[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SHUTDOWN IMPACTS ON AN IL-09 CONSTITUENT

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2019

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to include in the Record 
a letter from Antonio, a constituent of mine affected by this showdown:

       ``I am an air traffic controller at O'Hare. This is already 
     a stressful job, but a job that I love. This shutdown is 
     adding an extra layer of stress to all of the controllers 
     across the country. Our day off are the time that we have to 
     decompress from work and focus on mitigating stress. With the 
     shutdown going past a month, we are stressing about bills, 
     how to put food on the table, how to pay for childcare, etc. 
     We don't have the luxury of escaping from the stress of the 
     job, because we come to the stress of worrying.
       Finding out that our vision and dental benefits would be 
     billed to us, with the expectation that we pay out of pocket, 
     despite not having a paycheck for over a month, has only 
     added to that stress. This shutdown is going to be a massive 
     safety risk for the flying public if it doesn't end soon.
       Controllers will retire or quit to find another source of 
     income. It would be heartbreaking to have to leave this job, 
     that I love so much, because I had to find a way to feed my 
     family. It would mean a lot to me if there was any way this 
     could be distributed to the other members of Congress. I feel 
     it is a very important message for them all to see.''

  Everyday this week, I will be coming to the House floor to tell 
stories of everyday people who are affected by this Trump I Shutdown. 
It is time for President Trump to re-open the government and pay the 
hard-working Americans serving their country through public service.

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