Washington, D.C. – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to end the Trump shutdown and fund government agencies for the eighth time:
“On the 26th day of the Trump shutdown, I again voted to end the shutdown and fund government agencies. This shutdown has gone on for far too long. The American people deserve to have their government back at work for them, and federal employees deserve their pay. Our government must be better than this.”
“Every day the shutdown continues, the pain felt by the over 800,000 affected federal workers only increases as anxieties about how to pay rent, cover medical expenses, and provide for their families deepen. The more than 23,000 Maryland-based federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay have already missed one paycheck, and are now forced to contemplate the possibility of going an entire month – or even longer – without pay. I am glad to have voted to pass legislation to provide federal employees with back pay once the shutdown ends, but that does little to alleviate the pain of our nation’s public servants who went from living paycheck to paycheck, to paycheck to no check.”
“I am proud to have voted for each of the eight measures Democrats in the House of Representatives brought to the floor to end the shutdown and provide funding to government agencies. I urge Leader McConnell to bring these measures up for a vote in the Senate, and for President Trump to work with Congress to allow the government to get back to work in service to the American people.”
Since the 116th Congress was sworn in, Congressman Cummings has voted to open the government and fund key agencies eight times:
- Jan. 16 – Congressman Cummings voted to end the shutdown and fund the government through Feb. 8.
- Jan. 15 – Congressman Cummings voted to end the shutdown and fund the government through Feb. 1.
- Jan. 11 – Congressman Cummings voted to fund the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior.
- Jan. 10 – Congressman Cummings voted to fund the Departments of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other agencies.
- Jan. 10 – Congressman Cummings voted to fund the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.
- Jan. 9 – Congressman Cummings voted to fund the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.
- Jan. 3 – Congressman Cummings voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security through February 8.
- Jan. 3 – Congressman Cummings voted to pass a package of six appropriations bills that had all previously passed the Senate with bipartisan support.
