Kaine vows to fight GOP 'blockades' as shutdown looms

Sep. 15—U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., believes it is "completely foolish" for Republicans to force a federal government shutdown.

Kaine, who addressed the issue during his weekly virtual media briefing, said his main priority at the moment is stopping what he calls a "double shutdown threat" by Republicans.

"There are some in the House GOP threatening to shut the government down to get their way in a spending negotiation," Kaine said. "And on the Senate side, the Senate GOP is enabling Tommy Tuberville's effort to shutdown critical military promotions, really hurting our national security and punishing people who have volunteered to wear the uniform and keep our country safe."

Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to reach a short-term budget deal to keep the government open. The House Freedom Caucus in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is demanding several conditions in a continuing resolution to keep the government open, including a promise to secure the southern border and end what conservatives call the "weaponization" of the Justice Department and FBI to prosecute political opponents.

Tuberville, a Republican senator from Alabama, meanwhile is demanding that the Biden administration stop using tax payer dollars to fund abortions within the military.

However, Kaine argues a government shutdown is pointless now due to legislation he sponsored and got passed during the last shutdown several years ago.

"It would be completely foolish to shut the government down for a million reasons, but one of the reasons is a bill I got passed during the last shutdown, which guarantees federal employees will get paid during a shutdown," Kaine said. "Once there is a guarantee everyone gets paid there is no reason to shut the government down."

Kaine said the House Freedom Caucus is pushing the current government shutdown threat.

"We are going to work very hard, but I have no control over what the House does," Kaine said. "But we are going to work very hard in the Senate. We also have to end the GOP Senate enabling Tommy Tuberville essentially bringing military promotions to a halt. We've got to get by the blockades. We've got to get by these military shutdowns."

Kaine said a government shutdown would impact Virginia communities near national parks that rely fall tourism, particularly during fall foliage season.

"They do a heavy percentage of their annual business in the fall," Kaine said. "When you shut a national park down at that time of the year, it's not like you get them (fall foliage tourists) back."

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens