Virginians in Roanoke Call Out Sears for Praising Trump's Bill as It Takes Healthcare Away from 322,000 Virginians

Winsome Earle-Sears: “The bill as you know now does so many great things”

VIRGINIA - On Tuesday, Virginians in Roanoke called out Winsome Earle-Sears’ extreme record including cheering on Trump’s tax bill that’s taking health care away from 322,000 Virginians and will force rural hospitals to close. 
 
Sears has praised the bill saying it “does so many great things” — even though it will take healthcare away from 322,000 Virginians and force rural hospitals to close. When asked about the concerns of Virginians, Sears outright dismissed them, saying “don’t panic” and failed to offer any solution. 
 
What Virginians Are Seeing: 
 
WFXR, Roanoke: Virginia Democrats speak out against Winsome Earle-Sears  

• Virginia Democrats made their voices heard that they do not support the policies of Winsome Earle-Sears, and don’t think she’s the right choice for Governor.
• Speakers at Tuesday’s press conference included Delegate Sam Rasoul and candidates for Virginia’s 40th and 41st House Districts, Donna Littlepage and Lily Franklin.
• They said they were against Earle-Sears’ support of federal tax bills that would cut Medicare and lead to job losses and local hospital closures. It would also slash funding for education.
• “Having the fourth-highest Medicaid utilization rate in Virginia in this district, and having a school district that is so reliant on making sure we are taking care of the most vulnerable students,” Rasoul said. “We clearly need leadership that’s going to stand by Roanokers and that’s going to stand by Virginians.”
• “She [Abigail] understands what’s happening to Medicaid, and she understands we’re going to have to look on how we spend those dollars further, and how we keep as many people insured as we can,” Littlepage said. “She’s got a lot of focus on lowering drug costs to individuals, but if she lowers drug costs to the state, that creates dollars that can be used to backfill some of what we’re losing.”
• Roanoke residents also voiced their concerns with Earle-Sears.
• “The fact that she stood up [and] cast a vote against the right to contraception, that’s unconscionable to me,” Roanoke resident Sarah Goodman said. “I can’t fathom how a woman can do that.”

WFIR Radio: Virginia Dems call out Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears during Roanoke Rally

• Anchor: “During a rally in downtown Roanoke yesterday, Democratic Delegate Sam Rasoul said he is concerned that Virginia would be negatively impacted by a narrow Sears administration and Republican controlled House of Delegates.”
• Delegate Sam Rasoul: “We've seen parts of Virginia having unemployment rates that are just as high as it was during the pandemic because of the cuts and terrible policies coming out of this presidential administration, and what's their response? Deal with it.”
• Anchor: “Democrat Lily Franklin, who is again challenging Blacksburg area Republican Delegate Chris Obenshain, says people she has talked to on the campaign trail do not want additional chaos in Richmond.”
• Lily Franklin: “To know that someone is going to make things better, and who's going to make sure that every kid has access to a world class education system, that parents aren't working two and three jobs to make ends meet, and that they have access to good health care, and that they're not driving hours on end to get to the services that they need? But that's not what we're getting from Washington, and it's not what we're getting from Richmond right now.”
• Anchor: “Franklin says the Commonwealth needs a governor who will do right by Virginians and not follow orders from whomever is occupying the White House.”