The Half Sheet

We all want to believe that if we meet our obligations and if we work hard at the things we choose to do that we’ll be rewarded with opportunities to get ahead.

How can Virginia spur rural economic development? That’s the question on a lot of minds these days – and with good reason.

With the recent collapse of efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in the Senate, the time seems ripe for both our Congressional representatives and state legislators to come together to strengthen our insurance marketplace.

The proposed House budget could mean trouble for federal employees and their families. And that’s particularly bad news for Virginia, as it has the second highest number of federal civilian employees of any state, behind California.

Loudoun County may be the nation’s highest income county, but that designation masks real problems low-income people there face. And if Congress has its way, the federal budget will make their situation even worse.

We now know that refugees are net-contributors, adding to the gross domestic product and tax base, and the recent ban hurts both vulnerable families seeking to resettle and our state’s bottom line.

The President’s budget proposal is a bad deal for Virginia’s communities and our economy. It’s critical that Virginia’s congressional leaders reject this dangerous cost-shift to the state, and put the needs of all Virginia families at the top of the agenda.

Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states have seen their profits grow more than urban hospitals.

With virtually no upside for the vast majority of rural residents, the AHCA is a dangerous deal for some of our state’s most challenged communities.

Each of the candidates has released a platform for how they plan to improve educational opportunities in Virginia. We have collected these positions from the campaign websites and news releases and listed them here as a resource. This list may not be comprehensive, so please check out the links to the campaign websites for further details.

Key provisions of the Affordable Care Act benefit older adults, increasing access to care, quality of care, and cost. It isn’t perfect, particularly in states like Virginia where Medicaid has not been expanded. But the proposed “cures” of the American Health Care Act are worse than the supposed ills of the ACA.

Deportations and discriminatory rhetoric don’t just hurt unauthorized immigrants, they hurt our families, our communities, and our state by diminishing the readiness and well-being of a large segment of our future workforce.