Smucker Statement On Keeping The Federal Government Open

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-16) today issued the following statement amid negotiations to keep the federal government open:

"Over the last year, I have been actively working with Republicans and Democrats to address key issues, including Congress' inability to pass a budget and spending bills on time. It's unfortunate that Democratic leadership is now advising its members to walk away from these ongoing efforts and instead shut down the federal government.

"If Democrats shut down the government, millions of federal employees won't be able to work and critical federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health will stop their vital work. Our country could lose billions of dollars in economic activity, the health care for millions of children will be jeopardized, and our brave men and women serving in uniform won't be guaranteed their next paycheck. Importantly, this legislation also delays the implementation of punitive taxes that would hurt wages, job creation, and innovation in medical science and technology.

"While this legislation includes lots of good policies, I share the opinion of many of my colleagues that continuing resolutions are an imperfect mechanism to fund the federal government. But in the face of a government shutdown, the choice is clear. The American people deserve better.

"Lastly, I have been part of numerous bipartisan discussions over the last few months to improve border security and interior enforcement. A fix for DACA has been included in those discussions. If Democrats were serious about providing stability for the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients anxiously awaiting action by Congress, they would vote to fund the government and continue our negotiations."

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