Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Virginia’s 8th district in the U.S. Congress, posted a series of statements on his social media account on August 19, 2025, addressing concerns over food assistance cuts, immigration enforcement actions, and rising unemployment in Virginia.
In a post from the early morning hours of August 19, Beyer criticized former President Trump’s economic policies: “As grocery prices continue to surge because of Trump’s policies, millions of low-income Americans will lose critical assistance that helps them put food on the table. Trump and Republicans are taking food away from the hungry to give billionaires more tax breaks.” (August 19, 2025)
Later that day, Beyer responded to reports of immigration enforcement actions at local schools: “Raids by masked ICE agents on the first day of school heighten the climate of fear in our community and further erode trust in law enforcement. I thank Alexandria leaders including our Mayor and City Council for opposing these draconian tactics. I stand with them.” (August 19, 2025)
Addressing economic issues in Virginia, Beyer highlighted negative trends in employment statistics: “Virginia’s unemployment rate just rose for the *seventh* month in a row. The year-over-year unemployment rise is higher than nearly every other state. Every other time it rose this quickly in the last 50 years we were either in a nationwide recession or one was about to start.” (August 19, 2025)
Beyer has represented Virginia’s 8th District since replacing Jim Moran in 2015. He was born in Trieste in 1950 and resides in Alexandria. His educational background includes a BA from Williams College obtained in 1972.
