Democratic nominee for the Virginia governor’s seat Abigail Spanberger is warning that a government shutdown will seriously impact not just federal employees, but also everyday people in the state.
Spanberger joined WTOP’s Nick Iannelli to discuss how the government shutdown will impact Virginians and the looming November gubernatorial election.
She criticized her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, for suggesting she should pressure Democratic senators to pass a “clean” continuing resolution. Instead, she called for bipartisan efforts to end the shutdown.
WTOP has reached out to Winsome Earle-Sears for comment, who will speak with us on Friday.
Hear the full conversation and read the transcript below:
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
- Nick Iannelli:
I think that just about everybody in the D.C. region, if they had a chance to ask you a question at this moment, it would be, do you think the government shutdown is going to impact the governor’s race?
- Abigail Spanberger:
I think the government shutdown is impacting thousands upon thousands of Virginians, and that is really the biggest, most central piece of this larger discussion that’s at the forefront of my mind. During my time in Congress, I was always an aggressive advocate against government shutdowns. I’ll be honest, I can’t even consider them in a political frame, because I think they are so deeply damaging, certainly to our economy, but importantly to the lives of so many Virginians.
- 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:
I think every member of Congress and every member of the Senate should be working relentlessly to reverse course, to work in good faith and to put an end to this shutdown. Democrats and Republicans and the two independents in the Senate — every single member of the United States Senate, every single member of the House of Representatives, should be working tirelessly together to reverse course and put us on a path toward reopening the government as quickly as possible.
- Nick Iannelli:
What you’re talking about, as it relates to potential mass firings during the shutdown, that adds a totally different layer. If the Trump administration makes good on that, how do you think that might impact the Virginia governor’s race?
- 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.
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