Elaina Wang

Virginia District 8 Representative Don Beyer answers a question from senior club President Samuel Stankiewicz. Hosted by the Young Democrats and Republicans club, Beyer was invited to discuss the current political issues and answer pressing questions from students. “[We are in] a war with [Iran],” Beyer said. “It is stupid, it’s illegal, and we’re already seeing a [loss] of control. We were trying to stop, but now we’re in a catastrophic, overflow scenario.”

This week on Fri. March 6, Representative Don Beyer visited Jefferson’s Young Democrats and Republicans club, aiming to address current political issues and answer questions from the student audience. Accumulating an audience of over 150 students and teachers. Beyer addressed controversial potential bills, such as the American Homeownership Act, the bipartisan Congress, and varying Senate and House decisions.

The assembly began with senior club President Samuel Stankiewicz asking a compiled list of common questions. One of the main points Beyer talked about was the split of the United States government and the issues with the current fractured Congress.

“[President] Trump is the only president who wants Congress to be split instead of unified,” Beyer said. “It’s not a question of how we’re going to be unified, rather how everything is [going to] work in the end.”

Students who attended the assembly found themselves interested and engaged throughout Beyer’s presentation. Many gleaned extensive information and widened their scope on different topics.

“I think [inviting a speaker to Jefferson] is really valuable,” junior Stephen Lin said. “Lots of speakers come, [including] congressmen. It was really illuminating to hear [Beyer’s] perspective on partisan divides in Congress; I think that we could definitely use more bipartisanship. [In addition], he talked about how he’s excited for the rise of fusion and energy. I’m really excited for that, too, because it’s [revolutionary] cheap energy.”

Students in the audience were given the chance to discuss and ask Beyer their own questions. Beyer answered each question thoroughly, referring to and referencing statistics each time. He did not avoid controversial topics, but rather addressed them with his own personal opinions. For example, a commonly asked question was about his stance on the United States’ war with Iran.

“All you have to do is look at our war in Vietnam, our war in Afghanistan, our war in Iraq and what we did to Syria,” Beyer said. “[This war is going to be] huge for policy. It’s expensive and has already cost lives–women, children [and] soldiers.”

For many students, their questions provided opportunities to talk about issues they were passionate about. Inquiries about the environment, education, immigration and healthcare were commonly asked.

“Beyer [is] working a lot on mitigating the [environmental] impacts of data centers on our local northern Virginia Energy prices, which I thought [would] be a good question to ask him today at the [event],” Lin said. 

Students believe that Beyer’s visit benefited them immensely. His cut-to-the-chase, concise answers and his informative explanations helped students understand the current political climate and economy.

“I think [Beyer] is a favorite in Northern Virginia,” Lin said. “We all have concerns about affordability, clean energy and protecting our democracy. I think he addressed [all of them] really well.”