Representative Sheila Jackson Lee Urges Speaker Boehner to End the Republican Shutdown

Statement

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, joined by 199 Democrats, sent a letter to House Speaker Boehner today demanding a vote on a piece of legislation that would end the shutdown and fund the government. A vote on the legislation would open the entire federal government immediately. The Congresswoman released the following statement:

"Today I am headed back to my District to hear from my constituents regarding how this Republican tactic of shutting down the government is impacting their everyday lives. I believe this short window to go home is important for me to take their message back to Washington in order to make sure we open the government and America pays it bills. People are suffering and are stressed. Today marks the fifth day of the government shutdown and yet House Republicans continue to take our nation on their dangerous, ideological path that is threatening job growth, leaving families with less security and our country with less certainty and stability.

"Our message is clear, we demand a vote to end the shutdown and reopen our entire government so Americans can move on with their lives. Since the shutdown, House Democrats have tried seven times to bring up a vote on the Senate-passed continuing resolution, which would fund government at levels passed by both chambers of Congress and end the shutdown immediately. However, House Republicans blocked a vote on each of the Democrats' measures.

"House Republicans continue to drag out this damaging shutdown by voting a cynical, piecemeal approach to funding government. This is no way to govern and no way to run the largest economy in the world. It is time for House Republicans to drop the political games and join Democrats to bring a vote to the floor immediately to end the shutdown and get our government working again for the American people. This unnecessary shutdown is having a devastating impact on our economy, costing more than $300 million in taxpayer dollars a day, halting much-needed loans to small businesses, and forcing roughly 800,000 federal employees that work hard to make our nation a safer and better place to live to be furloughed."

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