Beto O'Rourke: “The government shutdown continues to harm the communities I represent and the more than 43,000 Federal employees in El…”

“The government shutdown continues to harm the communities I represent and the more than 43,000 Federal employees in El Paso who dedicated their careers to public service. The Federal district court in El Paso is one of the busiest in the country. It handles a large volume of immigration and drug cases, among many others. I recently heard from Maureen Franco, a Federal public defender, regarding the shutdown's impact in El Paso. In the U.S. Attorneys Office there, the prosecutors and public defenders are working, but not getting paid. In addition, their staffs have been furloughed. The result: prosecutors brought only 35 cases on Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, only nine people were brought into court. When our government works, the average is 55 a day. The same number of people are being arrested, but the shutdown means we are not prosecuting them in a timely manner. It is likely that these individuals are remaining in detention at taxpayer expense, costing us more than if the government were open. Justice is not being served, nor are the American people. Mr. Speaker, it is time to end the shutdown. Please allow an up-or- down vote. It will pass this House on a bipartisan basis. It will be signed into law by the President. We can reopen the government today. ____________________”