Spanberger Statement on Vote to Keep Government Open, Protect Virginia’s Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after voting with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House to keep the federal government open and to protect Virginia’s economy.

“We should never have come this close to a government shutdown. For days, thousands of Virginians I represent feared a situation where they would be forced to work without pay, become furloughed, or struggle to make ends meet. And for months, Virginia’s businesses were sounding the alarm about the devastating effects of shutdowns on Virginia’s economy.

“Many of my colleagues in the House GOP refused to listen to these voices. They were determined to bring down the very functioning of America’s government for the sake of raising money, grabbing headlines, and getting the attention they so desperately crave. Speaker McCarthy rewarded this behavior for far too long — even though a bipartisan solution was clearly on the table to keep America’s government open.

“We need to move away — sharply — from the idea that being an elected official means a blank checkbook to grandstand. As a country, we need to get back to the basics of governing — recognizing our shared challenges, hammering out differences, and finding a responsible compromise that averts disaster.

“Going forward, Congress has a long to-do list — including passing the 2023 Farm Bill, supporting our allies in Ukraine, and once again avoiding a government shutdown. We need to work in a bipartisan way to get these priorities across the finish line, and as the Representative of thousands of federal employees, servicemembers, and contractors, we need to take steps to avoid these Groundhog Day funding crises in the future.”

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