WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger released the following statement today after voting with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to keep the federal government open and protect Virginia’s economy.
“We should never have come this close to a government shutdown. Thousands of Virginians I represent feared for days a situation in which they would be forced to work without pay, be furloughed or struggle to make ends meet. And for months, Virginia businesses sounded the alarm about the devastating impact of the closures on Virginia’s economy.
“Many of my colleagues in the House of Representatives refused to listen to these voices. They were determined to disrupt the way the American government works in order to raise money, grab headlines, and get the attention they so desperately crave. Speaker McCarthy has rewarded this behavior for far too long – even though there was clearly a bipartisan solution on the table to keep America’s government open.
“We need to move significantly away from the idea that having an elected official means an empty checkbook in the gallery. As a country, we must return to the basics of governance – recognizing our shared challenges, resolving differences, and finding a responsible compromise that averts catastrophe.
“Going forward, Congress has a long to-do list – including passing the 2023 Farm Bill, supporting our allies in Ukraine and avoiding another government shutdown.” We must work across party lines to get these priorities across the finish line , and as representatives of thousands of federal employees, military personnel and contractors, we must take action to avoid these Groundhog Day funding crises in the future.”
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