Government Shutdown

Floor Speech

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Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share the stories of hardworking Granite Staters who are feeling the pain of this shutdown on its 26th day.

Middle-class families in New Hampshire are suffering because politicians in Washington can't complete the most basic task of governing. They are fed up with the gridlock and endless delays. They are exhausted by the partisan political excuses. They just want us to do our jobs and reopen the Federal Government.

This weekend, I met with an air traffic controller from Derry. He told me that his coworkers are not going to be able to pay their mortgages and keep up with household bills if the shutdown goes on any longer. He explained that they are intensely proud of the service they provide to the American people and simply want to do their jobs and get paid on time. Is that really too much to ask?

Mr. Speaker, let's reopen our government for the sake of every Federal employee who works tirelessly to keep the traveling public safe.

Two fire departments in my district, in Goffstown and Hampton, have applied for SAFER grants through FEMA. They needed the process to begin in December in order to get approval at town meetings in March. The shutdown has blocked the review of these applications.

Mr. Speaker, let's reopen our government so local fire departments and first responders can get the resources they need to protect our communities.

The spiraling effects of this shutdown are becoming more apparent each and every day. The Manchester Transit Authority is concerned about whether they will be able to keep buses running, since they haven't been able to draw on Federal funds since December.

In addition, crisis centers in New Hampshire haven't been able to access the funding they typically receive from the Office of Violence Against Women to assist survivors of sexual and domestic violence. That is completely unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, let's reopen our government so people can get to work on time and local organizations can continue to support victims of crime and abuse.

The President says this shutdown is necessary to protect the American people, yet every story I hear in my district demonstrates this shutdown is making us less safe. The longer our government remains closed, the less secure our country will be.

Mr. Speaker, this shutdown has shown us the worst of Washington, the dysfunction and the political gamesmanship that has no regard for people's lives. But it is also bringing out the very best of people in my State, their sense of decency and patriotism, their willingness to lend a helping hand to neighbors in need.

Granite Staters have been banding together to help Federal workers in a variety of ways, from offering no-interest loans to offering food donations. The Wood Island Life Saving Station Association is giving gift cards to Coast Guard personnel in Portsmouth to help them make ends meet while they work without pay.

People in our communities are coming together to support everyday Americans who are the victims of this shutdown, so why can't our leaders in Washington do the same?

To my colleagues from across the aisle, to our colleagues in the Senate: End this shutdown now. Let's move forward with the people's business. We need to reopen the government, and we need to do it before this bad situation gets any worse.

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