Veronica Escobar: “Today, on the 26th day of the Trump shutdown, I rise on behalf of Lauren, an El Pasoan in my district on the U.S.-Mexico…”

“Today, on the 26th day of the Trump shutdown, I rise on behalf of Lauren, an El Pasoan in my district on the U.S.-Mexico border. Lauren is married to one of our DEA agents, and he is one of nearly 10,000 Federal employees in El Paso. Every day, her husband puts his life on the line to serve El Pasoans and our Nation, and, last week, he missed his paycheck. Lauren describes the shutdown as discouraging and scary. They are struggling to make ends meet for their family of three small children. Lauren and her family, and the hundreds of thousands of Federal employees in America, should not have to face this dire reality and don't deserve this treatment. We must reopen the government now and give our public servants the pay they have earned for their honorable work. And I will repeat what I know to be true: The border has never been more secure or safer. Madam Speaker, we, in the House, have voted on a number of bipartisan bills to reopen the government. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to come together, end this absurdity, have some compassion, and do the same. ____________________”