Kaine Puts Focus On Defense Economy, Personnel In Kojo Nnamdi Interview

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine had some pointed words Tuesday night about the federal budget process and the potential for another government shutdown this fall — an outcome that would have direct effects on the economy of Northern Virginia.

"This is a philosophy that no other organization would follow because the basic summary is if we don't do something good, we will do something stupid," Kaine, a Democrat, said during a taping of the latest installment of "Kojo In Your Community," the live series by WAMU 88.5's The Kojo Nnamdi Show. The full interview with Kaineairs noon Wednesday.

The audience included active and former military members, and Kaine spent most of his time talking about issues confronting the Pentagon and contractors in the defense industry, which is a big part of his state's economy.

Personnel Matters

One point Kaine returned to several times is the idea that members of the military should receive credit for the training they receive during their service — a problem he says he hears about frequently from veterans. Kaine says he wants active duty personnel to have the opportunity to get civilian accreditation from their military training.

On the issue of federal employees whose personal data has been hacked, Kaine says he supports the Recover Act, which would offer $5 million of identity theft protection to individuals.

"A hack like this should not just leave people out there on a limb and vulnerable with no backstop," Kaine said about the Office of Personnell Management data breach. "The hack shouldn't have happened, and we ought to be a backstop for them."

Kaine also says that he is supporting Hillary Clinton's campaign for president rather than former Sen. Jim Webb, whom he replaced in the Senate.