NORFOLK, Va. — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) met with members of the ship repair industry on Monday morning, just two days after Congress avoided a government shutdown.
"You can't plan a business if you've got these kinds of peaks and valleys," Warner told reporters following the meeting.
Part of the challenge is the uncertainty coming from Washington.
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While Congress avoided a shutdown, the spending deal only lasts for 45 days. Lawmakers passed what's called a continuing resolution, which keeps spending levels the same as the previous year.
"If you've got a ship repair and you have finished your job and you have hope that somebody else is going to come into your dock and and be repaired, you can't even move the funds to do the repair because its continuing last year's spending levels," said Warner.
Members of the ship repair industry hope Congress will come to terms on a bill covering a longer time period to better help them plan.
"If we can get it to where we do get a spending bill, and at that 45 days we can do that, that provides the Navy with the assurity that the money is there, and what you'll end up seeing is a lot better execution of that money," said Bill Crow from the Virginia Ship Repair Association.
While the shutdown was avoided this time, the 45-day deal expires in November, setting the stage for another fight over funds.
"While I'm grateful that these men and women and their employees went to work this morning, they've got this overhang that in 45 days we could be back in the same spot," said Warner.
"Let's avoid this stupidity in the first place," he added. "Don't shut down the government."
