During the latest Virginia gubernatorial debate, a tense exchange unfolded as Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears confronted her opponent, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, demanding action from the state’s two Democratic senators to end the government shutdown. “Do your job,” Earle-Sears insisted, pointing out the consequences of the shutdown for many federal workers and military personnel in Virginia.
Earle-Sears highlighted her opponent’s lack of action. “My opponent all summer long has been playing political football with federal workers by trying to say that she loves them more than anyone else,” Earle-Sears declared. She challenged Spanberger to directly urge Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to take action. “When are you going to publicly say to Senators Kaine and Warner, ‘Go and do your job and keep federal workers working?’” she pressed.
The gravity of the situation is significant, given the reliance of many in Virginia on the federal workforce. “That’s the way you stop the shutdown, because right now they’re having to work, and especially our military, without any pay,” Earle-Sears asserted, drawing on her own experiences as a veteran. “It’s definitely hard, especially in the enlisted ranks, to work without pay,” she said, emphasizing the real-life impacts of political gridlock.
Spanberger responded by urging unity among Virginia’s leaders and redirecting the blame toward the president. “Everyone from Virginia should be coming together and urging the president to re-enter negotiations,” she asserted, echoing a sense of collective loss as Virginia’s federal workforce struggles amid the shutdown. She accused Earle-Sears of not defending Virginia workers and highlighted the need for bipartisan efforts during what she termed “the attacks from this White House.”
The back-and-forth continued as Spanberger expressed concern over the consequences of the shutdown, stating it exacerbates the difficulties faced by communities across the Commonwealth. “The entirety of that time, my opponent has made light of federal workers losing their jobs, saying it’s not a big deal,” Spanberger claimed, portraying Earle-Sears’ rhetoric as dismissive. However, when pressed on whether she would directly call on the Democratic senators to take decisive action, Spanberger responded with a broad call for cooperation among all legislators.
In a sharper rebuttal, Earle-Sears reiterated her demand for actionable steps. “But you know, before anything gets to the president, it’s in the Senate right now,” she pointed out. The imperative for only eight Democratic senators to support the bill looms large as a tangible solution to the mounting economic distress. “And all we need for it to get to the president so the shutdown stops is eight Senate Democrats. That’s just it, eight Senate Democrats,” she emphasized, reiterating the need for Democratic lawmakers to put political differences aside.
The debate illustrates a growing divide in strategies for addressing the shutdown and its effects on everyday Virginians. Earle-Sears criticized political maneuvering, stating, “Love is a verb. It’s a show me. It’s a doing. Love is not a shutdown.” This assertion points to a deep-rooted frustration with a perceived lack of action from representatives during a time of need.
Winsome Earle-Sears continues to frame her argument around the direct needs of Virginians. The real stakes are clear: federal workers’ livelihoods hang in the balance as lawmakers navigate partisan tensions in the face of a looming government shutdown.
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