On the recordJanuary 23, 2019
Madam President, I come to the floor again to urge an end to the Trump shutdown, which is over a month old--the longest in history. Let's be clear. This is the Trump shutdown. The President called for a shutdown two dozen times, and he said he would be proud to own it. Regrettably, it is clear that he does not care about the impact his shutdown is having on families across the United States. He barely acknowledges their pain. If you needed any reminder of the low regard the President has for the Federal workforce, remember that on December 28, in the midst of the shutdown he instigated, he signed an Executive order that will freeze pay for the civilian workforce in 2019--assuming he ever reopens the government. With his announcement on Saturday, the President is now playing games with the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees and Dreamers, who, because of his earlier actions, could face the real threat of deportation. Meanwhile, his administration is playing favorites, rewarding those with deep pockets and good connections, forcing IRS employees back to work without pay to process tax returns, reopening the Department of the Interior to help pave the way for oil and gas leaks. For those without resources, it is often a different story. Recipients of Federal housing assistance, for example, are wondering what their status might be in the next month. FBI agents are worried about the effect the shutdown will have on active investigations.…





