In the News

WSLS Roanoke
By Morgan Donnelley
© November 22, 2011
Full story here

United States Senator Mark Warner says the super committee's announcement is embarrassing and disappointing.

“91 percent of Virginia’s think congress is dysfunctional, I am part of that 91 percent, I think it is inexcusable that there was still an unwillingness to put the country ahead of ideological positions,” says Senator Warner.

But many of our leaders had faith the committee could work together. Two weeks ago, congressman Morgan Griffith told Jay Warren, "I hope they will be able to come to an agreement, obviously the bigger the better but as far as an agreement but if they can get an agreement on the small end than we have to move forward.”

Like Warner, Griffith now says he too is disappointed. In a statement released Monday he says, "After months of negotiations, the result is a stalemate, which offers no clear path for reducing our massive debt."

Former Governor Tim Kaine also released a statement saying "there are good models on the table--the Simpson/Bowles proposal and the gang of six--that can be the basis of a meaningful solution that will avoid harmful cuts to defense and health care, cuts that have a particularly negative impact on Virginia."

Going forward Warner says he will push the Gang of Six bipartisan plan, which would cut almost 4 trillion dollars.

"There are many members of the senate many members of the house who are willing to put country first, we just got to keep fighting and we need people across Virginia, this isn't too important to just leave for politicians,” says Warner.

In the meantime both the deficit and Washington’s problems continue to grow.