[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 15 (Thursday, January 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. CISNEROS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CISNEROS. Madam Speaker, the time has come for the President to 
end this shutdown and put our Federal workers above political 
bickering. Hundreds of thousands of Federal workers, many of them 
veterans, continue to show up to work every day without pay. TSA 
employees, FBI employees, air traffic controllers, coastguardsmen and 
women as well as many others continue to make the security and safety 
of our Nation a top priority.
  One such person that I spoke to is Lupe Mejia. Lupe is a veteran, who 
currently works for the FBI on counterterrorism issues. Her husband 
also works for the FBI, and neither one of them is getting paid.
  During this shutdown, Lupe has been going to food banks to keep food 
costs down. Paying the bills has become a struggle, and she is trying 
to do this all without dipping into their family savings, but it is 
getting harder and harder each day.
  Madam Speaker, I say to the President that his shutdown is causing 
hardship to families like Lupe's all across this country. Thirty-four 
days is long enough.
  Let's do what is right and pay our Federal employees, especially 
those who put their lives on the line for our country. They deserve to 
be compensated for the work they do and the security they provide. 
Let's bring sanity back to government, and I call on the President to 
tomorrow end this shutdown.

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