Joint Statement From Leaders Schumer And Pelosi On Democrats’ Action To End The Trump Shutdown
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and
Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released the following statement on
Democrats’ legislation to end the Trump Shutdown, consisting of six full-year
appropriations bills, which passed the Senate on the floor or in committee with
strong bipartisan support, and separately a CR until February 8 for Homeland
Security, the same timing that passed the full Senate unanimously:
“While
President Trump drags the nation into Week Two of the Trump Shutdown and sits
in the White House and tweets, without offering any plan that can pass both
chambers of Congress, Democrats are taking action to lead our country out of
this mess. This legislation reopens government services, ensures workers
get the paychecks they’ve earned and restores certainty to the lives of the
American people.
“The
President is using the government shutdown to try to force an expensive and
ineffective wall upon the American people, but Democrats have offered two bills
which separate the arguments over the wall from the government shutdown.
The first bill would reopen all government agencies except for the Department
of Homeland Security – not taking a position on the President’s wall. It
would simply continue the funding levels and language that both parties have
already supported. The second bill would extend the Department of
Homeland Security’s funding through February 8th, which Republicans already
supported in recent weeks.
“If
Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans refuse to support the first bill, then
they are complicit with President Trump in continuing the Trump shutdown and in
holding the health and safety of the American people and workers’ paychecks
hostage over the wall.
“It
would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate
Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already
supported.
“Once
the Senate passes this legislation and puts us on a path to reopening
government, the President must come to his senses and immediately sign it into
law.”
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