On the recordFebruary 8, 2019
We just experienced our government's longest shutdown. For 35 days in California, nearly 40,000 Federal workers were furloughed and denied paychecks because of the shutdown, and that number included Federal employees at the NOAA weather service station in my district on the central coast of California. Now, recently, I met with those workers to hear how the shutdown impacted them, and I can tell you that, although they were affected by the loss of pay, they definitely did not lose their sense of service. For over 1 month, right in the middle of rainy season, with the potential for serious flooding, these public servants didn't get a paycheck. They didn't miss one day of work, not one shift; and that is why, in large part, in our region, we were safe. I can tell you, from what I saw when I met these employees, these are employees who are not just doing their job for the paycheck. They do it for the weather; they do it for the science; they do it for the job security; but most importantly, they do it for the service to our Nation. As negotiations in Washington continue, we must learn from, we must be inspired by, and we must be motivated by not just my NOAA employees, but every Federal worker across this country who has that sense of service. We do that here in Congress. That is how we not only avoid government shutdowns, that is how we should govern. ____________________
