On the recordJanuary 9, 2019
It is with great disappointment that I rise today on the 19th day of this unnecessary and reckless government shutdown. Just last week, this body passed the very same Republican funding bills that would open the government and keep Americans safe and secure. My community in south Florida is home to one of the biggest airports in our Nation, Miami International Airport. Just yesterday, 130,000 passengers passed through the airport. Yet, TSA employees, air traffic controllers, and Customs and Border Protection agents who inspect international cargo are forced to work without pay, and must deal with the unbearable decision of choosing between paying for healthcare or putting food on the table. Nearly a quarter of the households in my district rely on food stamps. If this shutdown continues, these families are at risk of losing access to food. There is absolutely no reason why families should be evicted from their homes or go hungry because their nutrition benefits were left unprocessed. There is absolutely no reason why the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, and our national treasures around the country, must continue to rely on the kindness of devoted volunteers to keep them from deteriorating. Mr. Speaker, I have been through a shutdown before. I oversaw 125,000 employees at HHS during the longest shutdown. No one wins in a shutdown. It was painful. ____________________
