Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon led the House Democrats in debate to reopen the government. As part of her responsibilities as a newly appointed member of the House Rules Committee, she managed the rule for the Continuing Resolution on the House floor as Democrats attempt to reopen the government for the eighth time. 

The Congresswoman led this debate with the following remarks: 

"Madam Speaker, we are in day 27 of this government shutdown – the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history. Nearly 800,000 federal employees have now missed their first paycheck since the shutdown began. Some estimates state that these employees have lost an average of $5,000 each.

"These hardworking Americans are law enforcement officers and National Parks Service employees; EPA, FDA, and IRS employees, and so many others in dedicated federal service whose families are needlessly suffering.

"These employees are either furloughed or being forced to work without pay. Federal contractors aren’t getting paid and will not be eligible to receive back pay if Congress fails to act. This is not an acceptable way to govern.

"I may not have been a member of this body as long as some people here, but I don’t think there is a single member – Democrat or Republican – who does not care about securing our border. But it is foolish to think that keeping our government shut down will in any way help secure the border. Do you know what Border Patrol and Coast Guard members want more than a wall? They want their paycheck to come on time.

"Democrats have made it clear that we are more than willing to come to the table to talk about sensible border security, but the first step must be to reopen the government to get our country back and functioning as normal.

"This majority has already voted to open up the government 7 times. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to act on any of those bipartisan pieces of legislation – the same legislation, I might add, that has already passed the Senate.

"There are more than 100 freshman members of this body – comprising over 20 percent of this House – who have never worked in a functioning federal government due to senate inaction. All of our constituents, both republican and democrat, are suffering because of it.

"Let me share with you the traumatic impact of the shutdown on my constituents and Americans around the country.

"Jennifer, the wife of a Coast Guard Gunners Mate, wrote to my office detailing the hardships her family is facing due to this shutdown. Her husband has served in the Coast Guard for 19 years. They are used to stressful deployments and their children are incredibly proud of their father for the sacrifices he has made to serve our country. But now Jennifer is faced with new hardships: how to feed her family on a single-income salary; how she could make the holidays special while not knowing when her husband’s next paycheck will come; and how to shield her constant anxiety from her children.

"This is an embarrassment. Too many federal workers were already living paycheck-to-paycheck before their paychecks stopped. Having to put a mortgage payment on a credit card, deal with an eviction notice, or plead with a bank to delay a student loan payment should not be the reality forced upon hardworking federal employees.

"The debts these workers incur during the shutdown will follow them long after the government is reopened. The hits to their savings accounts and marks on their credit scores will serve as painful reminders that they are represented by a government that will put them in harm’s way over a policy dispute.

"Fran – a newlywed with a premature baby who spent more than three weeks in the NICU – has been without an income since her husband’s paychecks stopped coming in. Their child requires a special formula due to his premature birth, and her husband is now asked to work overtime without pay.

"The fear and anguish in these messages from our neighbors is palpable – it should resonate with every member of this body. These stories should keep all of us up at night. If we didn’t come to Washington to serve these dedicated and hardworking Americans, then just who are we here to serve?

"When the government does eventually reopen, fortunately, many of these federal employees will receive back-pay. But the plight of federal contractors is worse. The term “federal contractors” can conjure up an image of highly paid executives and CEO’s of private detention facilities, but they are not the ones harmed by the shutdown.

"Federal contractors are small businesses – cleaners, builders, and tech support workers – they are our neighbors who rely on these contracts to make their rent, to pay their employees, and to contribute to their local economies. The callousness with which these federal contractors are being treated is repulsive; they and their families deserve so much better.

"The American people deserve so much better.

"The longer Senate Republicans keep our government shut down, the worse things will get. The Small Business Administration has already stopped approving loan assistance and guarantee applications from commercial banks and small businesses – programs critical to the health and longevity of local economies.

"Security lines at the airport are long, and they will get longer. TSA has already been forced to close security lanes at major airports across the country. This is not because the hardworking men and women of the TSA do not want to keep our skies and our passengers safe, but because they are forced to take second jobs to pay the rent or look after their children at home because they cannot afford childcare. Without a paycheck, some cannot afford the gas or carfare to get to work at all.

"Just a few days ago, I met with Air Traffic Controllers from my district. They shared that not only is this shutdown impacting their current employees, but drastically impacting their recruiting efforts to hire and train this skilled workforce. Can we blame people for being fearful of taking a job that hinges on the federal government’s functionality, given what we’ve seen during this shutdown?

"A National Air Traffic Controllers Association official warned that if the shutdown continues to drag on, there may not be any air traffic controllers left working.

"Let me pause to make those statements abundantly clear – this shutdown is making us less safe. If it continues much longer, there will not be enough employees left to make sure passengers are safe to board a plane, not enough employees left to make sure planes are safe to land, and not enough employees to direct air traffic in our skies.

"If you think you are insulated from the effects of a government shutdown because you are not a federal employee, you are wrong.

"What I fear this administration, and our Republican colleagues in the Senate, have forgotten is that this is the people’s house. We have an obligation to work for them. Refusing to uphold that commitment, that promise, is a slap in the face to the American people. 

"Before I conclude, let me share with you one final story of how the shutdown is harming American families.

"Jessica is a mother of six with a special needs child, and her husband is active duty Coast Guard. She has been forced to tell her children they can’t have seconds at dinner because she does not know if she will have enough food for the week. Her daughter has an ultrasound coming up and she is unsure if she will be able to afford the specialist copay. She writes that she and her husband supported President Trump, but that after this she does not see, and I quote, “how we could support someone so out of touch and willing to damage so many people in order to save face.”

"Jessica ended her message by saying that they are prepared to stand strong, but that she is also prepared to stand at the corner of an intersection with a cardboard sign if it’s what she has to do to feed her family.

"This is not the America I was raised in. Let’s end this shutdown today and get our country back on track."

###

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon represents Pennsylvania's fifth congressional district. She currently serves as a member of the House Rules Committee and Judiciary Committee.