HENRICO, V.A. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger joined a National Capital Region press call to highlight her key priorities for the next federal COVID-19 response package — including direct support for Central Virginia’s smaller and rural counties, as well as strengthened federal investment in high-speed broadband internet infrastructure.

In a call with her House colleagues and regional reporters, Spanberger underscored the urgent need to support state and local governments, which are fighting the virus on the front lines and delivering essential services to Central Virginians, while also facing budgetary shortfalls.

“As we’re discussing what lies ahead in the next COVID-19 response package, I’m particularly focused on how we can deliver much-needed relief to our state and local governments,” said Spanberger during the call. “On calls that I’ve had with our local officials—our mayors, Board of Supervisors members, county administrators, it is clear how urgent the need is for relief funding.”

Spanberger added, “Virginia’s county governments are not only dealing with this unprecedented uptick in the demand for essential services, but they are doing it during an unprecedented economic downturn. And during this crisis, we need to ensure additional funding for states, counties, and cities of all sizes—and it needs to be direct, and it needs to be flexible.

Spanberger has continued to push for greater support to Central Virginia counties and localities as they look to maintain vital services like electricity, water, healthcare systems, and emergency response services in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. In a bipartisan letter sent to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy last week, Spanberger led 102 of her colleagues in urging strengthened federal funding and greater flexibility for county governments of all sizes across the country in response to COVID-19.

During this week’s call, Spanberger also called for congressional leadership to address the digital divide exacerbated by COVID-19 and prioritize large-scale investment in high-speed broadband internet infrastructure. Last month, Spanberger spearheaded a bipartisan effort calling for both chambers of Congress to include robust high-speed broadband internet infrastructure funding in any upcoming long-term infrastructure package related to the nation’s COVID-19 response.

Spanberger was joined on yesterday’s call by U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), David Trone (D-MD-06), John Sarbanes (D-MD-03), and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10).

Click here for audio of the full press call.

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