Sheila Jackson Lee: “I can attest to the importance of Emergency Disaster Supplemental Appropriations to the efforts of communities to…”

“I can attest to the importance of Emergency Disaster Supplemental Appropriations to the efforts of communities to recover following a disaster. Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey and are working towards recovery are grateful for the appropriations provided by Congress to address Emergency Supplemental Appropriations. We are in the midst of a government shutdown that is unnecessary and wasteful. Caught in the crosshairs of the government shutdown are eight-hundred thousand hardworking government employees who want nothing more than to do an honest day's work, and be fairly remunerated for their efforts. More than anyone else, this government shutdown imperils their financial security, which makes our country less strong. Mortgage and rent payments are going unpaid; credit ratings are being damaged; families are being made more insecure. This situation requires answers, and resolution for hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans caught in the middle. President Trump instead of ending his shutdown is threatening to take Hurricane Harvey Army Corps funding and divert it for the construction of his border wall. He plans to divert funds appropriated for Hurricanes Harvey, Jose, and Maria recovery to pay for his border wall is outrageous and immoral, and an affront to the millions of Americans affected by real disasters that have struck the homeland.…”