MICHAEL MARTZ Richmond Times-Dispatch RICHMOND â The General Assemblyâs budget committees on Monday adopted a sweeping plan to spend â or save â billions of dollars in federal emergency aid within hours of returning to their historic chambers at the Virginia Capitol for the first time in 500 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees voted by wide, bipartisan margins to adopt the budget bill Gov. Ralph Northam proposed to spend up to $3.5 billion of the $4.3 billion in federal aid Virginia received under the American Rescue Plan Act. The swift action came despite Republican objections to what Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, called ârule by autocracy,â as Democratic budget leaders pushed to approve one-time spending on critical priorities.