Defend the commonwealth
As legislature winds down, insulating Virginians from harm is priority one
Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers his final State of the Commonwealth address on Jan. 13 when Virginia’s General Assembly convenes in Richmond. Jay Paul/freelance
As the Trump administration continues its lawless dismantling of the federal government, Virginia sits squarely in the fallout zone — a fact that hangs heavy over Richmond as the General Assembly turns toward the backstretch of this year’s legislative session.
The White House’s actions promise to inflict lasting harm to commonwealth residents and the state’s economy, but lawmakers cannot know how deep and widespread the pain will be. That uncertainty requires insulating Virginia as much as possible and should make caution the watchword as budget negotiations continue.
Since taking office last month, President Donald Trump fulfilled his dreams of swinging a sledgehammer against people and programs throughout the federal government. A team led by Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and a “special government employee,” has accessed sensitive government systems, zeroed out spending for numerous federal programs and terminated thousands of employees.
All of this has been done without congressional authorization and, in most cases, in violation of the law. Only Congress can abolish federal agencies and most government employees cannot be fired at will. And Musk’s infiltration of critical, and even classified, data has compromised Americans’ private information and put national security at risk.
Few places will feel these effects more than Virginia.
The commonwealth has nearly 145,000 civilian federal employees, according to Congressional Research Service figures from December, the third most in the nation after the District of Columbia and California. And according to the Office of Personnel Management, Virginia received $106 billion from Washington in 2023, ranking Virginia first among states.
That means, simply, that the Musk/Trump crusade against the government they lead will have a profound cost, in terms of lives and dollars, from Accomac to the Appalachians. Freezing grant payments, gutting the federal workforce, stripping away money for ongoing projects and halting funding for university research all promise to hammer Virginia more severely than elsewhere in the country.
While Virginia Democrats, in Richmond and Washington, have loudly opposed the administration’s chaotic and destructive first weeks, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has largely dismissed how the administration’s efforts will affect the commonwealth. He said federal workers illegally fired by Musk could easily find new jobs and applauded grant freezes that threaten millions in funding for state universities.
It’s mystifying to see a governor actively invite actions that target his constituents and threaten to demolish the Virginia economy. Perhaps he’s wagering that fealty to Trump will pay off for him politically even if it inflicts lasting damage to the commonwealth.
But his refusal to acknowledge reality could be an obstacle to the important work being done by lawmakers in the final days of the legislative session.
Youngkin, who is term-limited, has one last chance to put his stamp on Virginia. In December, he proposed an ambitious budget, full of sweeping tax cuts that would dramatically and permanently reduce revenue collection. As Virginia had amassed a record surplus, his reasoning at least made sense at the time.
Now, however, the landscape is radically different. The commonwealth could see a dramatic loss in funding that could put tens of thousands of Virginians out of work and blow gaping holes in the state budget that will need to be filled.
That makes the Democrats’ budget plan, which would offer smaller increases in the standard deduction for taxpayers and provide $1 billion in one-time tax rebates, a more appealing option. It reflects the caution needed at this uncertain moment and affords Virginia the flexibility to respond to changes from Washington.
It’s also worth noting that many Republicans in the legislature don’t share Youngkin’s enthusiasm for the Trump administration’s lawless agenda. Several joined House Speaker Don Scott’s Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions, which intends to insulate the commonwealth from the Musk/Trump bulldozer.
The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on Feb. 22 and there is plenty to do between now and then. That time is best spent shoring up the state budget and defending Virginia from a White House actively hostile to its best interests.