Democrats in Their Own Words:Government Shutdowns Harm Hardworking Americans

Video Description

To hold these people hostage instead of just letting them do their jobs, which they want to do while we work out our differences, so wrong. This is democracy. And in a democracy, hostage tactics are the last resort for those who can't win their fights through elections, can't win their fights in Congress, can't win their fights for the presidency, and can't win their fights in the courts. The government shutdown of any duration would harm hardworking Americans and our economy. Why should we ask TSA officers to go without their hard-earned pay while they protect our airports? I'm a senator from Virginia. Some of the hardest effects of a shutdown will be seen in my state. If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most. Some, who right now, are trying to figure out how they're going to pay rent, how they're going to make mortgage payments, how they're going to keep college payments going, how they're going to keep the lights on, how they're going to keep food on the table. Had the government shut down, hundreds of thousands of people would not have gotten their paychecks. Federal employees would have been furloughed, sent home. Our military won't get paid. Head Start teachers won’t get paid. Our wildfire fighters won’t get paid. Federal prison guards won’t get paid. A government shutdown means seniors who rely on Social Security could be thrown into chaos. Our veterans could see regional VA offices shut down and support services put on hold. Shutdowns are not good for the economy. Shutdowns cost taxpayers billions of dollars per week. Shutdowns cost the economy billions of dollars. They cost businesses money. They could even cause a downgrade to the nation's credit rating. Families who benefit from WIC and other nutrition programs could see benefits halted. If this shutdown continues indefinitely, thirty-nine million Americans will risk not having enough food. They will lose their SNAP benefits in February. So that means American children will be going to bed hungry. It's unacceptable. The longer this shutdown goes on, the more Americans will be affected. Critical services and our economy are being threatened with poison-pill partisanship. Shutting down the government should not be a negotiating tactic. Hostage-taking is all they have left—a last gasp of those who cannot cope with the realities of our democracy.