Donald "Don" S. Beyer Jr.

Civil Rights

As Virginia reckons with its history of slavery, Jim Crow, and institutional racism, I have been a strong supporter of removing public symbols of white supremacy. In 2021, I announced legislation to end Arlington House’s designation as a memorial to Robert E. Lee, which had previously been enacted by Congress in 1955. I believe that being honest about our past is vital if we are to correct injustices in our present. I also believe that racial justice cannot just be addressed in racial justice legislation; it must be addressed in all legislation, whether environmental justice, health care, education, or police reform. I am a vocal supporter of equity in health care and am proud of my strong voting record in favor of environmental justice. As Joint Economic Committee Chair, I have held hearings on racial disparities in employment, wealth, income, and health, and on the gender pay gap’s disproportionate impacts on Black women. I introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act to ban seclusion and create federal standards limiting the restraint of students across the country, a major civil rights issue. Learn more

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

I am doing all I can to oppose this would-be dictator and his lawless administration. I have joined legal efforts to fight Trump’s authoritarian takeover in court, many of which have been successful. I’ve fought his overreach via legislation to lower costs, protect Americans’ health care, and stop Trump’s draconian immigration enforcement. Because of my committee assignments and district, my legislative work has taken a particular focus on the federal workforce and on tariffs. Learn more

Defense / Veterans

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. Learn more

Education

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. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Carbon pricing is one of the most important tools available that can help us meet the speed and scale with which we need to respond. For that reason, I am the sponsor of the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act, a carbon cap and dividend bill that would auction carbon pollution credits and return the proceeds electronically every quarter to every American. I also support a Green New Deal. Learn more

We must facilitate research and innovation to decarbonize sectors and build upon our current successes. My bipartisan SEA FUEL Act to help the military capture carbon and use it to create fuels was signed into law in the previous session of Congress. I am also a co-lead of the ARPA-E Reauthorization Act to develop truly transformational clean energy technologies. I founded the Congressional Fusion Caucus earlier to educate Members about the science behind fusion energy, dispel any misconceptions, and advocate for increased funding through private-public partnerships. Learn more

Guns

We are beyond a crisis point with guns in America. Mass shootings in Las Vegas, Florida, Virginia Beach, and so many other American communities cause horrific tragedies that we have sadly come to expect. Yet, most gun violence does not get that level of attention. Every day, more than 124 people in the U.S. Die by gunshot, totaling over 38,000 a year, many of them by suicide. Halting gun violence has been a major focus of my work in Congress. I am a lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, legislation that would encourage states to temporarily remove access to firearms from people in crisis with a petition from law enforcement or family members. Learn more

Housing

Now is the time to expand and improve our programs to tackle America’s affordable housing crisis in a meaningful way, and I will continue to work in Congress to better meet the needs of the American people. Learn more

It’s no secret that there’s an affordable housing crisis in this country, and this is certainly the case in Virginia’s 8th District. In Virginia alone, there is a shortage of 148,720 rental homes that are affordable and available for extremely low-income renters. We know that when people have adequate access to housing, it leads to stronger and more productive communities, greater economic mobility and job growth, and better educational and health outcomes. Learn more

Immigration

These are not just attacks on immigrants, they are attacks on American values. I have done all I can to oppose the racism and illegal mayhem of this Administration, with legislation like the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would protect schools, churches, and hospitals from immigration enforcement activities, to joining lawsuits challenging the unconstitutional and illegal acts of Trump and his goons in court, to active involvement in individual cases like that of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, who the administration sought – unsuccessfully, so far – to deport for social media posts. I have also led and joined legislation to rein in ICE, like the ICE Visibility Act and the Dignity for Detained Immigrations Act, visited detention facilities in Virginia to conduct oversight and bear witness to the treatment of detained people in person, and continued to be as vocal as I can about the awful things this Administration is doing. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

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. Learn more