[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 5 (Thursday, January 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LET'S REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT

  (Ms. GARCIA of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this body has passed bipartisan 
bills to open up the government, yet this shutdown could become the 
longest one in the history of this country.
  My communities in Houston are feeling the real effects of this 
shutdown. Over one-in-five families in my district depend on food 
stamps. This shutdown continues to threaten their food security and, in 
some cases, their health and well-being. This issue hits our seniors 
especially hard, because over 11 percent of food stamp recipients are 
seniors and over three-quarters of those live alone.
  In Texas, almost 30,000 Federal employees are furloughed or working 
with no guarantee of a paycheck.
  At Houston's Hobby Airport, in my district, we may put air travelers 
at risk. TSA employees, air traffic controllers, and Customs and Border 
Protection agents are required to work without pay.
  No one should be forced to barter for their rent or food, be evicted 
from their home, or be forced to work without pay.
  We have passed bipartisan legislation to end this shutdown. Let's 
reopen our government and let's pay our workers.

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