Virginia House Democrats

Republicans Still Don't Have a Plan of Their Own

RICHMOND, VA - Today, House Republicans killed a transportation solution that had a chance of passing the General Assembly. Yet the Republican leadership has not proposed its own plan. By blocking the Governor’s transportation bill (HB6026), they ignored the pleas from Virginians and our business community to find a real transportation solution. House Republicans voted against fixing our broken bridges, maintaining our roadways, and relieving congestion in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Instead of choosing solutions, they chose to play political games and gimmicks, advancing a Senate bill containing a gas tax increase which they have stated that they will not support.

“I asked the Republicans what they would like to see in place of the components of the Governor’s bill they disliked. They had no response. They had no ideas. They had no alternative plan,” said Delegate Ward Armstrong. “Yet, today they voted no on advancing the Governor’s bill and yes to advancing a gas tax bill. We are the oldest continuously meeting legislative body in the new world but today we resembled a Banana Republic with the House Rules Committee playing the role of a Kangaroo Court. The House Republican leadership once again chose political gamesmanship over taking responsibility and fixing our transportation problems.”

“The Republican leadership isn’t interested in solving problems, they’re interested in scoring points,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran. “They keep finding new and different ways to say NO to solving our problems. And they’re more interested in playing political games, then helping Virginia’s economy and citizens stuck in traffic.”

• Speaker Howell has yet to present a Republican transportation solution, even after promising to have one in time for special session.

• House Republicans continue to insist that they can find transportation money in an audit of VDOT – even though they’ve already done eight of them.

• Republicans excused Delegate Chris Saxman attendance to present his own bill so that no one could ask questions of the patron.

• Republicans filed a new bill late evening intended to leave legislators scrambling to even read it before it was considered.