While the Senate was in recess last week, I enjoyed traveling throughout the state speaking with North Carolinians about the issues affecting them.  I had the opportunity to tour manufacturing facilities, visit with students, and speak with the employees and employers who are directly impacting our economy.  On Memorial Day I attended two events– in Yanceyville and Thomasville – where I met some of our nation’s heroes and was able to thank them personally for their service.

 On Tuesday, I toured a VA clinic in Greenville where I spoke with doctors and administrators about the facility’s ability to provide medical and mental health services for our veterans.  You can read more about my visit in this article in the Daily Reflector.

I spent part of the day Wednesday in Edenton where I visited the Cupola House, a National Historic Landmark and sat down with 103.7 WTIB-FM talk-show host Henry Hinton to discuss a range of issues of interest to North Carolinians at the beautiful, historic Barker House.  Later that afternoon, I had the privilege to present Jim Pfleger with the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation’s second highest military honor.  He earned the DSC for his efforts to lead a squad to rescue fellow soldiers trapped behind enemy lines.

 I concluded a busy, productive week travelling throughout the state at the Disable American Veterans (DAV) convention in Raleigh.  There, I had a chance to share with veterans what I think we can do better to serve our wounded service members and to hear from soldiers themselves about what issues are of greatest concern.

Now back in Washington, I’m continuing to investigate the needs of veterans. On Thursday, I sat sit down with family caretakers, veterans, government officials and health experts for the second in a series of informal roundtable discussions on pressing issues within VA and the veteran community.  That conversation was both informative and energizing, and I look forward to applying that feedback legislatively.

Like all Americans, I am closely monitoring the disaster in the Gulf and the ongoing efforts to cap the well and clean up the oil.  I remain committed to stopping the leak, cleaning up the mess and finding out what went wrong.  I’m also very aware that many in North Carolina are concerned about our state’s shores. While the likelihood that oil will reach our shores is still very uncertain, I’ve begun to take steps to ensure that we are ahead of the curve and fully prepared to handle any threat to our coastline and fisheries. 

At an Energy and Natural Resources committee hearing on Wednesday, I urged Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to dedicate significant departmental resources and support to working with the State of North Carolina. You can watch that exchange by clicking here.

On Thursday, I and several other Senators sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, asking the Department of Homeland Security to immediately coordinate with all state emergency preparedness agencies along the Atlantic Coast and to provide full information about how best to prepare for managing an oil spill.  We’ve also asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to begin developing and disseminating official, science-based predictions about the long-term direction of the oil spill and chemical dispersants. 

As the Senate continues to tackle various pieces of legislation over the next few weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, I will focus on those things I know are best for North Carolina and our country: reducing our federal debt, creating jobs, and reigning in our massively expanding federal government.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Richard Burr

*Please do not respond to this email address. To contact me please visit my websiteburr.senate.gov.