CULPEPER STAR-EXPONENT, ALLISON BROPHY CHAMPION

U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, called for her colleagues in Washington, D.C. to find new areas of agreement in a statement Saturday after being sworn into the 118th Congress for a third term.

“A divided government should not automatically mean a dysfunctional government and it is the responsibility of every lawmaker to recognize how the combination of gridlock, hyper-partisanship, and grandstanding is only a recipe for slowing down the pace of meaningful progress for the people we serve.”

Spanberger said she has worked to build wide coalitions across the political spectrum to get things done and deliver long-lasting reforms.

“Going forward, my colleagues must be focused on finding new areas of agreement, even on issues where agreement has been hard to find and sustain such as passing bipartisan immigration reform and reducing conflicts of interest,” the congresswoman said in the statement.

Spanberger advocated to maintain strong bipartisan support for the people of Ukraine, find new opportunities to lower drug costs for seniors and families, invest in workforce training programs, and for both parties to be alert to threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. She said it was a bittersweet moment being sworn in as she no longer represents several counties she previously did due to redistricting, including her home base in Richmond.

“It remains the privilege of my life to be in this position of public trust and I will keep working to serve in a transparent, accountable, and productive manner consistent with the values of the Virginians I represent,” she said.

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In a district update earlier last week, Spanberger said the long process for Republicans to elect a Speaker of the House carried serious oversight, constituent service, and national security implications.

“The American people deserve a U.S. House that is functioning. As a resident of the Seventh District, please continue to reach out to our office amid these delays. We are here to help you,” the congresswoman said.

“My office is here to help get everyone who lives in Virginia’s Seventh District the fair treatment and timely responses you deserve. If you believe we may be able to assist you with an issue you are having with a federal agency, program, or benefit, please contact our team.”

Since taking office January 2019, Spanberger’s office has closed 5,873 constituent cases and returned $27 million in backlogged benefits to Virginians involving Social Security checks, Veterans benefits, tax returns, Medicare appeals, and more, according to the release.To open a case with her office, fill out the form at spanberger.house.gov/ or call at 804/401-4110.

On Friday, Spanberger paused with other members of Congress to recognize the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. As the day unfolded, U.S. Capitol Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, Virginia State Police, Virginia National Guard and law enforcement officers from across the region saved American democracy, she said, adding she is forever grateful to them.

To mark two years since that day, she and others observed a 140-second moment of silence on the U.S. Capitol steps for the more than 140 law enforcement officers who were injured.

Spanberger represents all or portions of the counties of Albemarle, Caroline, Culpeper, Greene, King George, Madison, Orange, Prince William, Spotsylvania and Stafford and the city of Fredericksburg. The congresswoman is a former CIA case officer and federal law enforcement officer.