Dear Friend,

This week’s newsletter includes my recent Richmond Times-Dispatch op-ed on Virginia’s loss of its CNBC ranking as the “Top State for Business,” provides information on an upcoming town hall with Delegate Mike Jones, highlights the work of the Joint Commission on Health Care, and features select community engagements from this past week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and for staying informed. 

My recent Richmond Times-Dispatch Op-ed: 

“CNBC’s Warning on Federal Job Losses Is a Wake‑Up Call for Virginia’s Future”

CNBC’s latest “Top States for Business” report shows Virginia tumbling from the top spot to fourth place, our worst ranking since 2018. The primary culprit identified by the report are the sharp federal workforce reductions that have hit the Commonwealth hard in disproportionate measures and that will have long-term impacts on Virginia’s entire economy. With over 144,000 federal jobs in the Commonwealth, and nearly 300,000 positions when federal contractors and commuters from D.C. and Maryland are included, Virginia feels every cut firsthand.

Experts have warned that these federal slashes to the workforce could cost the state up to 32,000 jobs this year alone, dragging Virginia’s GDP and tax revenue into negative territory. As we know, the loss of federal positions has a concurrent ripple effect that impacts our hospitality industries, retail businesses, and service economies. Fairfax County forecasts a downturn worse than COVID if reductions reach 20%. These are not abstract numbers: they threaten working families, small businesses, and the stability of our communities.

These job losses are entirely based on political efforts to dismantle the essential and core services of government. The Trump administration, with Governor Youngkin’s support and blessing, is overseeing massive federal cuts that impact our healthcare system, education opportunities, and resources for the most vulnerable in our communities, including the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and children in poverty. Virginia’s Republican leadership continues to repeat the party line that these cuts are fine and even necessary. Governor Youngkin’s milquetoast response has been to tell displaced federal workers to “polish their resumes” and to point to an online state job portal. Sadly, most of the jobs available on that portal do not match the advanced skills that these former federal employees possess.

Meanwhile, this economic shock is happening alongside a sustained political assault on our education system. The GOP wants to dismantle public education by defunding it. Our public universities, including the Virginia Military Institute, the University of Virginia, and George Mason University, are under attack. For decades, these and our other outstanding higher education institutions have been responsible for the development of the talented and qualified workforce that attracts businesses to Virginia. As these political assaults continue, Virginia will see a decrease in student applicants, loss of international talent, major gaps in research and graduate programs, exodus of faculty, and more.

Weakening public education and attacking higher education diminish our long-term competitiveness, just as federal cuts weaken our current economic foundation. When CEOs consider relocation, they ask: “How many skilled workers are available? Are communities welcoming and inclusive? Are public institutions strong?” Right now, under the Republican leadership of Youngkin – Sears – Miyares, Virginia is moving in the wrong direction in too many of those metrics, and our latest CNBC ranking reflects this misalignment.

We need new statewide leadership to

• Stand up to federal job cuts by building a bipartisan coalition in Richmond to demand thoughtful, strategic plans — not partisan theatrics 
• Invest in workforce retraining programs that are targeted, substantial, and connected to highly-skilled employees
• Defend the autonomy, academic freedom, and research programs of our institutions of higher education
• Strengthen our public PK–12 system by expanding STEM, civics, global understanding, early childhood, and educator support, so that every community is able to contribute to our next generation of talent

Virginia's economy is not defined by rankings; it is defined by its people. By investing in workers and educational institutions today, we renew the virtues that once made us the most business‑friendly state in America. We can choose competence over chaos, unity over division, and evidence over ideology.

When Virginia wins at education, we win in economic stability and prosperity, and we regain our standing as an economic and talent leader in the country.

Town Hall with Delegate Mike Jones 

Next Monday, August 4, I will join Delegate Mike Jones for a Community Town Hall. We will share information on issues in front of the General Assembly and laws that went into effect July 1; we will also discuss the implications of federal funding decisions on health care, education, and more, and hear directly from our constituents. The event is open to the public; registration is required. 

Joint Commission on Health Care 

The Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC), on which I serve as Vice Chair, met this past week. The Commission first heard from the Virginia Department of Health regarding its oversight of hospitals and nursing homes, as well as an update on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B projected budget, amid ongoing federal grant and hospital rebate uncertainty. We were later presented with the Department of Medical Assistance Services' newly launched Cardinal Care Managed Care Program and an overview of new Medicaid provisions resulting from the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Lastly, the Commission received updates from two public-private partnerships: the Virginia Health Information annual report and the Virginia Center for Health Innovation. 

JCHC members will now weigh the ramifications of federal actions on health care for millions of Virginians. The Commission will meet again on Wednesday, September 17, to receive policy solutions to the Commonwealth's fentanyl crisis and other issues. 

Select Community Engagements

On Thursday, the Democratic Senate and House Caucuses of the General Assembly and former Governor L. Douglas Wilder, stood united to share concrete actions the General Assembly is prepared to take to protect our institutions of higher education from baseless, hyperpartisan attacks by the Trump and Youngkin administrations. Our colleges and universities are frequently ranked among the best in the nation, but Youngkin’s appointments to Boards of Visitors have been deliberate efforts to undermine higher education and to serve the political interests of the Trump administration.

On Friday, my Chief of Staff met with organizers and staff from Environment Virginia, who canvassed over 10,000 constituents in the Metro Richmond Area across the past several weeks. Through the community engagement program, canvassers shared that top constituent priorities include combatting plastic pollution in our waterways and ensuring that future generations have access to clean water, air, and land.

Over the weekend, I traveled across the Hampton Roads region to meet with educators, community leaders, voters, and faith leaders. I shared my unwavering commitment to a better Virginia, a state government that will fiercely advocate for public education, fight for affordability and lower costs for working families, protect our coastal communities from environmental threats, increase opportunities for upward mobility, and much more.

On Sunday, my Legislative Assistant joined the Agricultural Workers Advocacy Coalition (AWAC) and Legal Aid Justice Center on the Eastern Shore to better understand the needs of workers within our agricultural and fishing industries. This past session, I introduced Senate Bill 1103, aimed to strengthen employment health and safety standards for workers in high-hazard industries prone to heat illness, ensuring that workers are provided with shade, rest, and water. 

Connecting With My Office

My office can be reached at the following:

Email:  [email protected] 

Phone:  804.698.7515

If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here. 

— Ghazala

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