Eric Swalwell: “While the workers are going to still have to do the job and not get paid, much of the Department will shut down, and an…”

“While the workers are going to still have to do the job and not get paid, much of the Department will shut down, and an important part that will shut down will be Department of Homeland Security grants. I have had the opportunity in just the last few weeks to go and visit about a half dozen firehouses. I call them firehouse chats. I just pop in and meet with the brave men and women who are serving as firefighters in our community. If this shutdown happens, for example, we will see all of the assistance to firefighters' grants stopped. So the men and women who are responding to car accidents, building fires, God forbid, if a terrorist attack occurred, the people who are going to run into the burning buildings, who rely upon these grants to hire firefighters, to give them the equipment they need, that is all going to be stopped. So I am wondering if you have heard in your district or if you have talked to your law enforcement and public safety officials about the grants they depend upon and what it would mean if that funding just went cold.”