Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-VA07, is bringing attention to former President Donald Trump’s promise to fire or move civilian federal workers out of the D.C. area if he is elected president this fall.
On Trump’s website, a page titled “Agenda47: President Trump’s Plan to Dismantle the Deep State and Return Power to the American People” outlines his agenda, including ways to “return power back to the American people by cleaning out the Deep State, firing rogue bureaucrats and career politicians, and targeting government corruption.”
Key points to his plan include reclassifying bureaucratic positions as political appointments, making it easier to fire them, and spreading parts of the federal government apparatus across the country instead of having them heavily centered in the D.C. area.
“As many as 100,000 government positions could be moved out, and I mean immediately, of Washington to places filled with patriots,” Trump says in a video on his website.
The United States Office of Personnel Management says there are more than 140,000 federal employees in Virginia. California is the only state with more.
Spanberger, the only Democrat seeking the nomination to run for governor next year, says this executive action would put lives at risk in Virginia.
“Under ‘Agenda 47,’ he’s promising to bring back the reckless Schedule F executive order on ‘Day One.’ That would put the livelihoods of thousands of Virginians at risk,” Spanberger said in a statement on social media. “The Virginians who have dedicated their careers to serving our country — including scientists, civilian DoD employees, law enforcement officers, infectious disease researchers, attorneys, and accountants — do not deserve this level of contempt.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently tried to assuage concerns about the plan, saying: “There are fabulous opportunities for folks to find a new employer in Virginia should the one they work for move away.”
Spanberger says she has been hearing directly from constituents concerned about what would happen if Trump is elected and puts this plan into action.
“This issue is a kitchen-table issue in Virginia’s Seventh District and across Virginia. Virginians know what’s at stake — and I’ve heard from federal employees, contractors, and business leaders alike who are concerned about what a second Trump Administration would mean for our Commonwealth’s economy,” she said in a statement to Virginia Scope. “Virginians want their leaders focused on creating jobs, not creating chaos. And they want us to stand up for the men and women who have dedicated their careers to our country, not disregard their fears.”
The Trump campaign pushed back on Spanberger’s statement.
“Apparently, Congresswoman Spanberger objects to government reforms that will help, not hinder, economic growth in Virginia,” said Jeff Ryer, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign in Virginia. “She clearly did not read Agenda 47 or the Republican Platform in their entirety. Had she done so, she would have noticed President Trump’s commitment to modernizing and rebuilding our military and promise to build a missile defense shield, which will directly benefit Virginia’s economy. She also might have noticed President Trump’s commitment to restoring safety and beauty to our Nation’s Capital, which will benefit the entirety of the region. Finally, five of the ten wealthiest counties in the United States are in the region surrounding Washington. That isn’t going to change.”
Spanberger is not seeking reelection to Congress in November to instead focus on her 2025 gubernatorial run.
She has represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District since she was first elected in 2018. In 2021, the district shifted northward and is now anchored by Prince William County.
Derrick Anderson (R) and Eugene Vindman are running to fill her open seat.
Anderson says he would not support moving jobs out of the district, no matter who the president is at the time.
“Unlike my opponent, who consistently refuses to stand up to his party, I’m going to oppose any legislation that could weaken national security, raise the cost of living, or hurt VA-7 jobs, regardless of where it comes from,” Anderson said in a comment to Virginia Scope.
Vindman attacked Anderson directly, when asked to comment for this story.
“Why is DC Lawyer Derrick Anderson afraid to call out Project 2025? He needs to grow a spine but he won’t because he is MAGA through and through,” Vindman said.
Project 2025 is a collection of Republican ideas orchestrated to help the Trump administration get off the ground running to overhaul the federal government on day one if he wins.
Trump has not publicly endorsed Project 2025, but the campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats across the commonwealth are linking Trump to the proposals.
“On day one, Trump’s Project 2025 would empower him to fire career civil servants in Virginia who dedicate every day – some for decades – to working to protect our country and make it better for the next generation,” Speaker Don Scott said in a statement. “This Trump-Vance federal worker purge, supported and promoted by Governor Youngkin, would strip 150,000 Virginians of their ability to provide for their families, we must defeat him.”
The Harris-Walz campaign did not provide a comment prior to publication.