Gluesenkamp Perez Releases Statement After Voting to Reopen the Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement after voting to end the partial government shutdown and fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at preexisting levels for two weeks as bipartisan negotiations towards a full-year funding package continue:

"I, like many of the people I represent, am horrified by recent events in Minnesota and am pushing for a transparent, independent investigation into the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

"ICE was prefunded by the Republican One Big Beautiful Bill Act - which I voted against - to the tune of $75 billion, meaning that they are able to keep operating during a shutdown.

"In a government that is increasingly bent around the power of one man, my vote to keep the government open reflects the urgency for Congress to maintain its oversight role. This isn't recess. You can't just take your ball and go home. There is an opportunity here to achieve some valuable structural reforms to the leadership and operations of ICE, such as ensuring ICE agents wear ID numbers and warrants to enter homes are signed by a judge, not a government bureaucrat.

"Shutting the government down also gives ICE the cover to stop responding to Congressional inquiries. My team has already received communications from regional ICE headquarters which state that the agency will not be fielding casework requests during a shutdown, which will make it significantly harder to track people who have been detained and get answers for their loved ones. The only thing that Congress reins in by shutting the government down is our own oversight authority."

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