February 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 26 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page S1169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 66--REJECTING THE USE OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Smith, 
Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations:

                               S. Res. 66

       Whereas the Government shutdown that began on December 22, 
     2018 (referred to in this preamble as the ``Government 
     shutdown''), lasted 35 days before ending on January 25, 
     2019, becoming the longest shutdown in the history of the 
     United States;
       Whereas the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 
     the Government shutdown caused an $11,000,000,000 decline in 
     the gross domestic product of the United States, 
     $3,000,000,000 of which will never be recovered;
       Whereas the Government shutdown caused significant harm to 
     the United States by disrupting important activities and 
     services carried out by--
       (1) the Department of Agriculture;
       (2) the Department of Commerce;
       (3) the Department of Homeland Security;
       (4) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
       (5) the Department of the Interior;
       (6) the Department of Justice;
       (7) the Department of State;
       (8) the Department of Transportation;
       (9) the Department of the Treasury;
       (10) the Environmental Protection Agency;
       (11) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
       (12) the National Science Foundation; and
       (13) other Federal agencies;
       Whereas, according to the Administrative Office of the 
     United States Courts, the Government shutdown caused delays 
     and uncertainty within the judicial branch of the Government, 
     a branch co-equal with the legislative branch and the 
     executive branch;
       Whereas the Government shutdown created unnecessary chaos 
     and, in many cases, financial hardship for the approximately 
     800,000 Federal workers who were forced to go without 
     paychecks during the duration of the Government shutdown and 
     for the families of those Federal workers;
       Whereas the Federal workers working without pay or 
     furloughed as a result of the Government shutdown experienced 
     preventable hardship due to no fault of their own, and 
     Federal contractor employees affected by the Government 
     shutdown may never recover the entirety of their lost wages;
       Whereas private businesses working with Federal agencies 
     affected by the Government shutdown saw a reduction in income 
     and indirect consequences, including--
       (1) issues with obtaining Federal permits, loans, and 
     grants; and
       (2) in the case of small businesses with federal contracts, 
     not having enough work for the employees of those small 
     businesses;
       Whereas airports experienced delays during the Government 
     shutdown, as Transportation Security Administration agents 
     and air traffic controllers, who remained on the job, 
     dedicated to the safety of every flight, were forced to work 
     without pay in an already stressful profession;
       Whereas the Government shutdown--
       (1) suspended the use of E-Verify technology by employers 
     to verify the immigration status of their workers;
       (2) caused a 10-percent increase in the backlog of cases in 
     the immigration court system; and
       (3) forced members of the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs 
     Enforcement to miss 2 paychecks and suffer severe financial 
     hardship;
       Whereas the Government shutdown threatened public health by 
     hampering the operations of the Food and Drug Administration, 
     limiting--
       (1) the ability to address critical medical drug shortages; 
     and
       (2) Federal oversight of the food supply and medical 
     products in the United States;
       Whereas, according to the FBI Agents Association, the 
     Government shutdown inhibited the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation from carrying out the full operations of the 
     Bureau;
       Whereas seniors at the Maritime Academies were unable to 
     take licensing exams due to the Government shutdown, which 
     will significantly delay the job searches of those seniors, 
     and merchant mariners were unable to renew licenses;
       Whereas thousands of low-income senior or disabled 
     households were at risk of losing rental assistance during 
     the Government shutdown;
       Whereas small nonprofit groups across the United States 
     that assist the homeless and victims of domestic violence 
     were unable to access grants when employees were furloughed;
       Whereas, in the wake of one of the deadliest and most 
     destructive wildfires in the history of the United States, 
     the Forest Service was forced to suspend wildfire prevention 
     efforts due to the Government shutdown;
       Whereas the Government shutdown harmed the National Parks 
     and tourism that supports the National Parks, and resulted 
     in--
       (1) iconic Joshua trees being damaged and chopped down;
       (2) historical artifacts being stolen;
       (3) animals being harassed; and
       (4) sensitive habitat being trampled;
       Whereas the Government shutdown--
       (1) severely limited the ability of the National Oceanic 
     and Atmospheric Administration (referred to in this preamble 
     as ``NOAA'') to fulfill critical regulatory and resource 
     management responsibilities;
       (2) kept numerous fishermen off the water in New England 
     and other coastal areas because those fishermen were unable 
     to obtain required permits from NOAA; and
       (3) created a significant backlog of work on many critical 
     initiatives of NOAA; and
       Whereas the Federal Government has experienced 21 shutdowns 
     since 1976, ranging in duration from 1 day to 35 days: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) affirms that, no matter how long a Government shutdown 
     lasts, a Government shutdown causes unnecessary pain--
       (A) to Federal workers; and
       (B) to the people of the United States;
       (2) rejects the future use of a Government shutdown as a 
     negotiating tactic; and
       (3) believes that the Government should never resort to a 
     shut down again.

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