Message from the MAJORITY LEADER

Today, 800,000 federal employees across the country will miss their first paycheck since President Trump shut down the government. House Democrats are working urgently to end this Trump shutdown and ensure federal workers receive the pay they are due. The House passed legislation to reopen government last week – funding bills previously passed by Senate Republicans in the last Congress – and Senator McConnell refuses to take them up, so we voted on individual Republican funding bills to reopen portions of the government one at a time this week.  I joined House Democrats and some responsible Republicans to pass four of those bills to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds in a timely manner, children and families receive nutrition assistance, individuals and families aren’t evicted from their homes, and Americans can safely access national parks. I continue to urge Senator McConnell to take up those bills and the President to sign them, so that we can reopen government immediately while discussions continue on how we can best secure our borders.

We also voted to provide retroactive pay to federal employees, so that they will receive the pay they are due when the government reopens. It is deeply unfair for the President to continue to hold the government hostage and inflict harm on civil servants – including Coast Guard personnel, TSA security employees, food safety inspectors, and others. These patriots who serve the American people every day deserve better. We must end the Trump shutdown, so they can get back to work serving the American people and receive their pay.  

In addition to passing legislation to reopen government, House Democrats upheld our promise to the American people by passing a resolution on the Floor this week to intervene against Republicans’ lawsuit to undermine the Affordable Care Act’s protections. The vast majority of Republicans voted against this resolution, which means they voted to gut the ACA’s protections, including protections for 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. House Democrats will continue to take action to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, protect those with pre-existing conditions, and increase access to affordable, quality coverage for all.

Sincerely yours, Steny H. Hoyer   P.S. Please invite your friends and family to sign up for this newsletter to learn about what House Democrats are doing to lead America in a new direction. You can also get the latest updates and join the conversation on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

DEMOCRATIC NEWS UPDATE

On the Need to Reopen Government and End the Trump Shutdown

On Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions On the Introduction of Legislation to Address Gun Violence