The Issues

Virginia has the 3rd largest state-maintained road network in the U.S., but dedicates less money to transportation than nearly any other state.  Drivers in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads face some of the worst traffic delays in the nation, and our failure to take even the most basic step of indexing the gas tax to inflation has left us with no money for new construction, and barely enough to maintain the highways we have. A convenient, safe, and reliable transportation system is essential to Virginia’s economy, and we need major investments in rail, roads, and other transportation infrastructure to keep the Commonwealth a great place for families and businesses.

As a practicing physician, I congratulate President Obama for his leadership on the Affordable Care Act, and I am proud that I voted against efforts to block the Act’s implementation in Virginia.  Our health care system was broken, and President Obama has taken a huge step in the right direction toward providing access to high quality, affordable health care for all Americans. 

Growing up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, I was always in, on, or around the Chesapeake Bay.  The Bay is truly a national treasure, and I applaud President Obama’s efforts to speed up Bay restoration through his 2010 executive order. In 2008, I supported efforts to begin rebuilding our blue crab populations, and in 2009, I worked with Governor Tim Kaine to ensure that non-native oysters would not be introduced into the Bay. More recently, I co-sponsored legislation to ban phosphorous, a key nutrient pollutant, from most lawn fertilizers sold in Virginia.