I hope you are safe and doing OK during this challenging time. I wanted to provide some updates on what I’ve been working over the past few weeks.
The COVID-19 pandemic is making clear what VA-07 has always known - the digital divide that exists across our communities is detrimental to our economy, our healthcare system, and our schools. Business owners, families, and students in rural areas, including those in our district, need to have reliable high-speed internet access.
That’s why
I lead a bipartisan effort of more than 70 Representatives from across the country
calling for a historic investment in and commitment to expanding our nation’s broadband infrastructure. I am proud that Republicans and Democrats have joined me in this effort because this issue is one of opportunity and fairness, not partisanship.
Listen to my interview on NPR’s 1A.
In addition to the telephone town hall I held earlier this week, last week, I hosted a virtual town hall to hear directly from my younger constituents -- the children of Central Virginia. Kids are affected by this crisis, too, and I admired the thoughtful questions they brought.
My message to them: Yes, this virus is serious, but our community is working together and thinking creatively to address it. Everyone at all ages can take action to protect each other, such as washing hands, wearing protective masks, and keeping a safe distance from friends and neighbors.
Central Virginia taxpayers have real questions and concerns about economic impact payments, and they deserve clear information and guidance. Although the coronavirus pandemic started nearly two months ago, the IRS has not yet instituted full-scale teleworking operations for its customer service representatives. Without a customer service team ready to go, many of our neighbors are having trouble learning the current status of their payments.
That’s why I’m leading a multi-member effort calling on the IRS to explain its lack of telework capabilities. We are also calling on them to share information with Congress about any obstacles it’s facing in expanding telework capabilities. We need to know any difficulties they are facing so that we can help find a solution and finally deliver up-to-date answers to the American people.
Earlier this week I addressed the state of our country’s coronavirus response and the pressing need for U.S. global leadership during this unprecedented crisis. Unfortunately, the United States is abandoning our leadership role in this pandemic, which both threatens our national security and weakens our ability to respond to future threats.
If we continue to cede ground and abandon our historical leadership, other nations, like China, will seek to fill the void. As we emerge from this crisis, we must take precise action to reaffirm U.S. global leadership and strengthen our relationships with our global partners.
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Facebook and
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I’ll keep in contact and share the most up-to-date information. If you would like to join our campaign efforts, please visit
AbigailSpanberger.com.