The Hill Report: Week of September 30 - October 4, 2013

Statement

This week, the federal government shut down due to Senate Democrats' refusal to come to the table and work with House Republicans. The House sent three plans to the Senate last week, over the weekend, and on Monday to keep the government open and protect Americans from ObamaCare. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats rejected all three plans -- including our plan to delay ObamaCare for one year and end the health care subsidy for Members of Congress and staff -- and even refused our request to appoint conferees from both Chambers to negotiate.

To help provide relief to the American people during the shutdown, House Republicans moved forward on several bills this week to keep key parts of the federal government running. We passed responsible bills ranging from opening national parks and museums to providing funding for cancer research and veterans' services. I strongly believe that our nation's World War II Veterans should be allowed to visit their own memorial during the shutdown and proudly joined the Texas Republican delegation in greeting a group of Texans on their Honor Flight trip today at the World War II Memorial. Due to a time conflict they couldn't get off the bus, but we were all there to greet them and let them know that we support them.

Moving forward, we will continue to consider bills this weekend and next week that address critical programs such as food safety, border security, and national weather services. I believe that this is the responsible approach and I will continue to work to provide relief for the American people until Senate Democrats finally sit down with us to reopen the government.

Information regarding the government shutdown

During the government shutdown, my office will remain open for business to continue serving the people of the 32nd Congressional District. However, due to employee furloughs, we will have limited staff and will be focused on addressing constituents' emergency situations.

Should you need immediate assistance, please contact my Dallas office972.392.0505 or my DC office at 202.225.2231. If you would like to share your thoughts with me on an issue, send me an email. For answers to frequently asked questions regarding a government shutdown, view this document provided by the House Republican Conference.

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