Mark Warner: “We worked here as a group because the greater metropolitan area of Washington is probably the most severely affected as…”

“We worked here as a group because the greater metropolitan area of Washington is probably the most severely affected as a consequence of this Government shutdown. Not only is there a large number of employees--perhaps as high as a half million--who are working at their jobs without pay, but there are some 260,000 to 280,000 who are furloughed and not able to report to their offices for various reasons. We are coming together, the Members of Congress, to encourage others--those who can--who will pledge some personal financial support for Federal employees receiving short paychecks. This is becoming a crisis.”