U.S. Senator and Bothell resident Patty Murray, along with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, released the following statements on the federal government shutdown.
Sen. Murray:
“Tonight I join with so many Washington families in being frustrated and disappointed that House Republicans have shut down the federal government over a crisis of their own creation. Shutting down the government over a law that has – and will continue to – provide Washington families with access to affordable health care is the height of irresponsibility and Washington state families deserve better.
“In the hours and days ahead I will continue to work to pass a bill to fund the government that is free from unrelated ideological attacks so that our state’s economy, our veterans, federal workers, and students don’t pay the price for House Republicans’political games.
“To be clear, this shutdown would be over immediately if Speaker Boehner would simply allow both Democrats and Republicans in the House to vote on the bill the Senate has passed multiple times to continue funding the government. But to this point, Republican leaders have chosen shutdown over sanity and politics over the many people who will be impacted by shuttering the government.
“Families from across the political spectrum are sick of governing by crisis and the uncertainty it creates for businesses and communities. That’s why for six months I have fought every day for the budget that I passed in the Senate to be negotiated with the budget passed in the House. But at every turn I’ve been rebuffed by Tea Party Republicans who insist that the only way to negotiate is by holding our economy hostage in exchange for outrageous political demands.
“I firmly believe that I would be doing a disservice to the families that I represent if I were to give in to this type of behavior. The last thing anyone should want is a government shutdown, but the days of a small political faction holding the entire nation back from addressing the much larger challenges we face must come to an end.”
Rep. DelBene:
“House Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for playing politics at the expense of American families and our nation’s economy. They refused to allow a vote on a clean budget bill, despite all indications that it would have passed with bipartisan support. Because of their unyielding and extreme demands, House Republicans have forced the federal government to shut down.
“For months, leaders in the House have been unwilling to negotiate with the Senate on a long-term budget. As a result of their reckless behavior, critical loans to small businesses will be frozen. Housing loans to low and middle-income families will be stalled. Pregnant women, new moms and young children could lose vital nutrition assistance.
“For as long as this unnecessary shutdown occurs, hundreds of thousands of public servants will be working without pay. When sequestration began earlier this year, I returned 8.2% of my salary back to the Treasury, and for the duration of this shutdown, I will return the remainder of my personal salary as well.
“Families, children, seniors, veterans and businesses across Washington state are counting on all members of Congress to work together and do their job. I will do everything I can to bring House Republicans to the table. We must end the brinksmanship and do the responsible thing, re-open the government and work on a long term budget.”
