On the recordJanuary 9, 2019
It is time for this administration to choose people over politics. As we are talking about the shutdown, the stories of real people are getting lost in the mess created by this administration. I want to share the serious impact of the shutdown on my constituents and Americans around the country. These stories come from hardworking families, like newlyweds in my district who just had a premature baby. They spent 3 weeks in the NICU and are just now getting back home. They told me: ``We have so many bills and a mortgage, and the shutdown happened just as we are sending in our first mortgage payment. Our baby requires special formula because he was not able to breastfeed. My husband has been asked to work overtime and is not getting paid. We are scared about how we are going to get by.'' This is a national crisis, one our President has created, and we have a responsibility to fix it. I call on the White House, my colleagues across the aisle, and their colleagues in the Senate to stop holding our government hostage and allow the government to reopen as we debate effective and humane border security.
