Copy, paste, repeat (ad nauseam)
Cost of living goes up while Wittman goes in circles
Representative Wittman says he feels your pain. We wonder as he shares his concern about the cost of living but promotes the virtues of HR1, which increases costs for everyone in Virginia. Part of his email is identical to his December 1st version but contains more lies and misinformation. We will highlight the previous points and underscore the new ones.
A large percentage of the tax cuts go to the highest earners; the childcare provisions amount to less than $2,000, not the stated $10,000. The law does not exempt all overtime, as the deductions are capped at $12,500 for 2025-2028, not including SSI and Medicare taxes. The law does not abolish taxes on Social Security; some lower-income earners may see a tax break.
Recently, we commented on the energy aspects of HR1, but the main points contain significant fossil fuel friendly provisions: especially on federal oil, gas, and coal leasing, methane waste, and some environmental reviews. Further, the law makes parts of renewable energy development more expensive, not music to the ears of Virginia residents who are paying higher energy prices these days.
There is some short-term assistance for military families but, considering the sharp rise in healthcare costs and the unpredictable tariffs, we doubt that they'll end up with much savings.
The tax law emphasizes huge increases in the budgets of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. Civil liberties and immigration groups note that this represents a major enforcement first — more arrests, detention, and deportation authority — while simultaneously tightening access to asylum and humanitarian protections, so the characterization as simply "supporting law and order" reflects one side's framing rather than a neutral description. Independent budget analysts point out that much of increased Pentagon funding is concentrated in procurement, missile defenses, and industrial base subsidies rather than recurring training and operations accounts, so the claim that it straightforwardly "ensures" readiness is aspirational; the law significantly increases resources but does not guarantee specific readiness outcomes. In other words, let's give fresh recruits new playthings without training them to safely use them.
We grow weary of watching Wittman's team restate talking points from recent posts. Now, his team is so lazy they simply copy and paste rather than providing actual updates. What has he accomplished for his constituents? Will he ever acknowledge that his vote for The Big Brutal Bill is harming Virginia's economy, environment, and well-being?