Congressman Morgan Griffith responds to government shutdown in SW Virginia

ROANOKE, Va.- – The government shutdown is about to roll into its second week and about 800,000 federal workers who aren't getting paid are anxious to know when it could end.

Congressman Morgan Griffith says he is disappointed the Senate did not work out a resolution in time before the partial government shutdown but he says the effects will be minimal for the district he represents.

Griffith represents the 9th District, covering much of southwest Virginia. He says many employees are not going to be affected.

"Because a big chunk of the budget was already approved. And so the veterans hospital, and the Radford Army Ammunition will not be affected," said Griffith.  

While it's hard for him to say how long the shutdown will last, he believes the House and Senate will eventually reach some sort of resolution.

"The President has indicated he would veto anything they didn't have border security in it. The Democrats had indicated that they want a different border security," said Griffith. 

The shutdown is a result of a lawmakers not agreeing to President Donald Trump's $5 billion spending bill that would provide funding for a border wall between Mexico and the United States. Congressman Griffith supports this effort.

"And what I want is border security for the people of America because we have too much drugs, we have too much human traffickers bringing people across the border. Our borders, we need to make sure the people coming into the country are the people who we want to come into the country, and we want those people who want to share the American dream. What we don't want is drug dealers and human traffickers," Griffith said. 

Griffith says it appears the Senate will not take any action until the start of the new Congress next Thursday.