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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) took to the House floor to urge House Republicans to advance a clean government funding package to avert a disastrous shutdown. Trahan delivered the floor speech just 10 days ahead of the looming deadline to keep the government open.

“It’s Republican shutdown déjà vu. Extreme MAGA Republicans are once again holding the American people hostage in exchange for dangerous policies and a politically motivated impeachment,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “It’s amateur hour, and the American people deserve better. Mr. Speaker, there are 212 Democrats standing by whenever your party is ready to grow up and do what needs to be done. We have 212 votes standing by to keep the government open, to keep veterans housed, and keep children fed. I encourage Speaker McCarthy and my colleagues across the aisle to avert this disaster before it’s too late. Put a clean funding package on the floor, and let’s pass it – together.” 

CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s speech on the House floor:

Trahan spoke about how a government shutdown would hurt working families and weaken our economy based on past shutdowns.

• The five-week partial government shutdown in 2018-2019 reduced economic output by $11 billion in the following two quarters, $3 billion of which was never recovered.
• The 2013 full government shutdown was estimated to reduce GDP growth by $20 billion.
• During the 2013 shutdown, consumer confidence fell, threatening the economic recovery following the Great Recession.  
• Government shutdowns ultimately add to the federal deficit due to the costs of stopping and restarting government programs. In 2013, the cost of the full government shutdown in lost work hours totaled over $2 billion.

Over the weekend Republican leaders unveiled a GOP-only plan to fund the government for 30 days that included steep cuts to many of the programs Massachusetts families rely on, including:

• Slashing funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program by 65 percent.
• Eliminating child care and Head Start access for nearly 200,000 children nationwide.
• Waitlisting 2.1 million women, infants, and children in need of food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The Republican plan fell apart after right-wing members announced their opposition to the package.

A transcript of Trahan’s remarks as delivered is embedded below:

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Congresswoman Lori Trahan

Remarks as Delivered

Floor Speech on Republican-Led Government Shutdown

September 20, 2023

Mr. Speaker, we have ten days until House Republicans force a catastrophic government shutdown. Ten days until the food assistance that nearly 50 million Americans rely on – including 6 million women and children –  is put in jeopardy. Ten days until seniors struggling with a Social Security or Medicare issue can’t get someone on the phone to get their benefit or to keep their coverage. Ten days until the loans small businesses depend on to pay their workers and keep their doors open are delayed for who knows how long.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen this trainwreck before. Republicans shut down the government for over a month in 2018 while they demanded billions in taxpayer funds for Donald Trump’s border wall – the same one that Mexico was supposed to pay for. That shutdown lasted 36 days, hurting families and reducing our economic output by 11 billion dollars, much of which was never recovered. And it only ended after planes were grounded at major airports due to the strain on air traffic controllers who were working around the clock with no pay to avert a major disaster.

But here we are again – it’s Republican shutdown déjà vu. Extreme MAGA Republicans are once again holding the American people hostage in exchange for dangerous policies and a politically motivated impeachment. And you don’t have to take my word for it – just listen to the demands from our colleagues across the aisle. One of our colleagues – a congresswoman from Georgia – tweeted that she would not vote to fund the government if Congress doesn’t pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Others are trying to roll back abortion protections for women serving in our military regardless of where they’re stationed. And to pretty much no one’s surprise, Speaker McCarthy has folded like a cheap suit on every single one of their demands.

But that still hasn’t been enough to get Republicans on board with this new plan – a breakthrough that would slash funding for the home heating assistance that thousands of families in my home state of Massachusetts depend on each winter, eliminate access to Head Start and child care programs for nearly 200,000 children nationwide, and cut off access to housing vouchers for 20,000 veterans and 90,000 seniors, pushing them closer to homelessness.

This deal hashed out by Republicans for Republicans was a disaster from the start, and the fact that it fell apart even quicker than it came together is embarrassing for the majority of this chamber. It’s amateur hour. But the stakes are too high and the American people deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, there are 212 Democrats standing by whenever your party is ready to get serious and do what needs to be done. There are 212 votes standing by to keep our government open, to keep veterans housed, to keep our children fed. I encourage Speaker McCarthy and my colleagues across the aisle to avert this disaster before it’s too late. Put a clean funding package on the floor, and let’s pass it together. That’s our job. It’s your job, and the American people expect you to do it. I yield back.

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