Kaine discussed future of Congress, budgets, government shutdowns via Zoom

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Attention is back on the ticking time bomb to another potential government shutdown. Congress has until Friday next week to approve a spending bill. 

During a virtual Zoom, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine took on a lot of topics such as: the fight against legacy school admissions, the Tuesday election results, approving a spending budget and funding for Ukraine and Israel.

Kaine took time during his Zoom conference to talk about Tuesday’s elections, 

“I think Democrats did a good job recruiting good candidates, but I think the two dominating messages: Virginians, and Virginia women, don’t want their rights taken away,” Kaine said. “In the aftermath of the Dobbs [v. Jackson] decision in 2022, every state in the south, except Virginia, has rolled back reproductive rights.” 

Kaine was asked about Democrats flipping the Virginia House of Delegates and holding the State Senate, and whether Congressional Republicans was sending the wrong message.

“I think people saw Republicans throw overboard a Republican speaker with no Plan B, and then shut down the house for three weeks as they reorganized,” Kaine said. “I think a lot of Virginians look at a shutdown, a Republican blocking military nomination, and it looks like a dysfunctional house that throws a speaker overboard. And voters look at the Republicans and their agenda as scarry.” 

Kaine said he is confident there will not be a government shutdown due to a 2019 federal law protecting back pay. 

“During [the 2019] shutdown, I was able to get passed a bill guaranteeing any federal employee in a shutdown will get back pay,” Kaine said. “It’s not the same as getting your paycheck on time, but it does assure you will be reimbursed.”