On the recordJanuary 24, 2019
This shutdown is causing fear, pain, and stress for thousands of families in central Florida. Now, this may be confusing to the President and to Senator McConnell, but to Brandon and his wife, who both have Federal jobs in my district and zero income coming in, it is all too clear. It is all too clear to Ralph, an Army veteran who is trying to juggle expenses for three children, including a special needs child. It is all too clear to Doug, who keeps sensitive equipment working at the airport, but now he is struggling to cover daily expenses while also taking care of his mother. It is all too clear, Madam Speaker, to my constituent Jeff, a Coast Guard retiree, now a civilian employee, who is working to raise money to help current Coast Guard servicemen. But Jeff himself is also not receiving a paycheck. Families like these--and there are hundreds of thousands of them--are real people with real pain. The President and Senator McConnell need to do the right thing and put an end to this destructive shutdown now. ____________________
