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VIDEO: Hoyer, Hill, Trone Visit Federal Agencies Affected by Trump Shutdown

January 16, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released a video after he joined Congresswoman Katie Hill (CA-25) and Congressman David Trone (MD-06) on visits to federal agencies impacted by the irresponsible Trump shutdown. During their visits on Friday, they filmed a video highlighting the dangers of allowing this Trump shutdown to continue and expressing solidarity with the 800,000 federal employees who have either been furloughed or forced to work without paychecks and the millions of Americans adversely impacted by the loss of government services.

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Click here to watch the full video.

Standing in front of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the three Members spoke about the need to reopen government and enable millions of Americans access to critical services that have been closed or reduced.

"There are 800,000 federal employees who have been shut out of working, and that impacts tens of millions of Americans," Congressman Hoyer says in the video standing in front of the FDA. "They're not on the job protecting your food safety, and they're not processing drugs that can save your life or make you healthy. …That's why Democrats have been working to get the government working again for the American people," continued Leader Hoyer while standing in front of NOAA. "We hope that Senator McConnell – who said just a couple of years ago that shutdowns are bad policy – will bring our bills to the Floor. Mr. President: open the government."

"Christy, from my district, she's a single mom, a veteran, has two kids – she's an air traffic controller who is now having to pick up extra work on the side to be able to pay her bills, and she's having to pay for day care. She's having to worry about these expenses that no federal employee, no person in our country, should have to worry about," said Congresswoman Hill, as she stood beside her colleagues outside the FAA.

"[Federal employees] need these paychecks," Congressman Trone said while standing in front of the FAA. "They're often living paycheck to paycheck, week to week, so right now they don't have food on the table, they can't pay their mortgage, can't pay their credit card bills. Interest is going to be a accruing to those bills. True leadership means you take care of your people, take care of your workers, and President Trump is not doing that. These workers can't ask their dad for an extra $400 million like the President did. They've got to make ends meet. Let's get everybody back to work."

President Trump has so far refused to end the shutdown he said in December he would be "proud" to initiate. Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to allow measures aimed at reopening the government to come to the floor for votes. The Democratic-led House, however, has passed seven measures already to end the shutdown, including Republican-written appropriations bills, and will have two additional votes this week. All of these have been rejected by Congressional Republicans.

To watch the video, click here.