Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. File photo
The government shutdown over Republican President Donald Trump’s demand to get $5 billion appropriated by legislators for a border wall has drawn a response from Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.
The Republican congressman called the shutdown “costly, unnecessary, and demonstrate a failure to lead from both parties.”
As of Monday morning, the shutdown, which impacted close to a million federal employees, continued and had no immediate end in sight.
The most important way to stop gangs, drugs, human trafficking and massive crime is at our Southern Border. We need Border Security, and as EVERYONE knows, you can’t have Border Security without a Wall. The Drones & Technology are just bells and whistles. Safety for America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018
CNN reported that federal employees that are deemed necessary will continue to work, but their pay will be withheld under after the shutdown. The majority of federal employees, however, have been placed on furlough and will not report to work until the shutdown is over. Congress is able to fund retroactive pay for furloughed workers, but the move is not guaranteed
The shutdown is the third in 2018. There have been 19 previous shutdowns and only one in the 21 Century before 2018.
Below is Fitzpatrick’s statement:
Government shutdowns are not an effective way to govern. They’re costly, unnecessary, and demonstrate a failure to lead from both parties. While I strongly believe that we must secure our border and fix our broken immigration system, Congress had plenty of opportunities to act and failed each time. Earlier this year, I voted for a compromise bill that would have secured our borders and protected DACA recipients. Unfortunately, that measure failed to make it out of the House.
I have not, and will not, vote to shut down the government. It’s the basic duty of Congress to fund the federal government. Shutdowns disrupt government services, compromise national security, and cause uncertainty for federal employees. Critical funding for programs like the Violence Against Women Act lapse. Congress should follow the way the American people run their businesses and manage their families: lead by example to build consensus and solve problems in a dignified, honorable manner.
I will be leading by example. I will not accept any pay during any government shutdown. I am not delaying my pay; I am sending it back to the United States Treasury. And I am not only encouraging, but I am urging, all my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to do the same. Let’s send a message to the extreme partisans on both sides: do your job or don’t get paid.
As we await action from the Senate, I remain willing to work with both sides to find solutions and keep the government open.
