SALISBURY — U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx made her first stop in Rowan County as its congresswoman on Monday.
Foxx was sworn in for a fourth term last week, but this county is new territory for her. The 5th Congressional District that Foxx represents now includes a large swath of western and northern Rowan.
“I wanted to get here as soon as I could,” she said. “I’m very committed to representing my part of Rowan County.”
This week is a district work period, Foxx said, so she gets the chance to visit her constituents and hear from them about what’s going on in their communities.
Before the county commissioners’ first meeting of the year Monday, she talked with each of them individually and asked about any concerns they had and ways she could help.
“I wanted to come down and speak to the commissioners and let them know I plan to be very often present in Rowan County and offer my assistance,” Foxx said.
At the start of the commissioners’ meeting, Foxx spoke briefly to the board and the public.
“I’m here to work with you and help in any way I can in the challenges that are facing you,” she said. “If I, or any of my staff, can help you or any constituents here in Rowan County, we’re here to do that.”
In Washington, D.C., Foxx said she is working on several projects in her new role as secretary of the House Republican Conference.
She’s also been dealing with recent economic issues like the fiscal cliff, sequestration and the debt ceiling.
Foxx said Congress needs to reduce spending, not raise taxes like it did in a last-minute deal to address the fiscal cliff. And any increase in the nation’s debt should come with at least an equal amount of spending cuts.
“We passed a budget last year, and we passed a bill in August to take care of sequestration. We also passed a bill in May to take care of the fiscal cliff,” Foxx said. “The House did its work last year, but the Senate simply wouldn’t deal with it.”
Foxx isn’t the only federal representative visiting new constituents this week in Rowan County.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a newly-elected Congressman representing much of eastern and southern Rowan, will speak to the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce at 4 p.m. today during a “listening tour.”
According to Hudson’s staff, he plans to talk with the chamber about how he could help create new jobs in the 8th Congressional District and spur economic growth.

Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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