Newly elected Virginia Rep. James Walkinshaw says that President Donald Trump’s administration’s threat of mass firing was an “amateurish attempt to negotiate” amid a looming government shutdown.

Walkinshaw, a Democrat whose Virginia district is home to many residents who are part of the federal workforce, talked with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli on Thursday and shared what he said everyone in Congress should be doing.

Listen to the interview below.

The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.