Spanberger: “Right Now, Any Governor or Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Should Be Standing up for the People They Were Elected to Represent and Preparing for the Many Challenges Ahead”
RICHMOND, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement following passage of Congressional Republicans’ tax bill in the U.S. House of Representatives — legislation that threatens to take away healthcare coverage from more than 322,000 Virginians.
“I first ran for office after watching my Congressman vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for his constituents with pre-existing conditions. Now, nearly a decade later, I am once again hearing from Virginia parents, families, and healthcare providers who are terrified about what misguided legislation in Washington means for the healthcare of hundreds of thousands of our Virginia neighbors.
“The people of our Commonwealth deserve elected officials who will stand up against attacks on Virginians’ healthcare. That’s why I would like to thank every Democratic Member of Virginia’s congressional delegation for voting against this bill. Amid the chaos, they chose to stand with our neighbors on Medicaid, our rural hospitals, and our Commonwealth’s healthcare system.
“Virginians deserve a Governor who understands, not ignores or dismisses, the severe consequences of this bill. They deserve a Governor who recognizes the severity of this moment — for the health of our neighbors with chronic conditions, the fiscal health of our Commonwealth, and even the ability of Virginia’s food banks to feed those who are hungry. Right now, any Governor or Lieutenant Governor of Virginia should be standing up for the people they were elected to represent and preparing for the many challenges ahead. As the next Governor of Virginia, I will never put politics before my obligations to the health, safety, and financial security of every Virginian in our Commonwealth.”
BACKGROUND
The GOP’s tax bill would hurt access to affordable healthcare coverage across the Commonwealth:
- More than 388,000 Virginians on the Marketplace would see their premiums increase significantly – if they don’t lose coverage entirely. A 60-year old couple who lives in Roanoke and makes approximately $81,000 a year would see their premiums rise by over $1,000 per month.
At least six rural hospitals, including four in Southwest and Southside Virginia, one in Hampton Roads, and one in the Northern Neck — would be at risk of closure.