Tim Kaine: “I would just like to take the floor to sort of continue comments that I began at 10 o'clock this morning. I left at…”

“I would just like to take the floor to sort of continue comments that I began at 10 o'clock this morning. I left at 10:30 to accompany my Virginia colleague, Senator Warner, to a roundtable with Federal employees at a community center in Alexandria, and I just want to share some of their stories. What Agencies did these employees work for? There was quite a variety--Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, FAA, air traffic control, various groups within the Agriculture Department, Chemical Safety Board, Department of Labor, and immigration officials. So they were from many different parts of the government affected by the shutdown. How did they describe the effect of the shutdown on them? These were almost all employees who were furloughed and their spouses and children, in some instances. A couple of them were not furloughed, but they were deemed essential and were working without pay. How did they describe the choices they are having to make? ``I paid this month's mortgage payment, but I am not sure I can pay the next.'' ``I am a diabetic, and I have to decide which of the medications I can afford this month.'' ``My kid is in college. I am not sure I can make the entire tuition payment for the spring semester.'' ``I have had to take money out of my IRA to cover my bills and pay a penalty for doing that.…”