REP. GRAY: WE SHOULDN’T RUN A GOVERNMENT BY HOLDING HUNGRY FAMILIES HOSTAGE

WASHINGTON, DC- After his vote to reopen the federal government, Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13) published an opinion editorial in the Turlock Journal. In the op-ed, Rep. Gray writes:

"This shutdown has made one thing very clear: President Trump and his allies are far too comfortable using vulnerable Americans as political leverage. One of the first things they did during the shutdown was refuse to authorize emergency funds to cover food stamps, delaying SNAP benefits nationwide. In my district alone, more than 47,000 households - 21.1% of all families - rely on SNAP to put food on the table.

"No parent should have to choose between feeding their children and keeping the lights on because someone in Washington thinks chaos is a negotiating tactic.

"That's why I voted for a bipartisan agreement that takes food assistance off the table for an entire year. So when the next shutdown happens (and in this divided Washington, there is always a next shutdown) the president cannot use hungry kids as bargaining chips again. This agreement also protects veterans, small business owners, and federal workers from being turned into political weapons.

"It guarantees that federal employees laid off during the shutdown are rehired and receive back pay. It blocks agencies from mass firings while this funding framework is in effect.

"It keeps SBA lending authority open so small businesses, including the 16,560 small businesses in my district, can continue to access support.

"It funds VA medical care, mental health services, toxic exposure care, and women veterans' health. In our district, that matters to 15,734 veterans.

"Is this a perfect deal? No. But lasting policy in this country is not born of hostage-taking. It is born of compromise.

"This compromise solution took the pain off working families and put the pressure back where it belongs: on Congress.

"Going forward, my focus is simple: lower health care costs and protect the people I represent from becoming pawns in political games. I will work with any Republican or Democrat serious about doing the same.

"Governing requires difficult choices. Congress could have rejected this deal, kept the government closed, and watched families go hungry while we make a point. Instead, I accepted an imperfect compromise that protects the most vulnerable for a whole year while we keep working to save health care.

"Governing is not about winning arguments. It's about fixing problems and improving people's lives."

Read the full piece here.

###