New U.S. Senator Mike Braun on the federal government shutdown

SOUTH BEND, Ind.— Senator Mike Braun visited the ABC57 studio to talk about the budget stalemate, the government shutdown and more.

He told ABC57 he was in awe when he was sworn in as Indiana's junior senator by a fellow Hoosier, Vice President and former Governor Mike Pence.

"That moment was great! I was ready to go and I thought wow we're really going to go to town here. Needless to say it’s been an interesting time to be a freshman senator in DC,” said Senator Braun.

The businessman from Jasper said he is very frustrated by the budget stalemate and the shutdown.

"800,000 government workers are about to miss a second paycheck on Friday---and many are struggling to make ends meet some even forced to turn to food pantries and pop-up soup kitchens," said Braun. "I think that's pitiful, I think that's sad."

The Republican lawmaker said his very first piece of legislation would make his colleagues in Congress feel the same pain in the future,

The bill would deny a paycheck and back-pay to members of the House and Senate during a shutdown.

Senator Braun campaigned repeatedly with President Donald Trump and backs his $5.7 billion demand for border wall funding.

Despite criticism from some conservatives, Senator Braun said he also supports President Trump's new offer to give DACA recipients three years of protection from deportation proceedings to hopefully break the stalemate with Democrats.

Once the stalemate is over, Senator Braun said he hopes to get to work on the issues he campaigned on like lowering healthcare costs, rebuilding the nation's infrastructure and reforming what he calls a painfully slow federal government system.