What this means is that we are finally over with our regular session in Richmond and there's lots to talk about regarding what happened while we were up there. There were some good, some bad, and some frustrating. One of the more frustrating efforts was the Democrats vowing to bring us back for a special session to vote and discuss further federal unemployment benefits. This is a blatant distraction and political game I am very disappointed in seeing.

Virginia is home to thousands of federal workers, military service members, and their families. The Federal government has a key role in how the Virginia economy has operated in the past decades. One need not look further than the explosion of jobs that have come out of the D.C. metro area and the expansion of Northern Virginia to know the impact that D.C. has had on our state. However, D.C.’s bloated spending should not be picked up by the Virginian taxpayer. Unlike the Federal Government, the Virginia government, by law, is required to have a balanced budget. This means while D.C. politicians can recklessly deficit spend, we in Richmond must have a balanced budget.

With what the Democrats have proposed they would like to increase unemployment benefits to federal workers who will be cut in the coming months. This is an issue I sympathize with, but at the end of the day, the average Virginia taxpayer should not have to bail out these federal workers. Not only will they bail them out, but we will also have to take money from other important, solely- Virginian-funded programs. What government program will the Democrats choose to defund because they want to score political points with Northern Virginian Bureaucrats?  

The last time I can remember the state offering unemployment benefits to some 1099 workers

was during the pandemic. For some, that was quite a battle, and it was only applicable to

certain types of workers. Now that we are talking about the high-wage earning federal workers from primarily Northern Virginia, it seems to be quite a different story. Back then, it seemed quite easy to shut down our small businesses and call what hard-working people do “non-essential.” However, even back then, these bailouts were very specific and were at a time of extremely unprecedented times.

This year, Democrats cut funding for lots of projects to fund welfare programs. The Attorney General's operation ceasefire, which has been widely successful at stopping gun crime across the commonwealth, was cut because of politics. They would rather fund welfare programs than keep communities safe. Despite them cutting key programs, they have decided that if they can masquerade their own cutting of programs, they won't be responsible for them.

Democrats know that if they can link what is going on in D.C. to Virginia politics, they can score points with the public. They saw what happened in 2013 when the government shut down, and Terry McAuliffe was able to tie D.C. politics to Richmond. Again, during Trump’s last administration, Democrats focused on federal politics in order to gain the Governor's mansion. Now, again, in 2025, they are trying to bring back this same political strategy. They know they are vulnerable in the house and that the Lieutenant Governor is a strong candidate.

At the end of the day, I understand that Virginia does not operate in a vacuum, and what happens in D.C. does affect what goes on in our Commonwealth. Northern Virginia is an important economic hub of our state, but that doesn't mean that we have to bend the knee to everything they wish, including the state bailing them out. There will be lots said in the upcoming months as we will have to head back to Richmond to address this issue, and we will see how much of the Federal Government will be slashed.

As I write this column (Monday), Governor Youngkin is announcing all the initiatives he and his cabinet are rolling out to support and invest in the federal workers who may experience job loss in our state. I have shared that information below.

My staff and I are always here to assist you with any issues or concerns. Please don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of service. You can reach us at 434.374.5129 or by email at [email protected]