Tim Kaine: “in the last 2 days, I have stood on this floor and asked that the American Government reopen. On Thursday, I asked…”

“in the last 2 days, I have stood on this floor and asked that the American Government reopen. On Thursday, I asked unanimous consent to proceed to the bipartisan House bill funding most shuttered government Agencies through the end of this fiscal year. The majority leader objected to my request. Yesterday, I asked unanimous consent to proceed to the bipartisan House bill funding Homeland Security Agencies through February 8. The junior Senator from Oklahoma, on behalf of the majority leader, objected to my request. So today marks the 29th day of the government shutdown--29 days of fiscal pain and mental anxiety and national humiliation; 29 days of families worried about mortgage payments, canceling medical appointments, losing their place at a favored daycare that they can no longer afford to pay for; 29 days of being required to travel to work without being paid and without even receiving money to put gas in your car to get to work; 29 days of being unable to add your newborn child to your Federal health insurance policy; 29 days of being turned away from services like food stamps or National Parks or affordable housing programs or domestic violence services; 29 days of chemical spills not being investigated or food products not being inspected; 29 days of our veterans who serve as Federal employees or Federal contractors suffering as political pawns in an unnecessary stunt; 29 days of seeing the country you love cease to be an example to others.…”