WASHINGTON D.C., DC — With a potential government shutdown looming, Sen. Tim Kaine took the Senate floor Wednesday to advocate for his state.
“I’m a Senator from Virginia. Some of the hardest effects of shutdown will be seen in my state,” he said.
If members of Congress fail to make a deal by midnight on September 30, millions of government workers will go without pay.
Kaine said he’s already received 600 letters from concerned Virginians, some coming from Hampton Roads.
“Jennifer from Norfolk writes, ‘My husband is a U.S. Marine veteran who utilizes the VA. A government shutdown places and undo financial and emotional burden on my family,'” Kaine read.
The Senator also read a letter from a Virginia Beach woman, who shared concerns about her family's finances.
“She wrote, ‘My family has experienced government shutdowns previously. My husband has been a federal employee since 2005. It always creates stress and worry and trying to figure out how to pay basic expenses,” Kaine read.
The senator said a government shutdown would limit small business loans, delay food inspections and create significant flight delays. It would also impact federally-funded programs like SNAP benefits, which 900,000 Virginians rely on.
“Nutrition benefits are potentially at risk in an extended shutdown. Programs that help food-insecure Virginians, kids put food on the table,” Kaine said.
If a shutdown does take place, the president, federal judges and members of Congress will still get paid.
13News Now reached out to the six lawmakers who represent Hampton Roads in Congress, to find out what they're planning to do with their salaries, if the shutdown happens. You can read their responses by clicking here.