NAGS HEAD, N.C. — "To the House leadership and House members, show some backbone, do the job that you were sent to do. Get a budget done," said Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.
“As opposed to putting the bill up, basically saw that deal completely unravel when the richest man in the world started tweeting out just plain untruths about what's in the deal," said Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner.
Strong words from Senators Kaine and Warner follow the House Republicans' decision to back out of a bipartisan spending bill that would provide disaster relief and military funding while keeping the government open until March.
President Trump encouraged Republicans in Congress to withdraw due to concerns about what was added to the bill, Kaine said.
Watch related coverage: Trump against bipartisan budget bill, Republican lawmakers to fund government to avoid shutdown
This isn't the first time local service members have been affected. Coast Guard members lost out on pay during a government shutdown years ago, and support organizations are preparing to step up to help again.
“They're deployed overseas; they're along the coast, ready to staff boats and helicopters. But it's a time that they should enjoy, and unfortunately, the threat of a government shutdown weighs very heavily on them," said Ronald LaBrec, the chief marketing and communications officer for the Coast Guard Foundation.
But not getting paid for that work, especially if the government shuts down, can have a significant impact on their families.
Watch related coverage: House Republicans unveil slimmed-down funding bill
“Many of them are young families, and they certainly could struggle if they're not paid for a protracted period of time. And so going into the holiday season with that looming over their heads, it's a morale killer," said LaBrec.
The hope now is that, with the Christmas spirit in mind, a deal can be reached by Friday’s deadline so these worries can be set aside during the holiday season.
“Get the job done. We're here in the Senate. We're waiting; send us that bill. We're going to pass it promptly," said Kaine.
Government shutdown or not, the Coast Guard Foundation encourages service members in need to reach out. You can find more information on how to do that here.
