[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. "[31][32], After the 2020 United States redistricting cycle, Spanberger's district was radically redrawn, and no longer included her home in Henrico County. "[57] Spanberger called for a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants who abide by the laws, work, and pay taxes. 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. It still does.. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she is working to make sure Virginia employers and employees are able to recover and succeed. Note that the salary index for a given time period does not necessarily reflect exactly who is on staff at the present time. This button displays the currently selected search type. Legislative Director to Rep. Abigail Spanberger at U.S. House of Representatives Washington, District of Columbia, United States 1K followers 500+ connections Rep. Spanberger is also working to reduce premiums in the insurance marketplace and to lower out-of-pocket costs. She began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the U.S. Spanberger's chief of staff says House is like a startup Roscoe Jones Jr. relishes chamber's "fast pace" after move from the Senate Roscoe Jones Jr. compares his move from Senate aide to House. 30th July, 2021. Subscribe to receive news alerts and updates on issues important to you and your family. [12][13][14] She made the final decision to run after the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. CQ Roll Call is a part of FiscalNote, the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government. [57], In February 2023, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, Spanberger signed a letter advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Look, I love the Senate. Note that the salary index for a given time period does not necessarily reflect exactly who is on staff at the present time. [2], Spanberger earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration from a joint program between the GISMA Business School in Germany and Purdue University's Krannert School of Management. But as a former spy for the Central Intelligence Agency, her life has been anything but typical. RICHMOND, Virginia - Congressmen Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Donald McEachin (D-VA-04) touted the recently-passed $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, highlighting funds for Virginia's infrastructure and the benefits the measure will bring to Virginia workers. "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. 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. Spanberger grew up in the district in west of Richmond, Virginia, where she now lives again with her family and is running for office. [40][41] In the 2019 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election on the opening day of the 116th United States Congress, Spanberger voted for U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos, an Illinois Democrat, joining 11 other Democrats who did not back Nancy Pelosi. [50] In November 2020, she described reducing the cost of prescription drugs as "the top priority of families in [her] district". "It's by working together, having Cabinet members and officials from the government come to our districts.". "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. Abigail Anne Spanberger[1] (ne Davis, August 7, 1979) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district since 2019. She had briefly worked for the USPS on an inspection team, investigating narcotics and money laundering cases. Going to turn now to Representative Abigail Spanberger. Walsh's home state of Illinois is voting today. [60] In the 2016 presidential election, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton with 50% of the vote to her 44% in Spanberger's congressional district. Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said the group is preparing an "executive action agenda" to present to the president following their own retreat. It was his father who shaped his sense of public service and taught him to go where the problems are. His parents went to segregated schools in Meridian, Mississippi, and his father marched across the bridge in Selma, Alabama, on Bloody Sunday, as white state troopers wielded their nightsticks against proponents of civil rights. After earning her MBA, Rep. Spanberger began her public service . In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Joe Pounder, the chief executive of America Rising, said, "America Rising . She was studying overseas on Sept. 11, 2001, and the terrorist attacks marked a turning point in her life. That came after a job in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and a stint as a federal prosecutor. She argued that Democrats should watch Republican ads before deciding how to talk about issues and "not ever use the word 'socialist' or 'socialism' ever again". "[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. Postal Inspection Service, has represented Virginia's 7th District since she flipped the GOP-held seat in 2018 as part of a Democratic wave that retook . "If we did nothing nothing but implement what we've already passed and let the people know who did it for them, we win," Biden said during an energetic speech Wednesday as House Democrats kicked off their annual three-day retreat in Baltimore. Postal Inspection Service before becoming a CIA officer focused on counterterrorism. But Im sure there will be points of frustration probably for me and for them, frankly speaking.. [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. 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. She applied for a job with the CIA and had a confidential offer by 2002. Following her love of country, public service, and languages, Abigail joined the CIA as a case officer. The Postal Service said the un-redacted document, that included social security numbers and health information, was released by mistake in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. 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. "I am already seeing a number of my Republican colleagues who voted against these historic pieces of legislation want to claim credit. She began her career of public service as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the U.S. She won reelection in 2020 and 2022. House Democrats in competitive districts elected Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday to represent them in the caucus leadership . Supporting our Servicemembers & their Families The specifics of her cases remain classified. For the majority of her time with the agency, her own mother did not know what she was doing for a living.People worry, because people watch Hollywood movies, people dont know how extensive our training is, she said, adding how she wanted to protect her mother from the stress of it all. In Congress, Rep. Spanberger is committed to providing our servicemembers with the compensation, training, equipment, and benefits they need to successfully carry out their vital missions and protect their fellow citizens. She favors requiring background checks on private gun sales and supported a ban on bump stocks. [2], Spanberger defeated Republican incumbent Dave Brat in 2018, ending the Republican Party's 36-year hold on the district. Abigail and her husband Adam are parents to three daughters. Pressed on details, she gives few. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman who was just named to one of two committees that oversees the work of U.S. spy agencies. [64][65][66] Spanberger took issue with Trump after police used tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protestors and a priest during the George Floyd protests to clear a path so that he could have a photo op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. Abigail Spanberger spoke with voters at a campaign event in June in Midlothian, . Also, aides for any relevant committees, leadership offices, campaign committees and leadership PACs will not be included here, nor do we have data for unpaid staff such as interns or people who are "detailed" from the GAO, executive branch or private sector. [Podcast: These Democratic women dont want to be show ponies]. The Climate Crisis Democrats strongly believe in our responsibility to serve as stewards of our environment and public lands for current and future generations The congresswoman said that voters sent Biden to the White House "to be normal and stop the. The mission is I want to change the lives of ordinary people.. Adapting to the tempo. Remember Lincoln, going to his knees in times of trial and the Civil War and all that stuff. Corporations got permanent tax cuts, permanent tax cuts, Spanberger responded. ", During his speech, Biden brought out a mock-up of a sign for an infrastructure project in Baltimore to rebuild a tunnel. In 2018, she became the first Democrat since 1968 to be elected to represent Virginias 7th Congressional district. Congresswoman: They Ran to the Sound of the Guns WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Posted December 6, 2022 at 5:16pm. Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger greets voters on Saturday, Nov. 5 in Woodbridge, VA. . In 2014, the family moved back to Henrico County. She believes in stabilizing the Affordable Care Act and preserving its protections for the more than 1.3 million Virginians with pre-existing conditions. You have permission to edit this article. Rep.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-VA, 7th) named Hill Veteran Roscoe Jones as her incoming chief of staff, in what is her first Congressional hire as a freshman representative.. Jones has an extensive public service record and is currently the legislative director to Sen. Dianne Feinstein.Jones was previously senior counsel to Sen. Cory Booker and the Senate Judiciary Committee. by The Hill staff. Occupation. 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. [5] When she was 13, her family relocated to the Short Pump area in Henrico County in Virginia, outside Richmond. 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. Spanberger, a former CIA case officer who unseated former Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) in 2018, has been in a heated battle to retain her swing seat, with nonpartisan handicapper Cook Political Report. Biden ticked through a list of legislative accomplishments, including the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years, legislation to boost the domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips and a sweeping climate, health care and tax bill. 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. [9], In 2014, Spanberger left the CIA and entered the private sector. Democrat running for U.S. Congress in Virginias 7th District. They co-wrote a Washington Post opinion piece explaining their support for an impeachment inquiry, writing: "Congress must determine whether the president was indeed willing to use his power and withhold security assistance funds to persuade a foreign country to assist him in an upcoming election." Abigail Spanberger has served as the Democratic congresswoman for Virginia's 7th Congressional District since 2019. Congresswoman, 2019 - Present. "No, no. [52], In January 2020, Spanberger sponsored the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act, which passed the House unanimously. . 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). 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. [54][55], Spanberger has called climate change "one of the greatest and most imminent threats to our economy, our national security, and our way of life" and promised to "stand up to attacks against science. Biden's cuts to Medicare Advantage will cost seniors hundreds more per year, but Abigail Spanberger is silent. [2] Spanberger was later a page for U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Her current term ends on January 3, 2023. Send GMA your Why It Matters video about which issues inspires you to vote and explore our midterms coverage. We can't let that happen.". Copyright 2023 NPR. She decided ultimately to leave the CIA. 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.. [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. And now we're having wonderful conversations about how to help the American people in their day-to-day lives. She was hired by Royall & Company (now EAB). The relationship between Congress and the U.S. intelligence community can be uneasy an. She supports maintaining federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other providers that provide essential healthcare screenings and preventive services to both women and men. 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. Spanberger knows of what she speaks. 11/11/22 3:30 PM ET News Five midterm surprises in the House But I have never had this much fun on the Hill as Im having now., The Source for news on Capitol Hill since 1955. Chief of Staff - USDA-RMA. She stressed that she'd supported appropriation bills that maintained or increased federal.