Abigail Spanberger says Democrats' election wins aren't a green light to extend shutdown

Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, said Sunday that Democrats in the Senate should join a majority of Senate Republicans to vote to reopen the government, regardless of whether both sides reach a deal on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.“The government needs to open and it needs to open immediately.

Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, said Sunday that Democrats in the Senate should join a majority of Senate Republicans to vote to reopen the government, regardless of whether both sides reach a deal on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.

“The government needs to open and it needs to open immediately. We need the president to demonstrate leadership, bringing people together, endeavoring to get through whatever negotiations need to get through, whether it’s before or after,” Spanberger told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, before senators came to an agreement that could potentially end the shutdown.

She added that her priority as the incoming governor of Virginia is “focusing on the needs and the devastation, frankly, that more than 300,000 Virginians are facing.”

Asked whether congressional Democrats should view Democratic victories last week as a sign that voters support their push to keep the government closed until they reach a deal on ACA subsidies, Spanberger said, “Absolutely not.”

“Our victory was a victory that was based on a campaign that was addressing concerns related to costs and chaos,” the governor-elect said, adding later: “Virginians need to and Virginians want to see the government reopen, and my expectation is that we will see a Congress, a Senate and ultimately a president driving us in that direction.”