By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia’s Democratic senators landed on opposite sides of the vote, reflecting different priorities on how to reopen the government and protect federal workers after more than a month of furloughs and missed paychecks.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., voted for the deal, joining a handful of Democrats who crossed party lines to move it forward. In a statement, Kaine said the agreement puts an end to the shutdown while safeguarding benefits for federal employees and extending health care protections.
“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,” Kaine said. “That’s a critical step that will help federal employees and all Americans who rely on government services.”
Kaine said the plan also includes language he pushed for to prevent the administration from pursuing new layoffs and to restore protections tied to the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. The short-term deal funds the government through Jan. 30.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., voted against the measure, releasing a statement ahead of the vote saying it did not go far enough to address the financial strain families are facing. Warner said he supports reopening the government but could not back what he described as a “short-term fix” that fails to deal with health care costs and inflation.
“Families are already struggling with rising prices on everything from groceries to housing,” Warner said in a statement. “I will keep working in the Senate to bring costs down and relieve the pressure on working families who are already paying more because of President Trump’s policies that are driving prices up instead of lowering them.”
Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been critical of both senators throughout the shutdown, urging them to support earlier proposals to reopen the government and restore federal benefits.
Both Maryland Democratic senators, Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, also voted against the plan. Alsobrooks said she could not support a bill that “does absolutely nothing to help struggling Marylanders afford health care,” while Van Hollen said it “does not come close“ to meeting the terms needed to hold the administration accountable.
The measure now heads to the House, where approval would officially reopen the government and end one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history.