Dear John,
I hope you are enjoying your summer. We are certainly living in interesting times. Below are some updates on a few key items.
National News: I’m sure you are all aware that Vice President Kamala Harris has garnered enough pledged delegate votes to become the Democratic nominee for President when the Democrats convene at our national convention in August. The Virginia delegation to the convention has already pledged its support for Vice President Harris. Each day the enthusiasm for her candidacy grows and the gratitude for President Biden and his selfless act of statesmanship is palpable. Together, we can win this election!
Congressional Races: Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives runs through Virginia. Three must win House races are underway in the Commonwealth’s CD-10, CD-7 and CD-2. The Democrats have a real shot at flipping the House and making Leader Hakeem Jeffries the new Speaker. Since the likelihood of retaining the U.S. Senate is slim, and the presidential race will be very close, we need to do everything we can to put Democrats in charge of the U.S. House. Below is a brief summary of Virginia races.
Closest to home is CD-10. This seat is currently held by Congresswoman Wexton, who is stepping down due to health issues. The Democratic nominee for this district is Suhas Subramanyam. Suhas currently serves with me in the state senate, and I am confident he will make an excellent congressman. Hopefully, he wins the congressional seat, and then I will be contacting you to help raise funds to ensure that his state senate seat stays in Democratic hands.
CD-7, a district that encompasses Prince William County and other suburban communities, is currently held by Congresswoman Spanberger. As you know, Congresswoman Spanberger is stepping down to run for governor in 2025. The Democratic nominee for this seat is Eugene Vindman. This will be a very close election. Congresswoman Spanberger won this seat by only a slim margin in 2022.
CD-2, a district that encompasses Virginia Beach, is currently held by Republican Jen Kiggans, but this seat is one of the most swingy in the country. The Democratic nominee in this district is Missy Cotter Smasal.
Of course, we are all rooting for Senator Tim Kaine. He is on the ballot as well, and I know he will fight hard and with your help, win his re-election. The Democrats are facing an uphill battle with respect to maintaining control of the U.S. Senate. We are defending 23 senate seats, more than double the number that the Republicans must defend.
Birth Control Coverage: You may have read recently in the New York Times that many insurance companies nationwide are charging women for birth control in violation of the Affordable Care Act. I recently learned that this was happening to one of my constituents here in Virginia. So this week, I wrote to the state Board of Insurance calling on them to investigate the practices of all licensed insurance companies in Virginia to ensure that contraceptive costs are not being erroneously charged to policyholders. You can read the full letter here. If you are being charged a copayment or otherwise being made to pay for birth control, your insurance company is likely violating the Affordable Care Act, and I encourage you to reach out to the company or my office for assistance in addressing the issue.
General Assembly Special Sessions: Since the General Assembly adopted our biennium budget on May 13, we have returned to Richmond on two separate occasions to adjust language in the budget that made unexpected changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education (VMSDE) Program. There is now talk of an October special session to act on legislation that would legalize skill games in Virginia. I will keep you posted on any developments.
VMSDE Program: The VMSDE Program allows the children and spouses of disabled military veterans to have their tuition waived at Virginia’s public universities. This year, the adopted bipartisan budget included restrictions to this program to protect the long-term viability of the program, such as restricting the waivers to undergraduate programs and applying more stringent residency requirements. Governor Youngkin and the budget conferees agreed to these changes, but they came as an unwanted and backroom surprise to potential beneficiaries of the program and other stakeholders. Although some aspects of the budget language represented needed reforms, other aspects of the VMSDE program budget language brought unintended consequences. When policy changes are incorporated into the budget without the benefit of authorizing language and the associated public comment period, mistakes are frequently made.
At our July 18 special session, the General Assembly removed the budgetary restrictions previously placed on the VMSDE program and fully funded the anticipated expenses incurred by the colleges and universities that grant tuition waivers under the VMSDE program for the duration of the biennium. Moreover, we directed JLARC to study the program and make recommendations to ensure its long-term viability. The Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations also established a select workgroup to evaluate the VMSDE program. I was appointed to lead that select workgroup.
I appreciate your interest in topics that impact our daily lives and your ongoing support for policies that make Virginia a more compassionate, equitable, and progressive place. It is an honor and privilege to represent you in Richmond.
I hope you’ll visit my website at BarbaraFavola.org and subscribe to my regular newsletters. I also have a dynamic social media presence through Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). I hope you’ll follow my work using one or both of those platforms. You may also track legislation through Virginia’s Legislative Information System. The Commonwealth’s General Assembly website is a useful tool as well. You can follow events, find pertinent information, observe sessions, and monitor committee meetings through the site.
