WASHINGTON — Funding for the federal government could run out at 12 a.m. on Saturday, but members of the U.S. House of Representatives made a move Thursday to prevent that from happening as well as a subsequent shutdown.
The House voted to fund the government into February, but there is still much doubt about what will happen in the Senate.
Some Senate Republicans are threatening to delay the passage of a continuing resolution to keep the government open.
They're angry over the Biden administration's mandate which requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing and wear face masks in the workplace.
Virginia's two Senators, Democrats Tim Kaine and Mark Warner say deliberately causing an unnecessary shutdown is a very bad idea.
Warner tweeted, "Government shutdowns are not minor inconveniences. They delay paychecks and obstruct essential government services. This isn't the time to play politics."
Kaine agreed.
"I hope my colleagues who seem to think that they should use a government shutdown as sort of a form of leverage, I hope they'll re-think it," he said. "It's irresponsible."
Old Dominion University economist Bob McNab says-- with 40% of Hampton Roads' economy directly reliant upon Defense Department spending-- a shutdown would be especially painful in Southeastern Virginia.
"If there's a Continuing Resolution, and then it isn't extended, that immediately impacts the region," he said. "And that sets us apart from a lot of other places in the United States, which will look at a federal government shutdown as an inconvenience. For us, it's a matter of paying the bills and keeping the lights on."
Meanwhile, the two parties also seem miles apart on other crucial issues.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of "dysfunction" when it comes to the National Defense Authorization Act.
And Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell blasted Democrats on the "Build Back Better" Act, calling it a "massive and reckless taxing and spending spree."