Ann Kirkpatrick: “The tribal leaders in my district join me in calling for a vote on a clean funding bill to restart our government.…”

“The tribal leaders in my district join me in calling for a vote on a clean funding bill to restart our government. Arizona's District One has 12 Native American tribes. These families are suffering, and our economy is taking a direct hit as a result of this irresponsible, unnecessary shutdown. House leaders have wasted precious time in offering nothing but a daily trickle of piecemeal bills that are going nowhere. These partisan games and this lack of urgency show a reckless disregard for the people, communities, and economies hurt by this shutdown. Today, as House leadership puts forth yet another piecemeal bill that will go nowhere, I would like to share some comments from my district's tribal leaders. These are in their own words. Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly said: The current piecemeal approach House Republicans are using to fragment tribal communities from the rest of the country is insulting. Tribal communities, like the majority of Americans, want a comprehensive resolution. Peterson Zah, the former Navajo Nation chairman and their first president said: Tribal issues should not be used as political props in this shutdown. Our kids, families, and elders are all part of the large community, and we all suffer from a shutdown. We need the House to vote on a clean funding bill to reopen the entire government.…”