Sen. Warner joined his colleagues from Maryland in putting a human face on news stories about furloughed federal workers. At a Capitol Hill news conference with Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, Sen. Warner introduced Carter Kimsey of Alexandria, who has worked for the National Science Foundation since 1976.

Ms. Kimsey was furloughed last Tuesday, leaving a stack of scientific grant applications from graduate students and young scientists unfinished on her desk. NSF supports about 20% of all federal research, mainly through universities across Virginia and the country. NSF has about 1,700 employees at its headquarters in Arlington, and more than 1,600 of them were furloughed due to the government shutdown.

Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Sens. Mikulski and Cardin of Maryland, have introduced legislation that would provide retroactive salary to furloughed federal workers once the government reopens.