Sixth District Perspectives
with Congressman Ben Cline

      It was another busy week fighting for Virginia’s Sixth District, which kicked off with an Agriculture Round Table in Weyers Cave with the House Agriculture Committee Chairman and Ag industry leaders to discuss the upcoming Farm Bill and how the legislation can best serve those in our area. Back in Washington, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee pressed for information from government officials about their collusion with Big Tech to censor Americans’ views of COVID-19 on social media. Additionally, House Republicans passed legislation to ban the use of taxpayer resources to shelter for illegal migrants in public schools, and we also passed a resolution in support of the State of Israel on the eve of a state visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. As always, I enjoyed meeting with various organizations and discussing issues most important to them. As we head into the final push to get things done before the District Work Period, rest assured I’ll continue fighting for folks on our part of Virginia.

Prioritizing the Valley’s Agriculture Industry in the FY24 Farm Bill

      Virginia’s Sixth District is home to more than 8,000 farms, leading the Commonwealth. With over 41,500 farms in the state, and an economic impact of $82.3 billion annually, Virginia is an agricultural powerhouse, so it is vital that our agriculture industry receives the support it needs from Washington.

      That is why this week, as Congress is set to take up the FY 2024 Farm Bill this year, I hosted an Agriculture Round Table in Weyers Cave with the House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and over 50 Ag industry stakeholders, showcasing the diversity of commodities Virginia has to offer. We heard firsthand from those most affected by the legislation and how we can prioritize the needs of the Sixth District as we continue the reauthorization process. Rest assured, we won’t stop working to ensure that this year’s Farm Bill represents the interest of rural America, especially our region, and helps farmers, ranchers, growers, and consumers.

Farm Bill Roundtable in Weyers Cave, Virginia

Preventing Illegal Immigrants from Sheltering in Schools

      As a result of the Biden Administration’s disastrous open border policies, CBP officials have encountered a record-high of 5.5 million illegal migrants at the southern border, and nearly 2 million of those have been released into our Nation. Unfortunately, to deal with this crisis, liberal cities such as New York City are planning to house migrants in public schools – setting a dangerous precedent.

      School administrators should not have to allocate resources because of President Biden’s failure to secure the border. That is unacceptable, which is why House Republicans passed the Schools Not Shelters Act this week to prevent our schools from being transformed into migrant shelters and hold the Administration accountable for their border crisis.

Demanding Oversight on Big Government Censoring Americans on Social Media

      For too long, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been stonewalling the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee’s request for information related to the Committee’s investigation into how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) colluded with Big Tech to censor COVID-19 statements on social media. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Responsiveness and Accountability to Oversight, I pressed the HHS official for answers on why they have not produced adequate documents pertaining to our investigation. As we continue our investigations, I won’t stop fighting to protect Americans’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Watch my questioning of the HHS official here or above. 

Defending Our Allies In Israel

      The State of Israel has been a long-time friend and ally to the United States, sharing in our commitment to democracy, freedom, and self-determination, while also working with us to counter regional threats. Recently, however, there has been a disturbing rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric from the Far Left.

      This kind of hateful attack on our partner that has suffered heinous persecution on the basis of race not only fuels antisemitism, but also threatens our national security. That is why this week as Israeli President Herzog addressed a joint session of Congress, House Republicans passed a resolution that expresses congressional support for the State of Israel and rejects all forms of antisemitism.

Meetings on the Hill

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) educates and empowers Americans to defend Israel and the Jewish people, and I was pleased to meet with a representative to learn more about CUFI’s mission.

I enjoyed meeting with representatives from the Virginia Grain Producers Association, and discussing how Congress can best prioritize the needs of Virginia’s corn and small grains producers in the upcoming Farm Bill.

     Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431. 

     For the latest updates from Washington and across the Sixth District, please follow my Facebook and Twitter pages.