Pence says federal government shutdown 'worthwhile'

But any good news he had to share was tempered by the ongoing dysfunction in Washington that has led to a partial shutdown of the federal government.

Pence, a Republican who served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected governor last year, said he’s monitoring the impact on Indiana.

Pence also said he believes the shutdown could be good for the state and the nation if it leads to changes in the Affordable Care Act — a law more widely known as Obamacare that Pence has opposed both as a congressman and as governor.