And Governor elect Spanberger urges Democrats to reopen government, not prolong fight
Virginia’s senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, find themselves on opposite sides of a Senate proposal to reopen the government, a sign of rising Democratic tension as the shutdown drags into its sixth week.
The proposed agreement, brokered by a bipartisan group of moderates led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Angus King (I-Maine) over the weekend, would fund most federal agencies through January and include a promised mid-December vote on extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. It also would reinstate furloughed federal workers, ensure back pay, and prevent further layoffs through the new year.
Kaine backs deal, citing protections for workers
Sen. Tim Kaine said he will vote in favor of the proposal, pointing to provisions that safeguard the federal workforce and promise a future vote on health-care subsidies.
“I have long said that to earn my vote, we need to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ health care mess and to protect the federal workforce,” Kaine said.
“This deal guarantees a vote to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which Republicans weren’t willing to do. Lawmakers know their constituents expect them to vote for it, and if they don’t, they could very well be replaced at the ballot box by someone who will.
This legislation will protect federal workers from baseless firings, reinstate those who have been wrongfully terminated during the shutdown, and ensure federal workers receive back pay, as required by a law I got passed in 2019. That’s a critical step that will help federal employees and all Americans who rely on government services. I’ll keep working toward a long-term government spending plan that includes critical priorities to support Virginians and funding for Virginia community projects.”
Warner opposes short-term fix
Minutes later, Sen. Mark Warner announced he would oppose the same measure, saying it fails to address the broader health-care crisis facing working families.
“Every day this shutdown drags on, Virginians feel it, from federal workers struggling to pay their bills to families unsure how they will put food on the table because this administration is cruelly and deliberately withholding the assistance they need,” Warner said.
“I appreciate that this proposal includes important language preventing further mass layoffs of federal employees. That’s a critical step in protecting our public servants from this administration’s campaign of retribution, and something I’ve long pushed for.
But I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick. We owe the American people more than a short-term fix that leaves working families staring down a health care crisis, and simply kicking the can down the road is not good enough.”
Spanberger: Election win not a mandate to hold out
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger added another Virginia-specific dimension to the debate this week, cautioning fellow Democrats not to view their recent electoral victories as justification for continuing the shutdown.
In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, Spanberger said voters want the government reopened and essential services restored.
“Absolutely not,” she said when asked if Democrats’ wins in Virginia meant they should hold the line in Washington. “Virginians need to and Virginians want to see the government reopen, and my expectation is that we will see a Congress, a Senate, and ultimately a president driving us in that direction.”
Her remarks come as federal workers across Northern Virginia and the D.C. suburbs continue to feel the brunt of the shutdown, with tens of thousands missing multiple paychecks. The region, home to one of the largest concentrations of government employees and contractors in the nation is increasingly anxious about the political standoff.
Democrats divided as deal advances
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said after a two-hour caucus meeting that he could not “in good faith” support the proposal, calling it a “Republican-made health-care crisis.” Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont agreed, calling the compromise a “horrific mistake.”
Republicans, meanwhile, have signaled support for the bipartisan plan, which would allow for an eventual health-care vote but provide no guarantee that subsidies will be extended. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he will not commit to bringing such a vote forward.
McConnell provision targets hemp products
The proposal also contains a lesser-known but controversial addition, a provision championed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that would restrict the sale of many hemp-derived products. The language seeks to close what McConnell calls a “loophole” created by the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp but inadvertently allowed intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as delta-8 THC, to flood the market.
The measure would redefine “hemp” to include “total THC” levels rather than just delta-9 THC and prohibit the sale of hemp-derived products marketed for consumption. Supporters say it’s meant to keep unregulated intoxicating products out of convenience stores and protect minors; critics warn it could devastate the U.S. hemp industry and eliminate thousands of small businesses that sell legal cannabinoid products.
More on that HERE.
Shutdown impacts deepen
The shutdown has compounded nationwide disruptions. Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend due to staff shortages, and food aid for millions of Americans remains in limbo amid legal disputes over state-administered benefits. In the Washington region, food banks report surging demand as unpaid federal workers seek assistance.
Despite the growing strain, Senate leaders are expected to took up the bill Sunday evening. Final passage could take several days if Democrats who oppose the measure slow the process.
For Virginia, home to both one of the largest federal workforces in the nation and an emerging hemp industry, the stakes are unusually high. Between Kaine’s call for immediate relief, Warner’s warning against a short-term fix, and Spanberger’s plea to get Washington moving again, the debate underscores how deeply intertwined the shutdown’s consequences are with the Commonwealth’s economy and politics.
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