Barrett: Senate Democrats Must Reopen the Government for Mid-Michigan Taxpayers
In case you missed it, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) wrote an op-ed published in The Argus-Press this week about the government shutdown, calling on Senate Democrats to support the clean funding bill that he and his colleagues passed in the House. This continuing resolution has support from bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate. However, all but three Senate Democrats are filibustering and keeping the government closed. In the op-ed, Congressman Barrett discusses the problems facing Michiganders during the shutdown, and he reminds mid-Michigan residents that he and his staff remain available to help get information and assistance from federal agencies.
You can read the op-ed here or below.
When the people of mid-Michigan give Uncle Sam his share of their hard-earned paychecks, they expect he’ll hold up his end of the bargain. A fundamental part of that agreement is that the U.S. government will keep our nation safe and provide essential services.
That’s why last month, I did my job to keep our government open and voted for a plan, free of partisan politics, to continue funding the federal government. But last week, Senate Democrats decided to shut down the government; stop paying our troops, border patrol agents, TSA agents, and other law enforcement officers; and cut off many of the critical services our most vulnerable depend on.
There’s no excuse for this shutdown. With bipartisan support, my House colleagues and I approved a clean continuing resolution, which simply extends existing government funding that was first put in place by Congress and President Biden. This seven-week extension would give Congress time to finalize a bipartisan, fiscally responsible annual budget. Democrats voted for clean, bipartisan extensions like this 13 times during the Biden administration.
A bipartisan majority of senators has now joined the House in voting to fund the government, only for Chuck Schumer and all but three Senate Democrats to block these funds to appease left-wing activists demanding a government shutdown. This legislation requires 60 votes to overcome the filibuster, so Democrats in the minority are keeping the government shut down.
To reopen the government, they have a laundry list of demands, including the elimination of a $50 billion investment in rural health care and reinstating taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants. Altogether, Senate Democrats’ unrealistic demands would cost American taxpayers nearly $1.5 trillion.
This is not just unreasonable, it’s harmful. This partisan charade is costing hardworking Americans their paycheck, which is why I recently co-sponsored the Eliminate Shutdowns Act to end the constant threat of government shutdowns once and for all. No longer would politicians be able to use an impending shutdown as leverage for their own agendas. I also co-sponsored bills that would keep paying our armed forces, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and other critical law enforcement officers who keep our homeland safe. Right now, our country is already suffering the consequences of the Democrats’ latest partisan shutdown scheme, as the brave men and women in our military are forced to serve without pay. I hope this bill passes, but it would be better for the country if Senate Democrats would stop playing games and get the entire federal government back up and running.
Our troops aren’t the only ones working without pay. Many other civil servants in critical positions continue performing their duties while their paychecks are delayed. Just in the mid-Michigan district I represent, 5,000 federal workers won’t get paid because of the shutdown. That includes federal law enforcement officers at a time when political violence is on the rise.
What’s more: Many public services are downsized or paused entirely while workers are laid off. This includes staffing at most National Parks, certain essential FEMA and disaster relief services, federal housing loans, small business loans, and more.
A few critical services will continue to operate during a government shutdown, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs. However, people calling federal agencies for help getting their benefits may experience longer delays than usual.
Please know that my staff and I will continue working for you throughout this uncertain time. You can contact my office by calling 517-993-0510 or by visiting barrett.house.gov. If you need help with a government program, we will continue working to get you the most information and assistance possible.
In the meantime, I will continue advocating for Senate approval of the bipartisan bill to reopen the federal government and restore services for mid-Michigan taxpayers.