Today, Senator Warner spoke on the floor after the Senate Democratic and Republican leaders announced a bipartisan plan to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.
Sen. Warner praised the bipartisan compromise but called attention to serious damage done to the economy, especially in his home state of Virginia.
“I'd like some of the folks who advocated these tactics to come down and explain to a restaurant owner down in Hampton, Virginia -- where the 3,500-strong workforce at NASA Langley was reduced through this furlough to seven people -- how their tactics somehow improved the fortunes of that private-sector business,” Senator Warner said.
Senator Warner advised that instead of repeating the uncertainly of the last two weeks, the Senate and House should work together to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan budget.
“We are going to have to roll up our sleeves and recognize that to get this problem behind us, we're going to have to deal with our entitlements. It's going to mean folks on my side of the aisle are going to have to think about how we preserve Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid in a way that's affordable over the long haul,” Senator Warner said. “And my friends on the other side of the aisle are going to have to realize what kind of government we want and what kind of government we're going to be willing to pay for.”
Senator Warner concluded that new budget negotiations could be a win for all. “We're going to have to find ways to close some of these loopholes, make our tax code more pro-growth but at the same time generate more revenues than we currently have.”
