Go down to Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County and you will see streets lined with beach cottages and golf carts, local shops and hotels, and in the summer--people on the sandy shores of the Potomac River. This little town is a pristine getaway from day to day life. It’s economy and culture are centered around being on the Potomac River, which is being put in danger due to rollbacks on water protections.
Trump’s budget will cut funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 26%. This is after Trump has already rolled back protections on our freshwater streams. His own handpicked scientists at the EPA warned him and his staff what the implications of such policy would do, but still the GOP has not fought against it. Moreover, Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-01) is an environmental scientist by profession and openly advocates for taking care of our environment. Last week on Twitter, he announced his One Trillion Trees initiative and tweeted “Congress has the chance to work in a bipartisan manner to consider legislation that would reduce emissions, promote clean energy, and conserve our natural resources, and I will continue to advocate for our environment.”. But the truth is, he voted in favor of Trump’s cut to the EPA and has done nothing about stopping the chemicals from entering our waters.
The district he represents is heavily influenced by water; it contains three of Virginia’s vibrant peninsulas that border the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, James River and the Atlantic Ocean. In these rural areas, fishing and tourism are a way of life. The fishing industry is responsible for more than $1.3 billion in economic impact in Virginia. In 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the seafood industry is responsible for almost 34,000 jobs in Virginia. It goes without saying that people’s health are at risk because of Trump’s policy that will poison the food we eat, the water we drink, the water we shower in.
I’m running for Congress in VA-01 because our families deserve a safe, sustainable environment in which to live. Rob Wittman apparently forgets that our pristine, quiet waters also attract tourists from busier areas of the Commonwealth. Allowing toxins into our water would be a disaster for these communities, like Colonial Beach.
We cannot allow him to destroy our environment. It is particularly egregious that Wittman is willing to do so despite knowing full well that the science rejects Trump’s proposals.
Are you in to help us protect the environment against Trump and his Republican rubber stampers who refuse to hold him accountable? If so, donate here.