HENRICO, V.A. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today announced that she was recognized for being one of the most active freshman Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in hosting open, public events.

The nonpartisan Town Hall Project recently named Spanberger a “Standout Freshman” in its 2019 Congressional Accountability Report. Last year, Spanberger hosted 12 county-wide town halls, 4 in-district “Coffee with Your Congressperson” events, a public forum focused on the rising cost of prescription drugs in Central Virginia, and a rural broadband summit in Louisa County.

“During my first year in the U.S. House, one of my top priorities was engaging in direct conversations with the people of Central Virginia. I’d like to thank the Town Hall Project for recognizing the clear merits of holding open discussions with constituents and for highlighting the hard work of the freshman class in the U.S. House,” said Spanberger. “Together, we understand the importance of hearing directly from our bosses—the American people. I’m proud to be part of a greater push to increase transparency and accountability among our elected officials, and I look forward to additional moments in the coming year to hear from Central Virginians about the issues that matter most to them.”

Upon arriving in the U.S. House, Spanberger promised to hold a public town hall in each county of the Seventh District by the end of her first year. In 2019, Spanberger hosted open, community-focused town halls in each county of her district.

The Town Hall Project is a nonpartisan national organization working to keep Members of Congress accountable by encouraging them to have face-to-face conversations with their constituents. Click here to learn more, and click here to read the Town Hall Project’s 2019 Congressional Accountability Report.

BACKGROUND

In 2019, Spanberger convened 18 pre-announced, public events where she took questions directly from constituents. According to the Town Hall Project, the term “town hall” refers to any official, public event that meets the following conditions.

The event must:

• Be free and open to the public,
• Be announced with at least 24 hours’ notice,
• Feature at least 30 minutes of open questions and answers with constituents, and
• Be held within the lawmaker’s district or held within a 30 minute drive of their district.

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