Bryce Reeves: Shutdowns Betray Those Who Serve

When I raised my right hand in 1990 and swore an oath as a newly commissioned Army officer, I never imagined the federal government would one day allow military paychecks to be cut off over a partisan political fight. Service always comes with sacrifice, but those sacrifices should never include watching Washington politics stop soldiers’ pay.

I lived through shutdowns in the 1990s, including the Christmas shutdown of 1995. It was wrong when Republicans forced it then, and it is just as wrong now with Democrats doing the same. Shutdowns do not punish Washington politicians. They punish privates, sergeants, and young officers and their families who cannot simply walk away.

That is why I have never believed shutting down the government is the way to win a political fight. There are plenty of ways to disagree. In Richmond in the state senate, I battle with Democrats every day, often passionately. But there are lines I will not cross, and punishing frontline government workers and military families is one of them.

A Senator’s Broken Promise

Virginia’s senior senator, Mark Warner, once believed this too. A few short years ago, he said a shutdown would be “particularly devastating” for servicemembers, rightfully reminding us that “Servicemembers should never be put in this situation. We urge our colleagues in the House to put our military and our country before politics.” Those were the right words then.

But today, weeks into the current shutdown, Mark Warner is voting to keep it going, holding the paychecks of Virginia’s 119,000 active-duty servicemembers hostage so he can protect a loophole that allows illegal immigrants to receive free healthcare. Virginia is home to the second-largest population of active-duty troops in the nation. While Mark Warner may not need a paycheck – he is the wealthiest Democrat in the U.S. Senate – our servicemembers do.

The Career Politician Problem

Warner once claimed, “I don’t want to be a lifelong politician. My view of public service is something you do for part of your life, not all of your life. That is why I’ve said if I am elected to the U.S. Senate, I will serve no more than two terms.” That could not be further from the truth.

From college onward, Mark Warner’s life has revolved around politics. While studying political science, he worked on Capitol Hill. He later raised money for the Democratic National Committee, managed campaigns, and worked for then-Governor Doug Wilder. Now, decades later, he is in his third term as a U.S. senator, having spent nearly his entire adult life chasing political power.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Mark Warner is that he is a businessman who fell into politics. The reality is that he has always wanted to be in politics, and he has become the very thing he once said he would never be: a career politician more interested in protecting his own standing than serving the people of Virginia.

Leadership Means Service

Mark Warner has never worn the cloth of our country. He has never stood a watch or gone without so others could have. He talks about service, but he has no idea what it means to live it. As the Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he should know better than to disparage or disregard the men and women who defend this nation.

Rangers lead the way. That motto guided me as an infantry officer, and it still guides me today. Leadership means solving problems, not creating new ones. In Richmond, that has meant working across the aisle without compromising principles and focusing on results that matter for people, not politics.

Putting Service Above Politics

That approach has produced results. As a Virginia Senator, I worked to expand the education benefits for the survivors and dependents of fallen heroes, so their children have the chance to pursue their dreams. I helped to ensure that Virginia’s veterans received the largest tax cut in state history because no one who has worn the uniform should struggle to make ends meet. I secured property tax exemptions for disabled veterans, recognizing the debt owed to those who came home with lasting wounds of war. And I advanced bipartisan reforms to cut costs for working families and strengthen public safety. That is what it means to put service above politics.

Virginia Deserves Better

Warner was once idealistic and pragmatic, even stating that, “The value of our system is that it’s constantly renewed by fresh ideas and fresh people.” Now, he only seeks to serve himself and the Democratic Party that fills his campaign coffers year after year. But he was right, Virginians do deserve a fresh face with fresh ideas in the U.S. Senate, and that is exactly what I intend to be.

It was wrong when Republicans forced shutdowns in the past, and it is wrong for Democrats to do it now. On this issue, there is no room for partisanship, only the responsibility to stand together and keep faith with the men and women who keep us free.

Bryce Reeves is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 1990 to 2002 and now represents Virginia in the state senate. A former Airborne Ranger Infantry officer, he commissioned through Texas A&M as a Distinguished Military Graduate, graduated as the honor graduate of his Airborne School class, and earned the rank of Captain in his 12 years of Army service.