On the recordOctober 15, 2013
This madness has got to stop. Yesterday, I heard from a local homeless shelter in Irvington, New Jersey, that is struggling to provide for the overwhelming number of homeless new mothers. These are new mothers who can't feed their babies now that their WIC benefits have been cut off. Because of the government shutdown, homeless shelters across New Jersey are running low on baby formula, diapers, and the food they need to feed these mothers and their newborn babies. This kind of story is shameful, and it is happening all over New Jersey. The pain I see in my district is very real, and it could get a whole lot worse. If we choose not to pay our bills on time, 1\1/2\ million people in New Jersey may not get their Social Security checks; 50,000 disabled veterans in New Jersey may not get their medical bills paid. Congress has two simple jobs right now: one, to open the government; and, two, to pay our bills on time. These are nonnegotiable. The Republican Tea Party shouldn't hold this country hostage. Let's get to fixing America's problems again instead of creating them. ____________________
