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VA's Congressional Delegation Looks to the Year Ahead

The Associated Press

Virginia lawmakers are laying down their legislative priorities for the new year, but Republicans doubt they can get much done with a Democrat in the White House.

President Obama is fresh off a quick campaign style jaunt across the nation where he tried to rally support for his agenda, which ranges from gun control to finding a cure for cancer. But Republicans, like Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes, say even where they agree with the president it's hard to find common ground. 

“We’ll try to work with him on everything, but when he ignores the need that we have when he’s cut national security by 25%, you got 46 million now in poverty, and he doubles down on his policies, it’s tough to work with him to find those places where you can change.”

  Democrats are feeling optimistic about their legislative priorities this year, because two thousand fifteen ended with a slew of bipartisan compromises. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says he's feeling good about their chances this year. 

“Just look at last year. We got a two year budget deal, I fought hard to get a two year budget as a part of the budget committee and we got that done. We, in a bipartisan way, set up a framework to analyze one of the most complicated issues in diplomacy we’ve done probably since the League of Nations 100 years ago, which was the Iran deal. We set up the process and then we carried out the process. We got a cyber bill done; we got trade promotion authority done. People weren’t predicting we’d get a lot done last year and we did.”

Kaine says more progress is needed though. 

“I think there’s more to do this year on trade, obviously the second half of the trade vote to actually approve the Transpacific Partnership will come before us. I hope we do more on cyber. These cyber issues aren’t going away; they’re getting more complicated. And I hope that we can take some bipartisan steps to protect the nation from cyber-attacks.”

As for his priorities, Kaine says it's really up to the Republicans who control Congress. 

“Being in the minority it really kind of depends on what issues the majority wants to put on the floor, but last year people didn’t have high hopes and we got some big things done and I hope we will this year too.”

The president is trying to refocus the debate in places like southwest Virginia's coal country. He argues the depressed economy in traditional manufacturing and energy regions can only be revolutionized with education and technological training. Northern Virginia Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly says it makes sense. 

“If you’re in manufacturing, you’ve got to have technological skills, computer skills if you’re going to succeed. The idea that if you’ve got a high school education and a set of brawny arms you can succeed in the industrial sector is no longer in fact true.”

But that's a harder pill for Republicans to swallow. Virginia Congressman Dave Brat says he agrees with the president's focus on education. But he worries that their philosophies differ on what an education is for. 

“Education is always positive, but even there I wish he would make it very clear that business is a moral good.” 

Brat says it's hard for the GOP to work with President Obama on items like education when he continuously lambasts the private sector. 

“Is business a moral good or not? Or are they the bad guys? So every kid their only means for success is going to be getting a job in the private sector.” 

Some Republicans say this year in Washington will be important because it will give voters a clear choice when they hit the ballot box in November. As for legislation, they doubt the president will sign many of the bills they hope to put on his desk.

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