January 24, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 15 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H1194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, across this country and in my hometown of 
Sacramento, President Trump is inflicting unnecessary harm to our 
Federal workers, our economy, and the health and safety of the American 
people.
  I have heard from my constituents across my district that this 
shutdown is disrupting their lives. Many Federal workers are 
frustrated. They just want to return to work. Yet, now they can't work, 
or they are working without pay. They can't pay their bills. The 
consequences of this shutdown affect us all.
  I have heard from a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who answered the call to 
serve his country for over 20 years and retired with honors. Now, 
because of the shutdown, his pension isn't being processed. He is 
worried about his bills, and is heartbroken that this country he served 
for so many years is not honoring its promise to take care of him in 
return.
  Another person who is a TSA agent working without pay at Sacramento's 
airport said it is hard to concentrate at work when she is thinking 
about the bills stacking up. She is able to pay for January's rent with 
savings, but if this shutdown continues through February, she will not 
have enough money for rent, leaving her to choose between being evicted 
or moving out on her own and becoming homeless.
  Our Federal workers deserve an employer that honors its promises and 
provides for its workforce. It is time for President Trump and Majority 
Leader McConnell to fully fund the government and put an end to the 
pain and suffering of the American people.

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