On January 20, 2020, more than 20,000 armed protesters, militia members, neo-Nazis, and other right-wing extremists descended on the Virginia Capitol and occupied the Capitol grounds. The FBI detained and charged a small cell who planned specific acts of violence. Outside my legislative office in Richmond’s Pocahontas building, a heavily armed group deliberately conflated armed occupation of the Capitol grounds with peaceful protest. The scene was simultaneously foreign and familiar: familiar in that I’ve seen it before overseas during service in Iraq and Afghanistan; foreign in that I had hoped never to see such sites at home. A small group of unarmed and peaceful youth protesters camped out at my office overnight to ensure their voices could be heard in spite of the armed intimidation.
The 2020 occupation of the Virginia Capitol Grounds was a dress rehearsal for the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. Exactly a year ago, a violent mob encouraged by President Trump sought to prevent the peaceful transition of power to a duly elected President. For a brief moment on January 6, 2021, many on both sides of the aisle united in fear, revulsion, and condemnation. I had hoped that would turn us back from the brink. Those hopes were almost immediately shattered as Fox News’ Laura Ingraham theorized that evening that the attack was secretly the work of left-wing extremists. Since then, the true Big Lie of American politics has been that the insurrection was not an attempted coup, was not an affront to decency and our democratic values, and was not a serious blow to our Republic.
The normalization of political violence, the imposition of restrictions on voting, the removal of basic protections on election integrity, and the promulgation of the Big Lie that the 2020 election was somehow stolen have further eroded our democracy. Severe partisan gerrymandering that encourages incumbents to adopt extreme positions and powerful moneyed interests that push our government to serve the few instead of the many fuel the flames of discontent that would burn our Constitution and pave the way for division and dictatorship.
It would be easy to lose faith and to accept as inevitable the shattering of bonds that have borne our nation through many crises. I cannot and will not lose faith. I am proud of the work we have done to fight back against gerrymandering and to protect and expand access to the ballot box. I am hopeful that my continued push toward campaign finance reform to ensure government serves average people and not just those who can afford lobbyists will bear fruit. I am encouraged by our work towards ensuring every Virginian can access an excellent education and live in dignity. I believe this work builds bonds between neighbors and helps right the ship. Failure is unacceptable as we must ensure, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, that “government of the people, by the people, and for the people does not perish from the Earth.”
Updates from the District
On December 18, I joined my fellow Prince William General Assembly colleagues for a pre-session town hall meeting. I enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss workers’ rights, voting rights, and much more. I look forward to joining my Fairfax colleagues this Saturday for a similar town hall – you may sign up to speak here if interested in sharing comments with our delegation.
I appreciated the chance to celebrate Christmas and New Years with my family, and wanted to wish you all the best for the coming year.
Legislative Updates:
This year’s legislative session gavels in on January 12th. We accomplished so much this past year, leading two bi-partisan bills to combat climate change, expanding access to the ballot box, passing common-sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, lowering the cost of healthcare for all Virginians, and abolishing the death penalty in Virginia. In the upcoming year, my focus will be on holding the line on gains we have made in the past two years in education, women’s reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, and voting access, while cooperating when possible on issues such as consumer protections, safeguarding our campuses from sexual violence, healthcare costs, poverty reduction, and campaign finance reform.
I was also surprised by Glenn Youngkin’s decision to nominate Trump EPA Director Andrew Wheeler for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. A former coal lobbyist, Wheeler led a sustained assault at the EPA on safe air and water and set back the cause of combating climate change. Governor-elect Youngkin may have forgotten that in Virginia the General Assembly confirms cabinet appointments. I have not, and will work hard to see that Wheeler cannot continue the damage he did nationally here in our Commonwealth.
Throughout the legislative session beginning on January 12, I look forward to hearing from you on your concerns and hopes, specific thoughts about legislation, and opportunities to help our Commonwealth. We will provide regular updates throughout the session.
This Week’s Inclement Weather:
Monday’s storm was more intense and brought more snow than predicted by weather forecasters. It resulted in widespread power outages, road closures, including on a stretch of I-95 trapping thousands of motorists for over 24 hours, school cancellations, a declaration of a State of Emergency in Virginia, and general concern. With another storm predicted for tonight, it is important to be prepared, and we are in touch with state and local officials to ensure the Commonwealth is ready for this inclement weather event.
Information for Fairfax County about winter weather can be found here and for snow removal, here. A utility outage may be reported here.
Information for Prince William County about winter weather emergency information can be found here (including how to report a utility outage) and for snow removal, here.
State of Emergency Declaration. Yesterday, in response to Monday’s storm, Governor Northam declared a state of emergency. This declaration authorizes up to $1,000,000 to be spent for emergency response, makes it easier for state and local governments to access those funds and to enter into contractual agreements, activates the Virginia National Guard, and the Virginia Emergency Operations Center and Support Team.
Schools. In the wake of Monday’s storm, both Fairfax County and Prince William County Schools have remained closed through today with no virtual learning.
I-95 Shutdown. It is unacceptable that thousands of motorists were trapped on I-95 for over 24 hours following Monday’s storm. Like you, I am concerned about our lack of preparedness. We need an investigation into what went wrong so that we can learn from the mistakes made.
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
While we don’t know when the pandemic will end, we have made significant progress in the fight against the virus. Even amid the current surge in cases, through vaccines, boosters, and commonsense measures like masking and distancing, we can keep its worst effects to a minimum.
Children aged 5 and up are eligible for Covid-19 vaccines. Just this week, the CDC approved booster shots for adolescents aged 12-17 five months after their primary series.
Karen and I have scheduled our 13 and 15 year old boys to receive their booster on Monday, and we encourage all to do the same to protect both our kids and community.
If you have not yet received your booster or received initial doses, you can schedule your appointment now in Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
As for testing, many Fairfax County libraries are providing free rapid COVID-19 tests – more information can be found here. You may also schedule appointments at testing sites in Fairfax and Prince William Counties or find tests at a local drugstore.
Favorites of the 40th
This week’s Favorite of the 40th is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University (OLLI Mason). This past year, OLLI Mason offered over 500 classes, covering a robust range of subjects, with teachers from George Mason University, OLLI membership, and outside experts. While George Mason University is just barely outside the 40th, it is a resource utilized by many members of our community. You can learn more about OLLI Mason here. I look forward to leading a seminar on the Intersection of Service and Politics this coming April with OLLI!
As always, feel free to reach out to my office if you have any concerns, questions, or need assistance with an issue. I hope you have a wonderful day.