Warner, Kaine blame GOP on looming government shutdown

Sep. 22—Two Virginia Democrats are blaming House Republicans on a looming federal government shutdown.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., both talked about the government shutdown threat during their respective media briefings Thursday.

"Stop me if you've heard this movie before or this routine before but it feels like we are lurching toward a potential government shutdown at the end of next week," Warner said. "You saw again complete chaos in the floor of the House where the majority can't seem to muster people together to do anything."

Warner blamed "MAGA Republicans" on the inability of the Republican-controlled House to come to an agreement on a short-term budget bill needed to avert a federal government shutdown come Sept. 30.

"I just don't get anyone that is calculating that it is somehow in the country's best interest or their short-term political interest," Warner said, adding that a government shutdown would negatively impact Virginia.

Warner said the state is home to "north of 170,000 federal employees" and "hundreds of thousands of folks who work in the Pentagon and military installations" across the state.

Warner said shutting the government down is "stupidity on steroids."

Kaine said the best way for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid a government shutdown at this point is to come with a budget that most Republicans and Democrats will support.

"The House should just embrace the same ethos, which with a narrow division — a narrow Republican majority — the speaker should say look I've been trying to do it with Republican votes, but that's not going to happen. So let's do it bipartisan," Kaine said. "That would be something that would not only increase the likelihood of success, but would show the American public that both parties can work together on something as important as the budget."

Kaine and Warner also addressed the need Thursday for the U.S. to provide continued funding and support for Ukraine. Both were a part of Thursday's meeting at the U.S. Capitol with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"He gave a spirited appreciation of the support the U.S. has provided Ukraine during this illegal invasion by Russia," Kaine said of Zelenskyy. "He told us without the support Ukraine would have lost the war and if there isn't forthcoming support Ukraine will lose the war."

Warner said House Republicans shouldn't suspend funding support for Ukraine now.

"I think he (Zelenskyy) made the case that the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian armed forces have done wonderful work," Warner said. "But the idea at this moment in time that the U.S. would walk away from Ukraine is completely unimaginable in my mind."

Warner said abandoning Ukraine would send the wrong message to the rest of the world.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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