Senator says Congress will avoid a government shutdown

Congress will likely pass a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government and avert a shutdown while it works on a larger budget deal.

That's according to U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va, who spoke at a banking breakfast hosted by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce Friday. Kaine said he believes Congress will not reach a funding deal by the end of September — the end of the federal fiscal year — and will instead pass a resolution to fund the government through Dec. 10 at roughly its current levels.

The resolution, Kaine added, will give Congress time to come together on a larger budget deal that mimics compromise legislation spearheaded by Sen. Patti Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., passed in 2013 that set two-year budget numbers and helped alleviate the worst of the automatic budget caps known as sequestration.

You can read more of our recent shutdown coverage here.

"I am fairly optimistic we are going to get there and its going to be similar to Murray-Ryan in that we will eliminate some of those pressures," Kaine said.

Because Virginia relies heavily on federal government spending, the continued threat of shutdowns, furloughs and sequestration creates budget uncertainty that is hurting businesses in the Greater Washington area. Kaine added that any budget compromise would help reduce that uncertainty and help businesses plan and adjust to concrete budgets.

"You can adjust to a challenging number but how do you adjust to a question?" he asked.