NORFOLK, Va. — Congress has until the end of the month to work out a deal to avoid a government shutdown, but the ongoing delays have led to the frustration of local Congresswoman Jen Kiggans.
"Our military and our military members should never be political pawns in a game in Washington, so it's frustrating for me," Kiggans told News 3 in an interview last week.
Then on Tuesday, five GOP members voted with Democrats to block a procedural vote on the defense spending bill as Republicans struggle to reach agreement on spending levels.
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Tuesday's vote prompted Kiggans, a Republican, to call those actions "unacceptable and offensive."
She added, "Enough is enough."
The impasse once again puts the federal government at risk of shutting down. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he will continue to work to pass a bill to avoid a shutdown.
"A government shutdown, especially a prolonged government shutdown would be catastrophic for Hampton Roads," said Dr. Bob McNab, a economist at Old Dominion University.
About four of every ten dollars of the Hampton Roads economy is tied to the federal government, according to McNab.
He says it could mean federal employees are furloughed and kept home. Military members could have to report for duty, but not get paid.
"If all of a sudden they stop receiving pay, they're not going to be going out to restaurants. They're not going to be going out to movies," said McNab. "It will essentially throw sand into the engine of the Hampton Roads economy."
Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott put the blame on Republicans in a statement, saying they only are negotiating with themselves "with little apparent success."
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Still, there is time to sort it out.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Virginia) told News 3 he's keeping an eye on what's happening and working to get stat tax rebates approved recently in the state budget out to families.
"Of course in Virginia, we have so many folks who work for the government and we know it's really tough on them and there's a lot of anxiety," he said. "That's why I am hopeful that we can get the $200 and $400 checks out to folks."
Just like during the debt ceiling showdown earlier this summer, McNab hopes cooler heads will prevail with the stark warning of what a shutdown would mean for the economy.
"It's going to sputter and eventually it's going to grind to a much slower level of economic activity," he said.
