Beyer Says Office Phone Besieged by Angry Constituents

Alexandria’s Congressman Don Beyer is still working from home, and he’s not happy. He says is office is constantly inundated with calls from constituents angry about a host of issues.

“Did you watch that farce of a speech in the Rose Garden?” Beyer asked ALXnow over the phone. “It was pretty outrageous. You know, it depends on the day, but generally the phone rings off the hook from constituents. Ninety percent of our calls are from people upset with what’s happening with the White House, and since there is a new outrage every day – it’s literally day by day.”

Beyer said the biggest most recent issue was the U.S. turning away visas for international students — a policy which the administration just reversed. Now he says the voters in the 8th Congressional District are worried about mail-in voting and not wanting to stand in line for hours on election day in November.

“Trump definitely seems to be spiraling out of control,” Beyer said. “He’s afraid he’s going to lose. My fear will be Trump’s allegations of cheating when there is little cheating going on. Yes, we know that many of the swing states with Republican governors are trying to suppress the vote, but that’s not a new phenomenon. Georgia, for example is the saddest, by cutting the number of voting machines in Democratic precincts.”

Beyer added, “Biden is going to beat him by many millions of votes, and I hope and expect the Electoral College. But the balance of power depends on respect for the law. Donald Trump has no respect for the law. He has ignored Congress in every possible way. I have constituents every day who ask me to do something about it. What else do you want me to do? He was impeached in the House, and that took a while.”

Well before the pandemic, Beyer’s Twitter account was a daily outlet for his criticism against the president. The coronavirus added fuel to his fire, and without any votes this week in the House, Beyer is stuck at home.

“We’re setting new records for recorded coronavirus cases every day,” Beyer said.

Trump is a failure. https://t.co/3LAoxsY9Wu

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) July 14, 2020

Additionally, unemployment will soon be slashed, as the Senate did not pass an extension of the $600 weekly unemployment boost legislation. Beyer has since condemned Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Twitter.

“A third of Kentucky adults are on unemployment insurance,” Beyer said. “In Virginia, we had 800,000 people apply, which is 10% of the total population. In 15 days the payments going out will go from $837 to $237. I don’t know anybody who can survive on that every week.”

The calamity of 25 million American workers losing half their weekly income looms.

The effects on families’ ability to pay for housing, groceries, and health care will be catastrophic. It could hit the economy hard.

It’s days away.

Mitch McConnell is steering towards disaster.

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) July 16, 2020

Beyer, who is a former Lieutenant Governor, said that he is not worried about ACPS making the right decision regarding reopening school this fall.

“Let’s not be worried about grades,” Beyer said. “Look at the CDC guidelines. When you put children together you risk a viral explosion. The local school systems have figured it out. Fairfax County has given them the option to go to school or not or engage in distance learning. Fairfax County figured it out pretty well, and so will Alexandria.”

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