Congressman Don Beyer is serving his fourth term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County. He serves as the Chairman of Congress' Joint Economic Committee, and also serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and on the House Committee on Science Space and Technology, where he chairs the Space Subcommittee. He is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Climate Change Task Force.
He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama. Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997.
All American families should have access to quality healthcare. No family in the United States should face economic ruin because of a health crisis, or have to choose between a trip to the emergency room and heating their home for the month.
President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) was an incredible step toward that reality for all American families. Gender is no longer a pre-existing condition, children have the option to stay on their parents’ plans longer, and students are free to pursue their educational dreams without worrying about health demands.
However, there is still much to do. Millions of the neediest citizens still fall into the gap between Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA’s lowest rate plans, including 140,000 in Virginia. America remains one of only two countries in the world without paid family leave, and women are still at risk of losing their right to choose.
I will fight for further improvements in the U.S. healthcare system, especially for the neediest populations. I will work to provide paid sick, maternity, and family leave for all American workers. And I believe that a woman’s health care choices are her own and should never be dictated by her employer, or by any government.