BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) expects tensions to rise in Washington, D.C. as the presidential election approaches.
Griffith spent Tuesday morning in Bristol, Virginia, touring the American Merchant Corp. plant. During his visit, Griffith answered several questions about the upcoming election and nuclear power in Southwest Virginia.
In the meantime, lawmakers from both parties are already on edge as they vote to decide who will be president in November, Griffiths said.
“It's a little bit nerve-wracking,” Griffith said, “both sides are gearing up for the election campaign, so it's always going to be hard to pass good legislation that doesn't get noticed, because a lot of the good things we do are the ones that you don't hear about. But we'll get through this.”
Griffith told News Channel 11 he expects Congress to be especially productive after the election.
“It's going to be a contentious year leading up to the election,” he said. “After the election, I hope that we can achieve a lot in the so-called lame-duck period, so that tensions will be lifted and we can look forward to the next administration.”
Griffith also voiced his support for bringing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to Southwest Virginia.
In March, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that the first SMR reactors would not be located in the region, contrary to previous expectations. However, lawmakers told News Channel 11 in March that they still expect the reactors would eventually be built in the area.
“I agree. I think we need to make sure we do all the testing,” Griffiths said. “We need to make sure the ground is right underneath the reactor. What's interesting is the technology is already there. And we're actually kind of getting into a situation where there's a lot of technology around to make small modular reactors.”
Griffith said Virginia's first SMR will likely be built near an existing nuclear facility, where testing and infrastructure are easier.
“The only real question for us is whether we're on the right rocks, because from a geological standpoint, we're not necessarily on porous karst terrain,” he said, “but other than that, we're well positioned. We're right in the middle of that technology and we can take advantage of it, and we hope to.”
