I was able to get involved in those races and watch really great people step forward and stand up for what they believe in and want to be a part of the political process, Spanberger said. Please subscribe to keep reading. "[31][32], After the 2020 United States redistricting cycle, Spanberger's district was radically redrawn, and no longer included her home in Henrico County. After eight years, Spanberger had several choices for her next posting, from Kenya to Costa Rica. At the top in all caps are the words "President Joe Biden.". That means what members ask of the administration will vary from district to district depending on the president's popularity. [19] While Brat won eight of the district's ten counties, Spanberger dominated the two largest counties, Henrico and Chesterfield, by a combined margin of over 30,000 votes. [61], On September 23, 2019, Spanberger joined six other freshman House Democrats with national security backgrounds in calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump. Abigail grew up in Henrico County. We discussed all possible avenues for getting formula back on the shelves so that parents who rely on it as I did to feed my three daughters know they will be able to feed their babies. Memo: Emmers son has new job in Congress, As the pandemic ebbs, Minnesota lawmakers and their staff resume taking free trips. Spanbergers blue and white yard signs have a single, small star a subtle reference to her work in the agency but apart from that she actually does not reference her work much when campaigning, though she does emphasis service, honor, and American values in her speeches. [50], As of June 2022, Spanberger had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time. The two also sparred over issues like the recent Republican tax reform law. House Democrats in competitive districts elected Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday to represent them in the caucus leadership . Vice-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and other members of the Problem Solvers Caucus hold a news conference to show support for their bipartisan infrastructure bill, which was written by both Democrat and Republican senators and representatives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC., on Friday, July 30 . She applied for a job with the CIA and had a confidential offer by 2002. "Those are the kinds of stories that people stop to think 'Oh, I have a better commute' or 'Oh, I'm working from home because I have better internet service.' A vote for my opponent will be a vote for the Nancy Pelosi liberal agenda, he said. "We're going so far as to print signs to let people know who is bringing this project and why it's happening," he said to applause. I talk in broad brush terms about what it is that I did, because thats all I am permitted to do There are at times when I say I wish I could talk about something in a little bit more detail, but thats just never a path that Ill go down, she explained. She has voiced her support for stronger border security measures but opposes Trump's proposed wall. Rep. Spanberger released a statement : Spanberger Votes with Bipartisan Majority to Condemn World's Worst Dictators, Calls for House GOP Leadership to Also Bring Bills to the Floor to Address. Spanberger is challenging Republican incumbent Dave Brat and the prospect of flipping the seat is a long-shot. Her race was catapulted into the national spotlight over the summer when a Republican PAC obtained and released an un-redacted version of one of her security clearance forms from the U.S. Whether they choose to go to college or not, Rep. Spanberger believes that all Virginia workers should have access to the education and training they need to achieve career success, earn a good living, and keep the Commonwealth the best state in the country for business. It's like it was like Special Olympics, or something." By Lindsey McPherson. Like others with access to America's top secrets, she will be called on to review intelligence matters in private and explain what she can to fellow lawmakers and the public. What's happening: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) is calling out leadership for not bringing her legislation that would ban members of Congress along with their family members from buying,. Chief Of Staff at Risk . Former long-shot Trump challenger and one-time Republican congressman Joe Walsh announced on Twitter Tuesday he voted for a Democrat for the first time for president, casting his ballot for Joe Biden. Addressing the Opioid Abuse & Addiction Epidemic 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. We live in a stream of history.. Posted December 6, 2022 at 5:16pm. I take my commitment to protecting the people who are still doing the job that I once did and the foreign nationals who are risking their lives as well to provide information the U.S. government very seriously.. Two former CIA officers, Abigail Spanberger and Elissa Slotkin, won reelection on Tuesday night, while anti-CIA candidate Geoff Young was defeated in Kentucky's 6 th district.. Spanberger, a Democrat, defeated her Republican challenger Yesli Vega with 51.9 percent of the vote in Virginia's 7th district, while . Protecting Womens Healthcare Access To see staff salaries for aides in the personal office of Rep. Abigail Spanberger, select a time period below. After serving in CIA, lawmaker now has role overseeing it. [74][75] She is a Protestant. She believes that an effective response involves working directly with community leaders, law enforcement officials, religious organizations, and healthcare professionals to build an actionable strategy to provide treatment, recovery, and wraparound services to everyone impacted by the opioid epidemic. Even before the attack [], Bipartisan Bill Would Give Borrowers Regular, Pertinent Information Related to Projected Payments, Accrued Interest, & Other Personalized Details WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. [50] In November 2020, she described reducing the cost of prescription drugs as "the top priority of families in [her] district". [20], In a visit to the district, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon described it as "an absolute bellwether of the entire country", adding that losing the district would mean the GOP losing control of the House. by The Hill staff. She was studying overseas on Sept. 11, 2001, and the terrorist attacks marked a turning point in her life. Senator Chuck Robb. Her current term ends on January 3, 2023. "At a minimum, your agency ought to provide parents with a clear timeline of when they can expect . To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. [17], In August, the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC closely aligned with Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, conducted a smear campaign against Spanberger. Lowering Prescription Drug Costs [43], Spanberger supports the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). If your intention was to visit my official House of Representatives website, please, Checks payable to "Spanberger for Congress". After earning her MBA, Rep. Spanberger began her public service . Additionally, she has led many bipartisan efforts to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable, increase transparency in the prescription drug marketplace, and prevent shortages by manufacturing essential medicines here at home. They live in Glen Allen, Virginia. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., speaks about her past work as a Central Intelligence Agency officer and her recent appointment to the House Intelligence Committee during an interview at her congressional offices on Feb. 8 in Washington. His team wrestles with every vote, even when time is tight and the night has been long. She decided ultimately to leave the CIA. Part of that unity is aimed at opposing what members call "an extreme Republican agenda." [30] Spanberger's remarks were disputed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted that Democrats kept the House, and progressive Representative Rashida Tlaib, who said the Democratic Party should "study the results" before dismissing progressives who represent their districts. Democrat running for U.S. Congress in Virginias 7th District. Even before the attack [], Bipartisan Bill Would Give Borrowers Regular, Pertinent Information Related to Projected Payments, Accrued Interest, & Other Personalized Details WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. "[31] Downie quoted progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who had noted that no swing-district House Democrat who co-sponsored Medicare for All lost their seat, and had remarked in response to Spanberger's comments that "not a single member of Congress that I'm aware of campaigned on socialism or defunding the police in this general election. "It may be a lower-level official that's coming in talking about 'let's have a roundtable with your town officials to talk about how to apply for rural broadband funding.' [67][64], Spanberger opposed Democrats' attempts to amend the Insurrection Act of 1807, saying that amending the rarely used law would not accomplish what Democrats intended. "How do you make that real; how do you tell that story?" "I am already seeing a number of my Republican colleagues who voted against these historic pieces of legislation want to claim credit. Brat beat his last Democratic challenger by 15-percentage points, and the district went for President Trump in 2016 by a margin of 6.5 points, though Democrat Hillary Clinton won the state overall. But I have never had this much fun on the Hill as Im having now., The Source for news on Capitol Hill since 1955. [8] She said she gathered intelligence about nuclear proliferation and terrorism. She assumed office on January 3, 2019. [50] She said the bill went "far beyond" pandemic relief and had no chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate. Even when you don't agree on something, you're able to build trust with her, which is something I always appreciated. Those votes can be tricky because we dont have very much time.. "Most of the intelligence community doesn't understand Congress and most of Congress doesn't understand the intelligence community.. [58], Spanberger has called for a new version of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that expired in 2004. The next four years she was evaluated, physically and physiologically, and began to train for life undercover.I loved the idea of understanding people, places, concepts, concerns and large international questions, she said, describing her work. The "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act" Would Allow Flavored and Unflavored Whole Milk in Participating Schools WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger helped reintroduce a bipartisan bill to allow unflavored and flavored whole milk to be offered in Virginia's school cafeterias. During a recent debate, Brat repeatedly accused Spanberger of being a Nancy Pelosi-style Democrat and too liberal for the district. Abigail Davis Spanberger, the Representative from Virginia - in Congress from 2023 through Present. The mission isnt just Go, Democrats, go, he said. Democrats in Baltimore repeatedly talked about the need to make sure their constituents know who voted and didn't vote for federal dollars on infrastructure. She's running unopposed in her party for a third term, and there will be no. [7] On June 12, 2018, Spanberger defeated Dan Ward in the Democratic primary election with 73% of the vote, receiving more votes than any other candidate in the Virginia primaries that day. ", Before President George W. Bush was mangling the English language, it was his father, President George H.W. Postal Inspection Service. At least two other former CIA officers became members of the committee Republicans Will Hurd of Texas and Porter Goss of Florida, who was chairman before being named CIA director in 2004 under President George W. Bush. Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger told CNN Friday morning that she spoke with Klain twice in the last two days to discuss the shortage, saying that Klain told her the White House views . The congresswoman said that voters sent Biden to the White House "to be normal and stop the. . [35], Spanberger's committee assignments include:[36][37], Some commentators have characterized Spanberger as a centrist Democrat. And we are blessed. Republicans have been particularly adept this year at using those procedural motions to send a message and put moderate Democrats like his boss in a tight spot. @RepSpanberger" C-SPAN, an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels (C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3), one radio station and a group of. They wrote that if the allegations were true, they amounted to "a flagrant disregard for the law" and "a threat to all we have sworn to protect. "We were right in the midst of one of the more challenging political debates and discussions about strategy and timing," Kuster said. She's running unopposed in her party for a third term, and there will be no. Currently serving Virginia District 7 United States Won re-election with a 1.82% margin, outperforming Vice President Biden. She supports universal coverage through the adoption of a public option and, in Congress, she advocates for solutions that achieve real progress, respond to the unique challenges of Virginias rural communities, support the Commonwealths expansion of Medicaid coverage, and preserve funding for critical programs like the Childrens Health Insurance Plan. [76], 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia District 7, 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia District 7, 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia District 7, Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, 2019 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, photo op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church, Women in the United States House of Representatives, "Abigail Spanberger's passion for languages led her to the CIA", "Virginia Election Results: Seventh Congressional District", "Spanberger narrowly defeats GOP challenger in closely watched House race in Virginia", "Candidate Conversation - Abigail Spanberger (D)", "Saudi School Dominates TV Ads in Race for Suburban Richmond Congressional Seat", "This former CIA officer says she can beat Virginia Rep. Dave Brat", "Former CIA Officer Abigail Spanberger is on a mission for Virginia's 7th District", Who are they? In the longer term, I am pursuing legislation to ensure we dont face this challenge again., Congresswoman: They Ran to the Sound of the Guns WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Adapting to the tempo. In February 2022 Chesterfield mother Shannon Davis and her son, Joshua, appeared with President Joe Biden and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, R-7th, in Culpeper to urge lower prescription drug prices . She believes in stabilizing the Affordable Care Act and preserving its protections for the more than 1.3 million Virginians with pre-existing conditions. RM2GAEXGB - Washington, United States. In the weeks since she was named to the intelligence committee, Spanberger says she's already recognizing some of the names and programs in the classified materials she's receiving. Brat shocked the nation when he defeated sitting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary in 2014. Legislative Director to Rep. Abigail Spanberger at U.S. House of Representatives Washington, District of Columbia, United States 1K followers 500+ connections ", She underscored: "One thing that's been really nice this session is there's just tremendous unity.". She ultimately targeted the congressional seat held by then-Rep. Dave Brat, who had stunned House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary four years earlier. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester speaks with Rep. Abigail Spanberger ahead of President Biden's speech during the annual House Democrats Issues Conference in Baltimore, Md. "Now, those battles are behind us we have come out the other side. Prince William County supervisor and former law enforcement officer Yesli Vega defeated five GOP opponents on her way to a tight 29-24-20 percent victory spread. Here are 4 things they say about the economy, Coming up on Connections: Friday, March 3, 2023, Ukraine is dominating the election in Estonia, a key NATO ally. Abigail Spanberger lives with her family in Virginia. And now we're having wonderful conversations about how to help the American people in their day-to-day lives. "Abigail Spanberger is . [33][34] In the general election, Spanberger defeated Vega with 52.3% of the vote. Pressed on details, she gives few. Shes spoken to too many families who have lost loved ones to addiction and overdose. It was like going from General Motors to a startup, he said. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman who was just named to one. "No, no. "As a former CIA officer, I know this playbook, and I know the president's actions are betraying the very foundation of the rule of law he purports to support, the U.S. Constitution", she said. [28] Calling the elections "a failure" from a congressional standpoint, she singled out Republican attack ads decrying "socialism" and the movement to "defund the police" as prime reasons the Democratic Party lost seats in swing districts. "That's why the big job in front of us is implementing the laws we passed, so people start to see it in their lives all the benefits that are there because you produced it for them.". Not only will they see their health care premiums rise, their benefits will be cut while Abigail Spanberger stands idly by. In some ways, Abigail Spanbergers story parallels dozens of other first-time female candidates across the country this year: a successful, smart woman driven to get involved in politics for the first time after President Trump was elected and eventually inspired to take on her Republican congressman. As for his leap from the well-oiled machinery of the Senate to the front lines of the House, he has no regrets. The reality is other countries perceive that and they perceive that in a way that can't be good, she said. Spanbergers chief of staff says House is like a startup, Roscoe Jones Jr. relishes chambers fast pace after move from the Senate. "I think he's the most progressive president we've had in a long time," she added. Spanberger knows of what she speaks. Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil War and all that stuff. [68], In a November 2021 interview with the New York Times, Spanberger criticized Biden after the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election, saying, "Nobody elected him to be F.D.R., they elected him to be normal and stop the chaos. Proudly Serving Virginias Seventh District. I will always love the Senate, Jones said. CQ Roll Call is a part of FiscalNote, the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government. She doesn't get overwhelmed by stuff.. [2], In 2002 and 2003, Spanberger taught English literature as a substitute teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia. In 2014, Abigail left government service to begin a career in the private sector and bring her family back home to Virginia. Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger held onto her seat Tuesday evening, per the Associated Press, beating back a challenge by Yesli Vega, a Trump-endorsed county supervisor who made national headlines for her inaccurate comments on pregnancies resulting from rape. WASHINGTON As former CIA Director David Petraeus recently told the House Intelligence Committee about the needs of the agency's workforce, one of the committees youngest members flashed a knowing smile and began to nod. Although Biden hasn't officially announced his reelection bid, it's widely expected he will seek another term, which means his fate and those of House Democrats are likely tied together. She won reelection in 2020 and 2022. ", During his speech, Biden brought out a mock-up of a sign for an infrastructure project in Baltimore to rebuild a tunnel. [70], Spanberger is married to Adam Spanberger, and they have three daughters. "This is news to me and I'm very disappointed," said Del. Abigail Spanberger has always served her country and community. Why Republicans and Democrats will be watching this race on election night. As Rep. Spanberger meets with families, patients, providers, and community healthcare organizations across Virginias Seventh District; she repeatedly hears about the financial struggles facing seniors, families, and those with chronic conditions as their prescription drug costs continue to rise. To ensure our communities stay protected, Rep. Spanberger is fighting to reaffirm the importance of our countrys relationships with its key allies, including member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Mike Waltz (R-FL-06), and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05) today introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency in the federal student loan process and to give borrowers additional tools to understand and decrease [], At Least 519 Protesters Have Been Killed by the Regime & More Than 19,000 Iranians Have Been Arrested Since the Death of Mahsa Amini In September 2022 WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger joined a bipartisan, bicameral effort urging the Biden Administration to impose stricter sanctions against members of the Iranian Parliament or [], The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Voted Unanimously to Pass the Congresswomans China Financial Threat Mitigation Act WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. House Financial Services Committee voted unanimously 40 to 0 to advance U.S. Representative Abigail Spanbergers bipartisan bill that would build up Americas response to emerging financial threats from the Chinese []. [21], A number of sources claimed Spanberger was the first Democrat to win this seat since 1970, when four-term Democrat John Marsh retired and was succeeded by Republican J. Kenneth Robinson. Virginians deserve strong access to quality, affordable health insurance, and Rep. Spanberger is fighting to expand healthcare coverage for everyone. "As a former intelligence officer, I know that countries are watching us.