Environment

I am fighting to ensure all Americans can breathe clean air, drink clean water, and have access to pristine natural environments. Protecting our local natural treasure, the Chesapeake Bay, is among my top priorities in Congress. The Bay generates $33 billion in economic value annually and hosts one of the most important sites for ecological diversity in North America. Without full support for Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, however, the progress made in restoration will remain fragile.

I introduced the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, which would authorize more funding for crucial EPA cleanup efforts in the Bay watershed. On October 30, 2020, President Trump signed my bill into law as part of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act. The America’s Conservation Enhancement Act is a bipartisan bill that will invest in wetland conservation throughout North America, proving how important this legislation is to the Commonwealth and our region.

In addition to preserving our waterways, we must also protect and conserve public lands and wildlife. That is why I cosponsored and voted for the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law on August 4, 2020. This legislation will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), as well as improve and make necessary upgrades to our renowned national parks. Over the last four decades, Virginia has received nearly $360.8 million from the LWCF, supporting projects in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge, and Virginia battlefields like Yorktown. Permanently funding the LWCF was a major bipartisan win for Virginia’s national parks and battlefields.