Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement marking one month since the government shutdown began. 

“On September 19th, I did my job and voted to keep the government open, provide certainty for the American people, and ensure critical government services remained funded. A 60-vote threshold in the Senate is needed to pass a government funding bill. Since September 19, Senate Democrats have repeatedly opposed funding measures designed to avert a government shutdown and restore government operations. As a result, federal employees have missed paychecks and veterans are experiencing restricted access to the care that they have earned and deserve. This is unacceptable. 

“Virginia is home to more than 147,000 federal employees, 730,000 veterans, and 100,000 active-duty service members, all of whom continue to face uncertainty due to the Senate’s inaction. The hardship that the American people are experiencing should never be viewed as ‘leverage’. It should be a wake-up call to those who refuse to reopen the government. Enough is enough. 

“As this shutdown reaches the one-month mark, it underscores the importance of returning to regular order, rather than relying on short-term stopgap funding — measures that simply kick the can down the road. Congress must focus on passing responsible appropriation bills as intended and restoring fiscal responsibility.  

“This shutdown is not time off for me. I have continued my work by holding a town hall to hear directly from constituents, participating in a roundtable with local leaders and veterans, assisting historic Jamestown with an issue they had as a result of the shutdown, and visiting Healthy Harvest food bank to meet with volunteers serving our community. During this time of uncertainty, I remain committed to serving the people of Virginia’s First District and urging Senators to come together to reopen the government.”