[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 159 (Friday, September 29, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CONSEQUENCES OF A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. VASQUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VASQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to deliver a message on 
behalf of Native American youth.
  As the Representative of New Mexico's Second District with seven 
sovereign nations, I have heard from leaders from the Center for Native 
American Youth who are deeply troubled about their future. They are 
asking for Congress to be good relatives.
  Failing to pass an agreement means that over 30,000 Native parents 
and caregivers who are Federal workers are at risk of being unable to 
provide for their families.
  It means over 70,000 Native students in Head Start, BIE schools, and 
Tribal colleges and universities are at risk of a disruption in their 
education, harm to their mental health, and food security.
  I proudly represent Zuni, Acoma, Isleta, and Laguna Pueblos, and the 
Mescalero, Fort Sill Apache, and Navajo Nations.
  A government shutdown is a failure to uphold the Federal trust 
responsibility with real-life consequences that disproportionately 
impact Native youth and their families.
  Native youth from across the country are asking Congress to do what 
is right. Find an agreement. Be good relatives, not just in New Mexico, 
but across the country.

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