Congresswoman Johnson's Statement on the Temporary Reopening of the Federal Government

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today released the following statement after President Trump announced a deal to temporarily reopen the federal government after a 35-day shutdown:

"I am relieved that our nation's 800,000 federal workers will at long last receive their hard-earned paychecks now that this shutdown is ending. It pains me to think the suffering they endured over the past 35 days was entirely avoidable, as the president announced his intention to agree to the very deal we proposed before this shutdown began. In spite of the president's stubbornness and Congressional Republicans' inaction, I believe we have come to the correct resolution, albeit temporarily.

"Once the government has been reopened, Democrats are willing to come to the table to discuss smart and sensible border security measures. Nevertheless, my position on the wall has not changed. It is an ineffective and insufficient solution to a problem that can only be resolved through comprehensive immigration reform. We will make every effort to avoid arriving at this same impasse once the three-week spending bill expires. We can never allow the lives and livelihoods of American federal workers and contractors to be jeopardized in this manner again.

"As we move forward, I express my hope that the White House and Republicans in the House and Senate will heed this important lesson and avoid entering into another government shutdown for the foreseeable future."

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