On Tues., Feb. 21, Congressman Ben Cline (R), who represent’s Virginia’s Sixth Congressional District in Washington D.C., sat down with citizens of Covington at Cucci’s Pizzeria to discuss their concerns.
Cline observed, “Jobs are of most importance here in Alleghany County.”
He stressed that a diversity of jobs is needed to strengthen the local economy that depends largely on WestRock.
After serving 16 years in the Virginia House of Delegates where he represented Bath, Rockbridge and Amherst Counties, Cline ran against Jennifer Lewis (D) of Waynesboro and won a two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He defeated Lewis a second time in 2022 and is now serving his second term. Cline resides in Fincastle, and via redistricting that took effect on Jan. 1, 2023, Alleghany County was added to the Sixth Congressional District.
During his visit to Covington, Cline stressed that a Republic is supposed to be governed by branches of government that compromise rather than take a “my way or the highway approach” to governing.
He stressed that now that the Republicans have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives that they have the power of the gavel and the control of committees that can conduct investigations into matters that concern the American people.
“I introduced a bill that will help veterans and members of the military to create new businesses,” Cline remarked.
Cline pointed out that the U.S. needs to create more energy to bring down inflation.
“We are paying a dollar more at the pump since Biden took office,” Cline lamented.
He also noted the outrageous price of eggs and the higher prices of groceries that consumers must now pay as a result of Biden’s anti-energy policies.
Cline noted that the reduction of the production of energy since President Biden took office is the root cause of inflation, and he pledged to work toward increasing the nation’s production of energy.