The Daily Progress Buckingham County GOP Chairwoman Ramona Christian (from left to right), U.S. Rep.-elect John McGuire, and his wife, Tracy McGuire, celebrate at the Barn at Poor House Farm in Rice after John McGuire won his race to represent Virginia's 5th Congressional District on Nov. 5.
Justin Faulconer
Nearly seven weeks into his first term in Congress, U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-5th District, addressed Lynchburg-area business leaders Tuesday on making federal spending more responsible, the role of nuclear energy and using private sector input to help solve problems for the district.
During a roundtable discussion at the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance's headquarters, McGuire said it is important to build relationships with business leaders throughout the district and he engaged in dialogue on their needs and concerns. Roughly more than a dozen business leaders attended the meeting to hear McGuire, a former delegate and senator in the Virginia General Assembly the past seven years who comfortably won the seat in the November 2024 election over Democrat Gloria Witt, of Amherst County.
He praised President Donald Trump and his administration's efforts to reduce federal government spending, which has drawn opposition and criticism from many Americans and Virginia's two Democratic senators, and said he thinks it will be the most impactful administration in the past century.
McGuire said he feels like the country was about to go over a cliff and Trump's election to a second term "by the grace of God" protected America.
"And we can have a safer, more prosperous country for all Americans," he told area business leaders. "That's what I'm fighting for: I want you guys to be able to live, work and raise your family in peace and I want you to double your business."
McGuire compared reeling in federal spending to a family losing their home or a local company going out of business if they spend more in a month than money coming in.
"We're up to $36 trillion-plus in national debt. I think it's one of the most dangerous things," McGuire said. "I'm very much supportive of limited federal government, but I think we should keep people safe."
McGuire, who narrowly won the Republican nomination last summer in a bitter primary against his predecessor Bob Good, during that campaign consistently presented his platform as being more in line with Trump's. He said in an interview with The News & Advance many federal programs are not being cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Trump appointed billionaire Elon Musk to head in weeding out wasteful government spending.
"People need to do their research and understand that we are in big trouble, and we've got to make big changes, and it might be a little rough, but on the other side will be a better, safer America," McGuire said.
He said Trump, who last May endorsed him in his primary battle with Good, won a mandate in the November election and is fulfilling campaign promises, among them securing the southern border and cracking down on illegal immigration.
"He's bringing back trust, fairness and common sense to the American people," McGuire said.
He also touched on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies of former President Joe Biden's administration that Trump is working to reverse, adding of certain positions: "The wrong people in a job can get people killed."
He claimed DOGE is finding "waste, fraud and abuse" and he is excited to serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and make decisions to lower the national debt.
"We should be responsible with your taxpayer dollars," McGuire said. "People are having trouble paying their bills right now, everything is more expensive, and we've got veterans living in the street and they're giving millions and millions of dollars overseas to countries on programs that make no sense to the American people."
'He's a problem-solver'
McGuire also touched on protests around the country over Musk's involvement in DOGE and access to financial information.
"He wants to help save our country. He doesn't need the money," McGuire said. "He's not trying to rob us or anything. He's just trying to solve the problem. He's a problem-solver, he really is."
A Feb. 7 news release from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., joined 23 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins pushing for immediate actions to secure veterans' personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Musk and DOGE.
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The senators wrote in the letter Trump has "given unfettered access" to federal databases and systems to Musk, who is unelected, and a team of colleagues "with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government."
"It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements," Warner and Kaine wrote. "We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties."
McGuire said past presidents have hired citizen experts to solve problems and Musk so far has uncovered "some crazy amounts of money" going to other countries that the congressman described as being unaccounted for.
"I hold government accountable to you, the taxpayer. It's your dollars," McGuire said to area business leaders. "I would imagine that instead of being mad at the people that are finding the fraud, maybe we should be mad at the people who committed the fraud. We have got to tighten our belt."
McGuire spoke of his experiences as a Navy SEAL, adding he was one of its youngest snipers, and of starting a business and getting sunburnt knocking on doors to greet voters upon entering politics. He credited business leaders with creative ideas that he brought before the legislature that he said have helped save millions of dollars.
"I think that's [the] way government works," McGuire said. "This seat doesn't belong to me, it belongs to 'we the people,' and I'm supposed to be your voice."
A staunch conservative, McGuire spoke of working with Democrats in some cases to get bills passed during his time in the state legislature from 2018 to last year. He praised Gov. Glenn Youngkin, his leadership and approach on working both sides of the aisle.
"We can disagree without being disagreeable, but we should at least have communication," McGuire said.
He also spoke on surviving a broken neck and being told at one point he would never walk again. "I think God gave me a second chance," McGuire said. "Every day is Christmas because I'm not in a wheelchair."
Focus areas for district
A member of the House Armed Services Committee, McGuire said a major focus is ensuring a strong national defense and the country achieving "peace through strength." He spoke on the importance of promoting agriculture, Virginia's top industry, and his concern with farms declining as the population keeps growing.
He said he supports legislation for logging trucks carrying certain weight to be allowed on federal highways, a measure he said would save lives and money for businesses. On health care, he said he wants to find ways to make the overall system more preventative and not just reactionary.
McGuire said he is supportive of nuclear energy; a topic he believes the Lynchburg area "is leading the charge." He said Trump's first term brought major strides in energy self-dependency and dominance that was reversed when Biden took office. The congressman described small modular reactors (SMR) as a clean energy solution that can help ease costs on Americans.
"One of the biggest keys to tackling this national debt and one of the biggest keys of lowering prices for everyday Americans who are suffering right now is energy dominance," McGuire said.
Appalachian Power Company is looking into possibly bringing a SMR to a company-owned site in the Joshua Falls area of Campbell County.
One business leader said a "common-sense" regulatory approach is needed for developing business-ready sites for companies, which is an area the business alliance and Megan Lucas, its executive director, is focusing their efforts. McGuire said he and Youngkin have talked about investing in business-ready sites and keeping major companies from going to states such as North Carolina.
"That's our biggest competition," Lucas said.
McGuire said if there is a major project or key infrastructure piece needed to help a locality or business he will fight for it.
"I'd rather spend less money than more money, but if it's a real need, whatever your industries are, if you see something you know about, please let me know," McGuire told the group.
He said he is focused on keeping communities safe, creating incentives to bring businesses to the Lynchburg area and throughout the district, getting the "government off your back and out of your pocket" and backing business-friendly policies. The freshman congressman said he doesn't have all the answers but will work tirelessly to solve problems.
"I'm better with a rifle than talking," McGuire told the group. "But I am a fighter, and I'd love to help you if I can."
Justin Faulconer, (434) 385-5551
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