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Friday News: Far-Right SCOTUS Justices Continue Vicious “crusade against voting rights”; “Trump’s fascist talk is what’s ‘poisoning the blood of our country’”; “Trump’s Assassination Fantasy Has a Darker Purpose”; Cao “doubles down on ‘podunk’ comments” About Rural Virginia

By
lowkell
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8

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, May 24.

Video: Sen. Mark Warner Talks Border Security, Judges, Turks and Caicos Gun Case, Foreign Interference/Disinformation in Our Elections, etc.

By
lowkell
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2

See below for video of Sen. Mark Warner’s weekly press availability. Topics covered include:

  • In Hampton Roads, “some of the progress that’s being made at Jefferson lab, which I think we will look back on is one of the greatest investments maybe even of this century in Virginia”
  • “The complete botched rollout of the FAFSA that’s the federally assistant form for student aid…it begs a question why the federal government can’t do big IT projects on time on budget or roll them out efficiently and we’ve seen this movie before.”
  • “The bipartisan border security bill: I’m the first to acknowledge there is a mess at the border, we need to take more action, we need to have a better asylum process, we need to no longer have what’s called Catch and Release, where people are coming across the border getting a court date potentially weeks, months or in some cases years later, that system just not working. And the irony is my Republican  Senators and…the Republican House said we need a tough border bill…matter of fact, they demanded that as part of the price to get Ukraine aid. Well it took a while, but a bipartisan bill was put together and then former President Trump said, well, we don’t to fix the border really because he’d rather use that as a political issue and I find that outrageous. I know our vote today probably won’t get Republican support, but I hope it will put people on the board on where they stand.”
  • “We confirmed our 200th judge in Biden’s first three and a half years in office. My hope is that we will be able to get more…Trump has the current record of 235, I would hope we’d be able to exceed that by the end President Biden’s four years. And I think what we’ve tried to do and what I’m so proud of these judges is they look a lot more like America.”
  • “…it may be a little bit of commentary on where we are in our country that it took Taylor Swift and her fans, the Swifties, to get as upset as they did to maybe bring this to the full kind of attention it merits, but this Ticket Master issue has been going on for years and I support what the FTC is doing.”
  • Re: the Turks and Caicos case: “I think there is a question of how did someone get…through TSA screening with live ammunition, I think that’s a very real question. But I also have to say that the the government in Turks and Caicos, I think their policy is really to the extreme, and I’ve been working with senator from Oklahoma, Mark Wayne Mullen, who has been leading the effort to try to get these Americans back. The one thing I will say is that Turks and Caicos was very clear in their signage that, you know, no exceptions, you bring in unregistered ammunition or firearms you’re going to be arrested…and through the Caribbean, the level of gun violence has gone up dramatically. So I respect their country’s right to have tough gun laws. I wish in certain cases we had a little more reasonable approach at the federal level on things like assault weapons. But I think the idea that this individual [who] seemed to…just made a mistake would be suddenly caught 12 years in a jail in Turks and Caicos is way over the top, and I’m going to work with other Senators to do all we can to bring those bring those folks back.”
  • Foreign interference and disinformation in our elections much of what he’s said in previous press availabilities and interviews (e.g., “we need the Facebooks, as long as they’re around the Tik Toks, the YouTubes, all of the social media platforms to be responsible, and unfortunately we’ve seen companies like Twitter that have walked away from any responsibility, they don’t even have their users adhere to the standards they say you’ve got to operate on…and the clock’s ticking.”

 

VA GOP Senate Candidates Oppose Bipartisan Border Security Bill And Won’t Keep Virginians Safe

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From DPVA:

GOP Senate Candidates Oppose Bipartisan Border Security Bill And Won’t Keep Virginians Safe

Cao, Parkinson, and Emord Oppose One Of The Toughest Border Bills In Modern History Supported By Two In Three Americans

 

Richmond, VA – The Republican Senate candidates have repeatedly called for border reform yet are against the very legislation that would secure our border and crack down on fentanyl trafficking. The bipartisan border bill is the strongest border reform legislation seen in a generation and had large bipartisan support before Donald Trump instructed Republicans to kill it. And once Donald Trump said to jump, every GOP Senate candidate asked: how high?

Here’s what the Senate Republican candidates think about the bipartisan border bill (after Trump told them what to say):

  • When asked by John Fredericks if he would vote for the bill, Hung Cao called the bill “ridiculous” and said, “I would shut this thing down.” In early February he called the bill “crap” and “garbage,” adding that he would not vote for it.  
  • In May last year, Scott Parkinson called for various border and immigration reforms, including asylum, visas, and the physical border wall. However, in January he took to X to “strongly oppose” the bipartisan border bill. Parkinson also reposted an Elon Musk post calling it a “diabolical” bill that “deserved to die.”
  • Jonathan Emord said he wanted the border to be secure, but he called the bipartisan border bill a “real horror” that would be “destroying American nationalism.”

It is crystal clear that the Republican Senate candidates do not actually care about border security or the safety of Virginians. They only care about scoring political points and cozying up to Trump at any cost. Their position is out-of-the-mainstream, with two in three Americans supporting the border bill, according to a Navigator survey. But since Trump doesn’t support the bill, the Republican Senate candidates are choosing to side with Trump instead of Virginians.

“The GOP Senate candidates have made their position clear: they will jeopardize the safety of Virginians to pledge their undying loyalty to Donald Trump,” said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “Virginians want leaders who will work across party lines and keep them safe, not the self-serving politics of MAGA extremists like Hung Cao, Scott Parkinson, and Jonathan Emord.”

FACT CHECK: Jen Kiggans Voted to Cut Veterans Benefits – Then Lied About It

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From the DCCC:

FACT CHECK: Jen Kiggans Voted to Cut Veterans Benefits – Then Lied About It

New reporting from Virginia Scope calls out even more lies from vulnerable Republican Jen Kiggans, who is on the defense for trying – and failing – to deny her record of voting against veterans and active duty servicemembers.

This Congress, Kiggans voted for a 22% budget cut to the Department of Veteran Affairs. This would have impacted “30 million fewer Veteran outpatient visits, and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration.” House Republicans even rejected amendments “that would protect funding for veterans” in the bill.

Yet last week, in a desperate move to rewrite her record, Jen Kiggans lied to voters about this in a direct-to-camera video. It’s no surprise that Kiggans would continue perpetuating this misinformation. Virginia’s Second Congressional District is home to more than 80,000 veterans – nearly 15% of the district.

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“Jen Kiggans can spew whatever lies she wants, but we have the receipts. Kiggans has turned against veterans and active duty servicemembers her entire political career, opting instead to uplift far-right extremists and corporate interests. Coastal Virginians will remember that this November.”

Thursday News: UK Election Called for 7/4; Time to “Raise the heat on this corrupt [and insurrectionist] Supreme Court”; Spineless, Amoral Nikki Haley Caves Yet Again; “An ACLU lawyer defended racists’ free speech rights. Now she’s running for [VA01]”

By
lowkell
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11

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 23.

Video: VA House Dems Majority Leader Charniele Herring, Del. Rip Sullivan, Del. Alfonso Lopez Rip Youngkin’s Illegal RGGI Pullout – Youngkin “uninterested in protecting Virginia and Virginians”

By
lowkell
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1

See below for video from yesterday’s press conference by Virginia House Democrats regarding Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s absurd, destructive and illegal decision to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). A few quotes include:

Virginia House Democratic Leader Charniele Herring: “It was the only choice that we had, as we voted for the budget to ensure that we do not have a shutdown of our government, that we had to vote for a budget that excluded RGGI. But I am determined, as well as my colleagues, that we will re-enter RGGI. There is a court case proceeding right now on RGGI. But I feel personally that the governor’s actions were inappropriate and very shortsighted, just by the fact again that we’ve lost funds coming into…Virginia…low-income housing will not have the benefits of energy efficiency and we still have a coastal flooding problem”

Del. Rip Sullivan: “It was an enormous disappointment that RGGI was left out…the governor has this wrong. And I expect the court is going to agree with that. The law that we passed in 2020 was not a mere suggestion, it was a clear directive. When the governor was elected, I was committed to giving him the benefit of the doubt and trying to work with him on many issues facing Virginia, including issues relating to the environment and climate, which is an area that’s been a core issue of mine since I joined the General Assembly. And like on so many issues, we didn’t really know what to expect from the new governor. But my hopes were dashed on… day one when the governor announced his intention to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. And now a full 2 1/2 years later, the picture has become even more clear. While we’ve had isolated moments of progress…this governor’s legacy when he leaves office will be one of resistance to improving our environment, being uninterested in protecting Virginia and Virginians.”

Del. Alfonso Lopez: “The amount of revenue from RGGI was
more than we actually anticipated when we first went in…around $200 million in the first year…$825 million since…Here’s the other thing just be aware of…the second most susceptible part of the country for flooding after New Orleans is the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area. And the idea that [Youngkin] would give up on one of the main sources of revenue for us to actually address recurrent flooding as well as energy efficiency standards for low-income homes, but for the significant amount of money that’s that’s used from this program specifically to address flooding when we in Virginia need it so but badly, as someone said is nonsensical.”

Former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Responds to “false attacks from…shadowy dark money group”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn’s campaign:

Eileen Filler-Corn, 56th Speaker, Responds to False Attacks
Loudoun County, VA – Today, former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn released a response to the false attacks from Virginia Democratic Action Committee PAC, a shadowy dark money group founded by fellow Democrats for the express purpose of attacking her record.

“It is disappointing but unsurprising that I face false and baseless attacks from a dark money group,” said Filler-Corn. “It is clear that my message – that we need women on the frontlines defending our rights and our freedom – resonates with voters. As Speaker, I made historic progress for the Commonwealth, rolling back right-wing abortion restrictions and holding election deniers accountable. These false attacks are plainly sexist and rely on vile antisemitic tropes. I will continue to run a positive race that highlights my experience and track record of delivering for the Commonwealth. I hope my primary opponents will speak out against this attack and promise to run a positive campaign. Democrats should not be attacking each other.”

Here are the facts:

  • False Claim: Eileen Filler-Corn was a lobbyist for special interests like Big Pharma & Tobacco.
  • The Truth: Filler-Corn has never lobbied for these groups and was never a registered lobbyist for either the tobacco or pharmaceutical industry, as stated in the AP article on which the attack was based. The AP already investigated this claim and said, “Filler-Corn was not a lobbyist,” and she left the firm before becoming Speaker.
  • False Claim: Eileen Filler-Corn sided with Big Oil and blocked action on climate change.
  • The Truth: Eileen Filler-Corn is an environmental champion with an A rating from the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters. As Speaker, she oversaw the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act, putting the Commonwealth on a path toward carbon neutrality.
  • False Claim: Eileen Filler-Corn received over $34,000 in gifts after siding with special interests.
  • The Truth: The “gifts” that are baselessly purported to be improper were all approved and include items like travel for a Women in Government Conference. In fact, over her 14 years in the House of Delegates, she reported far fewer “gifts” annually than other colleagues of hers in this race, but she’s being held to different standards.
  • False Claim: Eileen Filler-Corn is a bad Democrat.
  • The Truth: Nothing could be further from the truth. Eileen Filler-Corn was the most accomplished Speaker of the House in generations – she rolled back right-wing abortion restrictions and held election deniers accountable. These unfounded attacks against the first woman and Jewish person to be Speaker of the House are overtly sexist and rely on despicable antisemitic tropes. The Speaker is the frontrunner in this race, and these false attacks from a dark money group have no place in this campaign. She will continue to run a positive race that highlights her experience and track record of delivering for the Commonwealth.

Eileen Filler-Corn, the former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, is running to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. She made history by leading the most progressive House agenda in Virginia’s history. Filler-Corn championed gun safety, increased the minimum wage, expanded abortion rights, legalized cannabis, promoted a path to carbon neutrality, and enhanced voting rights. With over a decade of service, she now seeks to bring that progressive change to the national stage, advocating for the people of Northern Virginia. She is proudly endorsed by leaders, including former Governor Ralph Northam, former Attorn

Video: Senator Suhas Subramanyam Releases Television Ad “Leader” Featuring Incumbent Congresswoman Wexton

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From VA State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam’s campaign:

VIDEO: Senator Suhas Subramanyam Releases Television Ad “Leader” Featuring Incumbent Congresswoman Wexton

Commercial Showcases Rep. Wexton’s Endorsement and Subramanyam’s Life in Service Fighting for Key Democratic Issues

Ashburn, VA – Today, Senator Suhas Subramanyam, Obama White House Alumnus and Candidate for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District (VA-10), released his second television advertisement, titled “Leader”. The spot showcases Senator Subramanyam’s endorsement by incumbent Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton, who calls him “principled, effective leader with a long commitment to service”.

The ad also highlights Suhas’s life in service as a firefighter/EMT and Obama White House Alumni, as well as his impressive record fighting gun violence, taking on MAGA extremists, and defending abortion rights. The ad will air on television, streaming, and digital channels as Suhas adds to the message already being broadcast to the voters of the 10th.

TO VIEW THE AD, TITLED “LEADER”, CLICK HERE

The new ad campaign adds to the building momentum for Senator Subramanyam’s campaign, who also boasts recent endorsements from Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, Virginia State Senator Russet Perry, Loudoun County Supervisor Laura Tekrony, Loudoun County School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield, and AAPI Victory Fund.

###

Senator Suhas Subramanyam has dedicated his life to public service as a State Senator, Obama White House advisor, Capitol Hill staffer, and as a Loudoun volunteer firefighter/EMT. In Richmond, he has worked across the aisle to pass gun violence prevention bills, protect democracy, and defend abortion rights. Senator Subramanyam is best positioned to keep VA-10 in Democratic hands because he represents more VA-10 constituents than any of the 16 primary election candidates, and he has consistently outperformed the Democratic ticket and delivered for his constituents. Suhas resides in Ashburn, Virginia (in VA-10) with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters.

Far-Right-Extremist Hung Cao, the Quite-Possible 2024 VA GOP U.S. Senate Nominee Against Tim Kaine, Apparently Thinks Rural Virginians Are “Podunk”

By
lowkell
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7

In a few weeks, Virginia Republicans will quite possibly nominate far-right-extremist Hung Cao as their 2024 nominee for U.S. Senate against Sen. Tim Kaine. Undoubtedly, if/when they do so, the entire Virginia GOP will fall in line behind Cao, including endorsing him, campaiging for him, etc.  That will happen, of course, despite the fact that Cao is – how to put this nicely…ah, forget it! LOL – bats*** crazy?  Remember, this is the guy

And now, check out Cao’s latest:

Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao again called the report that prompted the allegations a “hit job” and referred to the Staunton News Leader, which reported the story, as a “podunk local newspaper” on an episode of the Alec Lace show Tuesday.

[…]

Cao did not attend a Senate candidate forum last Friday morning, which took take place in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, home of the Staunton News Leader. Staunton is in the Shenandoah Valley, a reliably red part of the commonwealth for Republican legislators in both state and federal offices.

For some background on the scandal involving Cao’s scam/grifter PAC, see Video: Pressed by MAGA Radio Host to Explain His Slimy Scam PAC, 2024 VA GOP U.S. Senate Frontrunner Hung Cao Has ZERO Answers (bottom line: Cao used the scam/grifter PAC money to promote himself, not to help Republican candidates running in 2023).

In response to Cao’s “podunk” comments, Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker responded:

“I’ve been reading the News Leader since I was a 6 yr old young Democrat with my daddy in Highland County. If you think we’re all ‘podunk’ I challenge Hung Cao to come down to the Shenandoah Valley & say that to our face. Coward. Pick a time & place.”

Nice. Of course, Cao won’t show up and do that, but it’s great for Swecker to highlight what a phony this guy is. Oh, and in addition to being a phony, the quite-possible 2024 Virginia GOP U.S. Senate nominee is also a far-right extremist, who has said things like:

  • Appallingly compared abortion to the atrocities of the Holocaust, saying: “The Nazis did this. They’ll take Jewish babies and just take the legs and just smash the babies and kill them. You think that can’t happen in this country?’”
  • Incredibly launched a vicious, truly disgusting attack against Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10), who is not running for reelection due to severe health problems, namely “a modified diagnosis of Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy, type-p (PSP-P),” from which – according to Rep. Wexton – “there is no ‘getting better’.”  Tragic and horrible. Yet according to Hung Cao, “my bet is she’ll step down this January so that. … she will be fully vested with five years, and she would then again just live off of the pension from the U.S. Congress.” Cao further claimed that people like Rep. Wexton “are out for themselves.” WTF?
  • Praised the violent insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol on 1/6/21; said members of Congress should be “beating down the doors” demanding that imprisoned January 6th insurrectionists be set free, pledged to “release and seek compensation for” those arrested in connection to January 6th, and said he had “a lot of friends” who were investigated by the FBI for their activities on January 6th.
  • Peddled conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and wants to gut ballot access in Virginia.
  • Denied and mocked the climate crisis and climate science.
  • Pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act
  • Denigrated various African countries (see below)
  • And much, much, much, much more (e.g., Backs “Off-Label Alternatives” to Treating COVID, Is 100% Anti-Reproductive Freedom, Railed Against “Insidious Grooming…of Students” by “government-backed organizations,” etc, etc.)

UPDATE 2:10 pm – See below for DPVA’s press release on this.

By Calling The Shenandoah Valley “Podunk,” Hung Cao Shows His True Colors As A Coward And A Condescending Elitist  

Richmond, VA – A new damaging report from the Staunton News Leader highlights how Hung Cao not only failed to answer questions about his scam PAC but also how he insulted the Shenandoah Valley by calling the newspaper that first reported the story “podunk.”

The report highlighted that this isn’t the first time Cao has neglected the Shenandoah Valley. Earlier this month, Cao skipped a candidate forum in Augusta County, turning his nose up at a chance for voters to hear about his campaign and hold him accountable.

And this certainly isn’t the first time Cao has been caught lying about his scam PAC. The report notes that Cao “repeated an earlier stated falsehood” on the Alec Lace Show, that he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023, when he in fact left the PAC in June 2023. Cao also lied and said he didn’t promise to donate the money from the PAC to other candidates despite “multiple recordings available online show Cao saying otherwise.” And Cao once again lied about federal super PACs being unable to donate to in-state candidates, which the super PAC could have Cao just chose not to keep his promise and donate to local candidates.

Instead of answering for his string of inconsistencies, Hung Cao lashed out at the Shenandoah Valley, creating a whole new slew of problems for his campaign.

“Hung Cao has no one to blame for his scam PAC but himself, and insulting Shenandoah Valley won’t change that fact,” said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “”I’ve been reading the Staunton News Leader since I was a 6-years-old young Democrat with my daddy in Highland County. If he thinks we’re all ‘podunk,’ I challenge Hung Cao to come down to the Shenandoah Valley and say that to our face. Coward, pick a time and place.”

Read more below:

Staunton News Leader: ‘Podunk’: GOP hopeful for U.S. Senate denigrates small town paper rather than answering questions about Super PAC
Elizabeth Beyer
May 22, 2024

  • Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Hung Cao again failed to address critical questions about spending by the Unleash America super PAC when asked by a conservative talk show host on Tuesday, May 21.
  • But he did continue his attacks on the story that prompted critiques from members of his own party.
  • Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao again called the report that prompted the allegations a “hit job” and referred to the Staunton News Leader, which reported the story, as a “podunk local newspaper” on an episode of the Alec Lace show Tuesday.
  • That report was published in USA Today as well as The News Leader. The reporter is part of the USA Today Network’s Elections team, covering Virginia elections for the network’s two commonwealth papers, The News Leader in Staunton and The Progress-Index in Petersburg. The story was published in nine other Gannett newspapers across the country.
  • Skipped out on a local candidate forum, misremembered dates and promises
  • Cao did not attend a Senate candidate forum last Friday morning, which took place in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, home of the Staunton News Leader. Staunton is in the Shenandoah Valley, a reliably red part of the commonwealth for Republican legislators in both state and federal offices.
  • Cao repeated an earlier stated falsehood on the Alec Lace Show, that he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023. In fact, a memo from his Senate campaign legal counsel said that Cao resigned from the PAC on June 15, 2023.
  • Cao told Lace that he didn’t promise to donate money raised by Unleash America to Republican candidates in Virginia’s 2023 elections. Multiple recordings available online show Cao saying otherwise on conservative talk shows and in newspapers in early 2023.
  • Cao also told Lace that federal super PACs, such as Unleash America, cannot donate to state-level candidates. In fact, Virginia has no limits on campaign contributions.  
  • A different interview, and a different story
  • When Cao launched Unleash America in February 2023, the super PAC had one stated goal: To get Republicans elected during Virginia’s 2023 statehouse contests to support Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda, as reported by the Staunton News Leader and USA Today.
  • The PAC raised $103,489 in individual contributions from around the country, which Cao called a “minimal amount” in an earlier interview with John Fredericks, another conservative talkshow host. Cao’s principal U.S. Senate campaign committee, Hung Cao for Virginia, contributed $45,000 to the super PAC, for a total of $148,489 raised by Unleash America between January and December 2023.  
  • After Republicans lost the House of Delegates in Virginia and failed to flip the Senate, analysis of Unleash America’s expenditures showed no support of any kind, in-kind or otherwise, for Virginia’s Republican candidates.
  • In that earlier interview with Fredericks, Cao said “a lot of the money was reimbursed.” However, according to Federal Election Commission filings, money raised by Unleash America was paid to people who worked on Cao’s failed 2022 Congressional campaign as well as his current bid for the U.S. Senate.
  • “Start up costs a lot, you have to have lawyers, you have to have compliance people, you have to have start up fees, so a lot of the money was moved over from the old campaign to keep it alive,” Cao told Fredericks, apparently referring to the cost to launch his bid for the U.S. Senate.
  • Where did the money go?
  • About $12,500 of the money donated to Unleash America was spent on legal fees, according to FEC filings.
  • Another $37,514 from the super PAC was paid to John Ryan O’Rourke. O’Rourke is Cao’s 2024 Senate campaign manager and was his campaign manager during his 2022 bid for Congress. In the same year that O’Rourke received payment from Unleash America, he also received $96,168 from Hung Cao for Virginia, Cao’s Senate campaign committee.
  • Another $22,867 of Unleash America’s money went to K2 & Co., a communications firm Cao had employed during his 2022 Congressional campaign and also during his 2024 Senate campaign. K2 & Co. was paid $15,000 by Cao’s Senate campaign on October 3, 2023.
  • The super PAC also paid $29,403 for list rentals, $18,576 for digital fundraising, $6,398 in meeting and lodging expenses as well as bank fees and $3,904 in earmark fees to WinRed, a fundraising arm of the Republican Party.
  • Federal Election Commission filings show that Unleash America did not contribute any of the $148,489 it raised to Virginia’s Republican candidates in 2023.

Video: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) Delivers Remarks on House Floor Recognizing PSP Awareness Month

By
lowkell
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2

From Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10):

Wexton Delivers Remarks on House Floor Recognizing PSP Awareness Month

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) spoke on the House floor to recognize PSP Awareness Month. Wexton shared the story of her personal journey batling PSP and the urgent need to raise awareness of the rare disease. Due to complications from her condition, Wexton delivered the remarks via a text-to-speech app.

“I share the personal details of my journey with PSP not because I want to be told how inspiring I am or for you to feel sorry for me. I speak about what I’m going through because there are tens of thousands of other Americans out there who are fighting the same battles I am, and many of their loved ones, colleagues, and neighbors are having similar struggles with how to deal with the rapid and scary changes happening to the person that they know and love,” said Rep. Wexton.

Image

A video of Wexton’s floor speech can be viewed here

Wexton has led a PSP Awareness Week of Action this week, including leading a bipartisan resolution recognizing May as PSP Awareness Month and hosting a briefing for Capitol Hill staff on PSP and the challenges in diagnosing and treating the disease.

Wexton is believed to be the first Member of the House to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which she first did earlier this month speaking in favor of her legislation to rename a post office in her district after Secretary Madeleine Albright.

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