Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s planned trip to Asia during a remote media availability Thursday, calling it “the height of irresponsibility” as the government shutdown enters its 23rd day.
Warner expressed frustration that Trump plans to leave the country for nearly a week while federal workers and contractors go without pay and Virginians face dramatic increases in healthcare premiums.
“What about his whole notion that we’re going to make America great, that we’re going to put America first?” Warner said. “For him to jet off now to international meetings, which means that it’s virtually impossible to get this shutdown resolved because no Republican will do anything without Donald Trump’s blessing.”
The Virginia senator said Trump will be “out of the picture for another seven, eight, nine, ten days” while critical issues remain unresolved.
Warner highlighted the immediate impact on Virginia residents as the State Corporation Commission began sending out healthcare premium notices. He cited a breast cancer survivor in Virginia Beach who currently pays $248 monthly and will see costs increase to $453 monthly even with tax subsidies in place.
“If the subsidies are not increased, her cost will go up to $1,018 a month for health care coverage,” Warner said. “And if you’re a breast cancer survivor, you can’t take the risk of going without health care.”
The senator warned that many Virginians will face impossible choices between healthcare coverage and basic necessities like rent, car payments, or children’s activities.
“When that Virginian doesn’t have health care insurance and goes back into the bucket of the uninsured, what that Virginian’s going to do when he or she gets sick, they’re going to show up at the emergency room,” Warner said.
He explained that emergency room costs, classified as uncompensated care, get passed on to other insured Americans, creating a broader financial burden across the healthcare system.
Warner also warned that SNAP food assistance programs will begin running out of funding starting Nov. 1, compounding problems from earlier cuts to food benefits.
“This comes on top of the big ugly bill earlier this year, which is going to cut food benefits literally for millions of Americans, that’s going to get worse because of the shutdown starting November 1st,” he said.
The Senate rejected competing bills Thursday to pay federal workers during the shutdown. Democrats proposed paying all federal workers and contractors, while Republicans supported a measure to pay only employees required to work during the shutdown.
Warner criticized the Republican proposal, saying he “wouldn’t trust Russ Vought to pick my worst enemy” in reference to the Office of Management and Budget director potentially choosing which workers receive pay.
The senator expressed disappointment that traditional bipartisan negotiations have stalled, attributing the impasse to Republican reluctance to act without Trump’s approval.
“The challenge is none of my normal suspects, my Republican partners, and they’ll privately acknowledge they can’t do anything without Trump’s blessing,” Warner said.
Warner noted that Trump has met more frequently with foreign leaders, such as Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, than with Democratic congressional leadership during his first 10 months in office.
“That’s just not normal,” he said.
The senator emphasized that healthcare premium increases represent an immediate crisis, not a future problem that can be delayed.
“When my Republican friends say, oh, we can deal with this at the end of the year. Baloney. This is a reality now,” Warner said.
He warned that the combination of healthcare cost increases and reduced SNAP benefits will create unprecedented stress on emergency rooms and food banks across Virginia.
Warner specifically mentioned Southwest Virginia, where more than 100,000 people receive SNAP benefits, noting that the region’s food banks cannot handle the additional demand if federal assistance ends.
“Southwest Virginia voted strongly for President Trump. I would hope those voters would say, President Trump, stay home and get this resolved,” he said.
The senator also criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for keeping the House of Representatives “on a paid vacation for over a month” instead of returning to Washington for negotiations.
Warner said he has voted seven times to reopen the government while addressing healthcare cost increases, but Republicans have blocked these efforts.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Thursday that air traffic controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday and cannot guarantee flight schedules will remain normal.
“I cannot guarantee you your flight is going to be on time. I cannot guarantee your flight is not going to be cancelled,” Duffy said.
The shutdown affects approximately 147,358 federal civilian employees living in Virginia, with about 13,000 federal workers residing in Alexandria alone.
Warner, along with Sen. Tim Kaine, has introduced legislation to protect federal workers and contractors from evictions, foreclosures, and loan defaults during the shutdown.
The healthcare crisis coincides with the Nov. 1 start of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, making immediate resolution more critical.
“Donald Trump ought to stay home for a day or two, sit down with us, get the government open, get a plan to avoid this cliff so that people are not thrown into this marketplace literally November 1st with absolute horrific results,” Warner said.
Meanwhile, Governor Glenn Youngkin today declared a state of emergency to provide emergency hunger relief for Virginians in response “to the Democrat Shutdown causing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to run out starting November 1, 2025”.
Governor Youngkin shared the following statement in a press release.
“The Democrat Shutdown will cause SNAP benefits to run out for over 850,000 Virginians in need starting November 1, 2025. I refuse to let hungry Virginians be used as ‘leverage’ by Congressional Democrats. I am declaring a State of Emergency due to the Democrat Shutdown to protect hungry Virginians in need.
This is an extraordinary action and is only necessary because of the shamelessness of Congressional Democrats – including every Democrat in our entire delegation- who refuse to pass a clean continuing resolution to open the Federal government. I once again call on Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine to end this nonsense and vote to pass a clean CR.
The Commonwealth will provide food benefits until Congressional Democrats put the interests of Virginians in need ahead of their politics.
I thank President Trump and his Administration for their help as they continue to provide support to Virginians in need”.
According to Governor Youngkin, the State of Emergency allows him to expend emergency funds under sum sufficient authority to “protect the health, welfare and safety of Virginians”.
Editor’s Note: The city of Alexandria is offering resources and assistance to residents affected by the shutdown, including help with housing, food, utilities, and childcare.
