Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is celebrating half of her affordability agenda passing through the state legislature’s chambers as Virginia Republicans hit back over Democratic-led tax increases.
Virginia voters elected Spanberger in November 2025 on the premise that she would lower costs in the state, as she campaigned on the buzzword of “affordability” and her aptly named “Affordable Virginia Plan.” Three weeks out from her swearing-in ceremony, Spanberger is touting her administration’s success in pushing through over half of the bills related to her affordability plan through either the Virginia House of Delegates or the state Senate.
“My overarching focus in 2026 is to deliver relief for Virginia families who are feeling the strain of high costs — particularly at the pharmacy, in the housing market, and on their utility bills,” Spanberger said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with General Assembly leadership to make sure I can sign every piece of our Affordable Virginia Agenda into law.”
Spanberger pointed to 11 bills passed by either the state House or Senate that are endorsed by her affordability plan, including measures aimed at lowering energy costs, tossing out extra healthcare premium fees, and increasing affordable housing. A Spanberger-backed bipartisan bill aimed at curbing intermediaries’ abilities to hike prescription drug costs passed unanimously through the Virginia Senate last week.
However, Virginia Republicans have been calling foul about Democratic-led tax hike proposals, saying Democrats touting their affordability policies shouldn’t throw stones from glass houses.
“Virginia Democrats are saddling working families with thousands of dollars in new taxes — all after they inherited a $2.7 billion surplus. Their affordability hoax is a disgrace,” the state’s Republican Senate caucus wrote on X.
Virginia Democrats proposed tax hikes in the legislature that would levy taxes on several everyday transactions, such as home repairs, pet care, and fantasy football league revenue. They also introduced a bill to create new income tax brackets.
State Republicans have been slamming the proposals all over social media, with House Republicans starting an”#UnaffordableFriday” hashtag to spotlight the proposals on X. State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle shared a Washington Post editorial board opinion piece on the proposed tax hikes, highlighting a line that read, “Going out of their way to raise taxes would be a strange start to making life more affordable.”
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told ABC7 that Democrats proposed the tax increases on services so as not to hike residential property taxes in specific areas.
“We could just tell localities like Fairfax County, ‘You need to pay more for [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority services] to keep the cost of Metro down so the fares don’t become totally unaffordable,'” Surovell told the outlet, pointing out that this would raise real estate taxes in the county. “Or we could come up with some other tax sources, of things that are sort of linked to Metro.”
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“You come up with some other taxing sources to pay for it, so that the homeowners aren’t the only ones paying. And so that’s what we’re trying to figure out right now,” Surovell continued.
Spanberger’s office did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment on the tax increase proposals.
