Decision Virginia

Cantor pushes plan to allow for overtime flexibility

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Henrico) continued his series of policy roll outs designed to get government out of the way of people's lives. His "making life work" proposals deal with lifestyle issues outside of the typical battles on Capitol Hill over taxes, budget and social issues.

(Cantor invited small business leaders from Richmond to a round table discussion in Northern Virginia)

Cantor is proposing the Federal Government lift the restriction on private employers to allow their hourly employees to pick between comp time or overtime pay to compensate for working above and beyond the traditional work week. That flexibility is currently available to public sector employees.

In an interview from Capitol Hill, Cantor told me that many families have both parents working outside of the home and being able to choose to take extra time, as opposed to money would be make their lives easier.

"You're actually available to take your work time and your comp time so you can save it up and maybe go to a pediatricians appointment with your child, go to a parent teacher conference or help and elderly relative that may need you when they are sick," Cantor said.

The proposal does have its detractors. Liberal groups believe the concept is designed to put power in the hands of employers to pressure their workers into turning down overtime and then force them to take comp time only when it benefits the company.

"Not only would this bill make it more difficult for working families to get the predictable, flexible schedules they need," said Debra Ness of the National Partnership for Women and Families in a statement.  "But it would also mean less money and fewer wage and hour protections for workers who need them most."

Many of those groups accuse Cantor of oppossing their proposals designed to help working families, like a boost to the minimum wage and the Family Medical Leave Act.

Cantor told me that the decision will be a mutual one between the employer and employee, but the ultimate decision will be up to the worker and they can choose one or the other whenever they would like.

"The employee would always have the choice to have the time and half overtime or the time and half comp time," Cantor said.

The bill easily passed the House this afternoon and is now headed to the Senate. Cantor said he has had some positive conversations about getting the bill through the Senate. It could have a tougher sled in the White House, where the administration has expressed reservations about the concept.

We caught Rep. Cantor for a brief chat on Capitol Hill Wednesday night. The full interview can be seen below:

 

Cantor's office invited several business leaders from the 7th district to a round table discussion on the pros and cons of the plan. His office provided a video reaction to the proceedings.

Here is what Nicole Lambert the owner of Rainbow Station, an early childhood education center in Glenn Allen, had to say.  Rep. Cantor mentions Ms. Lambert's contribution to the round table discussion in our interview.

Again, this video was captured and provided to us by the Congressman's staff:

 

After meeting with Obama, Rigell calls sequester "inevitable"

Virginia Beach Rep. Scott Rigell (R) is a relatively new member of Congress and as a result, he doesn't have very much power in Washington. However the two term Congressman represents one of the areas that stands to be hit the hardest by sequester. Tuesday he was granted something few Republican members of Congress have had in quite some time, a one on one meeting with President Barack Obama.

Rigell and Obama met around Obama's visit to a Newport News Shipyard. After the meeting with the President the Congressman made it clear to his constituents that things do not look good.

"Sequestration, an alternative described by both Republicans and Democrats as reckless, now seems inevitable," Rigell said in a statement following the meeting.

While Rigell expressed disappointment with the White House, he was not afraid to lay some of the blame on his fellow Congressional Republicans.

"I shared with the President my concern that the Administration has not provided a definitive legislative alternative to sequestration. Though the conversation was substantive, my concern on these critical topics remain," he said.  "Equally concerning is the recently announced position by the Republican Conference that any agreement to avert sequestration that contains any additional revenue will not be considered."

Rigell's full statement can be found below:

“At my request, today I met with President Obama to discuss the need to stop sequestration. I shared with the President my concern that the Administration has not provided a definitive legislative alternative to sequestration. Though the conversation was substantive, my concern on these critical topics remain. Equally concerning is the recently announced position by the Republican Conference that any agreement to avert sequestration that contains any additional revenue will not be considered. Given the two positions, sequestration, an alternative described by both Republicans and Democrats as reckless, now seems inevitable. As a result, hard working Americans, including many who call Hampton Roads home, will suffer. National security will suffer as well. Given the severity of the consequences, this is unacceptable. I continue to call on the President and leadership from both parties to put what is best for our country ahead of all else.” -Rep. Scott Rigell

Rigell is not alone. On the other side of the isle, Senator Mark Warner seemed almost sullen in a lengthy interview I had with him on the topic. Warner haw some hope for a Senate compromise bill that makes cuts equal to any revenue increases, but when I asked if he thought that bill could get through the House he said he doubted that it will even pass the Senate.

Warner said he gets why this pending fiscal disaster is driving people nuts.

"The sequester was set up, it was supposed to be so awful so stupid that no rational group of people would allow this to happen," Warner, of course is a member of that group of people that was supposed to be not rational enough to let this happen.

He seems incredibly frustrated that no headway can be made.

"Now we are looking at something that is three days away after we just came out of a New Year's Eve debacle where we are right up against the wall again," he said.  "Why we are waiting until the 11 and half hour for each one of these budget crises which are all manufactured is beyond me."

Our full interview with Warner can be found below:

 

Rao warns VCU community of potential sequester cuts

In an alarming e-mail to the entire VCU college community, University President Michael Rao painted a "worst-case scenario" picture of what could happen in the Federal Government fails to act to prevent the sequestration cuts.

We broke down the important warnings in the e-mail Monday night on NBC12. Here is our report:

The full email can be found below:

To the VCU and VCU Health System Communities,

I write to you with great concern about sequestration, the more than $1 trillion in federal budget cuts that will take effect Friday unless Congress intervenes.  These cuts threaten core missions of Virginia Commonwealth University, research universities across the country, as well as the economic vitality of the state.

I have met with federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to discuss sequestration and how we must work together to prevent a worst-case scenario from becoming a reality.  It is important for everyone to understand the profound impacts of sequestration and have a voice in mitigating the dire consequences.  For example:

Research
The sequester significantly cuts the budgets of many federal agencies that fund research, meaning hundreds of millions fewer research dollars would be available to our nation’s universities.  For VCU, it could mean a $21 million reduction by the end of September.  Much of the cuts involve the National Institutes of Health, the principal source of research support to the VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research and the VCU Massey Cancer Center, affecting our ability to conduct life-saving cancer research.

It is also possible that 100-200 positions funded by research grants could be eliminated.

Financial Aid
Sequestration also could make it more difficult for students and families to pay tuition.  The Federal Work Study program, a U.S. Department of Education initiative that helps students pay tuition by working on-campus jobs, would face substantial cuts.  That means that more than 700 students at VCU could earn about 5 percent less in aid.  The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, a federal program that supports thousands of low-income VCU students, could be cut by almost 33 percent.

Students who apply for Stafford and PLUS loans as part of their financial aid package would likely face higher origination fees if sequestration takes effect.  The sequester may furlough or close some loan providers, which could impact the ability to repay loans previously received.

In addition, sequestration would likely mean that federal tax returns would be processed more slowly, which could delay students in applying for financial aid for the summer and fall sessions.

Other impacts
There are other likely impacts of sequestration that we cannot yet gauge.  One is so-called “pass-through money,” those federal funds that funnel through the university to other entities, such as contractors or collaborative partners.  It is also very likely that steep cuts to federal defense spending would reduce state income tax levels in Virginia, making it possible that state agencies like VCU would be asked to return some funds already appropriated in the state budget.

At a time when resources for higher education around the nation are already limited, and the state and national economies remain uncertain, sequestration must be avoided.  I am committed to working with partners to find a solution.

And, as VCU continues its rapid ascent as one of America’s Top 50 public research universities, with or without sequestration, we remain fully committed to implementing Quest for Distinctionand to our priorities for 2013 and beyond.

We will update you as we learn more.

Best wishes.

Michael Rao
President, VCU and VCU Health System

 

 

VA Congressional delegation makes plea for sequestration solution

It is getting to the point where they are on the border of begging.

Nine of the thirteen members of Virginia's Congressional Delegation wrote to President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking for a speedy, bi-partisan solution to the budget sequester showdown.

"The Commonwealth of Virginia, with its long history of contribution to our national defense and to the federal government, will bear a disproportionate amount of the pain imposed by these arbitrary cuts should they come to pass,” the letter reads. 

Only four members of the Virgina Congressional delegation did not participate. Rep. Eric Cantor (R), the House Majority Leader, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R) and  Rep. Robert Hurt (R).  

It is not uncommon for Cantor to not sign on to congressional delegation letters, because of his role as Majority Leader.  His spokesperson Megan Whittemore said today that he is very much committed to seeing an end to the sequester. A problem they continue to blame the White House for.

“Congressman Cantor sponsored and the House twice passed legislation to replace the President’s sequester cuts with responsible reforms. The President hasn’t budged, and his only solution appears to be more taxes," Whittemore said in a statement. "That won’t help Virginia families. We want to work together to find a common-sense solution to replace the President’s harmful sequester cuts. Rather than opposing our efforts, President Obama and Senate Democrats should join us.”

Those that did participate represent a broad bi-partisan swath of the Commonwealth. Many of them, like Rep. Rob Wittman (R), Rep. Randy Forbes (R) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D) represent areas heavily dependent on the defense industry.

Both of Virginia's Senators, Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) signed on to the letter as well. 

The letter is short, only three paragraphs and doesn't offer an specific ideas as to how to break through the sequester stalemate. It essentially is a call to action to the three people with the most sway to begin the negotiations.

You can read the entire letter below.

------------------------------------------------------

Full text of the letter follows:

February 15, 2013

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20500

 

The Honorable John Boehner

Speaker

United States House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

Dear Mr. President, Mr. Speaker and Mr. Leader:

             As a bipartisan delegation of Virginia lawmakers representing wide-ranging interests and viewpoints, we write to show unified support for immediate action to avert the devastating impacts of sequestration.  The Commonwealth of Virginia, with its long history of contribution to our national defense and to the federal government, will bear a disproportionate amount of the pain imposed by these arbitrary cuts should they come to pass.

            These reductions, while harmful to the entire U.S. economy, will be particularly devastating to Virginia. According to a study published by George Mason University, nearly ten percent of the 2.1 million jobs that would be lost as a result of sequestration will come from Virginia.  Of these 207,571 Virginia jobs, 136,191 will be lost as a result of cuts to defense, 71,380 job losses will result from reductions in non-defense spending.  Further, sequestration would result in a loss of $20.8 billion in gross state product. The consequences of a failure to avert sequestration will ripple through all parts of our state economy and could lead to a hollow military force and a government unable to adequately respond to the needs of its citizens.

            We stand ready to work hand-in-hand to negotiate an agreement to avert these cuts that threaten grave consequences for the Commonwealth, our federal government, and our national security.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

Sen. Mark Warner

Sen. Tim Kaine

Rep. Frank Wolf

Rep. James P. Moran

Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott

Rep. J. Randy Forbes

Rep. Robert J. Wittman

Rep. Gerald E. Connolly

Rep. Scott Rigell

# # #

Virginia Congressional Delegation hoping for sequestration solution

I am up in Washington, D.C. tonight for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Prior to the speech I caught up with some the Virginia's congressional delegation. Both Republicans and Democrats want a path to an end to the sequestration budget stalemate.

Here is my report for NBC12:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWBT)- Virginians from ever corner of the Commonwealth will be keeping a close eye on one particular issue in tonight's State of the Union address.

Sequestration, set to take effect on March 1st could mean huge cuts to defense and government jobs throughout Virginia. In fact, there may be no state in the union with a more at stake than Virginia when it comes to the sequester, and the entire congressional delegation knows it

"Virginia families are going to be disproportionately hurt," said Sen. Mark Warner (D) this afternoon. "Sequestration basically says we are going to chop every part of government whether it is working or not and as a former business guy that is not the smart way to do budgeting."

Warner understands that the idea of lopping off funding to almost all of government without any plan won't work. He isn't alone, this weekend Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Henrico) gave similar sentiments on NBC's Meet The Press.

"These indiscriminate reductions do not make sense and we are going to hurt a lot of people and it is up to the President to act now," said Cantor.

And even though Cantor is a republican. Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine, who played no part in the sequestration being implemented agrees with the Henrico Republican. Tonight the president needs to lead the charge to solve the problem.

"I want the president to talk to tough to all of us," Kaine said.  "Republican, Democrat House, Senate about finding the alternative to sequester."

 

 

NBC's live coverage of the State of the Union starts at 9pm. You can also join our livechat and watch the speech streaming on NBC12.com.

I'll have another live report tonight at 11 on NBC12.

Cantor lays out vision for GOP in major policy speech

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Henrico), the House Majority Leader, gave a major speech today in Washington, D.C. outlining his vision for the future of the Republican Party and hinting at his priorities for the upcoming two years.

Cantor discussed immigration reform, taxes and the budget process in his speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

You can see Cantor's entire speech below:

 

(You can read the entire speech after the jump)

We caught up with POLITICO's Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Allen who gave us some perspective on what Cantor was hoping to accomplish with the speech.

Our interview from NBC12 First at Four can be seen below:

 

You can read Allen and Jake Sherman's take on Cantor's efforts to rebrand the GOP here.

Politico's story on the Cantor speech written by Kevin Cirilli can be seen here.

The text from Cantor's speech can be found after the jump:

Warner ready to "talk" about an assault weapons ban

Calling the massacre in Newtown a "game changer", U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) a moderate and reliable pro-2nd amendment vote is ready to open the door to discussions on an assault weapons ban. 

(Sen. Mark Warner was in Richmond today for the casting of the Electoral College Ballots)
 

The debate over guns is an example of the many ways Warner works to place himself in the middle of the political spectrum. His "A" rating from the NRA has played well in red parts of the Commonwealth that other Democrats have had a hard time gaining any traction. Overwhelmingly popular in Virginia, Warner has a had a difficult time making progress on substantive legislation in the Senate. This issue, of which he is uniquely positioned to address, could have a significant impact. 

In addition to a discussion on assault weapons Warner also plans to address the "nexis" between mental health and gun purchases. A huge issue for gun control advocates in Virginia in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy. Many gun control proponents believe Virginia has not done enough to reign in access to firearms like the ones used by Seung-Hui Cho . The so-called "gun show loophole" never made any serious progress in Virginia's legislature despite the momentum after the Tech tragedy. 

We are still waiting to learn the substance of what Warner plans to propose. He is scheduled to meet with reporters at 1pm. I'll have more tonight on NBC12 News this evening. 

 UPDATE: Warner did not go into deep specifics as to what he hopes to at least look into. He listed assault weapons, rapid ammunition clips and rapid fire weapons as part of what the discussion on a possible ban or new restrictions should be about.

"There had got to be a way as we look at reasonable restrictions, particularly as we look at assault weapons as we look at some of this fast clips of ammunition, as a way that preserves a right for responsible gun ownership but puts appropriate restrictions on access on these especially these rapid fire weapons into hands of folks who are as in this case and as we saw in Virginia Tech and Colorado, unstable," Warner said. 

His full interview with our Mike Valerio can be seen below:

 

Here is my report from NBC12 on how Warner and Gov. Bob McDonnell are handling the new reality of the gun debate:

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic   

Warner offers to broker fiscal cliff talks

It is an uncomfortable spot for Sen. Mark Warner (D- Virginia) to be in. As the debate rages over the best way to avoid the impending "fiscal cliff", Warner is relegated to being a spectator despite being a member of the U.S. Senate.

(We spoke to Senator Warner from Capitol Hill)

Warner isn't alone. As the talks continue, the nitty gritty appears to be taken up between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. Vocal members of the House and Senate, like Warner aren't in a position to offer any real substance to the discussion, even though they might have plenty of ideas.

For instance, Warner thinks that now is the time to make a grand bargain, not pass it along to a time where the tension is not so great.

"The single biggest thing to create job growth, my personal belief, is to do a real $4 trillion debt deal," Warner said. "That will get money off the sidelines, back invested into America."

The only problem is that Warner's ideas aren't getting any further than media interviews and town hall meetings. Warner concedes he isn't on the front lines, a position that is foreign to him given his background as a successful businessman and governor.

"There is an awful lot of us in both parties who have tried to put forward good ideas," he said. "We have all kind of stood down."

Warner said the rank and file members are willing to give the Speaker and the President some time to come up with a deal, but he is ready to become a more active participant if given the opportunity.

"I'd be happy to be the broker in between these guys," Warner told me. "I wish I was in the room."

Warner avoided any direct criticism or support of his Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- Nevada) who is the point person on the negotiating process for the Senate. Reid has been relegated to waiting to see if the White House and the House Republicans can come up with some sort of agreement, before the Senate takes an active role in the discussion.

As the negotiations continue, Warner remains optimistic that the short term problems are avoided, while the long term debt issues continue and only grow. He believes there is an 80% chance a fiscal cliff deal is hatched, but only a 50-50 chance that the deal will hold up for longer than a few months.

Warner contends that even if both sides get what they want, it won't even start to address the real problems connected to the deficit crisis. He believes everyone needs to give something, and that something needs to be a lot more than what they are currently proposing.

"The sooner we start some of those reforms, the better," he said.

Our full interview with Senator Warner can be found below:

 

 

Kaine ready to bargain to get things moving in Washington

It was perhaps his most important campaign promise and maybe the one that resonated the most.  Senator-Elect Tim Kaine vowed from the time he announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate that he wanted to find ways to compromise.

After defeating former Senator George Allen, Kaine is now just a few months away from making good on that promise. Given his emphasis on compromise, it was no surprise that Kaine focused quite a bit on that topic in his post-election press conference.

Here is my story for NBC12:

RICHMOND (WWBT)- One of the big winners in last night's election was former governor and now Senator-Elect Tim Kaine. Kaine is ready to head to Washington and forge something that hasn't been seen much in that town as of late compromise.

Dressed casually and with a voice a touch hoarse after more than a year on the campaign trail, Tim Kaine told reporters he is ready to go work.

"The thing we most need to in both houses of congress is really commit to compromise and working together," he said.

Kaine, who edged out former Senator George Allen, in part because of that bi-partisan message, said with issues like the looming fiscal cliff and sequestration battles ahead, compromise is needed now more than ever.

It is something he was able to do as governor.

"We disagreed plenty,” Kaine said of his dealings with republicans in the Virginia General Assembly. “But we maintained the relationship and the friendship that if we disagreed about something today we could find something to agree about tomorrow."

Virginia's newest senator enters a body facing historic levels of dysfunction. It is an atmosphere that despite last night's election, is not that much different.

The man who started his career as a Richmond City Councilman is hopeful a few new faces can have a positive impact.

“There is nothing that magic about it,” he said. “We just need to add more voices to that common ground caucus that is what it is going to take."

Kaine is hoping to join that group of senators looking to work with the other party, but his new partner Mark Warner may be getting out.

read and see the full of the story on NBC12.com

Our report can be seen below:

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic  

Cantor defends his record and promotes Romney

Rep. Eric Cantor is right smack dab in the middle of 2012 election on many levels. Not only is he a high profile supporter of Mitt Romney, but he is also working to help grow the GOP majority in the House of Representative across the country.  That is all of course in addition to his efforts to defend his own seat in Congress. A battle that means fighting off a fierce challenge from democrat Wayne Powell.

(We taped our interview with Rep. Cantor in the NBC12 studios)

Cantor has not sat back and allowed Powell to attack unanswered. He has offered his share of attacks aimed at Powell and he has forcefully defended his own record in Washington.

We talked to the Congressman about all of these issues in a recent interview, an excerpt of which aired Wednesday on NBC12 First at 4.

You can see our uncut conversation below:

  

 

Our interview with his challenger, Wayne Powell can be found here.