The National Republican Congressional Committee is slamming Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) for her "radical voting record" in the House of Representatives, despite billing herself as a moderate.
The NRCC uses the D.C. crime bill, among other pieces of legislation, as examples it says Spanberger is more radical than she claims, in a memo obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner.
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"Abigail Spanberger talks like a so-called 'moderate' but her voting record tells a different story," the memo said. "Over the course of her tenure in Congress, Spanberger has been captured by the extreme left of her party, mirroring the hard-left lurch of Virginia Democrats."
"Spanberger’s leftward drift has pushed her far to the left of voters in her swing district. The NRCC targeted Spanberger’s seat for the 2024 cycle and we are confident her recent votes have undercut her own carefully-constructed brand."
The memo outlines Spanbergers's voting record in the previous Congress, where she voted with President Joe Biden 100% of the time, per FiveThirtyEight. It also highlights her votes against blocking a gas stove ban, reducing regulation for energy production, ensuring medical care for babies born after a failed abortion, and parental rights protection for their child's education. The memo also highlights her vote for a pathway to amnesty for illegal immigrants.
As a case study, the memo features her vote against blocking a crime bill in Washington, D.C., which would have softened the punishment for homicide, robberies, and carjackings. The House bill blocking the D.C. council's legislation passed a 250-173 vote, with 31 Democrats joining Republicans. Spanberger was one of the 173 Democrats who voted against blocking the D.C. law. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to block the D.C. council's legislation, on a bipartisan basis, and Biden would sign it into law.
"Notably, this stance was too extreme even for President Biden, who changed stance and signed this bill into law," the memo said. "For the Democrats who voted ‘no’ like Spanberger this was a clear demonstration of their radicalism to voters — showing even within the Democratic Party their views are extreme."
"Of all these members, this vote was most consequential for Spanberger, given Washington, D.C., is in her own backyard. Spanberger’s support for this bill will have real-life consequences for her own district. Compounding matters, Spanberger’s vote to reduce penalties for violent criminals was so extreme that when the legislation made it to the Senate, neither Virginia Senators Warner nor Kaine could match her vote and they both voted against this legislation."
The NRCC said Spanberger has "carefully concocted a brand for herself," but she "traded it all away" with her voting record in Congress.
"Republicans will continue to press Abigail Spanberger for her radical voting record undercutting her claim as a so-called 'moderate.' She has gotten comfortable in her district and revealed her true colors as an extreme Democrat," the NRCC wrote. "Now Spanberger is not the bipartisan member she portrays herself as. The NRCC will make sure every Virginia voter knows the real Abigail Spanberger."
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Spanberger has been a top target for Republicans since she flipped the formerly GOP House seat in 2018. In March, the NRCC listed Spanberger as one of 37 House Democrats it is aiming to defeat in 2024.
In 2020 and 2022, Spanberger survived challenges by Republicans Nick Freitas and Yesli Vega. The Virginia Democrat defeated Freitas by a narrow 50.8%-49% margin in 2020, and beat Vega by a 52.2%-47.6% margin in 2022.