BISHOP: LET’S DO OUR JOB SO THEY CAN DO THEIRS
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, released the following statement after the full U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to reopen the federal government by a vote of 234 to 180. This bill reflects government funding agreements negotiated by Republican and Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate last year.
"Yesterday, I took to the House floor to speak on behalf of our federal workers facing another missed paycheck and all the Americans who have been deprived the services from closed federal agencies due to this misguided shutdown. Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted for legislation to provide full fiscal year 2019 funding to six departments and the dozens of agencies that were struck by this unnecessary, partial government shutdown.
"The provisions included in this legislative package were previously agreed upon by my colleagues in both the minority and majority parties of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Had we voted on this package before, we certainly would not be in the mess we are in today. Furthermore, reopening the government will restart services that provide food safety inspections, the delivering of SNAP benefits and the issuance of loans to farmers.
"Today, I voted for a bill to provide the Department of Homeland Security with funding until February 28, which will allow DHS employees to receive their back pay and give Congress and the President the opportunity to negotiate further on border security and immigration policy. We should be focusing on Twenty First Century solutions like advanced scanning technology at the border, increased infrastructure and more border patrol agents, a - smart wall - that keeps our borders secure and safe. Let's reopen the government, pay our federal workers and get them back to work for their sake, their family's sake, and the sake of all American people. Let's do our job so they can do theirs," said Bishop.