The Congresswoman Called on Her Virginia Colleagues in Both Washington, D.C. & Richmond to Make Their Voices Heard about the Dangers of a Federal Government Shutdown for Virginia’s Economy

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today joined Prince William County business leaders and local officials to discuss how a government shutdown would damage Virginia’s economy.

Spanberger joined local business leaders and local officials to highlight how a government shutdown would have serious impacts on Prince William County’s federal employees, small businesses, and overall economy. Additionally, Spanberger spoke out against the hyper-partisanship and political games that have driven lawmakers to this point — and she shared more data about how previous shutdowns hurt Virginia’s economy.

Click here to watch the full event.

“I’m going to start by stating the obvious: government shutdowns are bad for Virginia,” said Spanberger. “They are bad for businesses. They are bad for families. They are bad for Virginia jobs. And they are bad for our overall economy. As Congress heads back to Washington to start our fall session, we have a long to-do list. But our very top priority needs to be avoiding a government shutdown.”

Spanberger continued, “Previous shutdowns have historically hurt the finances and job security of families across the Commonwealth — especially in Northern Virginia. It’s not a case of Chicken Little or the Boy Who Cried Wolf. It’s not a fairy tale. For thousands of Virginians, it’s reality.”

Additional speakers included Jinnae Monroe, Board of Directors, Prince William Chamber of Commerce; Kenny Boddye, Occoquan District Supervisor, Prince William County Board of Supervisors; Dr. Wakeena Dickens, CEO, Bon Mangé Cuisine; and Mariah Bailey, CEO, Black American Market.

In her comments, Spanberger also highlighted the need to incentivize lawmakers to avoid these repeated, avoidable, and reckless potential crises. Specifically, she discussed her bipartisan bill that would block Members of Congress from receiving their pay during any default or government shutdown.

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