Nick Iannelli:
Your opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, told NBC the other day that she thinks that you should do more to convince Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to at least vote to keep the government open for now, negotiate the health care subsidies later, keep the government open for now.
What’s your response to that?
Abigail Spanberger:
I think instead of spending her time assuming I can direct the actions of the U.S. Senate, she should perhaps spend her time standing up for Virginia jobs and for Virginians as the current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Trump’s OMB director said that layoffs are coming in the next few days. And the notable reality of this moment is this is so far beyond what we’ve seen in previous government shutdowns or in previous threats of shutdowns. And I think when you have an OMB director saying that they’re going to start mass layoffs, that doesn’t signify, in any way, a good-faith effort to work to end this shutdown.
So I think any person in Virginia, particularly the current lieutenant governor, particularly our current governor, should be ringing the alarm bells to President Trump, saying, in fact, if we are going to move toward a good-faith effort to end this shutdown, don’t escalate it by mass firings of Virginians. And I think that so many Virginians know that at this point, if the president is OK threatening the jobs of so many more public servants, of so many Virginians, then, is this a good-faith effort? Is there actually an effort to end the shutdown?
Yes, we must end a shutdown. Shutdowns are never good for Virginia. The threats of shutdowns are never good for Virginia. But the idea that the president would use the shutdown to escalate the attacks on the federal workforce even further is an egregious attack on Virginians.
Nick Iannelli:
You’re kind of saying two things at once: You’re saying that there shouldn’t be a shutdown and that lawmakers should work to end the shutdown, but you’re also saying that the Trump administration is escalating if those mass layoffs do happen, that really does muddy the waters beyond just a shutdown.
You’re right about that, for sure, but, as the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia, are you urging Democrats on Capitol Hill to stop digging their heels in and work to keep the government open, rather than take this very strong stand at this point?
Abigail Spanberger:
It’s a horrifying reality for Virginians. I’m running for governor, but I’m also a Virginian. I’m also someone who served in elected office, representing public servants who time and time again face the worry of a government shutdown. I also was in Congress. I entered during the longest government shutdown.
My second week in Congress, I went to the White House. I was in a small group meeting in the Situation Room, imploring the president of the United States, President Trump, to come to the table to end the shutdown, because I was visiting the airport and TSA officers who were literally relying on donated gas cards to be able to get to work. The moment that we are in is one where people are going to be hurt.