On New Year’s Day, a minority of Republicans in the House of Representatives actually did what their constituents do every day: They did their job. Joining with a majority of Democrats in the House, they voted to prevent a major fiscal crisis: they postponed the drastic spending cuts of the Sequester, while reallocating the income tax burden to be more fair, extending unemployment benefits for those still seeking work, and preventing milk prices from tripling. Most significantly for us in Loudoun, their actions ensured that many of our friends and neighbors who work directly or indirectly for the Federal government had a job to go to the next morning.

What is simply stunning is that the Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives who did this did so without the help of the most senior member of the Virginia delegation, our own Representative Frank Wolf. Rep. Wolf voted against the Federal workers of the 10th District, and in favor of allowing massive cuts to go forward. Make no mistake, Frank Wolf’s vote was a vote for layoffs and unemployment among our communities in Loudoun. It was a vote for higher prices, lower salaries and recession in a Congressional District that has been virtually recession-proof.

Rep. Wolf’s reputation has been made on constituent service, yet his vote Tuesday night -- like many of his votes over the past five years -- was a grave disservice to his constituents. He has voted against letting his constituents’ children stay on their parents insurance, voted against protecting the rights of the women in his district, and voted against bills that provided funding for many needed improvements to our local infrastructure. Last night, he voted against the very jobs that make the 10th prosperous and strong.

The people of the 10th will remember that.