WASHINGTON — With a little more than three weeks to go until the next possible government shutdown, Virginia's two U.S. Senators are weighing in on what may happen.
The current continuing resolution (CR) funding government expires November 17. That's when the government would run out of money and operations would largely cease.
But Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) predicts that cooler heads will prevail, there won't be a shutdown and the can will get kicked down the road.
"My expectation is we will do a CR. We will extend the time for reaching a budget deal through the end of the year. And then look, it will be a hard negotiation to get there. But I do see that playing out towards the end of the year rather than a shutdown in November," Kaine said on Thursday.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) said Thursday that he's not quite sure what to expect now that the Republican-led House of Representatives has selected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) as the new Speaker of the House.
"The House after these weeks of antics needs to get its act together, do its job, just as we have to do our job in terms of providing the security that's needed and making sure the government doesn't shut down," Warner said.
Warner said he's worried about Johnson's record, in which he was willing to let the government shut down in the past.
But Warner said he owes it to Johnson to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
There have been 20 government shutdowns since 1977, according to the House Archivist.
Old Dominion University economist Bob McNab has predicted that if there were to be a prolonged shutdown, it would send Hampton Roads into a recession.