Congressman Don Beyer is serving his fourth term as the U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County. He serves as the Chairman of Congress' Joint Economic Committee, and also serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, and on the House Committee on Science Space and Technology, where he chairs the Space Subcommittee. He is a Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Climate Change Task Force.
He was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998, and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama. Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s. Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997.
We need to continue our economic recovery with a middle class economic action plan that works for all American families. We must raise the minimum wage, ensure equal pay for equal work, end government shutdowns, and promote tax policies that empower the working class and middle class.
Families are forced to stretch their dollars too far. Our minimum wage has been stagnant for over two decades. Women are the breadwinners in 40 percent of American households but aren’t guaranteed equal pay for equal work. Affordable housing is on the wane, especially in many urban and suburban communities, forcing people to live far from their jobs. We need strong work retraining programs to ensure that all Americans benefit from our 21st century economy.