She had briefly worked for the USPS on an inspection team, investigating narcotics and money laundering cases. Now, shes a third-term Democratic congresswoman from Virginia who was just named to one of two committees that oversees the work of America's spy agencies. "[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. [2], Spanberger defeated Republican incumbent Dave Brat in 2018, ending the Republican Party's 36-year hold on the district. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER IS ONE OF A GROWING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO SAY " ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. 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. Last updated on Jan 30, 2021. We have each others backs.. she mused. "As a former intelligence officer, I know that countries are watching us. "[62] Spanberger later announced that she would vote in favor of impeachment. It's like it was like Special Olympics, or something." '', President Bill Clinton cut to the heart of the matter during his grand jury testimony in the Monica Lewinsky affair in 1998 when he infamously said: It all depends on what the meaning of the word is is.. That's especially true now as lawmakers demand answers about classified documents found in the private possession of two presidents and the Biden administration's response to a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The relationship between Congress and the U.S. intelligence community can be uneasy an. Those did not trickle down to employees.. All rights reserved. "As a former CIA officer who worked terrorism cases, I find it particularly disgraceful that they would try and make that some sort of leap or claim when I was in fact a long-term substitute teacher for a bunch of kids, she said in response. [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. "I think he's the most progressive president we've had in a long time," she added. She decided ultimately to leave the CIA. [33][34] In the general election, Spanberger defeated Vega with 52.3% of the vote. In 2017, three local state seats within Spanbergers own congressional district flipped from Republican to Democrat and some of the volunteers making phone calls and sending letters in her campaign offices described volunteering on local races in 2017 and then heading straight into helping Spanberger next. In the past week, LegiStorm added: To see staff salaries for aides in the personal office of Rep. Abigail Spanberger, select a time period below. [25] She was also boosted by Joe Biden narrowly carrying the district;[26] Biden is the first Democrat to win what is now the 7th since 1948. It was like going from General Motors to a startup, he said. [74][75] She is a Protestant. Her top priorities include strengthening our countrys national security and fighting for Virginia families by lowering prescription drug costs, creating jobs, and cleaning up Washington. [3][4], Abigail Spanberger was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 7, 1979. [59], Spanberger objected to Trump's travel bans from certain predominantly Muslim countries and argued that they would aid jihadist propaganda by allowing a portrayal of the United States as an anti-Muslim country. Thank you for visiting my campaign website. Yes, she said, she had disguises and a cover story. Jacob Bliss 29 Dec 2021, 5:33 PM PST 0 [10] In 2017, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed her to the Virginia Fair Housing Board. You have permission to edit this article. by The Hill staff. Spanberger, the daughter of a federal law enforcement officer, worked as an investigator with the U.S. When she saw partisan politics and division threatening the country she dedicated her life to defend, Abigail decided to run for Congress. "How do you make that real; how do you tell that story?" 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. Although most of the conference was marked by strong support of the president, there was a brief interruption on Thursday, when news of Biden's decision not to use his veto power to block a GOP-effort to repeal D.C.'s new crime law broke during a press conference with the Congressional Black Caucus. 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. Spanbergers chief of staff says House is like a startup, Roscoe Jones Jr. relishes chambers fast pace after move from the Senate. President Biden and House Democrats are mounting a full-court press to take their legislative record on the road and into districts across the country to remind voters of what they've already accomplished. That came after a job in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and a stint as a federal prosecutor. Democrat running for U.S. Congress in Virginias 7th District. [43] She voted for a bill that included funding for border infrastructure, technology at ports of entry and more customs and border patrol agents. "You tell us what you need to help us understand the impact that it's having on all of your district and your folks, and we're going to get it done," Biden said. As for his leap from the well-oiled machinery of the Senate to the front lines of the House, he has no regrets. Spanberger, who has also worked for the U.S. We discussed tariff relief, initiating new and immediate imports, and the possibility of using the Defense Production Act. The Republican political action committee, known as the Congressional Leadership Fund, ran ads claiming she worked at a school that produced some of the worlds most dangerous terrorists. Shes spoken to too many families who have lost loved ones to addiction and overdose. Posted December 6, 2022 at 5:16pm. Lowering Prescription Drug Costs 32.52% of Virginia residents on Medicare use Medicare Advantage. "Abigail Spanberger is . She said she does not support "sanctuary cities" but also called the term "a campaign slogan a lot of people get caught up in." Rep. Spanberger supports giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, so that more senior citizens in the Commonwealth do not have to choose between putting food on the table or affording their life-saving medications. 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. "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. Why Republicans and Democrats will be watching this race on election night. Proudly Serving Virginias Seventh District. 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 . Jones doesnt let the tough reelection fight thats already brewing for Spanberger back home faze him, even as his team is still settling in at the Capitol. "We just have a buffet of accomplishments to offer, and he just rolled them out in such a way that it can really resonate with the everyday person," Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown told NPR. She defeated Yesli Vega, an. Bipartisan duo Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, reintroduced the TRUST in Congress Act to ban representatives from trading in the stock market. She is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania native. [29] The Washington Post digital editor James Downie criticized Spanberger's view, remarking that if a losing officeholder "couldn't manage to tie his or her Republican opponent to almost a quarter of a million COVID-19 deaths in the United States, a tanked economy or a dozen other policy fiascos, that's the candidate's fault. CIA Democrat Abigail Spanberger [Source: yahoo.com] Did they have outside help? She added that it "degrades the value of the conversation if we're not actually talking about what the real concern is. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Spotsylvania woman, 29, killed in crash Thursday morning, Woman pleads guilty to bashing former roommate with bat, Police cite medical emergency in Spotsylvania crash, Spotsylvania approves rezoning, making way for 'techno campus', Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Virginia aerialist wins 'Americas Got Talent: All Stars', New commuter bus routes coming to Fredericksburg area, Spotsylvania man convicted after being caught in child pornography sting, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Spotsylvania schools' new chief of staff will be "legislative liaison" for school division, Spotsylvania School Board member charged with forgery, Virginia State Police seek public's help in fatal crash investigation, Spotsylvania man convicted of felony in driveway shooting, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza, Greece train crash: Public anger grows as death toll rises. She supports maintaining federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other providers that provide essential healthcare screenings and preventive services to both women and men. ", Before President George W. Bush was mangling the English language, it was his father, President George H.W. His team wrestles with every vote, even when time is tight and the night has been long. Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil War and all that stuff. And now we're having wonderful conversations about how to help the American people in their day-to-day lives. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is an experienced leader and a deeply committed public servant who ran for reelection to Congress to expand economic opportunity for Virginia working families. Submitted Comments (Click here for meetings with SEC officials) Comments have been received from individuals and entities using the following Letter Type A: 31 B: 24 C: 6,254 D: 5 Abigail Spanberger May 2020 - Nov 2020 7 months. 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. Look, I love the Senate. On June 2, The Washington Post and The New York Times quoted Spanberger and several other high-profile former CIA analysts' interpretations of Trump's reaction to the protests as reminiscent of the reaction of totalitarian dictators on the brink of losing control of their dictatorships. ABC News Send "GMA" your Why It Matters video about which issues inspires you to vote and explore our midterms coverage. [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? Spanberger, a former CIA agent, distanced herself from the defund movement during her 2020 campaign. "As we start to see more shovels in the ground, as we start to see more cranes in the air, we can start to point to that and say, 'Hey, that's what Democrats did for you,' " she said. After eight years, Spanberger had several choices for her next posting, from Kenya to Costa Rica. She attended John Randolph Tucker High School. The mission isnt just Go, Democrats, go, he said. Rep. Spanberger is also working to reduce premiums in the insurance marketplace and to lower out-of-pocket costs. Spanberger's background in intelligence and her moderate politics representing a swing district south and west of Washington will be assets on the committee, Goss and Hurd said. The Virginia mother of three told Good Morning America during a sit-down interview in her kitchen this summer that she always had a desire to serve her country, an interest in government, and a love of languages. [2] Spanberger was later a page for U.S. $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, sweeping climate, health care and tax bill, Biden's decision not to use his veto power, Big stores see how we spend. "[31][32], After the 2020 United States redistricting cycle, Spanberger's district was radically redrawn, and no longer included her home in Henrico County. Their hope: flip the handful of seats needed to regain control of the chamber next year. Memo: Emmers son has new job in Congress, As the pandemic ebbs, Minnesota lawmakers and their staff resume taking free trips. You can cancel at any time. Biographical Data, Abigail Spanberger. [46][47], Although not a member of Congress when it passed, Spanberger criticized the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act supported by President Donald Trump, arguing that its permanent tax cuts for corporations would increase the national debt. If Spanberger were to flip the seat, it would be a big win for Democrats. And being the one to go out and get the answers.. During a recent debate, Brat repeatedly accused Spanberger of being a Nancy Pelosi-style Democrat and too liberal for the 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. Eleanor Holmes Norton of D.C. On November 5, days after winning reelection by a margin of 1.8%,[27] Spanberger criticized the Democratic Party's strategy for the 2020 elections in a phone call with other Democratic caucus members that was subsequently leaked.