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Virginia Lawmakers Talk Shutdown, Spending And DACA

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The federal government could be lurching towards a partial shutdown this weekend if lawmakers can’t reach a deal on so-called Dreamers and defense spending.

Democrats usually oppose government shutdowns, but now many in the party think it could be their last chance to help out so-called Dream Act kids who grew up in the United States but whose parents were undocumented.

Northern Virginia Democrat Don Beyer knows a shutdown would hit his district hard but he’s open to it. “My understanding of our Democratic consensus is that really the only leverage we have to protect the Dreamers right now is to say ‘No’ on the spending bill," Beyer admitted. "We don’t want to shut the government down, but these 800,000 kids who were raised here and are as American as your kids and mine are at risk of getting sent back to where ever they came from as small children unless we fix it.”  

Republican leaders are vowing to bring a bill to the floor this week without any immigration language, so now they need Republican votes. But some Virginia Republicans, like Morgan Griffith of the 9th District, are demanding more funding for the Pentagon in order to support another short term spending bill.  “Coming from Virginia, even though my end of the state is not as heavy on defense, the fact that we’re not dealing with that issue worries me,” Griffith said

Virginia Republican Dave Brat also wants more defense spending, but he thinks party leaders should move ahead with a tough on border security bill. He’s getting frustrated with GOP leaders. “So the play call can’t keep getting worse and worse and worse because the Senate is dysfunctional," Brat said. "They should at least have to vote and signal to the people they represent what they’re voting on. They keep hiding under their desks. They don’t want to vote because of the politics.”

The government runs out of funding on Friday unless lawmakers are able to reach a bipartisan deal.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.