Dick Saslaw, a small business owner in Northern Virginia for many years, understands what it takes to establish a strong business climate. He knows first-hand the importance of balancing a budget, making payroll at the end of the month, and treating employees right. In the Senate, Saslaw has led the charge to make Virginia a top business destination.
For many years now, Virginia has been recognized as one of the top states for business, due in large part to Dick Saslaw’s work in the state Senate. He currently sits on the Commerce and Labor Committee, where his stewardship has kept Virginia on a solid economic foundation. Saslaw’s bipartisan approach to growing the economy has earned him recognition from non-partisan business groups, such as the Northern Virginia Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.
Investing in our economy and working families makes our workforce competitive. Senator Saslaw has supported critical investments to spur job creation across the Commonwealth. His priorities have been keeping costs low, ensuring Virginia has an educated workforce, and investing in strategic infrastructure projects. Dick has always been focused on making Virginia a more attractive place to live and work. The Senator supports increasing mass transit in Virginia to cut down on traffic gridlock on our roads and to make sure companies can conduct business in the Commonwealth efficiently. He led the fight to appropriately fund Metro, ensuring its viability with public safety as a top priority.
Competing in a 21st-century global economy, Virginia must focus on building a talented workforce pipeline that can attract and retain businesses and investment. Senator Saslaw has helped advocate for innovative new programs like the Workforce Credentials Grant, which provides funding for workers looking for education and training in high-demand industries like cybersecurity. He has also supported increasing Virginia’s minimum wage, because he believes in paying workers what they are worth. He continues to push for measures that will retain the best and brightest students in the Commonwealth.