Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has stated that the government shutdown deal was ‘worth it’ to secure protections for federal workers, even though Democrats did not succeed in extending Obamacare subsidies. The agreement, which passed the Senate’s filibuster hurdle, funds the government through January 30 and includes provisions to prevent further layoffs and reinstate employees who were laid off during the shutdown. Kaine emphasized that these protections are particularly vital for Virginia, which hosts the third-largest federal workforce in the country.
Kaine’s support for the deal was influenced by recent Democratic victories in key states such as Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and California, which he believes made Republicans more willing to meet his demands. The bipartisan agreement also includes language on three of the government’s 12 year-long spending bills, covering the legislative branch, agriculture, and Veterans Affairs and military construction. Despite the shutdown’s record-breaking length, Kaine maintained that the deal was a necessary compromise to protect federal workers from additional stress and hardship, calling it a ‘meeting of the minds’ that led to the resolution.