Latest news with #Kiggans
E&E News
20-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Virginia Republican bucks her party, Trump on offshore wind
VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia — A House Republican from a swing district here has been one of the most vocal in her party to support the imperiled offshore wind industry and green energy tax credits — while many in the GOP are seeking to hobble both. Rep. Jen Kiggans, whose seat is a top target for Democrats, has long championed the 176-turbine Dominion Energy-operated offshore wind project, dubbed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. It is more than halfway complete and on track to power 660,000 homes. The company says it stands to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits in the coming years. 'I'm protective of what I have going on here,' Kiggans said at an April event that brought together a host of officials and energy industry executives. Advertisement 'I am who I am as the representative of a district who has an offshore wind project, that has some solar panel projects that is in a Commonwealth where we believe in 'all of the above.'' Kiggans has raised her profile in recent weeks as the leader of a group of Republicans fighting to protect some renewable energy tax credits from the Democrats' 2022 climate law from elimination in the GOP's budget reconciliation package. The group suggested 'three thoughtful changes,' though did not seek to reverse a phase-out of wind credits. And while she has stopped short of saying she'd tank the wider tax cut, energy and security spending package, Kiggans has talked directly to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) about her concerns. Last week, however, she seemed to acknowledge that the best hope for saving many of the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits likely rests with the Senate. And even deeper cuts might be in the offing after hard-liners said recently they had reached a rough understanding with Johnson. Kiggans, a 53-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot and nurse, has won praise from the right-leaning group Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), whose president has called her a 'strong advocate.' Most other Republican support for wind has wound down. Indeed, many in her party have blasted offshore wind, citing a newfound concern for whales and other maritime species. A leader of the congressional offshore wind caucus even denounced the industry during his failed reelection campaign. More recently, Trump ordered permits to be reviewed for projects and placed a stop-work order on a New York wind project that is 30 percent complete. And Dominion said that tariffs the administration slapped on steel has raised the cost of the project by $4 million. Kiggans, who remains a member of the wind caucus, has not wavered. Two days after Trump — on his first day in office — issued an executive order targeting offshore wind approvals, Kiggans testified at the House Ways and Means Committee in support of the industry and clean energy tax credits. She cited economic growth, jobs and the fact that the wind project would benefit the Navy, which has a base in Norfolk, just outside her district. 'Speak that love language' Last month, Kiggans joined a panel of wind, solar and gas industry executives and state regulators at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach for an event hosted by CRES, which has pressed Republicans to support renewable energy. 'Here in Virginia, it's been easy for me to be an advocate for things like clean energy tax credits,' she said. 'Because we have a governor who believes in an all-of-the-above energy approach and has really set a great stage for us,' The second-term lawmaker exudes a no-nonsense attitude. She connects her support for clean energy to her ardent backing of the military, which has a major presence in Virginia's second district. Kiggans often notes that Dominion Energy entered a public-private partnership with the Naval Air Station Oceana, one of two master jet bases in the country. 'I want the energy and an all-of-the-above approach because my defense industry needs it,' she said on stage at the event. 'I think as a country, this is a priority. The world is not safe. We were given a world — that we inherited from the last administration — that in my opinion made the world less safe and we looked weak on the world stage.' Wind turbines off the coast of Virginia associated with the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. | Francis Chung/POLITICO As Kiggans sees it, the 'onus' is on her to speak to those in her party in favor of clean energy. 'I think we know best how to speak that love language to the people who are leading the country right now,' she said. 'So it's important we use our voices.' But her voice is up against Trump, whose administration last month issued a stop-work order on the Empire Wind project off the coast of Long Island. The Norwegian energy company Equinor had said in recent days the project could soon be canceled. The administration reversed course Monday, lifting the order, but concerns persist. Dominion executives don't seem worried. On a recent shareholder earnings call, company CEO Robert Blue said the project was 55 percent complete. He said the first delivery of electricity to customers was on track for early 2026. Of the 176 turbine foundations, 80 percent have been completed. On that call, Chief Financial Officer Steven Ridge said the IRA subsidies will save the company roughly $175 million companywide each year through 2029. But even if the IRA tax credits for wind energy are indeed phased out, Dominion says its massive project will be completed. 'Power demand is growing at historic levels, and no single power source can reliably serve it,' a spokesperson said in an email. 'We need more power generation from every source, including renewables, natural gas and nuclear.' Pushing GOP leaders, Trump Kiggans speaking with reporters in 2023 at the Capitol. | Alex Brandon/AP Kiggans and her colleagues are still hoping to sway Johnson and House leaders, though time is running out. Last week, she and others approached him on the House floor to request a meeting about the IRA. 'It's always nice when we get together and remind Speaker Johnson of how great it is that we're in the majority and who it is that gives him the majority and gives him his job,' she said of the floor discussion. 'It's people like myself in really tough purple districts who have a variety of interests.' Still, Kiggans suggested the fight might be all but over in the House. 'I think our leadership provides some backbone to what the Senate will want to do,' she said of the IRA defenders. 'I think the Senate has a little more of an appetite.' As for the Trump administration, Kiggans says she's made connections with White House officials for other matters and intends to rely on those relationships. 'We can pick up the phone and say, 'Please consider this is important to my district,'' she said. Kiggans has not done that for clean energy projects yet, but she said that 'it's nice to know those communications channels are there for us to use.' Asked if she feared a primary challenger for defending renewable energy, Kiggans waved off the question. 'People can run for office as they want,' she said. 'I wake up every day just trying to do the best job I can for the district with my backgrounds in military, and defense, and health care and being a mom of four.' She continued to suggest if Republicans don't step up, we'll end up with more 'Green New Deals.' 'Republicans would be smart if we were able to lead on this issue because otherwise the other side will come in and lead,' she said. 'And we're not going to like the direction they are going to take it.' Reporters Nico Portuondo and Benjamin Storrow contributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Republicans are angry about climate law cuts. Will they tank the GOP megabill?
Hill Republican defenders of clean energy tax incentives in the Democrats' 2022 climate law will soon have to decide how far to push their demands. For months, they have been firing off letters urging leaders to spare at least some of the credits to benefit solar energy, nuclear, hydrogen and other technologies. Speaker Mike Johnson promised to use a "scalpel" and not a "sledgehammer" to the suite of green subsidies included in the Inflation Reduction Act. But in the tax portion of the GOP's megabill, approved by the Ways and Means Committee earlier this week, the credits would in fact receive a bludgeoning, with a slew of climate tax credits now slated for phase-downs or full-out repeals that would disrupt clean energy projects across the country, including in red districts and states. And it's exactly what many Republicans feared would happen. 'I hate to say — it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's still pretty bad,' said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who is the co-chair of the House Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and has been at the forefront of advocating for the credits to be preserved amid the GOP's takeover of Washington this year. "I'm not happy with the way the bill is currently written," Garbarino said Thursday. "We have alternative language and it's something we're going to work with leadership to try to get them to implement." The question now is whether Garbarino and his allies will threaten to oppose the tax, energy and national security spending legislation that carries much of President Donald Trump's agenda unless leadership backs off its attacks on the credits. Voting to tank the underlying megabill would put them at risk of enduring Trump's ire — but letting their colleagues steamroll progress on major investments in their communities could make them crosswise with their constituents. It's a potent dilemma for Republicans like Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia, who barely won reelection in her swing district last year. Kiggans said in an interview Thursday that she and other GOP lawmakers spoke with Johnson about the tax credits on the House floor and were preparing a formal document with their asks. Those requests would follow a statement she and 13 other House Republicans released the day before that urged leadership for a narrow set of changes to the phaseouts and rollbacks approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. But Kiggans, who noted projects in her state that have reaped rewards from the climate law tax incentives, said she wasn't at the point of making threats. 'I'm not going to tell you it's a red line because I don't know what the end product is," Kiggans added. "Across the country, there is a huge economic impact that would happen if we just cut these things off, and that that was kind of our concern.' Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), whose district hosts a car and battery plant that benefits from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, has been even more direct that he doesn't plan to put up a fight. "For me, it's not a red line," Carter said back in March after joining one of the letters to leadership defending the incentives from Republicans who want to repeal the entire climate law. "For some people on that letter, it may be." Carter — who is now running for Senate in 2026 and could be relying on Trump's endorsement in a potentially competitive primary — has historically been fiercely, unapologetically protective of his Hyundai plant, one of the biggest investments in his state's history. A tax credit for domestic battery manufacturing, created by the Democrats' climate law, is among the programs now being targeted for a phase-out. The same is true for Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who in the past has called for preserving some climate law credits but is now choosing instead to prioritize securing an agreement on how much to cap a key state and local tax deduction that is paramount to lawmakers from New York, New Jersey and California. Garbarino is also involved in the so-called SALT negotiations. "The energy tax credits are important to many members like me," said LaLota, but added, "there are a lot of ingredients in the one big, beautiful bill." Another wrinkle: If Republicans leaders give in to the lawmakers wanting more SALT deductions, there would be less money available to reinstate other programs that have been phased out or scrapped to recoup savings to pay for Trump's bill. The House Budget Committee is due Friday to mark up a piece of legislation that encompasses the draft bills advanced by 11 other committees over the past month. Republicans from across the conference's ideological spectrum are lamenting a number of outstanding issues with the proposal, from the clean energy credits and SALT to Medicaid cuts and an overhaul of federal pension payments. A group of hard-liners with no qualms about disrupting the process to get their way have asked Johnsonto agree to an even faster timeline for drawing down the credits. 'The bill is almost in final form," Johnson told reporters Thursday. "There's a lot of things on the table, a lot of ideas, a lot of possibilities that we have, and we will work through those things together deliberately, as we always do." House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), when asked specifically about what discussions he was having with lawmakers on the tax credits, said in an interview Thursday, 'we're continuing to have conversation with our members on final details, but all of these credits will phase out over time.' If Republicans in favor of preserving the green incentives don't prevail in getting leadership to reverse course on the Ways and Means' handling of the matter, their next hope is in the Senate, where Republicans have made it abundantly clear they aren't going to accept the House's offer without major changes across the board. That chamber has several Republican lawmakers who want to keep at least some of the climate law credits, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Curtis of Utah. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said language to phase out technology-neutral clean electricity tax credits beginning in 2029 would hurt nascent power sources that the GOP favors like advanced nuclear reactors and geothermal energy: "We'll have to change that. I don't think it's fair to treat an emerging technology the same as a 30-year-old technology.' Companies and trade associations are also blitzing congressional offices to make their case before it's too late, including the Solar Energy Industries Association. "I think a number of Republicans have significant insight into how our companies are working, and why certainty really matters for us,' said SEIA CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. 'There's absolutely people in that room that understand the problems we have with it.' But they're up against not only fiscal hawks unsympathetic to climate spending but pro-credit Republicans who have no problem with their leadership's handling of the issue. That includes Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, the vice-chair of the House Republican Conference who sits on the Ways and Means Committee with jurisdiction over tax policy. 'I don't know how we do anything different than what we just did,' said Moore. 'I could be blindsided, but I think we found a nice sweet spot.' Josh Siegel contributed to this report.
Politico
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Some Republicans are angry about climate law cuts. Will they tank the GOP megabill?
Hill Republican defenders of clean energy tax incentives in the Democrats' 2022 climate law will soon have to decide how far to push their demands. For months, they have been firing off letters urging leaders to spare at least some of the credits to benefit solar energy, nuclear, hydrogen and other technologies. Speaker Mike Johnson promised to use a 'scalpel' and not a 'sledgehammer' to the suite of green subsidies included in the Inflation Reduction Act. But in the tax portion of the GOP's megabill, approved by the Ways and Means Committee earlier this week, the credits would in fact receive a bludgeoning, with a slew of climate tax credits now slated for phase-downs or full-out repeals that would disrupt clean energy projects across the country, including in red districts and states. And it's exactly what many Republicans feared would happen. 'I hate to say — it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it's still pretty bad,' said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who is the co-chair of the House Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and has been at the forefront of advocating for the credits to be preserved amid the GOP's takeover of Washington this year. 'I'm not happy with the way the bill is currently written,' Garbarino said Thursday. 'We have alternative language and it's something we're going to work with leadership to try to get them to implement.' The question now is whether Garbarino and his allies will threaten to oppose the tax, energy and national security spending legislation that carries much of President Donald Trump's agenda unless leadership backs off its attacks on the credits. Voting to tank the underlying megabill would put them at risk of enduring Trump's ire — but letting their colleagues steamroll progress on major investments in their communities could make them crosswise with their constituents. It's a potent dilemma for Republicans like Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia, who barely won reelection in her swing district last year. Kiggans said in an interview Thursday that she and other GOP lawmakers spoke with Johnson about the tax credits on the House floor and were preparing a formal document with their asks. Those requests would follow a statement she and 13 other House Republicans released the day before that urged leadership for a narrow set of changes to the phaseouts and rollbacks approved by the House Ways and Means Committee. But Kiggans, who noted projects in her state that have reaped rewards from the climate law tax incentives, said she wasn't at the point of making threats. 'I'm not going to tell you it's a red line because I don't know what the end product is,' Kiggans added. 'Across the country, there is a huge economic impact that would happen if we just cut these things off, and that that was kind of our concern.' Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), whose district hosts a car and battery plant that benefits from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, has been even more direct that he doesn't plan to put up a fight. 'For me, it's not a red line,' Carter said back in March after joining one of the letters to leadership defending the incentives from Republicans who want to repeal the entire climate law. 'For some people on that letter, it may be.' Carter — who is now running for Senate in 2026 and could be relying on Trump's endorsement in a potentially competitive primary — has historically been fiercely, unapologetically protective of his Hyundai plant, one of the biggest investments in his state's history. A tax credit for domestic battery manufacturing, created by the Democrats' climate law, is among the programs now being targeted for a phase-out. The same is true for Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who in the past has called for preserving some climate law credits but is now choosing instead to prioritize securing an agreement on how much to cap a key state and local tax deduction that is paramount to lawmakers from New York, New Jersey and California. Garbarino is also involved in the so-called SALT negotiations. 'The energy tax credits are important to many members like me,' said LaLota, but added, 'there are a lot of ingredients in the one big, beautiful bill.' Another wrinkle: If Republicans leaders give in to the lawmakers wanting more SALT deductions, there would be less money available to reinstate other programs that have been phased out or scrapped to recoup savings to pay for Trump's bill. The House Budget Committee is due Friday to mark up a piece of legislation that encompasses the draft bills advanced by 11 other committees over the past month. Republicans from across the conference's ideological spectrum are lamenting a number of outstanding issues with the proposal, from the clean energy credits and SALT to Medicaid cuts and an overhaul of federal pension payments. A group of hard-liners with no qualms about disrupting the process to get their way have asked Johnson to agree to an even faster timeline for drawing down the credits. 'The bill is almost in final form,' Johnson told reporters Thursday. 'There's a lot of things on the table, a lot of ideas, a lot of possibilities that we have, and we will work through those things together deliberately, as we always do.' House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), when asked specifically about what discussions he was having with lawmakers on the tax credits, said in an interview Thursday, 'we're continuing to have conversation with our members on final details, but all of these credits will phase out over time.' If Republicans in favor of preserving the green incentives don't prevail in getting leadership to reverse course on the Ways and Means' handling of the matter, their next hope is in the Senate, where Republicans have made it abundantly clear they aren't going to accept the House's offer without major changes across the board. That chamber has several Republican lawmakers who want to keep at least some of the climate law credits, including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Curtis of Utah. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said language to phase out technology-neutral clean electricity tax credits beginning in 2029 would hurt nascent power sources that the GOP favors like advanced nuclear reactors and geothermal energy: 'We'll have to change that. I don't think it's fair to treat an emerging technology the same as a 30-year-old technology.' Companies and trade associations are also blitzing congressional offices to make their case before it's too late, including the Solar Energy Industries Association. 'I think a number of Republicans have significant insight into how our companies are working, and why certainty really matters for us,' said SEIA CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. 'There's absolutely people in that room that understand the problems we have with it.' But they're up against not only fiscal hawks unsympathetic to climate spending but pro-credit Republicans who have no problem with their leadership's handling of the issue. That includes Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, the vice-chair of the House Republican Conference who sits on the Ways and Means Committee with jurisdiction over tax policy. 'I don't know how we do anything different than what we just did,' said Moore. 'I could be blindsided, but I think we found a nice sweet spot.' Josh Siegel contributed to this report.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Veteran suicide prevention grant gets bipartisan support in hearings
With suicide claiming the lives of about 18 veterans each day, back-to-back congressional hearings this week focused on bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and push back against what lawmakers called the "Trump agenda." "Imagine, after wearing a uniform and serving our nation, these veterans were dying in silence with the pain of PTSD, depression, substance abuse and the risk of self harm," Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill, said at the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing Wednesday. Lawmakers cited inadequate staff training, long wait times, and weak continuity of care as key reasons veterans suffer needlessly from mental health problems. Ramirez criticized the Trump administration for sending doctors to VA centers who had been performing telework for years. The VA centers had no space for them and, as a result, some had conducted sensitive telehealth appointments in unsuitable locations such as closets and shower stalls. "We can't talk about adequate intervention without talking about adequate investment," Ramirez said. Chairwoman Jen Kiggans, R-Va., a Navy veteran and nurse practitioner, stressed that money alone cannot solve the crisis. She said the VA needs more psychologists and psychiatrists, so veterans get the care they need and doctors and nurses have adequate guidance when issuing prescriptions. "I've heard horror stories from constituents who have been prescribed pain medication and told to take more when they feel bad and less when they feel better," Kiggans said. "As a provider, I would not remember prescribing two medications that might interact without first consulting a psychiatrist. This is unacceptable." According to Kiggans, despite a 479% increase in the VA's budget since 2001, veteran suicide rates have remained largely stagnant. "The VA is doing less with more," she added, urging Congress to scrutinize VA bureaucracy and enforce stronger oversight. She urged her colleagues not to politicize veterans' suicides. "Suicide prevention and veteran mental health are bipartisan issues. Losing these veterans impacts red states and blue states," Kiggans said. At Tuesday's Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing focused on "Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans' Mental Health," senators from both parties expressed support for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. This grant was authorized under the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which became law nearly five years ago but must be reauthorized. The lawmakers called for reauthorizing the Fox Grant because it would allow the VA to collaborate with trusted community organizations that can step in when the department lacks resources and staff. By expanding access to care beyond traditional VA facilities, especially in underserved areas, the program addresses gaps caused by systemic VA issues and helps ensure veterans receive the support they need before reaching a crisis point. To ensure positive outcomes, Russell Lemle, senior policy analyst for the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, explained that the reauthorization should continue requiring data-targeted solutions. He said without the data focus, the program's efficacy in tracking veterans' progress could be undermined. "The original Fox Grant legislation required community organizations to measure changes in risk factors like loss of income, relationships, and housing at both the beginning and end of services." Lemle said. "This data collection was the single best part of the program." Austin Lambright, a Marine Corps veteran, who served two combat deployments in Iraq, told the committee that veterans struggle when transitioning out of service. For instance, he battled with post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. He emphasized the first 18 months of transition were amongst the most difficult. Through the Fox Grant, Lambright found a pathway forward. "The program connected me with Upstate Warrior Solution, and I was able to receive both inpatient and outpatient care for PTSD and alcohol abuse," he explained. "It gave me the tools to heal and reconnect with my purpose, especially for my son." Testimony from veterans at the Senate Committee hearing underscored how the program provided veterans with access to essential care and support, especially in the transition period. In Wednesday's hearing, Dr. Ilse Wiechers said suicides among veterans have increased. In 2022, the 6,407 ended their lives in suicides and suicide was the second highest cause of death for veterans under age 45-years-old, according to a December 2024 VA report. "I think ensuring transition from service member to veteran status is important, in particular, ensuring that we have continuity of mental health care, especially for those who may be receiving medication," she said. Members of Congress from both parties emphasized the importance of the Fox Grant. "It's been a game changer for so many veterans. It's geared toward meeting veterans where they are, providing access to services from trusted community partners and underserved communities," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. "And my hope is we'll have bipartisan support for reauthorizing the Fox Grant Program." If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24/7. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Jen Kiggans talks clean energy with Hampton Roads industry leaders
VIRGINIA BEACH — U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans recently met with leaders from Dominion Energy, Virginia Natural Gas and other Hampton Roads business representatives to discuss how 'clean' energy investments are growing the local workforce and bringing long-term economic growth to the region. During a Wednesday roundtable event, hosted by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, she also discussed efforts to drum up more support for clean energy among Republicans. 'It's really important that we use our voice even more loudly now,' she said, noting the small Republican majority in the U.S. House, the Senate and a Republican in the White House. 'There are those of us in districts like this one that really care about these renewable energy issues, clean energy, just the business side of it.' Clean energy refers to power sources that curb greenhouse gas emissions or pollutants, which are primarily caused by burning fossil fuels, deforestation and agricultural activities. Kiggans, a Republican who represents Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, has been a supporter of offshore wind energy since her days as a state senator. She's also an advocate for clean energy tax credits. The congresswoman said she's starting to see similar support from some GOP colleagues and is trying to amplify it. Trump says 'no windmills.' What does that mean for Virginia's booming wind energy industry? Hampton Roads legislators take different approaches to town halls Dominion will restart its offshore wind project in May. Here's how whales will be protected. She's a member of the House Conservative Climate Caucus, which launched several years ago and aims to 'educate House Republicans on climate policies and legislation consistent with conservative values,' among other initiatives. 'We've banded together, and we're using our voices, and we are making sure that our leadership knows that these issues are important,' she said, adding that they try to appeal to the fiscal conservative side of clean energy projects. 'We know best how to speak that love language, right, to the people who are leading the country,' she said. President Donald Trump has taken steps to limit future offshore wind projects, and recently stopped construction of a wind farm off the coast of New York. After the roundtable, The Virginian-Pilot asked Kiggans if she was concerned about potential federal cuts to wind energy. Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is under construction 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The $9.8 billion project will generate energy to power up to 660,000 homes, according to Dominion, and is expected to be completed at the end of 2026. 'I am closely monitoring all new proposals and will continue advocating for responsible investments that strengthen our domestic energy independence and support skilled jobs and economic growth in Virginia's 2nd District,' Kiggans said. During the discussion, Kiggans also gave a nod to Dominion Energy for a partnership with Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. The East Coast master jet base in Kiggans' district is providing utility easements to Dominion for onshore transmission of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project in exchange for technology upgrades, she said. 'For me, energy security is national security,' she said, adding that she had an eye-opening experience as a member of the House Armed Services Committee during a visit to Silicon Valley last fall. 'Our defense industry doesn't have the energy sufficient to get the job done and supply the warfighter with the needs and the technology that's out there,' said Kiggans, a former Naval helicopter pilot. 'We need to do better.' Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
