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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Former Member, Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, United States House of Representatives

Education

  • BA, University of Virginia
  • MBA, German International School of Management and Administration (GISMA)/Purdue University

Professional Experience

  • BA, University of Virginia
  • MBA, German International School of Management and Administration (GISMA)/Purdue University
  • Former Employee, EAB-Royall & Company
  • Former Substitute Teacher, English Literature, Islamic Saudi Academy
  • Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer, United States Postal Inspection Service
  • Case Officer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2006-2014

Political Experience

  • BA, University of Virginia
  • MBA, German International School of Management and Administration (GISMA)/Purdue University
  • Former Employee, EAB-Royall & Company
  • Former Substitute Teacher, English Literature, Islamic Saudi Academy
  • Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer, United States Postal Inspection Service
  • Case Officer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2006-2014
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Virginia, District 7, 2019-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Virginia, District 7, 2018, 2020

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Agriculture Committee

Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs

Member, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation

Chair, Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry

Member, Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber

Member, Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • BA, University of Virginia
  • MBA, German International School of Management and Administration (GISMA)/Purdue University
  • Former Employee, EAB-Royall & Company
  • Former Substitute Teacher, English Literature, Islamic Saudi Academy
  • Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer, United States Postal Inspection Service
  • Case Officer, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 2006-2014
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, Virginia, District 7, 2019-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Virginia, District 7, 2018, 2020
  • Member, Fair Housing Board, Governor of Virginia, present
Policy Positions

2021

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Crime

Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
- No

Defense

Do you support increasing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
- Yes

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position

Energy and Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
- Yes

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- Yes

Trade

Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- Yes

2019

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Unknown Position

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Unknown Position

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Unknown Position

Congress Bills
Endorsements
EMILY's List
Speeches
Articles

Culpeper Star-Exponent - COMMENTARY: Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare: Keeping our promises

Jul. 30, 2020

By Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Abigail Spanberger On January 15, 1940, the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran a quarter-page photo of a professionally dressed, bespectacled man signing some seemingly unceremonious clerical papers. Such a snapshot doesn't appear the least bit newsworthy until one reads the caption: "OLD AGE PENSION VOUCHERS SIGNED--John J. Corson, former Richmonder who is now director of the Division for Old Age and Survivors, signs the first set of vouchers for those to get benefits starting in February, at the Social Security Board's Washington offices." Four days earlier, the paper reported that the local Social Security office had sent to Washington "approximately 40" claims for the first benefit checks, five years after FDR signed the Social Security Act. For 80 years, Social Security has been the bedrock of a dignified retirement. Not only has the number of recipients grown, but the kinds of benefits Social Security offers have expanded too. For example, Social Security now provides a lifeline to over 200,000 disabled Virginians. In addition, Congress has periodically built upon the original law to create adjacent programs to address our country's needs. Perhaps the most famous of these additions are Medicare and Medicaid, created in 1965 to provide health insurance for the elderly and impoverished. In 2020, Medicare serves more than 1.5 million across the Commonwealth, and Medicaid serves more than 1.4 million. To this day, we continue to expand on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In the past decade, the Affordable Care Act has encouraged states to expand their Medicaid programs. Because of Virginia's expansion in 2018, more than 436,000 Virginians who might otherwise not have health insurance now do. These initiatives have been essential for improving children and families' health and giving older Americans good living standards after a lifetime of work. Now, though, Social Security, Medicare, and their related programs face an uncertain future. Social Security projects that it will become insolvent in 2035, and the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund projects its own insolvency in 2026. Further, persistent calls to privatize Social Security and new ones from the Trump Administration to turn Medicaid into a block-grant program or even abolish the recent Medicaid expansion altogether threaten to undermine the work of the past 85 years. With Medicare and Medicaid celebrating their 55th anniversary of on July 30th and Social Security its 85th on August 14th, what can we do to protect these integral parts of American prosperity? The answer is two-fold. First, we should reject efforts to gut these programs. Block-granting Medicaid would likely mean far less federal funding for Virginia's Medicaid program, making it unable to effectively respond to current and future public health emergencies like COVID-19. One need only look at the recent economic volatility to doubt betting our national retirement insurance on market success. Instead of overhauling foundational programs that have worked for the better part of the past century, we should discuss ways to strengthen them. One such way would be to give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, as private insurers do. With 45 million Americans enrolled in its prescription drug program, Medicare's bargaining power could guarantee significant savings. Second, as Congress did in 1965,we should look at ways to build upon the Social Security and Medicare frameworks. Both of us are proud advocates of Medicare-X--a proposed voluntary public plan that would build on Medicare and the ACA to offer individuals, families, and small businesses low-cost health insurance. Under the Medicare-X Choice Act (coauthored by Senator Kaine and cosponsored by Congresswoman Spanberger), Medicare-X would use Medicare's already existing network of doctors, fund itself without raising taxes or adding to the deficit, and be available on every ACA exchange in every ZIP code in the country only a few years after roll-out. The COVID-19 pandemic and the administration's efforts to repeal the ACA in court have added urgency to the need for every family to have affordable insurance, and a public option built upon systems already in place provides the easiest, most cost-efficient path toward that goal. As we celebrate the 55th and 85th anniversaries of these programs, we must develop new ways to help them improve American lives for decades to come. That's the promise our nation has made to the American people, and we would do right to keep it.

The Hill - Bipartisan lawmakers introduce bill to limit further expansion of 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act

Jul. 9, 2020

By Reps. Anthony Brown, Tom Cole, Abigail Spanberger, and Don Bacon We come together as Republicans and Democrats to advance a common cause. We represent the north and the south, the coasts and the countryside. Some of us have served in Congress for nearly two decades -- but for some of us, this term is our first in the House. Together, we are united by a core principle: Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution makes clear that the authority to declare war resides with Congress and Congress alone. Today, we are introducing legislation based on our commitment to this fundamental belief. Our bill -- the Limit on the Expansion of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Act -- states that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) cannot be used as the basis for sending our military into any country where U.S. armed forces are not engaged in hostilities today, thus halting the ever-expanding use of this authorization. In the nearly two decades since Sept. 11, 2001, this AUMF has been used to conduct military operations in dozens of countries. And each time this authorization was used as the legal justification for the deployment of American servicemembers into harm's way in a new country, there was neither a vote in Congress -- nor even a debate. Today's Congress is very different from the one that authorized the 2001 law, with only one of every six members of the House of Representatives who voted for it still in office today. The American people are long overdue for a public debate on the use of military force, and our bill helps make that happen. Different from other efforts to address challenges with the AUMF, this bill is neither an attempt to repeal the authorization nor a statement on current or previous U.S. military actions. Additionally, we are not attempting to replace the AUMF or prohibit the use of force against any nation or organization. Instead, this legislation would put constitutional guardrails on the further expansion of an almost two-decades-old authorization. Debating and enacting this bill would be an incremental and necessary step, one on which we have already achieved bipartisan agreement and one that could realistically happen in the short term. This legislation would not impact our ability to defend our nation, our citizens, and our allies from foreign threats. If enacted, our military operations under the 2001 AUMF could continue in the countries where we are operating today. Our armed services will continue to train and assist our partners and allies in order to advance our shared security priorities. And our president will retain his Article II constitutional authority as commander in chief and will not be prohibited from taking action against any country or organization. In the event that the president must act to defend the United States in a country where we are not operating today, he could do so under the terms laid out in the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The president would be required to notify Congress regarding the introduction of forces, giving Congress 60 days to debate and determine if an authorization for use of military force is appropriate. We have arrived at our legislation through deliberate discussion. If each of us were to have acted independently, we likely would have crafted very different legislation. However, the nature of our democracy is that we must find common ground. As such, we will continue to work closely with our colleagues as the U.S. House considers this legislation -- and we will do so through regular debate and order, in line with the principles of this bill. These are not the kind of decisions that should be made without rigorous and transparent consideration. We must do right by our constituents and the Constitution and fulfill our obligation to debate the grave decision of sending our servicemen and women into conflicts overseas. We are not determining where that debate will lead or which arguments will arise. Yet, we are unified in strongly stating that we must start by having the debate.

Richmond Times - Our Health Care Workers Need Protective Equipment Now

Mar. 30, 2020

We've found ourselves in the middle of an almost unimaginable scenario. Over the past week, COVID-19 has spread across Virginia and in the Richmond area. It has taken the lives of our community's vulnerable seniors as it viciously spread through a long-term care facility in Henrico County, infecting both residents and staff. As the representative for Virginia's 7th District, I couldn't be more alarmed by what we are witnessing in our own backyard. But at the same time, I couldn't be prouder of the medical staff who are answering the call to service in this newfound age of extreme uncertainty. The heartbreaking accounts of the fight to contain and stop the spread of COVID-19 at our community's long-term care facilities and hospitals demonstrate the commitment of health care workers and facility staff to the patients they serve. But they also highlight the real need on the ground for personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies at our hospitals and our long-term care facilities. Since the pandemic began, I've been on repeated conference calls with our hospital administrators, nursing home and long-term care facility staff, and local health care officials. They are exhausted, to be sure, but they continue to fight around the clock to attend to the needs of the suffering and the vulnerable. They are keeping their promises to our neighbors and communities. But they've also been clear -- our doctors, nurses and nursing home staff need additional PPE, and they need it now. To keep serving patients and to prevent themselves from becoming future COVID-19 victims, they urgently require more ventilators, disposable gowns, N95 masks, protective gloves and hand sanitizer. At the federal level, major steps have been taken to address widespread PPE shortages. This past week, I joined the U.S. House in passing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This package includes more than $100 billion for our hospitals and other health care providers -- including strengthened funding for PPE. The CARES Act also creates a State and Local Coronavirus Relief Fund, from which Virginia is expected to receive more than $3.3 billion in funding during this emergency. But our medical staff cannot afford to wait patiently for these federal funds to be distributed in the weeks -- or even months -- to come. With each day of continued exposure and continued supply shortages, they literally are risking their lives. The federal government must come to their aid immediately. On Friday, President Donald Trump invoked his authorities under the Defense Production Act to order U.S. companies to produce ventilators. This move was long overdue, but it's nowhere near the final step in addressing critical equipment shortages. This administration must take similarly bold actions to order the production of PPE for our medical staff on the front lines of this crisis. That's why on Friday, I pushed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar to use his department's authorities under the Defense Production Act to immediately facilitate the production and distribution of additional PPE to our nursing homes in Henrico and across the country that are facing acute shortages. With additional PPE, our region's medical staff could continue protecting our neighbors, and our health care systems could prevent a spiraling situation in which they are overwhelmed by skyrocketing coronavirus cases and grappling with infected personnel. In the days and weeks to come, I'll be pressing the administration to coordinate immediate support to our medical professionals. In addition to PPE, we also need testing supplies like reagents and nasal pharyngeal swabs, because with these supplies, we can better understand where our region stands as we track the spread of this highly contagious disease. We also will be able to isolate those who are sick, even if they might be asymptomatic. Central Virginia has never grappled with a full-on health care crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. We are living through a new reality marked by uncertainty, fear and anxiety within our health care systems and across our economy. But in the face of a global pandemic, our health care professionals have displayed unmatched grit, selflessness and courage. We all should endeavor to follow their lead and mirror their example, because these are the virtues that will deliver us through these challenging times. Our doctors and nurses have quickly risen to the occasion. In response, our government needs to do the same and provide them with the personal protective equipment they deserve.

Events

2020

Feb. 9
Campaign Rally with Warner, McEachin and Spanberger

Sun 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM EST

Arthur Ashe Athletic Center Richmond, VA

Nov. 21
Volunteering at Feed More

Wed 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST

1601 Rhoadmiller St, Richmond, VA 23220-1106, United States

Nov. 6
Spanberger Campaign Election Night Watch Party

Tue 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM EST

6631 W Broad St. Richmond, VA 23230