The Republican budget leader in the House of Delegates promised a “nonpartisan” spending document after an hourlong breakfast meeting with Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday, signaling a return to harmony after the Democratic governor’s inaugural speech to legislators sparked a GOP backlash.
House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, who was among the Republican leaders who expressed disappointment with the partisan tone of Northam’s speech to the General Assembly on Monday night, said he was heartened by his lengthy conversation with the governor on “the budget and other topics.”
“As you know, the budget is the most important thing we do,” Jones said in a speech on the House floor on Wednesday. “It is a nonpartisan document and it is our best opportunity to work together across the aisle.”
