Government Shutdown Concerns from Virginia’s New Governor

In Washington, Abigail Spanberger, the newly elected governor of Virginia, is urging Democratic lawmakers to avoid extending the ongoing government shutdown following her party’s recent electoral success.

When asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” if the Democratic victories gave her the authority to deny government funding, Spanberger firmly replied, “Absolutely not.” She emphasized that their win was a result of a campaign that focused on issues related to costs and disruptions. “Government needs to be open,” she insisted. “We need to open it now.”

Spanberger secured an easy victory in last week’s gubernatorial race. Notably, Virginia ranks second in the nation for the number of federal employees, behind only California.

Previously, Spanberger served in the House of Representatives from 2019 until January 2025. Meanwhile, fellow Democratic candidate and former roommate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey, has been vocal about the need to keep fighting during the shutdown, believing it might pressure Republicans to make concessions on health care.

Since late September, Senate Democrats have been using a filibuster to block a House-passed stopgap funding bill, trying to leverage Republican support for health care reform.

Republicans have indicated a willingness to discuss health care, but insist that this must be done independently from negotiations surrounding the government shutdown, citing concerns that Democrats might misuse government funds in the future.

“We have to keep fighting because the market is seeing costs go up 175% if Republicans don’t tackle this health care crisis,” Sherrill stated during her interview on Sunday.

Sherrill, who has experience campaigning for Governor Trump, placed blame on him and the Republican Party for the turmoil stemming from the shutdown, claiming that “another 10% of planes are derailed because the president refuses to open the government.”

Discussing her votes regarding government funding, Sherrill noted, “Republicans control the presidency, the Senate, and the House.” In a noteworthy development, Republicans were short of the votes needed in the Senate to overcome the filibuster aimed at reopening the government.

Additionally, a video surfaced showing House Minority Leader Katherine Clark acknowledging the suffering caused by the shutdown but claiming, “this is one of the few leverages we have.”

Responding to Clark’s remarks, Sherrill affirmed her commitment to serve the American public, highlighting ongoing Republican pressures on various issues, including health care.

Democrats are focusing their demands on concerns related to expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies and reforms proposed by Republicans under the Working Families Tax Relief Act.

Spanberger concurred that health care impacts are severe but stressed that the Virginia Democratic Party should not exacerbate the situation by maintaining the shutdown. Both she and Sherrill, both experts in national security, entered Congress in the 2018 Blue Wave and previously shared living quarters during their time in the House.