Rep. Payne, Jr. Issues Statement on Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As of 12:01 a.m., appropriations that keep the United States government operating lapsed. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., issued the following statement on the shutdown:

“Because Republicans in the House and Senate refused to negotiate in good faith with Democrats on a bipartisan spending bill, the United States government ran out of money at 12:01 this morning,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10). “Instead of working in a bipartisan fashion to actually govern, Republicans have lurched from one partisan shutdown crisis to the next.

“This morning, the Republicans shut down the federal government. No sane legislator wants a government shutdown. It is an embarrassment and a disgrace. The Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House, but they have failed in their most basic duty to keep the lights on.

“My Democratic colleagues and I simply want Republicans to enter into good-faith negotiations for a budget that fully funds the federal government and pursues bipartisan priorities such as funding community health centers, permanently reauthorizing CHIP, providing disaster relief, and protecting DREAMers.”

###