Whitson and Walkinshaw disagree on everything

Congressional candidates James Walkinshaw (D) and Stewart Whitson (R) clashed on Medicaid cuts, immigration, tariffs, crime, and much more in an online forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Aug. 18.

The candidates are vying in a special election on Sept. 9 to represent Virginia’s 11th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat has been vacant since Rep. Gerry Connolly’s death earlier this year.

Top priorities

When asked to list their top priorities in Congress, Walkinshaw, who represents the Braddock District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said he would work to “stop the reckless Trump administration and DOGE job cuts, then work on rebuilding a federal government that works for us all.”

Walkinshaw said he is drafting legislation he would introduce on day one “that would require any president to come to Congress before they can restructure or downsize federal agencies in a significant way.”

Whitson, a former Army veteran and FBI agent who works for a pro-Trump think tank, said his top priorities are “restoring public safety and empowering parents.”

Whitson said he would “work with federal agencies to promote joint task forces with states to focus on violent crime.” He would also strengthen criminal laws to ensure the most violent criminals are kept off the streets.

“If we don’t feel safe in our communities, in our schools, and on our streets, then nothing else matters,” Whitson said, criticizing his opponent for “having a history of being soft on crime.”

Support for federal workers

Whitson said he would help fired federal workers by lowering taxes to encourage small businesses to create jobs and creating an environment where businesses are welcome.”

“The first thing we have to do is stop the bleeding” and fight the Trump and Doge job cuts, Walkinshaw said.

He said, “We’re getting a triple whammy from the Trump administration and Stewart Whitson,” including DOGE job cuts, increased prices due to tariffs, and rising healthcare costs.

Fairfax County has been working for many years to diversify the local economy and still has a shot at bringing the FBI headquarters here, Walkinshaw said, which would be a major economic opportunity. But he said Whitson opposes that because “there are too many Democrats here.”

Related story: Walkinshaw and Whitson clash over DOGE

Cost of living

When asked about the rising cost of living, Whitson said, “We need to stop reckless spending” by the federal government, which he claims drives up inflation. The solution, he said, is the REINS Act, “which would require the executive branch to get congressional approval before they create a new rule that has a costly impact.”

“Another thing we can do is promote good, sound energy policies that bring down the cost of energy, which will bring down the cost of groceries,” Whitson said.

For Walkinshaw, the most important way to address the cost of living is to repeal Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” which he referred to as the “big ugly bill” and the “big BS bill.”

That bill will cause 17 million Americans to lose their healthcare coverage and will increase the premiums under the Affordable Care Act by $1,200 a year for Virginia families, he said.

“I agree we need to bring down energy costs,” Walkinshaw added, “but the ‘big BS bill’ will raise energy costs for the average American family by $400 a year. Then there’s the $1,200 a year the Trump-Whitson tariff tax that American families will pay.”

Medicaid cuts

The bipartisan expansion of Medicaid in Virginia several years ago expanded healthcare coverage to hundreds of thousands of Virginians. The reconciliation bill is going to roll a lot of that back, Walkinshaw said.

He said the bill establishes a series of work requirements, “which aren’t really about getting people off the couch playing video games all day, as Stewart says.”

In fact, Walkinshaw said, “This is about creating so much paperwork, so much red tape that state and local governments that administer the programs and individuals trying to access the benefits that they deserve will be buried in bureaucracy and red tape and won’t be able to access them.”

Whitson falsely claimed the ‘big beautiful bill’ did not cut Medicaid, saying “no one will lose Medicaid coverage who’s legally entitled to it. He said, “1.4 million illegal aliens will be removed from Medicaid coverage,” and more than 5 million people dual-enrolled in Medicaid in two states will no longer be able to do that.

Tariff policies

Whitson defended Trump’s tariffs, saying they are bringing in a lot of revenue and creating reciprocity by increasing tariffs on countries that are taking advantage of the United States. “It’s about creating a fair playing field.”

Walkinshaw disagreed. “The chaotic tariff policies are impacting our local and national economy, leading to a significant slowdown in GDP growth.”

“A tariff is just a fancy word for a tax. It’s a tax that ultimately consumers are going to pay,” Walkinshaw said.

“A tariff is the worst kind of tax because it is a regressive tax,” he said. “Low and moderate-income households spend a higher percentage of their income on durable goods, like cars, dishwashers, shoes, and clothes, than higher-income families, which spend more of their income on services.”

“This will hit working families hard, to the tune of $1,200 a year,” he said. Walkinshaw, however, does support increased tariffs on China, which is cheating in global trade. “The way to beat them is to build alliances and work with our allies to put real pressure on China.”

Birthright citizenship

Trump’s proposal to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, Walkinshaw asserted.

“The president of the United States and some of his supporters are flat out wrong. They misunderstand or haven’t read the Constitution with respect to birthright citizenship,” he said. “We have to speak up and call that out.”

They are also wrong about trying to abolish voting by mail, which is critical to a lot of rural communities, Walkinshaw said. “Trump seems to think that after hearing it from Vladimir Putin, he has the constitutional authority to ban or eliminate it. He does not.”

“This is a president who does not respect our Constitution and does not respect our rule of law,” Walkinshaw said.

“There is a legitimate constitutional question on banning birthright citizenship,” Whitson countered. “The reason this is being discussed is because of the disastrous border policies of the previous administration.”

He accused Walkinshaw of supporting a sanctuary policy that invited criminals, drug dealers, and MS-13 gang members to come into our community. “This is hurting our legal immigrant community the most.”

Immigration

Before tackling immigration reform, Whitson said, “We need to address the problems of crime and violence caused by open borders.”

“It’s important to recognize why Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Walkinshaw said. Before the 2024 election, there was bipartisan legislation in Congress to crack down on the border and increase legal immigration to bring in highly skilled workers. “That’s the kind of immigration reform I support.”

That legislation could have passed, he said, “but Donald Trump intervened, urging Senate Republicans not to pass it for political reasons.”

Walkinshaw also blasted the Trump administration for refusing to give members of Congress access to ICE detention facilities to conduct oversight.

There have been reports from families of people detained, including American citizens, that there are inhumane conditions in those facilities. “The Trump administration wants to keep that hidden,” he said. “The American people deserve to know what’s going on.”

Military personnel in cities

Whitson supports Trump’s actions to bring in federal law enforcement to tackle crime in D.C., noting that the president has the authority to activate the National Guard.

He expressed gratitude to the ICE officers who are getting violent offenders off the streets.

“There are times when it is appropriate for the National Guard to respond to a national emergency or a significant outbreak of violence anywhere in the United States,” Walkinshaw said. “What we’re seeing now with the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., is not routine. It is, quite frankly, a political effort.”

Crime in D.C. is currently at a 30-year low, he noted. Instead of getting fentanyl off the streets, “National Guard members and DEA units are standing around in D.C. posing for photos with tourists.”  

Regarding crime, he pointed to the Jan. 6 insurrection when a mob attacked the Capitol. “Trump pardoned them all, including those who attacked police officers.”

Reproductive healthcare

“I am pro-choice,” Walkinshaw said. “I don’t think this is an area where government has a role to play. I don’t think politicians and the government should be placing themselves between women and their doctors.”

Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, “we’ve seen women across the country lose access not only to abortions but to other reproductive services critical to their health,” he said. “If I’m elected, I will do everything in my power to protect reproductive freedom, including abortion rights.”

Whitson told the audience he is Catholic, “so, of course, I’m pro-life.” He called for making adoptions easier and supporting nonprofit agencies that help moms and babies, including “young women with an unexpected pregnancy.”

Housing affordability

Walkinshaw said he supports legislation under consideration in Congress to reduce red tape and zoning restrictions that prevent the construction of housing and provide incentives for local governments to build more affordable housing.

The immediate solution, however, is reducing interest rates, he said. But the Trump policies on tariffs and the budget reconciliation bill will drive up inflation and interest rates.

Whitson said he would reduce taxes, rein in reckless spending, and increase the supply of new housing through deregulation and streamlining the permitting processes.

Gun violence

A member of the audience asked how to stop gun violence, noting that guns are the number-one cause of death among children.

A lot of those deaths are happening in D.C., Whitson responded. “One of the best ways to stop violence is to enforce the laws we already have on our books.” Also, “put people away and keep them away so they can’t harm people.”

Walkinshaw noted that a national association representing police chiefs has determined year after year that Fairfax County is the safest large jurisdiction in the U.S. and has the lowest violent crime rate.

“That is because we invest in our police department and we partner with our community, including the immigrant community,” he said.

As a member of the Board of Supervisors, he led efforts to ban guns from libraries and rec centers and strengthen the red flag law to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and people with serious mental health conditions.  

Title I funding cuts

In response to a question about the Trump administration’s plan to cut Title I funding to schools, Whitson said, “We have a radical leadership at Fairfax County Public Schools who has hijacked a great education system to score political points against the president.”

He was referring to FCPS’s willingness to put $160 million in federal funding at risk by refusing to comply with a U.S. Education Department order calling for the district to stop protecting bathroom rights for transgender students.

“They’re fighting for the right of trans boys to use girls’ locker rooms,” Whitson said.

Walkinshaw charged the Trump administration with handpicking a handful of schools to go after, “because, like Stewart, they virulently cannot stand Democrats.”

“The policies in our schools are consistent with federal law and state law. What the Trump administration is asking would violate federal law and state law,” Walkinshaw said. “In Fairfax County, we protect every resident of our community, we protect their privacy and their safety.”

Regarding Title I funding,” he said, “it was underfunded before the Trump administration, and now they’re attempting to take it away entirely. It is a vital lifeline for low-income students across Fairfax County, and we have to fight the cuts.”

Related story: FCPS won’t comply with federal order to rescind bathroom policy for trans students