As Democrats Take Qs at Endless Events and Tele-Town Halls Republicans Hide; COVID-19 Relief Funding at HBCUs
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Rep. Scott Roundtable on Medicaid as Trump Eyes Cuts
This morning Congressman Bobby Scott held a roundtable on Medicaid as Republicans led by Donald Trump and Elon Musk threaten to cut social programs.
Despite Rep. Jen Kiggans and other Republicans claiming that Social Security isn’t on the chopping block, Elon Musk said he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, calling them “entitlements”: “That’s the big one to eliminate.” The co-President said this during a March 10 interview.
Virginia Democrats to Vote on a New Chair This Saturday
On Saturday, Virginia Democrats will select a new sate party Chair. Over three hundred Democrats will choose between State Senator Lamont Bagby, Activate Virginia executive director Josh Stanfield and CD10 Chair Zachary Pruckowski. A recent forum featuring the candidates can be viewed on Facebook here.
On the Virginia Press Room podcast this week: Lauren Burke, Chris Saxman and Rich Meagher of the RVA's Got Issues podcast.
Trump Funding Cut Leaves Virginia’s EV Future in Limbo
Virginia’s push to expand electric vehicle charging stations has hit a major roadblock — 51 of 53 planned projects are now on hold after a federal freeze, jeopardizing efforts to build out the state’s public EV infrastructure.
The halt comes as experts stress the urgent need for more charging access, arguing it’s critical for reducing carbon emissions generated and accelerating the shift to clean transportation.
Trip Pollard, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, called the freeze both harmful and legally questionable. READ ENTIRE
As Democrats Have Endless Town Halls and Media Avails, Republicans Hide
As Republicans in the U.S. House dodge hosting in-person town halls, two GOP members from Virginia continue to avoid Q&A sessions from constituents on the question of massive federal layoffs and the constant threats to Medicaid and Social Security by the Trump Administration.
In times of great change people want answers and accountability from their elected officials.
RELATED: Social Security Employees Warn of Damage From DOGE (NYT, March 17, 2025)
Virginia Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans has decided to put out videos of herself talking about her vote last week to fund the government for the next six months — and how the word “Medicaid” isn’t in the bill — as if that means there will be no cuts to the program. Trump’s co-President has been candidate about wanting to cut Social Security.
Reps. Bobby Scott and Jennifer McClellan and Rep, Don Beyer and Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have all held town halls or tele-town halls. The events were pre-announced days in advance and were open to the public — unlike what Virginia’s GOP members of the U.S. House are doing. The game of having small partisan events that no one knows anything about beforehand and tossing photos of that secret event up on social media for PR is well known. Republicans are hiding for good reason: Policies related to cutting social programs are wildly unpopular on the right and left. Several town halls of GOP members of the U.S. House have blown up into chaos as angry constituents confront their members of Congress with questions.
Rep. Beyer’s event to assist federal employees on March 8, featured Beyer taking questions from media and answering questions from a long line of constituents who were able to speak with their Congressman one on one and face to face. McClellan held a press conference yesterday in Richmond on Medicaid, along with State Senator Ghazala Hashmi and Del. Mark Sickles.
The events hosted by Democrats have attracted thousands of calls and hundreds of questions. Congressman Scott has had two in-person events this week after holding two tele-town halls. This week in Virginia Beach and in Norfolk Rep. Scott was joined by State Senator and Lt. Governor candidate Aaron Rouse, Delegates Michael Feggans and Alex Askew and Virginia Beach Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse.
Tonight in Portsmouth, Speaker Don Scott and State Senator, Senate Finance Chair L. Louise Lucas and Delegate Cliff Hayes will have an in-person town hall that was announced weeks in advance. Look for more town hall info below.
Republicans have been another story. Rep. Kiggans has posted videos explaining her “yes” vote for the continuing resolution. That’s more than any of the other Republicans in the delegation are doing. But it’s not in person and there is no opportunity to ask questions. If anyone knows of an in-person town hall being held by a Republican in Virginia please e-mail: BlackVirginiaNews@gmail.com.
Can Rob. Wittman host a public in-person town hall? Can Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith hold an in-person previously announced town hall and take questions from constituents?
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RSVP HERE: https://www.mobilize.us/affordablevirginia/event/764343/
TOWN HALL: TELL CARDBOARD KIGGANS YOUR CONCERNS. While federal workers are being laid off and veterans are losing services, Representative Jen Kiggans was in Miami meeting with lobbyists. Join us. Meet your neighbors. Share your story, hear theirs, and learn how this administration’s disastrous policies are impacting Hampton Roads. Rep. Kiggans has been invited to attend, but if she doesn’t show, Cardboard Kiggans will be there to listen!
Rep. Scott Town Halls with Sen. Kaine and State Senator Locke
This week Congressman Bobby Scott will participate in multiple town halls. U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and a town hall hosted by Virginia Senator Mamie Locke. Today Congressman Scott will participate in Senator Kaine’s media availability following their tour of the new Chesapeake VA Clinic, which is scheduled to open on April 10. Kaine and Scott will get an update on the progress of the clinic and ask U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership about how President Trump’s hiring freeze, the indiscriminate firing of federal employees, and the Administration’s plan to fire as many as an additional 80,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Then, Senator Kaine and Congressman Scott will tour the Fairwinds Landing maritime operations and logistics facility in Norfolk to receive an update on the region’s offshore wind projects and discuss the need to continue supporting Virginia’s growing offshore wind industry. In 2023, Kaine and Scott helped secure over $39 million in federal funding to build the Fairwinds Landing facility.
Tomorrow: Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at 6:30pm. State Senator Locke’s Town Hall, Ruppert L. Sargent Building, 1 Franklin Street, Hampton, VA 23669. Rep. Scott will also attend.
Below: Delegates Feggans and Askew with Rep. Scott at their town hall at The Mount on Monday in Virginia Beach (all three are members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity).
COVID-19 Relief Funding at HBCUs in the South
This report, Equity and Emergency: COVID-19 Relief Funding at Historically and Predominantly Black Community Colleges in the South, examines the unprecedented $2.7 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocations to Black community colleges in the South.
The COVID-19 pandemic was catastrophic for Black Americans’ economic well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black adults faced higher rates of food and housing insecurity and were more likely to have taken on debt to pay for household expenses.1 As Black families in America faced more challenging economic and mental health hardships than their peers, it is no wonder the cost and commitments of higher education were difficult to maintain.2
The Joint Center’s 2022 report, “The State of Black Students at Community Colleges,” examined the educational and economic outcomes for Black students who attended community colleges and underscored the role of community colleges as tools for economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. When compared to their peers of other races, Black students are disproportionately overrepresented at community colleges, more likely to be awarded certificates than degrees, experience the lowest graduation rates, and earn $20,000 less post-graduation. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated decreasing enrollment trends for Black enrollment. In fact, Black students’ community college enrollment declined by 21 percent from fall 2019 to fall 2021. Read Entire here: https://jointcenter.org/equity-and-emergency-covid-19-relief-funding-at-historically-and-predominantly-black-community-colleges-in-the-south/
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