Virginia senator says Trump must come to table on healthcare as federal workers ask for relief

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A day after the largest union representing federal workers urged for lawmakers to end the government shutdown, a Virginia lawmaker says it will take President Donald Trump coming to the table on healthcare.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said Tuesday, Oct. 28 that the 28-day-long shutdown could be solved "in a couple hours," if Republicans and President Trump had a plan on healthcare.

This comes after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) called on lawmakers to end the shutdown and get them back to work immediately.

AFGE represents more than 800,000 government workers who missed their first full paycheck due to the shutdown last week. In a statement on Monday, National President Everett Kelley said their struggle is unacceptable.

"It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today," Kelley's statement read. "Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay -- today."

Efforts to pass that resolution failed for a thirteenth time in the Senate on Tuesday.

When asked if his vote would change based on AFGE's comments, Warner said his priority was still resolving healthcare cuts.

"I want federal workers to get paid. I also want them to get back to work," Warner said. "But that requires as well, the president to sit down and meet with us on healthcare."

Warner said other lawmakers are still working on bipartisan legislation to keep federal employees paid through the shutdown. He said he would take a look at that.

"All of this is imminently solvable. I think it could get done in a couple hours, in a room," Warner said. "But my fear is, there's going to be no real Republican plan... unless Donald Trump is in the room."

8News reached out to AFGE for a response to Warner's comments. We will update this story when we hear back.