Priorities

This morning Senator Mark Warner attended the grand opening of the George Washington Presidential Library. Before speaking to the attendees, Senator Warner sat down with Senator Tim Kaine as they did an interview with MSNBC’s Chuck Todd.

Mt Vernon

Senator Warner was asked about Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)’s recent chastising of fellow Republicans. Senator Warner, who often co-sponsors legislation with Sen. Corker, responded, “I think there is a lot of frustration among Republicans. There’s a time to fight about Obamacare and there is a time to make sure the functions of government proceed. If we don’t get something done, we are gonna ask all our soldiers and sailors to show up for work on Tuesday but they’re not gonna get paid. That does nothing for the economy…this my way or high way is really breaking apart Senate Republicans and causing frustrations across the board.“

Sen. Warner believes it is still possible to reach a compromise to “fix our countries balance sheet.” He reminded Chuck Todd that just last fall he brought his bipartisan “Gang of 8” to Mount Vernon, the site of the new George Washington Library, to negotiate a fix for the debt in order to avoid sequestration.

In his speech at the opening, Senator Warner read from a letter that George Washington wrote, “Party disputes and personal quarrels are the great business of the day, whilst the momentous concerns of an empire -- a great and accumulated debt; ruined finances, depreciated money, and want of credit -- are but secondary considerations, which are postponed, from day to day and week to week…”

09 27 13 GW Library Opening

"Wow," said Senator Warner, "Those same words apply equally today, some 235 years later. Today, Congress again is too often consumed with political gamesmanship. Our dysfunction -- and our inaction – is adding $4 billion each day to an accumulated national debt that’s approaching $17 trillion."