Neglect

Jan 22, 2026

In the early hours of 2026, Washington is silent. While the country careens through the madness of the current administration’s incineration of the world order and domestic tranquility, the silence is not peace. You can hear the ticking of a clock approaching midnight.

When the 218-member Republican majority in the House pushed through Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” (H.R. 1), healthcare subsidies were set to expire. They did. Now millions of everyday Americans are paying the price. More than 22 million face spiking ACA premiums, while nearly 4 million have been purged from Medicaid rolls.

This is the tangible cost of a “no-show” Congress. While families budget for survival, their representatives budget for donor retreats. In Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, this institutional decay has a name: Rob Wittman. After nineteen years, Wittman has become the personification of neglect—a representative who has perfected the art of being invisible while his constituents’ lives hang in the balance.

The case against Wittman is clear, but the story in Virginia is about more than one man’s failure. Wittman is part of a national failure. Consider Virginia a model of addressing that failure. While D.C. is frozen by Trump-era chaos, a formidable bench of eight Democratic contenders is proving that the 1st District is ready for a Wittman performance review and rout. All of these contenders are true patriots.

One contender sees Wittman’s neglect daily. She’s a veteran prosecutor who views the district’s representation through the lens of a courtroom.

“I’m running to prosecute the case against Rob Wittman, because he has spent nearly 20 years in Washington enriching himself while selling out the very community I’ve fought to protect.”— Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor

That sentiment is echoed by an anti-poverty lawyer whose work has shown him the human cost of legislative abandonment.

“We cannot trust elected officials to act in the people’s interests when they are using inside information to increase their net worth while families have to choose between putting food on the table or buying the medication they need to stay alive.”—Salaam Bhatti

For those on the front lines of the climate crisis, the neglect is literal. One former Army armor officer and tank commander points to the rising tides in the Northern Neck as evidence of Wittman’s absence.

“The climate crisis is at our front doors. We can’t afford a representative who looks the other way.” — Elizabeth Beggs

Another 21-year Navy veteran reminds us that neglect of the law leads to the erosion of the Republic itself.

“I spent 21 years in the Navy defending our democracy from the cockpit of a fighter jet…I’m running to defend the Constitution from the very people who took an oath to protect it—and then tried to tear it down.” — Jason Knapp

The case against Rob Wittman is resounding. He is one of 218 Republican U.S. Representatives who have collectively turned their backs on the American people. This Republican caucus has become a no-show for the middle class, choosing to trade stocks and protect corporate monopolies while families struggle to afford food and medication. When a majority of the House refuses to hold open town halls—hiding instead behind curated “tele-town halls” with fingers on the mute button—representation becomes theater of the absurd.

An environmental justice advocate captures the essence of a district traded for corporate favor.

“Wittman has turned the GOP into the party of the people who have more, at the expense of the ‘just getting by class.’ You can’t lead a district you’re afraid to face.” — Tim Cywinski

A healthcare attorney who has built her career defending vulnerable communities sees the 2026 economic squeeze as a policy choice, not an accident.

“There’s nothing beautiful about the greatest upward transfer of wealth in American history. These are the people who supposedly have representation but matter less to our representative than billionaires.” — Ericka Kopp

All eight Democratic primary candidates have Wittman squarely in their sights. A veteran and business lawyer is blunt:

“I took an oath to serve the people, not a stock portfolio. It’s time for a representative who actually works.” — Mel Tull

Another civic leader reminds us where power truly resides.

“A career politician’s net worth is no match for a community’s resolve.” — Lewis Littlepage

Any of these individuals would wipe the floor with the current U.S. representative. All would be valuable assets in government. They would reverse neglecting the people.

But beyond neglect, there remains the matter of the oath. On the night of January 6th, 2021, while the glass was still being swept from the Capitol floors, Rob Wittman joined efforts to overturn the will of the voters. After all his years in Washington, it was final proof that his loyalty lies with his party and the donor class—not the Constitution.

Wittman is nervous. I receive nonstop fundraising appeals from his office because I once contacted him to oppose the voter-suppressing SAVE Act. But Wittman shouldn’t be the only one running scared.

His 218 Republican colleagues in the House are guilty of the same neglect. They are all no-shows, trading stocks while families ration insulin. This is more than neglect. It is gross negligence by a governing majority.

Virginia is doing more than documenting the failures or Republican loyalists—it is building a national firewall in the Commonwealth to ward against federal rot. While House Republicans hide, the Virginia General Assembly has spent the opening weeks of 2026 rocketing four constitutional amendments toward the ballot:

Mid-Decade Redistricting Reform—a direct strike to dismantle partisan gerrymanders that protect congressional no-shows
The Right to Reproductive Freedom—Enshrining a woman’s right to choose directly into the state constitution
Repeal of the Same-Sex Marriage Ban—to excise relics of hate and indemnify against our hardline conservative Supreme Court
Automatic Restoration of Voting Rights—because a paid debt deserves a restored voice in the electoral process

Last week, Justin Florence and Emily Rodriguez wrote that “Elections are the essential remaining pillar of our democracy.” That is precisely what Virginia is doing—making elections essential—strengthening the pillar of democracy and the rule of law.

The Commonwealth is not waiting for Washington to fix itself. Between now and November, Virginia is providing a blueprint for democratic reclamation. For Rob Wittman and the rest, the midterm clock is ticking.

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026 in Virginia, the clock strikes twelve.
No-shows will be ousted.
The state Constitution will be amended.

Make this a nationwide effort. Our Republic can be reclaimed. There’s work to be done.

Musing

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