News from Representative Taylor

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Dear Friend,

News From the 2nd District is just one of the many ways my office engages constituents across our region. Here you will find some of the latest news from Capitol Hill, summaries of recent legislative activity, and updates from my office. I have also included a brief survey at the bottom of this newsletter, which you are welcome to share with friends and family.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing difficulty with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact my office. We stand ready to assist.

Scott Taylor
Member of Congress

Congressman Taylor Introduces Bipartisan PROPEL Act

Recently, I was joined by Representative Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) to introduce legislation designed to increase the flexibility of Pell Grants. H.R. 3831, the Professional Pell Education Learning (PROPEL) Act expands student choice by allowing Pell Grants to be utilized at trade and vocational schools. Modeled after the GI Bill, it authorizes nontraditional schools approved for GI benefits to be Pell Grant eligible.

To read more about the bill, click here.

House Passes Funding Package for FY18

This month, in a historic vote, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 3354, the Make American Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act. This bill marks the first time in nearly ten years that the House of Representatives has passed all 12 appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year. Included in the bill is a pay raise for military servicemembers – the largest in eight years. Also included is critical national security funding that updates equipment and weapons to maintain troop readiness, and funds military infrastructure and the Department of Veterans Affairs. H.R. 3354 also supports the study and exploration of space by funding NASA and NASA science programs.

Congressman Taylor Speaks to Women in Defense of Greater Hampton Roads

Rep. Taylor Giving Legislative Update to Women in Defense of Greater Hampton Roads

On September 21, I joined the Women in Defense of Greater Hampton Roads to speak at their annual Professional Development Day. I gave a legislative update about some of the things we are doing in Washington to help Virginia residents back home, and discussed the role of female leadership in military service and contracting.

As someone who was raised by a single-mother, I can tell you that female leadership is sorely lacking in many of our institutions today. Groups like Women in Defense are laying the foundation for the next generation of leaders by inspiring women and giving them the tools to grow and develop professionally.

ICYMI: Rep. Taylor Seeking Public-Private Partnership for VA Medical Center in Virginia Beach

Over the past couple of months, my office has been working with officials in Virginia Beach and the Department of Veterans Affairs to push for a public-private partnership in order to build a VA outpatient clinic.

As many of you know, our district has the fastest growing veterans population in the country, which means we need to update and modernize our VA facilities to meet this growing demand. Over the next 20 years, the number of veteran enrollees is expected to increase by 44 percent and outpatient workload by over 70 percent. Congress has already allocated $18.14 million for a new clinic, but we still have much work to do before we can break ground.

Click here to read the full article.

Hurricane Preparedness

Those who have watched the news over the past few weeks have seen the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes in the gulf and Southeast United States. Although we have been fortunate thus far, Hurricane Season is still ongoing and could potentially affect folks in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region. In the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, I have compiled an emergency contact information packet which you can view and download here.

Congressmen Scott Taylor and Bobby Scott Announce OMB Approval of Craney Island Expansion Funding

Recently, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a request from the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for $3M in reprogrammed funds that will go towards the Craney Island Eastward Expansion (CIEE) Project.

The Craney Island Eastward Expansion is a Congressionally-authorized Civil Works project which extends the life of the existing Craney Island Dredge Disposal Management Area and creates the foundation for a future marine terminal to continue to serve the US economy. Investment in CIEE leverages future federal and non-federal investments in channel deepening and widening projects as well as $1.5 billion in non-federal investment towards the marine terminal construction. The CIEE will provide Norfolk Harbor and Channels with an economically efficient, reliable and safe navigation system. As one of the nation's 13 strategic military ports, Norfolk Harbor is home to nationally significant assets, including Naval Station Norfolk, the 3rd largest container port on the East Coast, the largest ship construction and repair industrial base in the U.S., and the only nuclear carrier capable port facility on the East Coast. With a benefit-to-cost ration of 4.2 to 1, it is estimated the project will create 1,100 immediate jobs and more than 54,000 sustainable jobs after construction, with a total of $16 billion generated in National Economic Development benefits.

This approval came after a strong collaborative effort between my office and Congressmen Bobby Scott's (VA-03). I am very pleased that our bipartisan approach was successful and that OMB decided to reprogram the funds for this vital project.

To read the full joint-press release, click here.

Tax Reform

President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans recently unveiled their framework for tax reform. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of the key points of this proposal: