End the Government Shutdown

Floor Speech

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Mr. CISNEROS. Madam Speaker, the time has come for the President to end this shutdown and put our Federal workers above political bickering. Hundreds of thousands of Federal workers, many of them veterans, continue to show up to work every day without pay. TSA employees, FBI employees, air traffic controllers, coastguardsmen and women as well as many others continue to make the security and safety of our Nation a top priority.

One such person that I spoke to is Lupe Mejia. Lupe is a veteran, who currently works for the FBI on counterterrorism issues. Her husband also works for the FBI, and neither one of them is getting paid.

During this shutdown, Lupe has been going to food banks to keep food costs down. Paying the bills has become a struggle, and she is trying to do this all without dipping into their family savings, but it is getting harder and harder each day.

Madam Speaker, I say to the President that his shutdown is causing hardship to families like Lupe's all across this country. Thirty-four days is long enough.

Let's do what is right and pay our Federal employees, especially those who put their lives on the line for our country. They deserve to be compensated for the work they do and the security they provide. Let's bring sanity back to government, and I call on the President to tomorrow end this shutdown.

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