayers for money, we need to demonstrate that we can spend the money that is there.”

Not everyone was pleased with the answers provided. Willhelm said after the meeting that it was what he expected from a politician. “I was hoping to hear some proposals and solutions, but that's never what you get,” he said.

To find out more information about Congressman Wittman click here.