Dem senator reveals deal that secured shutdown's fate — says it was 'worth it' to stop federal layoffs

Democrats didn t get what they were looking for after pushing the nation into its longest shutdown on record but to Sen Tim Kaine D-Va that doesn t necessarily mean they came away empty-handed Kaine announced that although Democrats failed to achieve concessions on the emergency Obamacare COVID-era subsidies at the center of the -day standoff it was the resolution s language on federal employees that ultimately drew his assistance Kaine who brokered the bill s prohibition against reductions in force RIFs joined seven other Democrats to advance the ordinance MIKE JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT AFTER SENATE BREAKTHROUGH ON LEADERSHIP SHUTDOWN We reached a meeting of the minds at about this afternoon I walked into the caucus meeting with just a kind of deadpan face and they were like What s going on I stated We've got the language we need Why did they absolutely give me the moratorium on mischief on RIFs They needed my vote Kaine commented Kaine mentioned Republicans may have been more inclined to meet his demands on federal employees following Democratic victories on electoral process night last week in Virginia New Jersey New York and California The bill that cleared the Senate s filibuster hurdle on Sunday would fund the executive through Jan It also includes three of the regime s year-long spending bills language on the legislative branch agriculture and Veterans Affairs and military construction It did not include any language on extending the expiring Obamacare tax credits that Democrats had demanded Democrats led by Hakeem Jeffries D-N Y and Chuck Schumer D-N Y craved at least a one-year extension of those subsidies which are set to expire at the end of the year LEADERSHIP SHUTDOWN BECOMING LONGEST IN US HISTORY AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON OBAMACAREInstead Kaine secured a guarantee that the Trump administration would not conduct any more mass federal worker layoffs at least until Jan The bill also requires the establishment to reinstate the employees it let go during the shutdown with back pay included Ahead of the agreement he reached on Sunday Kaine had advised his party s leadership he might break with the majority of Democrats if it meant protecting federal employees from further layoffs He disagreed Kaine stated of his conversation with the minority leader I went to Sen Schumer at the start of this and informed him Here s where I am and here s where I m likely to be I m with you for a long time but if there s a path forward that can help this federal workforce which is so huge in Virginia you have to know I m going to be real sensitive to that Virginia has the third-largest federal workforce presence of any state according to research by the Library of Congress SENATE RETURNS TO WORK AS RULING BODY SHUTDOWN NEARS LONGEST IN US HISTORY OVER OBAMACARE FIGHTThe restrictions against RIFs could extend beyond the January lifetime of the spending bill The CR has a provision that automatically comes into the next CR Kaine mentioned referring to the short-term spending package commonly referred to as a continuing resolution or CR It's kind of wonky There s a separate provision that says once it s in it stays in unless it's affirmatively repealed CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWhen demanded if the governing body shutdown was worth it Kaine disclosed he thought so To federal employees who are not going to be traumatized by RIFs going forward Yeah he declared