On the first day of early voting in Virginia this month, former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger urged members of Congress in both parties to abandon any effort that would lead to a government shutdown in Washington.

“As a Virginian, it is always my position that a government shutdown is never effective. They are always costly. They are always deeply impactful on the government workforce,” Spanberger told reporters outside the Fairfax Government Center, where she had just spoken to a crowd of supporters.