On the recordJanuary 15, 2019
I can't even account for this historic and devastating Trump shutdown. When I say I can't account, I can't believe that the government is now in the mix of a shutdown that has such far-reaching proportions of impact, negative impact: not only my constituents who work for so many Federal agencies, from TSOs to Border Patrol, to Customs and Border Protection, to air traffic controllers, but those around the Nation-- the two Federal employee family that is now going into their son's scholarship fund, the young mother who now needs food assistance, those who are on the SNAP program, those who live in public housing, those who are disabled. Is there any empathy or sympathy in the White House to begin intelligent and informed negotiations, allowing us to negotiate border security after the fact but open the government now so that people can be paid? Madam Speaker, people are asking me whether their healthcare coverage is going to lapse because they are not being paid. People are asking about whether or not the credit scores that are impacted by not being able to pay your bills, how they are going to make amends for that; about the mortgages or the rent to landlords who are being insensitive. Madam Speaker, the bottom line: Open the government, Mr. Trump, for the American people. ____________________
