Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia acknowledged this week that he voted against the continuing resolution to reopen the federal government without fully understanding the negotiations taking place, citing his focus on recent elections in his home state.
Speaking after Sunday night’s Senate vote to advance legislation ending the 40-day government shutdown, Kaine admitted he had not been closely involved in the policy discussions surrounding the measure.
“I didn’t fully understand how dug in [Republicans] were,” Kaine said.
“I was so focused on the Virginia elections, I wasn’t in this discussion on healthcare to see how dug in they were.”
The continuing resolution passed the Senate late Sunday after eight Democrats joined Republicans to break a filibuster and move the bill forward.
Kaine was among those who opposed the measure, which sets temporary funding levels for federal agencies while lawmakers negotiate a longer-term deal.
Kaine elaborated on his position, explaining that his primary concern was preventing further disruption to trust in future negotiations between the Senate and the White House.
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“I need a moratorium on mischief,” Kaine said.
“Others are working on the healthcare thing. I trust them. Others are working on the approps thing. I trust them. I need a moratorium on mischief. Because if we vote to open, and then the immediate step next week is Donald Trump fires a lot more people, it’s going to blow up trust to get the full year deal.”
The Virginia senator’s remarks referred to his call for a temporary pause on personnel changes within the federal government during budget talks.
Kaine claimed that his request for what he termed a “moratorium on mischief” was partially addressed only after Democrats saw political momentum shift following the recent state elections.
“I’ve been preaching this moratorium on mischief for a month,” Kaine said.
“I think partly why did they finally give me the moratorium on mischief on RIFs? They needed my vote. But they also saw the election on Tuesday.”
Democrat Senator Tim Kaine admits on camera he’s been voting “No” on reopening the government and doesn’t even know why
He says he was focused on the Virginia elections and not paying attention to the details on the issues
We need term limits pic.twitter.com/JBJPwUXBuz
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 10, 2025
The admission that he had been preoccupied with Virginia’s state-level elections during a prolonged federal shutdown drew attention given that Kaine was not on the ballot this year.
He won reelection to the Senate in 2024 and does not face voters again until 2030.
Virginia … please start paying attention to your elected officials.
We seriously elected this mess over @HungCao_VA? ffs https://t.co/Ifh2Ndro1M
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) November 10, 2025
Kaine’s remarks also shed light on internal Democratic strategy during the shutdown, which began as party leaders sought to link government funding to an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Bull manure. Kaine and other Democrats used the shutdown as a means of riling up and motivating their voters. It had a benefit for the off-year elections. Now, Kaine is claiming ignorance. Don’t believe him. https://t.co/PkmvRSUNgR
— J Robert Smith (@JRobertSmith1) November 10, 2025
As the standoff dragged on, the economic and political consequences intensified, leading to increasing pressure within the party to end the impasse.
The government shutdown lasted more than a month, halting pay for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, disrupting services, and causing delays across multiple agencies.
The final breakthrough came when eight Democratic senators joined Republicans in voting to advance the spending bill.
“Sorry about all the pain we caused, I wasn’t paying attention” is a hell of a position to take. https://t.co/JpE3UU7HNn
— Matt Finkes (@MattFinkes) November 10, 2025
Senate records show the motion to invoke cloture on the continuing resolution passed by a vote of 60-40, breaking the Democratic-led filibuster that had kept the government closed for 40 days.
The House is expected to vote on the amended bill this week before sending it to President Donald Trump for signature.
Kaine’s focus on state elections during the shutdown negotiations highlights the growing divide within the Democratic caucus over how to balance national policymaking with local political considerations.
His acknowledgment that the party’s posture during the shutdown may have been influenced by electoral timing has added to ongoing criticism of how Democrats handled the standoff.
The Senate is expected to finalize its work on the measure Monday before forwarding it to the House.
President Trump has indicated that he will sign the legislation once it reaches his desk.
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