Brownley Statement on Republican Shutdown of the Federal Government

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement regarding the shutdown of the federal government. Instead of working with Democrats to protect Americans' access to affordable health care, President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress failed to pass a responsible funding plan to keep the government open. Their refusal to negotiate a fair, bipartisan solution has left most federal government functions unfunded, triggering a shutdown that halts critical government services for Americans and halts pay for millions of families, workers, and communities across the country.

"Today, for the third time under the Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress, the federal government has entered a shutdown, forcing millions of Americans to pay the price for their inaction.

"Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House - the three bodies necessary to fund the government. Instead of negotiating with Democrats to find common ground, as Democrats have done when they held the majority, House Republicans have chosen to cancel votes, skip town, and shut down federal agencies.

"This is a crisis of their own making, driven by political theater rather than concern for the health, safety, and security of the American people. Their actions are reckless, morally indefensible, and they put billionaires above the lives of working families. My Democratic colleagues and I will not be complicit in their failure.

"Democrats have consistently offered a fair, bipartisan path forward: a spending plan that strengthens health care, invests in public health, and helps families make ends meet. Yet the Republican majority has ignored every opportunity to address the healthcare crisis their 'Big Beautiful Bill' created, opting instead to shut down the government.

"House Democrats remain ready to negotiate a fair, bipartisan spending bill, but we will not compromise when it comes to protecting the healthcare of the American people and lowering everyday costs.

"I will continue doing everything possible to bring Congressional Republicans back to the negotiating table and reopen the federal government immediately. We cannot allow extremists to thrust our economy into chaos, plunge millions of Americans into unemployment and poverty, and deprive children and our most vulnerable populations of vital services and resources. Our focus must be on solutions that strengthen health care, lower costs, and put working families first."

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Issues: 119th Congress, Budget