Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is calling out her Republican opponent’s ties to President Donald Trump as it relates to the upcoming closures of three rural health care clinics in Weyers Cave, Churchville, and Buena Vista.
Spanberger specifically called out Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears over her support for Trump’s new tax law slashing federal funding for rural health care providers.
“The devastating impacts of Trump’s tax bill are real for families across our Commonwealth, especially in our rural communities,” Spanberger said in a statement. “For months, Virginia healthcare providers have been ringing the alarm bells about the threats to their ability to serve their patients. Now, this disastrous law has forced clinics in Buena Vista, Churchville, and Weyers Cave to close their doors.”
The GOP tax bill, dubbed by Trump as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R.1), cuts access to affordable health care through Medicaid. More than 350,000 Virginians could lose their health care coverage, while another 388,000 Virginians could see a significant increase in their premiums, some as high as $1,000 per month, according to Spanberger.
“My opponent endorsed this bill despite knowing that it would take away healthcare from hundreds of thousands of Virginians, threaten the survival of our rural healthcare providers, and drive up healthcare premiums for working families,” Spanberger said. “Even now, she continues to stand by President Trump as he raises costs for Virginia families across the board and threatens Virginia’s economy.”
In Congress, Spanberger worked to lower costs for Virginia families, utilizing her three terms as a U.S. Representative to enable Medicare to negotiate drug prices, which saved taxpayers billions of dollars. She further voted to cap insulin copays at $35 per month for seniors on Medicare.
“Come January, my administration will take decisive action to lower prescription drug prices, protect rural clinics and hospitals, and make sure Virginians get the care they deserve,” Spanberger said. “And unlike my opponent, I will never be afraid to stand up to the White House or extreme politicians in Washington when Virginians’ access to healthcare is on the line.”
If elected this November, Spanberger plans to implement her “Affordable Virginia Plan,” which is focused on lowering health care and prescription drug costs by eliminating industry middlemen and improving transparency. The plan also aims to increase access in underserved communities, while holding pharmaceutical companies accountable.
