Rep. Hanabusa Issues Statement on Government Shutdown

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa issued the following statement about the government shutdown that will occur at midnight on Friday, Dec. 21, 2018.

“It is unfortunate that in the midst of the holiday season President Trump is forcing more than 420,000 federal workers to continue on the job without pay. Hopefully, after quick reflection, the president and his enablers re-think this approach to funding the government.

“He chooses the Christmas season to pander to his base and shutdown the government because Congress refuses to pay nearly $6 billion for a wall along the southern border that is nothing more than a political talking point for his next campaign.

“Ironically, by shutting down the government, he is ensuring that nearly 107,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and Transportation Security Administration workers will be forced to defend our borders with the added stress of an immediate loss in pay.

“The ‘law and order’ president just assured that 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers, including 13,709 FBI agents, 4,399 DEA agents, and 16,742 Bureau of Prisons correctional officers will lose money before Christmas.

“In Hawai‘i, where we are dependent on our visitor industry to drive our economy, our national parks will be forced to shutter operations during one of their busiest seasons. Our farmers, already reeling from historic wet weather in the islands, won’t have access to county service offices or federal aid. Small business loans won’t be issued.

“Thankfully, our DOD workforce in the islands was previously funded through the current fiscal year.

“What is most upsetting is that Congress did its job. For the first time in about a decade, through the regular order, we finished significant portions of the appropriations process in bipartisan fashion. We reached an agreement on the final package of spending bills only to have Trump shut it down after Freedom Caucus members pushed him. A lot of this is part of Trump’s efforts to change the narrative after Secretary Mattis’ stunning resignation.

“The only adult in the room stepping down would have been more negative if Trump didn’t engage in his art of deflection.

“Americans deserve much better from the office of the president.”