On MS Now, Governor Spanberger Calls Out President Trump for Driving up Costs for Families as Inflation Tops 4 Percent

RICHMOND, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger yesterday joined "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" on MS NOW to share the concerns she is hearing from Virginia families, small business owners, and farmers across the Commonwealth as President Trump's reckless economic policies cause inflation to surge past 4 percent.

"Gas prices are through the roof," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "If you live in a rural or agricultural community, your hospitals are potentially closing, your health clinics are closing, your diesel prices are up."

Governor Spanberger continued, "Costs are up on farms. Your input costs are up, you're losing your markets. It is a tough time for a lot of Americans and a lot of Virginians."

As uncertainty out of Washington is making life more expensive, Governor Spanberger continues to work to drive down costs - including by signing bipartisan legislation capping the out-of-pocket price of insulin at $35, cracking down on the middlemen driving up prescription drug costs, and increasing the supply of housing families can afford.

Speaking with Jen Psaki, Governor Spanberger also underscored her focus on contending with the chaos created by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk's DOGE cuts that led to mass firings of thousands of Virginians last year.

"These are the federal agencies that go after bank robbers or transnational criminal organizations or sex traffickers," said Governor Spanberger. "These are the folks who ensure that your loved one gets their Social Security check. It's the scientists who get ahead of the next pandemic, it's the USDA folks who work to ensure the success of agricultural advancements in our country."

Governor Spanberger continued, "The fact that you had a man like Elon Musk just come in and talk about public service in a way where he degraded it, and then importantly cast aside - firing summarily and disrespecting federal employees and public servants. Virginia did bear an incredible brunt of that. Many, many Virginians lost their jobs, but also lost the mission that they believe in."

In the wake of the federal workforce cuts, the Governor has continued to focus on providing stability for Virginia's economy. Since January, Governor Spanberger has worked with both parties to attract more than $5 billion in new business investment to Virginia and expand opportunities for Virginians by creating more than 3,500 new jobs across the Commonwealth.

As part of that effort, the Governor yesterday announced an $85 million investment by RINGANA - an Austrian life sciences company known for skincare and nutritional products - to build the company's first U.S. headquarters, production, and distribution facility in the City of Roanoke, creating 435 new jobs in the region. Earlier this week, Governor Spanberger also signed bipartisan legislation creating the Commonwealth's first-ever Farm & Forest Prosperity Plan to make sure Virginia has a strategic roadmap focused on strengthening Virginia's largest and third-largest private industries.

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