Don Beyer

Democrat

In OfficeUS House · District 8 RunningUS House · District 8 · Democratic Primary

About

Political Leadership

An active leader in Democratic politics, Don served as the Virginia chair of the Clinton-Gore and Kerry-Edwards presidential campaigns and was the treasurer and Virginia chair for Howard Dean's presidential campaign. He chaired the DNC's Democratic Business Council in 2005 and was finance chair of Sen. Mark Warner's "Forward Together" presidential exploratory committee in 2006. For President Obama, Don served as mid-Atlantic finance chair for the campaign and later acted as Transition Team Leader for the Department of Commerce.

Ambassador and Business Career

In 2009, Pres. Obama nominated Don to serve as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. He used his position to advocate for stricter sanctions to compel Iran to begin nuclear disarmament discussions. As ambassador, Don was integral to the US Department of Justice's efforts to halt the abuses of Swiss bank secrecy by wealthy Americans. For four decades, Don helped build his family's business in Northern Virginia following a summer job at the dealership in 1974. He sold the business in 2019.

Positions

Veterans

Our remarkable district, bordering the nation's capital and the Potomac River, is home to several key military installations, including the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for tens of thousands of men and women who served our country with valor. I feel personal ties to veterans' issues. My dad, who lived to be 93, was a West Point graduate who served in Korea and was part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Trieste (where I was born). My father-in-law, who lived to be 92, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded two Purple Hearts. It is extraordinary what their generation gave us and what the military generations following have continued to do. I lead the Veterans Transition Support Act, which aims to improve the disability claims process for veterans. The bill would expand the Solid Start program to help transitioning service members file claims pre-separation and minimize interruptions in medical care and benefits. We owe our troops and, after their service, our veterans, the best possible care. And when there are problems with accessing that care, we should move in good faith—and without unnecessary partisan rancor—to remedy the situation. We also must strive to be a nation that engages in foreign conflicts only as a last resort after diplomatic options are exhausted, with deeply thoughtful consideration of all factors.

Building A Stronger, Fairer, More Affordable Economy

Regardless of our politics, all of us want a strong economy that gives everyone the chance to succeed. Few issues come up as frequently in my interactions across our region as the need to strengthen our economy, expand access to good-paying jobs, and make life more affordable. Working to guide and strengthen the growth of the U.S. economy is a core focus of my work in Congress. I serve on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, trade, health care, Social Security, and more. I hold a leadership position in the New Democrat Coalition—the largest ideological group of House Democrats—as chair of its Trade Task Force. And I chaired, in the 117th Congress, the Joint Economic Committee, which serves as the economic think tank for both chambers of Congress. From these posts, I have led the fight against Donald Trump's illegal and idiotic tariffs, which have drastically raised prices for American families while alienating our allies. Trump's trade wars are clearly hurting the economy as a whole, slowing growth and killing jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector—the very area Trump claims these tariffs were supposed to help. While Trump claims these tariffs are paid by foreign countries and companies, the simple economic fact is that these costs are ultimately paid by American consumers. I have led the legislative fight against Trump's tariffs in the House, offering bills to repeal the tariffs and signing onto amicus briefs to support the court battle against them. Eliminating Trump's tariffs is one of the most effective steps we can take to make life affordable for the American people, but it's not the only one. In Congress, I have championed expansion of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit to spur the construction of new homes and bring down housing prices. I've helped pass legislation that would extend health care tax credits that make health coverage more affordable and fought legislation that will drive up electricity prices by killing investment in clean energy projects. I have focused on policy to ensure our economy works for all Americans. I have authored legislation and chaired hearings on expanding universal paid leave, shrinking the gender wage gap and the racial wage gap, expanding and extending the Child Tax Credit, and supporting older workers. And I have introduced broad legislation to make our tax code fairer by requiring wealthy individuals and large corporations to pay their fair share of the tax burden. This is a clear contrast with Republican policies that have continually showered tax breaks on the rich.

Women's Rights

With the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, we face the most serious threat in decades to women's reproductive freedom. Gender equality does not exist without bodily autonomy, women must be able to make the family planning decisions that work best for them and their families. Reproductive care and abortion rights are essential health care, and I have voted repeatedly for the Women's Health Protection Act to enshrine that right in federal law. I have also been an intentional advocate for the economic empowerment of women. Working women make up almost half of the American labor force; yet gender pay gaps remain. Women must be able to make their own economic decisions, including whether and when to have children. This is possible only with affordable child care, workplace flexibility, paid family and medical leave, and reliable health care. Today, the United States is one of only two nations that does not guarantee paid parental leave. It is past time to give working women and families this critical tool, and I have been heavily involved in legislative efforts to guarantee universal paid and family leave to every American worker in federal law. I introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act to guarantee 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal employees in all instances covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, and I secured a provision in the most recent defense bill that allowed federal employee veterans to count their years in service towards time in federal employment to avoid delays in eligibility for FMLA. While progress in this area has been far too slow, I am also proud to have helped pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in 2022. This landmark reform requires employers to provide workers reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Education

One of the great promises of our democracy is the idea that everyone can have access to quality education. Children with special needs or those living in poverty should be able to access the same quality education as those more fortunate and have the chance to develop to their fullest potential. Pandemic schooling has made us all more grateful for public education, especially given the strength of our K-12 schools, colleges, and universities in Northern Virginia. But today, the goal of offering every American a good public education is being sorely tested. The Trump Administration has sought to illegally eliminate the Department of Education. In particular, Trump and his accomplices have worked to weaken or end IDEA, which supports programs and provides resources for students with special needs. They are also hollowing out the Office of Civil Rights, which works to ensure equal opportunity for all students and to protect them from discrimination. The Trump Administration has weakened Title I, which helps school systems with large percentages of low-income students. They have also severely undermined efforts to provide current and former post-secondary students with reasonable relief to alleviate the crushing weight of student debt. This Administration has made life worse for educators, schools, and students from kindergarten through the postgraduate level. I have vigorously opposed these illegal attacks on America's education system with legislation, my votes, and in person at the Department of Education – where I joined colleagues to bluntly tell Secretary of Education Linda McMahon that her actions are wrong and illegal. I have signed lawsuits opposing a variety of illegal actions by this administration in the area of education, including the mass firings of Department of Education staff and the elimination of key offices that were established in law and funded by Congress. I will continue to do all I can to support students, educators, and schools in Northern Virginia and across America.