Vulnerable Virginia House Republicans vow to reverse Trump's pay freeze
by David M. Drucker
| August 31, 2018 12:00 AM
President Trump on Thursday created a headache for vulnerable House Republicans in Virginia when he canceled a planned pay raise for federal employees.
Tens of thousands of federal employees live in Virginia, and Trump’s move to freeze their salaries, citing a federal bloated budget — though probably quite popular elsewhere — isn’t likely to go over well. For some Virginia House Republicans already under siege, it’s yet another challenge to overcome in the midterm elections.
“I strongly oppose eliminating the pay raise for civilian federal employees and will work with my colleagues to have the pay raise included in our appropriations,†Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock said in a strongly worded statement. She represents a suburban Washington, D.C., district in Northern Virginia.
“Our office opposes this and will be working with other offices next week on this issue,†added Republican Rep. Scott Taylor via Twitter. He represents a Southeastern Virginia seat with a major federal presence.
Comstock and Taylor find themselves at odds with Trump on yet another issue as they battle for re-election in swing seats. In 2016, the president lost Comstock’s 10th Congressional District by 10 percentage points, while pulling out a close victory of just 3.4 points in Scott’s 2nd Congressional District.
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