Perhaps nothing says more about a people than how we spend our money. This week we passed the House budget, and, as a result, we’ve set the potential for massive gains in Virginia while being prudent with the money that each of us has worked so hard to earn.
The House Budget freezes tuition at our institutions of Higher Education. It enables one of the largest investments in getting us out of traffic in the history of Virginia. It supports a significant pay raise to our teachers, police, and other public employees while investing in the education of every student in our Commonwealth. It helps address the costs of health insurance and increase access to care. It provides significant support to veterans and first responders in Virginia. It helps us develop the technology and infrastructure to address climate change. And it rejects the notion that being best for business means being worst for working families by enabling a raise in the minimum wage to $15/hour.
It does all of this while setting aside a massive amount of money to guard us against a financial crisis or economic depression and preserving Virginia’s AAA bond rating.
It is, in short, a budget that reflects the needs of our district and the values of our Commonwealth, and I am humbled to have had a chance to be here to vote for the most progressive budget in the history of our Commonwealth.
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
In the week ahead, stay indoors and grab a bite to eat at a local business, or enjoy time out and about in the winter weather with some of the numerous opportunities in the area.
Stop by the Winery at Bull Run for some delicious food trucks for lunch with the family tomorrow. To get your fill of the arts, on Sunday, enjoy a screening of the Swan Lake ballet live in Gainesville, and on Monday evening, check out ReelAbilities Film Festival to watch a collection of short films in the Portraits of Youth series. Last but not least, don’t forget to celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP on Tuesday to snack on a free short stack.
ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS
This legislative session has been full of passionate groups visiting our office to advocate for the issues that matter most to them. This week, I was honored to welcome one such group: the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium – or NAKASEC Virginia. NAKASEC promotes civic engagement in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and develops leadership skills for Asian Americans to fight for inclusive policies. NAKASEC VA also runs non-partisan civic engagement efforts to encourage voting in Asian American communities and participation in the 2020 Census. They’re a community-led group with offices in Annandale and our very own Centreville. Thank you for making the trip down to Richmond, NAKASEC.
On Wednesday, I attended the Military & Veterans Caucus, where we heard how the diversion of billions of dollars to the border wall is directly impacting Navy ship maintenance, Air Guard cybersecurity efforts and National Guard and Army Reserve readiness in the Commonwealth. I also received a briefing on the work of Virginia’s Veterans Services Foundation (VSF), and the work they do to fight homelessness, provide employment opportunities, and improve healthcare access for the veterans of our Commonwealth. I am proud that my bill HB 1269 will expand the ability of VSF to conduct this important work.
Finally, arguably the most heated competition of the legislative session took place this week with the annual Capitol Square Classic House vs. Senate basketball game. I’m happy to report the House won (by one point on a buzzer-beater!), and even happier that we raised over $30,000—all of which will go to benefit the VCU Massey Cancer Center at the Siegel Center.
FAVORITES OF THE 40TH
Luci and George DelSignore are one powerful duo. Since 1998, this husband-and-wife team has owned and run Excelsior Consulting Group, a consulting and business advisory firm in Fairfax. Excelsior focuses on providing information technology and business optimization services to clients ranging from federal government agencies to tech companies to nonprofits. Luci and George pride themselves on their excellent customer service and personalized and effective service delivery, and we are proud to have this top-notch firm in the 40th!
