On the recordJanuary 17, 2019
As a freshman Member of this body, I take deep offense at the suggestion a little while ago here on the House floor by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that House Democrats are responsible for this government shutdown. To the contrary, their leader in the Senate has failed his responsibility to the American people to bring a vote to the Senate floor on any of the nine appropriations bills passed by the House that would reopen this government. A few days ago, I visited Turning Point of Lehigh Valley in my district, a shelter that assists survivors of abuse and their families and that has stopped receiving Federal funding as a result of this shutdown. When I return to my district tomorrow, I will be visiting with more organizations that have been similarly affected. The shelter has a long waiting list. So while it does extraordinary work, it already struggles to maintain the funding it needs to take in all those who are suffering in the community, and that is the case in many communities across our country. So, if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wish to do something constructive, they should go see their leader in the Senate and urge him to bring a vote to the floor. ____________________
