Opinion: Counting on Our Reps in Congress
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Opinion: Counting on Our Reps in Congress

Sound the call to action; resist changes that are against the values and beliefs of most Virginia voters.

While most voters in the United States did not vote for Donald Trump for president, it was all the more so here in Northern Virginia. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote nationwide by 2.9 million votes.

In Virginia, Clinton won 49.75 percent to 44.43 percent over Trump; 1,981,473 votes for Clinton to 1,769,443 votes for Trump.

In the City of Alexandria, Clinton won 75.56 percent of the vote, with 17.54 percent voting for Trump; 57,242 to 13,285 votes.

In Arlington, Clinton won 75.83 percent of the vote, with 16.64 percent voting for Trump; 92,016 to 20,186 votes.

In Fairfax County, Clinton won 64.43 percent of the vote, with 28.61 percent voting for Trump; 355,133 to 157,710 votes.

Most people in this area didn’t vote for the kind of changes that might be coming with this change of administration and party. They didn’t vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They didn’t vote to give massive tax breaks to the nation’s wealthiest families, in many cases millions of dollars per family. Certainly they didn’t vote for broadside attacks on Medicare, or to undo progress on climate change. This list could go on for some time.

With all of this and much more under consideration, we rely on our members of Congress, including our two U.S. senators, to fight, to stand up and resist changes that are against the values and beliefs of most Virginia voters, to sound the call to action in every case it is needed.

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer says he will not attend the inauguration.

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner rallied with thousands in Alexandria last weekend to oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Even the one Republican member of Congress from the region, U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-10), spoke out against Trump during the election. Comstock could play an important role standing up for the values of voters in her district, and will play an important role in representing the interests of the region.

Call your representatives and tell them what matters to you. Every Virginia resident is represented by Virginia’s two U.S. senators and one member of Congress. Of course this pertains to those who supported Trump as well.

Beyer: 202-225-4376

Connolly: 202-225-1492

Comstock: 202-225-5136

Warner: 202-224-2023

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine: 202-224-4024

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— Mary Kimm

mkimm@connectionnewspapers.com