ICYMI: Wittman Says “There Is No War As We Speak” in Iran 

Wittman Downplays Iran War as Virginians Struggle with Higher Gas Prices

HENRICO, Va. — As gas and diesel prices soar and U.S. service-members have lost their lives because of the ongoing war in Iran, Rob Wittman refuses to call it what it is. A new article from The Huffington Post points to comments Wittman gave earlier today in which he asserted, “there is no war as we speak.”

“The war in Iran has raised gas to over $4 per gallon. Diesel prices are higher than ever. U.S. servicemembers, including two from Virginia, have died, and many remain deployed in the Middle East. Yet Rob Wittman treats Virginians like we are stupid. He voted six times to support this war, and he owns the consequences,” said Shannon Taylor. “As Henrico’s top prosecutor, I have never been afraid to speak the truth. This unnecessary war has hurt our community, it has not made us safer, and it needs to end. The people of Virginia’s First Congressional District deserve a leader who will stop voting for endless wars and instead use that money here at home.”

Excerpts from the Huffington Post Article: 

• Rob Wittman, a Republican congressman from Virginia, doesn’t think of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran as a war.
• “Right now we are defending U.S. assets there, so there is no war as we speak,” Wittman told HuffPost after presiding over a “pro forma” House session at the Capitol.
• Wittman’s Democratic opponent, Shannon Taylor, has highlighted an anti-corruption message in her quest to unseat the nine-term incumbent. But Taylor, who serves as the top prosecutor in the populous Richmond suburb of Henrico County, has also faulted Wittman for voting against symbolic resolutions to end the war.

Recent polling finds the race between Shannon Taylor and Wittman is a true toss up, with major momentum building behind Shannon. A Washington Post-Schar School poll showed Shannon Taylor leading Wittman 50% to 46%. The Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating from Lean Republican to Toss Up. Sabato’s Crystal Ball also rates the race a Toss Up.

ABOUT SHANNON:

Shannon Taylor is a battle-tested prosecutor with 25 years of experience and a 90% conviction rate in homicide cases, taking on the toughest threats to Virginia families and delivering justice. A native of Charlottesville and graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, she began her career as a prosecutor in Richmond before serving as a Special Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s office. In 2011, she flipped the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office from Republican to Democrat, becoming the first woman elected to the role. She has since been re-elected three times, proving she knows how to win tough races.

As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Taylor has pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and led prosecutors statewide in pledging not to criminalize women or doctors for abortion care. She has worked alongside law enforcement to keep families safe, fought fraud that harms working people, and partnered with gun safety advocates to take illegal guns off the streets.

Shannon Taylor has built her career on protecting Virginians and delivering justice for families regardless of their politics. 

For more on Shannon Taylor’s campaign, visit ShannonTaylorVA.com.

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