House Democrats renew call on Republicans to stand with workers in bringing the Ford plant to Virginia
RICHMOND, VA – Today, Virginia House Minority Leader Don Scott gave a floor speech calling on Governor Youngkin and Republicans in the House to reverse course and allow Ford to establish its electric vehicle battery plant in our Commonwealth. This comes in response to the news that Governor Youngkin blocked an opportunity to bring a $3.5 billion Ford Motor Company battery plant to Virginia, costing the Commonwealth more than 2,500 jobs. In his floor speech, Leader Scott said:
“Grow the economy, attract businesses, raise wages, create jobs. That’s what Virginians need. It’s what House Democrats are focused on this session – and we’re committed to work with anyone to deliver,” said Minority Leader Don Scott, “Governor Youngkin: If you don’t like the deal – make a better deal. That’s your job. The governor in his ambition to run for president is leaving folks behind. He owes hardworking Virginians an answer about what really went on and what his plan is to fix this.”
“We will continue to fight to bring jobs and economic opportunity to Virginia,” said Chair Charniele Herring.
This comes on the heels of a floor speech that Delegate David Reid gave earlier this week, in which he said: “We all thought we were trying to achieve the same bipartisan goals of bringing good-paying jobs and economic development to Virginia, but apparently, in his absence last year, the governor missed that part of the transition briefing. At this point, the governor needs to go to Southside, hold a town hall and explain why it is OK for him to make tens of millions of dollars off of investments in China and Chinese investments in the United States when he was in Carlyle Group, but he decided to play politics when it came to the livelihood for an entire region.”
As co-CEO of Carlyle Group, Inc., Glenn Youngkin profited from the company’s enormous investments in Chinese industries, which contributed to his status as wealthiest governor in Virginia history.