Rob Wittman
2007 - Present
2025
17
Robert J. Wittman (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Virginia's 1st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2007. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.
Wittman (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Virginia's 1st Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. The Republican primary for this office on June 18, 2024, was canceled.
Click here to see Wittman's key votes in Congress.
Biography
Robert J. Wittman earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1981, a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina in 1990, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002. Wittman's professional experience includes working as an environmental health specialist for local health departments and as field director for the Virginia Health Department’s Division of Shellfish Sanitation.[1]
Wittman's first position as an elected public official was a seat on the Montross, Virginia Town Council in 1986. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as the mayor of Montross, a member of the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors, and a member of the Virginia House of Delegates (District 99).[2]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Wittman's academic, professional, and political career:[2]
- 2007-Present: U.S. Representative from Virginia's 1st Congressional District
- 2006-2007: Virginia House of Delegates
- 1996-2005: Board of Supervisors, Westmoreland County, VA
- 2004-2005: Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Westmoreland County, VA
- 1992-1996: Mayor, Montross, VA
- 1986-1996: Town Council member, Montross, VA
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2023-2024
Wittman was assigned to the following committees:
- United States House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Energy and Mineral Resources
- Water, Oceans, and Wildlife
2021-2022
Wittman was assigned to the following committees:[Source]
- House Committee on Armed Services
- Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Seapower and Projection Forces, Ranking member
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Water, Oceans, and Wildlife
2019-2020
Wittman was assigned to the following committees:[Source]
2017-2018
At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Wittman was assigned to the following committees:[3]
2015-2016
Wittman served on the following committees:[4]
2013-2014
Wittman served on the following committees:[5]
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Readiness Chairman
- Subcommittee on Seapower & Projection Forces
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs
2011-2012
Wittman served on the following House committees:[6]
- Committee on Armed Services
- Readiness Subcommittee
- Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee
- National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee
Key votes
- See also: Key votes
Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.
Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.
Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023 | ||||||||
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Vote | Bill and description | Status | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (310-118) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (227-201) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (217-215) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (328-86) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (225-204) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (219-200) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (229-197) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (314-117) | ||||||
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) |
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Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212) | ||||||
Nay |
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Passed (216-210) | ||||||
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) |
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Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209) | ||||||
Yea |
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Passed (221-212) | ||||||
Nay |
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Passed (311-114) |
Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress
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Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.
Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018
114th CongressThe first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[81][82] For more information pertaining to Wittman's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.[83] Economic and fiscalTrade Act of 2015Trade adjustment assistance Defense spending authorizationOn May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Wittman voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill.[92] The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.[93] On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.[94][95] Wittman voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[96] On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.[97] 2016 Budget proposalOn April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Wittman voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill.[98][99][100] 2015 budgetOn October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.[101] Wittman voted with 166 Republicans against the bill.[102] It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015.[103] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign AffairsIran nuclear deal
On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Wittman voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill.[104][105]
Export-Import BankOn October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods.[112] Wittman voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill.[113] DomesticUSA FREEDOM Act of 2015On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Wittman voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.[114][115] Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection ActOn May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Wittman voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill.[116][117] Cyber securityOn April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies.[118] Wittman voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill.[119] On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116.[120] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Wittman voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill.[121] ImmigrationOn November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137.[122] The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Wittman voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill.[123] 113th CongressThe second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[124] For more information pertaining to Wittman's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[125] National securityNDAAWittman voted in support of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.[126] DHS AppropriationsWittman voted in support of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.[126] Keystone Pipeline AmendmentWittman voted in opposition of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.[126] CISPA (2013)Wittman voted in support of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.[127] The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.[126] EconomyFarm billOn January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[128] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[129][130] It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[130] Wittman voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 BudgetOn January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[131][132] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582-page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[132] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[133] It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Wittman voted with the majority of the Republican Party in favor of the bill.[131] Government shutdown
On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.[134] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.[135] Wittman voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.[136] The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[137] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Wittman voted for HR 2775.[138] Wittman said via Twitter that he would "donate my salary to charity for every day the government is shut down."[139] Farm Bill
Wittman supported the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote.[140] The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps.[141] ImmigrationMorton Memos ProhibitionWittman supported House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status.[142] The vote largely followed party lines.[143] HealthcareRepealing ObamacareWittman supported all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[144] Social issuesAbortionWittman supported HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.[145] Government affairsHR 676On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit.[146] Wittman joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution.[147][148] Previous congressional sessionsFiscal cliffWittman voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003, while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.[149] |
Elections
2024
See also: Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2024
Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (June 18 Democratic primary)
Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (June 18 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Virginia District 1
Incumbent Robert J. Wittman and Leslie Mehta are running in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
Robert J. Wittman (R) | ||
Leslie Mehta (D) |
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1
Leslie Mehta defeated Herb Jones in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on June 18, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Leslie Mehta | 66.4 | 13,911 | |
Herb Jones | 33.6 | 7,030 |
Total votes: 20,941 | ||||
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Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert J. Wittman advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.
Endorsements
Wittman received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- Former President Donald Trump (R)
2022
See also: Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Virginia District 1
Incumbent Robert J. Wittman defeated Herb Jones and David Bruce Foster in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert J. Wittman (R) | 56.0 | 191,828 | |
Herb Jones (D) | 43.0 | 147,229 | ||
David Bruce Foster (Independent) | 1.0 | 3,388 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 293 |
Total votes: 342,738 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Austin Nichols (Independent)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Herb Jones advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Stewart Navarre (D)
- Jessica Anderson (D)
- Jim Gehlsen (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert J. Wittman advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.
2020
See also: Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)
Virginia's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Virginia District 1
Incumbent Robert J. Wittman defeated Qasim Rashid in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert J. Wittman (R) | 58.1 | 260,614 | |
Qasim Rashid (D) | 41.7 | 186,923 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 641 |
Total votes: 448,178 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Shawn Ponterio (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1
Qasim Rashid defeated Vangie Williams in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Qasim Rashid | 52.5 | 21,625 | |
Vangie Williams | 47.5 | 19,545 |
Total votes: 41,170 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Easley (D)
- Kevin Washington (D)
- Thomas Cox (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Robert J. Wittman advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 1.
2018
General election
Incumbent Robert J. Wittman defeated Vangie Williams in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 1 on November 6, 2018.