Mrs. Mary Ann Ann Kreitzer
1216 Mill Rd
Woodstock, VA 22664-2322
Dear Mrs. Kreitzer:
Thank you for contacting me about the government shutdown. I appreciate hearing from you. [First laugh! No you don't. This is obviously a form letter probably written by a staff lackey, You may have never even read it and I seriously doubt you read my letter.]
As you know, on October 1st, the federal government shut down after Congress was unable to pass annual spending bills. In Virginia, we do not take this lightly. Government shutdowns destabilize our economy and harm families and those who rely on federal services. [Yup, and that's exactly what the Democrats are doing.]They also affect the more than 320,000 federal employees who live and work in Virginia, as well as tens of thousands of federal contractors.
Governing requires negotiation and compromise. Funding the government has always required both sides to negotiate in good faith and honor their commitments. [The Democrats have refused to negotiate. They want the Republicans to approve 1.5 trillion, yes TRILLION, in new spending and special interest goodies.] In all negotiations in the past, the party in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress will have spending bills broadly favorable to their priorities but with a few provisions favorable to the Senate minority, which has a small degree of leverage due to the Senate filibuster. Never before has one party that holds all the levers of power – as President Trump and Republicans have now – been unable to clear this very low bar. [What is he talking about? The bill the Republicans approved in the house is a simple continuing resolution pretty much identical to such bills the Democrats approved in the past.]
The pathways to reopening are twofold. First, the Republicans must give assurance that a deal is a deal. In March, Congress enacted a bipartisan spending agreement through September, only to then turn around and use partisan procedural tools to delete many parts that only Democrats had supported. The Trump Administration has also been illegally impounding money that Congress has lawfully appropriated, illegally eliminating agencies and programs, and illegally firing the people who run them. If one side can undo bipartisan deals on a partisan basis, there is no point in doing bipartisan deals. The President and congressional Republicans must make a simple commitment: that a deal is a deal. [Democrats finger pointing always reveals that they do on steroids what they accuse their political enemies of doing. Think of how they used the DOJ and FBI to attack Michael Flynn, invade Trump's home, arrest thousands of innocent Jan. 6ers, and imprison them for years, etc. The hypocrisy here is astounding!]
Second, right now, millions of Americans are staring down the prospect of skyrocketing health care costs when the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of the year. [Remember, folks, that was supposed to be a temporary credit during the COVID crisis.] Absent congressional action, some 20 million Americans could see their costs surge (Virginians could see health insurance premiums go up by 114 percent according to one analysis), and more than 3.5 million Americans could lose their coverage entirely. Senate Democrats need a commitment from Republicans to at least negotiate over how to avert this cliff and to ensure lower- and middle-income families have access to affordable, quality health care. [This is coming from someone who supports giving billions in health insurance and other freebies to illegal aliens while our vets are homeless. Again, the hypocrisy is astounding!]
I have voted now more than half a dozen times for a spending bill extension that addresses these priorities, yet Senate Republicans continue to block it. [Thank God since the Democrat bill includes $1.5 TRILLION, much of it for pet projects that advance trans insanity and give stupid grants to foreign countries.] Though I abhor government shutdowns and am open to a fair compromise to reopen the government even if I don’t love 100 percent of it, I will not rubber-stamp a partisan bill that Trump and Republicans will instantly turn around and violate. [Ridiculous! The continuing resolution just keeps the government open for a few more weeks.]
I am also aware that many federal agencies’ websites are displaying partisan messages about the government shutdown. This is illegal under federal law and an insult to the integrity of the federal government. My colleagues and I have called on the executive branch to remove these messages. My office takes great care to serve all Virginians – whether or not they support me politically –[This is a boldfaced lie! Kaine supports trans rights, abortion, etc. Like most Democrats he hates parents having any rights over their children, even minors. He claims to be a Catholic, but his actions show his contempt for our faith. He should be ashamed!] and I suspect the American people will not look kindly for long on any President who orders the federal government to give fair and honest service to only his political friends. [This is so laughable it's head-shaking when you think of the weaponization of the justice department under Clinton, Obama, and Biden. They were tapping the phones of Republican politicians, advancing hoaxes to try to effect the election. What exactly is "honest" about their lawfare practices using corrupt judges to attack their political enemies? Get real, Senator Kaine!]
I appreciate the difficulty that this shutdown has caused so many Virginians. Though I’m relieved that service members received their pay to ensure some short-term stability, [Only because Trump took it from other areas of spending!] I remain troubled by the impacts of government shutdowns on so many Americans, especially military families and veterans who rely on timely benefits. Those who defend our nation should never have to worry about paying bills or accessing health care because of political gridlock in Washington. One of my proudest accomplishments in the Senate was during the prior Trump shutdown in 2019, when my colleagues and I negotiated with Republicans to secure guaranteed back pay for all federal employees during a government shutdown. A Republican-controlled Senate passed this bill, and President Trump himself signed it into law during his first term. That said, while back pay is vital, it is obviously not the same as getting paychecks on time. That is why I have also sponsored additional legislation to support federal employees experiencing financial hardship. This includes bills that would authorize federal employees and contractors to withdraw money from their retirement accounts without penalty and protect them from eviction from their homes and default on their other bills. I also joined my colleagues in a letter to financial regulatory agencies urging them to work with banks to forbear financial penalties for federal employees who will get back pay but who may be encountering financial hardship during a government shutdown. Finally, I have voluntarily withheld my own pay for the duration of this shutdown. [Ho hum! All of this is easily prevented and doesn't need additional legislation. Vote for the continuing resolution, Senator Kaine!]
It is time for Republicans to stop playing games, [Democrats are the game players with their stupid "No Kings" charade and all their lies and ridiculous photo ops dancing and rapping.] drop the distractions like propping up the government of Argentina, and focus on the government of America. [When have democrats EVER focused on the good of the American people as they enable drug cartels and human traffickers invading the country?] They should commit that a deal is a deal and that something will be done to protect the American people from massive health insurance cost increases. We can end this shutdown by working together in good faith, and I will do everything I can to accomplish that. [Another lie! Do Democrats ever operate in "good faith" as they attack over half the country who voted for Donald Trump? They tell their followers to let their rage fuel them (Abigail Spanberger), tell their minions to go after conservatives in public (Maxine Waters), threaten Supreme Court justices saying they will "pay the price" and "won't know what hit you!" inviting violence against them. (Chuck Schumer) And on and on!]
Thank you again for contacting me. [I'll be writing again, you can be sure of that.]
Sincerely,
Tim Kaine
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