Rep. Pettersen Statement on Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) released the following statement after Republicans and Donald Trump refused to work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution to keep the government open:

"For months, Democrats have begged Republicans to come to the negotiating table and build a path forward to address the skyrocketing costs of health care and find a real bipartisan solution to fund our government. Instead, Republicans repeatedly refused to bring Democrats to the table and moved partisan legislation that only kicked the can down the road for the second time this year and does nothing to lower the costs of health care for working families. Health insurance premiums will skyrocket across the nation if we don't act NOW. We don't have a week or day longer to wait.

"But once again, Trump is unwilling to do the right thing for the American people. We're now facing a devastating government shutdown which will have consequences for our federal workers who will be forced to work without pay, furloughed, or even fired. These are people who not only provide services we rely on, but they are also an essential part of our community and economy. Shutdowns jeopardize our national security and threaten our public lands, Social Security, veterans' benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare.

"I flew back to Washington to find a path forward, but my Republican colleagues failed to even show up to do the most basic function of our jobs. Donald Trump has shown time and time again that he doesn't care about the needs of working families. He has only ever cared about his billionaire buddies.

"I continue to be shocked by the dysfunction in Washington and unwillingness to do the right thing. Our country deserves so much better than this."