As Republicans attempt to hammer vulnerable Democrats over their support of a sweeping, party-line climate, tax, and healthcare bill, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is not shying away from her decision to back the legislation, touting its language on drug pricing to constituents as the race for her swing House district heats up.

House Democrats sent the roughly $740 billion legislation to Biden’s desk earlier this month, providing the party with a critical win ahead of the midterm elections. But while Democrats have argued the bill tackles a number of key priorities, including allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of certain drugs, Republicans see an opportunity to hammer Democrats over the IRA, alleging the legislation will exacerbate inflation, which reached a 40-year high under President Joe Biden.

Spanberger's GOP opponent, former police officer and Prince William County Board Supervisor Yesli Vega, has taken to social media to attack Spanberger for her vote, alleging the legislation is “radical” and will raise taxes on low- and middle-income earners and “target small businesses and families.” And the House GOP’s campaign arm has used the vote as a point of attack.

“Virginians are worse off financially because Abigail Spanberger supported every one of Nancy Pelosi’s reckless spending sprees that created record-high inflation, middle-class tax hikes and an economic recession,” NRCC Spokeswoman Camille Gallo said in a statement.

Spanberger — who represents a swing district that includes much of the Washington, D.C., exurbs — has shot back at the accusation, arguing that the bill will directly benefit constituents and making stops in recent days at the Mary Washington Hospital and a health clinic in Woodbridge, Virginia, where she highlighted the IRA's health provisions as she looks to lock down votes ahead of November.

Spanberger contends that her focus is running a localized campaign and hearing out constituents' concerns, and touting language in the IRA has managed to sway the minds of even some within the GOP to agree with her positions on certain issues.

“This is directly responsive to constituents across the board who have said, 'Prescription drug prices are killing me,' or 'Why are we spending so much on prescription drug prices?' I have had people of all political stripes talk to me about prescription drug prices, including at one parade I went to, I was saying, 'Hello,' to the Republican float and a bunch of local electeds, and there's a guy wearing his Reagan-Bush shirt, and so I'm chit-chatting with them,” she said in an interview.

“And then, as I walk away, the Reagan-Bush guy turns to me and he goes, 'Thank you for all that you're doing on prescription drugs,' then turned back. So even if they don't want to admit that they like it, they like it.”

Spanberger brushed off attacks of the bill being hyperpartisan, arguing she believes members across the aisle will likely highlight the language, much like how opponents of the bipartisan infrastructure bill ended up touting the legislation in their districts.

“It didn't have to be single partisan — they were most welcome to vote to lower the cost of prescription drugs," Spanberger said of her GOP colleagues. "For seniors, they were most welcome to cap insulin prices for those on Medicare. They were most welcome to protect subsidies that make it possible for small business owners to keep their families covered. They were most welcome to ensure that families are saving thousands of dollars a year,” she continued.

Spanberger continued ticking off provisions of the IRA and said Republicans also had an opportunity to help farmers and combat climate change. "And they chose not to. And so this is going to be one of those circumstances where I suspect we'll see people taking credit for something they didn't vote for," Spanberger said. "And you know what, at the end of the day, I voted for it because it was the right thing to do and it helps people.”

The race is rated as a “toss-up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. With the new redistricting maps, the seat has shifted from an R+3 GOP advantage to a D+2 slight Democratic edge.

Original source can be found here.