ICYMI: Virginian-Pilot Editorial Board Condemns Rep. Kiggans’ Support for Extreme Budget Cuts
Advocates weigh in on what cuts would mean for working families
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA – Before Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown last month, the Republican-controlled House proposed a Continuing Resolution that would have drastically cut funding for key agencies and programs that support working families, children, veterans, and seniors. Two members of Virginia's congressional delegation, both Republicans, voted for the measure, including Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, who represents the 2nd Congressional District, which is home to many of Virginia’s 129,000 active duty service members, large federal agencies like NASA, as well as one of the nation’s highest concentrations of military families, veterans, and federal contractors.
Following the chaotic debates over the shutdown, the Editorial Board of the Virginian-Pilot, Kiggans’ hometown newspaper, published a scathing rebuke of her support for extreme spending cuts that directly threaten the well-being of working families in her district.
“On Friday, McCarthy introduced a measure…featuring 30% cuts to federal agencies except defense, homeland security, and veterans affairs — but still couldn’t win support from his emboldened right flank. Virginia, with the second-largest population of federal employees in the nation, would have been among the hardest hit should [the proposed cuts] have come to pass,” the Editorial Board wrote. “Reps. Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman — voted for that continuing resolution. One wonders what their constituents at NASA, to use one example, feel about their congressional representative voting for 30% cuts to their agency.”
With negotiations ongoing and another deadline looming on November 17, Affordable Virginia is calling on Rep. Jen Kiggans to reject these extreme cuts and to stop picking partisan politics and the interests of the wealthy and corporations over the needs of working families and military families in her district.
“It is egregious that despite running on a promise of lowering costs for working families, Rep. Kiggans has betrayed her constituents by voting for a measure that would have raised the cost of housing, home heating, food, and healthcare,” said Kristina Hagen, Director of Affordable Virginia. “Rep. Kiggans put the interests of wealthy corporations first by voting to cut access to Social Security, cut Head Start slots, cut loans for small businesses, and take away food from women, children, and seniors. In the coming fight over government funding, we urge Rep. Kiggans to keep her campaign promise and stand with working families.”
According to recent polling, a majority of Americans oppose the spending cuts House Republicans are pushing, especially those aimed at Social Security, nutrition assistance, and education. However, by voting for this extreme CR, Rep. Kiggans made it clear that she is ready to turn her back on working families by supporting drastic cuts that would raise the cost of housing, home heating, food, and health care, notably:
Child care: 250,000 children would lose access to child care and 290,000 children would lose access to Head Start slots;
Food security: 1 million seniors would be robbed of nutrition services like Meals on Wheels and 3.2 million women, infants, and children would lose vital nutrition assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
Housing security: 850,000 households could lose access to Housing Choice Vouchers;
Job readiness: 1 million American workers would be denied job training and employment services, with 135,000 fewer workers gaining the opportunity of a Registered Apprenticeship; and
Social Security: 240 Social Security field offices could be forced to close or shorten the hours they are open to the public.
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