Washington January 22, 2018 – Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on the government shutdown:
“This week’s government shutdown is regrettable and frustrating, particularly since it was entirely avoidable.
“For four months Republicans have promised a vote on the Dream Act. And for four months, they’ve kicked the can down the road. They even spent weeks passing a tax cut bill for the rich instead of working on a bill to keep the government open and help DACA recipients.
“Even Republican members of Congress are fed up. Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican, was promised a DACA fix by the end of last year, but he’s still waiting. That’s why both Republicans and Democrats said no to Mitch McConnell’s latest broken promise.
“Closing the government isn’t something I take lightly. But we’ve been debating the Dream Act for almost 20 years now, with constant opposition from Republicans. The solution is simple: allow a vote on the Dream Act as an amendment to a must-pass vehicle or lock in an iron-clad agreement that the Democratic caucus agrees with that would pass in the shortest time possible. Debating and voting on bills is what we were sent here to do, so let’s do it.
“Once we reach an agreement on the Dream Act, we can then turn to other priorities like providing disaster relief for wildfires and hurricanes, extending the Children’s Health Insurance Program, keeping community health centers open and battling the opioid crisis.
“Let me be clear: this government closure doesn’t shut down the military. It doesn’t end Social Security or Medicare benefits. VA hospitals will remain open. But the pinch for many other federal workers is real, and we need to get past this impasse as quickly as possible.
“I’ll continue working hard to come up with a solution that funds the government, protects DACA recipients and includes all the other key priorities that we need to support.”