U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger says it shouldn’t have been possible for classified documents to be in President Joe Biden’s home.
In a wide-ranging online town hall with InsideNoVa Jan. 18, Spanberger discussed the discovery of classified documents in Biden’s home, a situation she called a “mess.”
Federal investigators have recovered several documents, some classified, from Biden’s time as vice president as part of an ongoing investigation. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to lead the probe.
“It’s a mess,” Spanberger said. “The idea that these papers would be loose and be able to go into a box and ultimately go off to any center outside of government control I think, frankly, shows a larger issue in how these documents are handled overall.”
Spanberger said during classified briefings, she’s provided a document and must return it and any notes at the end of the briefing. She said it’s important for the investigation to determine the breakdowns in protocol.
Spanberger said the “circumstances are very different” between Trump and Biden, but “in any circumstance there clearly needs to be protocol changed and strengthening of those systems.”
“I think there has to be serious conversations about how we tighten up protocol so this isn’t happening in the future, regardless of whatever fault does or does not exist,” she said. “This just should not be possible.”
On Tuesday, CNN reported that documents had also been found at former Vice President Mike Pence’s house and last year materials were seized from former President Donald Trump’s home in Florida.
Debt limit talks
During the town hall, Spanberger also discussed the federal debt limit, which the U.S. reached last week, requiring the Treasury Department to use accounting maneuvers to avoid defaulting.
“Defaulting on our debt is absolutely an impossible possibility,” she said. “We cannot allow for that to happen.”
Lawmakers are now negotiating an agreement to raise the debt ceiling or suspend it for a certain time. The accounting measures will likely last until early June unless a deal is reached sooner.
The country has never defaulted on its debt, but a prolonged stalemate could negatively impact the global economy, financial markets and the U.S.’s credit rating.
Spanberger said “summary reductions” in spending “are not in our nation’s best interest.” She said the ceiling needs to be raised and she’s open to reductions in federal spending, but the two items need to be separated.
“That is separate from and can be separated from discussion around calls related to our spending,” she said. “Whatever thoughtfulness we want to give about future spending, that should have no bearing on our decision to pay our debts.”
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