Spanberger declined to run for reelection in 2024 in order to run for Virginia’s governorship, which will be up for grabs after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) term ends.

“The worst part is the chaos,” Spanberger said in reply to a question about what the worst part of Congress is. “The worst part is the inability to keep a calendar, the inability to do the most essential things, the fact we have to talk about, ‘Will they, won’t they shut down the government?’ every single time.”

Spanberger said Virginia is most affected by government shutdowns, likely because of the large amount of federal government employees the state houses. The congresswoman suggested her constituents are even affected by talk of the government shutting down.

“What seems like a procedural drama here on Capitol Hill is a worry around the dinner table back home in my community,” she said. “The last-minute gamesmanship is the worst because I’ve seen firsthand how it just creates so much worry in the people I represent.”

The government nearly shut down in late December, but a last-second bipartisan funding deal saved the government from heading into a crisis. Republicans, despite having control over the House, struggled with determining a suitable package.

Spanberger lamented the last-second approach Congress has taken to appropriating funds.

“The fiscal year always ends in September, and so the fact that it’s always September, and people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, we needed to finish appropriations!’ — I will never, never be able to mentally understand how it is that people seem surprised every year when September is coming to an end,” she said.

The centrist Democrat did put out a solution to fixing some of Congress’s problems. She thinks that the Speaker’s Lobby should “be closed to press so that members can actually sit out there and talk to each other.”

Spanberger also touted her support for a bill that would ban members of Congress from buying, selling, or trading stocks: “When I’m here on Capitol Hill, I’m here working for you and that’s it.”

The Democrat’s likely opponent in the November Virginia gubernatorial general election will be Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. It’s expected to be a highly contested bout, though Spanberger could take home the win if she can garner massive support from northern Virginia population centers.