Nita Lowey: “The Trump shutdown is now in its 20th day. More than 800,000 Federal employees are going without pay, many while they…”

“The Trump shutdown is now in its 20th day. More than 800,000 Federal employees are going without pay, many while they are still working and the American people are being denied vital services. Due to President Trump's shutdown over his demands for a wasteful border wall, the Food and Drug Administration cannot conduct routine inspections for food safety and has slowed evaluation of new drugs and medical products. USDA is no longer able to provide farmers and rural communities with loans and grants to assist housing, utilities, or economic development. And approximately 40 million Americans who depend on SNAP for food assistance, including more than 3 million New Yorkers, have faced unnecessary fear and uncertainty about whether they are weeks away from going hungry. House Democrats have passed bills to open the government, but the President and Senate Republicans continue to obstruct instead of working with us to get the people's business done. In my judgment, the solution to this crisis is simple: Let's pass the bills where we can agree, where there is bipartisan support, and let's extend funding for Homeland Security for 30 days--1 month--to allow time for negotiation on border security and immigration policy. This seems to me, in my judgment, to be fair, to be thoughtful, and to be the way for us to get together and open this government. I do hope that my colleagues across the Capitol come to their senses and stop this ridiculous Trump shutdown.…”