A government shutdown looming once again.
“They are playing with people’s livelihoods. This is not the way to operate the government of the greatest government in the world,” Senator Mark Warner (D) said.
Congress split the budget into two deadlines — one coming Jan. 19, and the next, Feb. 2.
It’s something Senator Tim Kaine said should have been taken care of before 2024.
“We almost always get these bills done by the end of the calendar year. It has slipped this year into January because the House was essentially out of pocket during the month of November,” he said.
Kaine said he’s hopeful, with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announcing a plan in line with the $1.6 trillion deal struck between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden in May.
“That means that work that’s been done on that budget since that time just needs to be concluded,” Kaine said.
But Warner said he expects a short-term solution first.
“Shutting down government is stupidity on steroids. And no state is hurt more by a government shutdown than Virginia,” Warner said.
Warner called out members of the house for refusing bipartisan efforts.
“I think the Speaker understands with the two-seat margin in the house, there’s no legislation that can pass in the house without Democratic support,” he said.
But if there is a shutdown, Kaine said there’s a bill in place to make sure employees get paid until the issue is resolved.
“In any shutdown scenario, federal employees will get back pay. Back pay isn’t as good as getting your paycheck on the day that you’re expecting it, but once you guarantee back pay, and you basically guarantee that all workers are going to be paid what they are owed, then the rationale for shutting government down becomes nonsensical,” Kaine said.