The end of last week saw Congress fail to avert the looming sequester cuts to the federal budget, which have already begun to impact families and individuals across the Commonwealth as federal workers face furloughs, defense contractors issue layoff notices, and businesses catering to military or federal personnel suffer.

Yesterday Senator Warner grabbed a handful of letters and emails from constituents, deciding to call some of those Virginians personally to listen to their concerns and express that he shared their frustration with Congress, but would continue to work to replace these broad cuts with a smarter bipartisan proposal.

“I don’t have a solution for you today,” Senator Warner told a retired Naval Commander from Virginia Beach who had written to him demanding that elected officials work together to resolve the issues facing the country. “It’s just that a whole lot of Virginians have been calling and emailing me and sending me letters, and people are so frustrated. I want to tell you that I’ve been trying for three and a half years to get both sides to compromise,” he promised her, “and I’m still trying.”

Another woman that Senator Warner called had written him yesterday expressing her fear that if her husband, a civil service worker, faced furloughs, they would be unable to make their monthly mortgage payment. “I don’t care to hear any more blame from the Democrats or Republicans,” she wrote, “We are hardworking people who are caught up in this mess that Washington has created.”

Senator Warner agreed with her that dysfunction in Washington was holding back the economy and hurting Virginians. “All you have is each side blaming each other instead of trying to fix it,” he told her, his frustration showing. “That’s why we’re in this mess.”

One of Senator Warner’s calls went to a retired Air Force Colonel and current federal employee from Fairfax County. “I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction about the way my government is functioning,” his letter read, “I want to let you know what a great deal of extra and unnecessary work that [the sequester] has caused at DoD and that it will hurt the readiness, both short and long term of the men and women who volunteered to serve. As you know, I will be forced to take home 20% less pay as well.”

“There are people on both sides that I don’t know want to get this solved,” Senator Warner told him over the phone. “Some folks up here want to win the political battle of the day or the week regardless of if Americans are hurting.”

“If folks keep getting furloughed,” Senator Warner said, “I’m going to start giving back part of my salary.”

“The only thing I can tell you,” he continued, “is that for the last three years my top issue has been trying to get a compromise on the budget. If we don’t get a budget we ought to not get paid. But there are folks up here who want to find a compromise, and I’m going to keep meeting with them and keep working.”