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Virginia Dems Refuse to Applaud Gov. Youngkin During His First Address to Joint Assembly

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Democratic delegates of the Virginia General Assembly refused to applaud newly sworn-in Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin when he spoke about defending parental rights in his first speech before the legislature.

Youngkin pledged to work with Republicans and Democrats to “usher in a sweeping vision of change” for the Commonwealth.

“We are all part of team Virginia,” Youngkin said. “We know on some issues there’ll be deep disagreements. But I believe this chamber is big enough to talk through our differences.”

“My message to parents is this – you have a fundamental right, enshrined by law by this general assembly, to make decisions with regards to your child’s education, upbringing, and care, and we will protect and reassert that right,” Youngkin said.

Republicans rose to applaud and cheer the declaration, while the Democrats remained seated on the right side of the assembly hall.

WATCH:

Youngkin didn’t waste time on his first official day in office over the weekend.

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The Republican governor signed 11 executive orders and directives after being sworn in over the weekend.

“No matter who you voted for, I pledge to be your advocate, your voice, your governor,” Youngkin said at his inauguration speech on Saturday. “We stand here on January 15, 2022, filled with hope and optimism for the years ahead. This hope and optimism springs from a shared vision for the future, and also from knowing what we have been through.”

“My fellow Virginians, I come to this moment, and to this office, knowing we must bind the wounds of division. Restore trust. Find a common cause for the common good. And strengthen the spirit of Virginia. And to be clear this spirit of Virginia is not about government deciding for us what is best for us,” Youngkin added.

“But rather reflecting the will of the people. Defending and protecting the rights guaranteed by our constitution. And a government and elected leaders going to work for We the People. Make no mistake, Virginians remain resilient with that tenacity and grit and undeterred hope and optimism to press through these challenges. We must venture forward because a new and better day is ahead of us,” he continued.

As noted by the Daily Wire’s Ryan Saavedra, below are 11 executive actions Youngkin took:

–Executive Order Number One delivers on his Day One promise to restore excellence in education by ending the use of divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, in public education.

–Executive Order Number Two delivers on his Day One promise to empower Virginia parents in their children’s education and upbringing by allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school.

–Executive Order Number Three delivers on his Day One promise to restore integrity and confidence in the Parole Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

–Executive Order Number Four delivers on his Day One promise to investigate wrongdoing in Loudoun County.

–Executive Order Number Five delivers on his Day One promise to make government work for Virginians by creating the Commonwealth Chief Transformation Officer.

–Executive Order Number Six delivers on his Day One promise to declare Virginia open for business.

–Executive Order Number Seven delivers on his Day One promise to combat and prevent human trafficking and provide support to survivors.

–Executive Order Number Eight delivers on his Day One promise to establish a commission to combat antisemitism.

–Executive Order Number Nine delivers on his Day One promise to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

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–Executive Directive Number One delivers on his fulfilling his Day One promise to jumpstart our economy by cutting job-killing regulations by 25 percent.

–Executive Directive Number Two delivers on his fulfilling his Day One promise to restore individual freedoms and personal privacy by rescinding the vaccine mandate for all state employees.

No Republican had won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009 and Joe Biden won the state in the 2020 presidential election.

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