Senators Grassley and Ernst Comment On Government Shutdown

(Washington) — Iowa’s U-S Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans, have commented about the failed continuing resolution funding agreement which led to the federal government being shut down. As of midnight last evening, (Friday) Washington D.C. time, federal government agencies were not being funded. Much of the debate surrounds the inability to compromise on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) act, which would allow children of illegal immigrants born in the United States, the opportunity to remain in the U-S.

Senator Grassley blames the Democrats for the shutdown. In a news release, Grassley says, “If the 2016 presidential election proved anything, it’s that Americans wanted a new way of doing things, and just want their government to work. That’s true in Iowa and the entire country.” Grassley says, “It’s disappointing that Democratic leaders chose to vote against legislation that would have kept the government up and running just
to make a point about a policy unrelated to government funding. The legislation they opposed also would have extended the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years, which millions of kids rely on for health care. Shutting down the
government forces men and women in uniform to work without pay. It also puts taxpayers on the hook to spend billions of dollars to pay federal workers to sit at home with nothing to show for it.

Grassley continued by saying, “Democrats demanded a DACA fix for the government to stay open but didn’t even introduce their legislation to debate. The Senate couldn’t have voted on their bill if we wanted to, because it didn’t exist. The demands also didn’t make sense because the DACA deadline isn’t until March.
Grassley says he introduced legislation in December that included bipartisan provisions like Sen. Durbin’s BRIDGE Act to protect DACA recipients. Since then, he has been working regularly with his colleagues on a bill that would achieve
real border security, end chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program and provide DACA recipients with legal status. That goal was agreed to in a bicameral, bipartisan meeting at the White House. There’s a deal to be made on DACA and time to make it. Shutting down the government because we didn’t vote on a bill that doesn’t exist is no way to serve Americans or DACA recipients.”

Grassley concluded by saying, “A government with closed doors is bad news for an economy that is finally picking up speed. If the government isn’t re-opened soon, it could mean fewer jobs, lost wages and lower growth. There’s no reason government can’t be re-opened while Congress addresses unrelated issues. I hope Democrats will stop the partisanship, come to the table and end this shutdown.”

Meanwhile, Joni Ernst says, “Over the years, I’ve made clear that I don’t like funding our federal government from one short-sighted, band-aid bill to another.
We must establish plans to responsibly fund our government long-term.

Ernst continues by saying, “However, the extension voted on tonight would have reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years, providing approximately 80,000 Iowa children with access to important health care services, especially in rural and underserved areas. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats are playing political games and opposed our efforts to ensure this critical funding is in place for children in Iowa and across the country.”

In her news release, Ernst says, “The Senate Democrats who chose to play politics with children’s health care also set arbitrary deadlines regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). America is a nation of immigrants, and our diversity is our strength. It’s incredibly important that we
find a fix for DACA recipients as they are so important to our communities and to our future. Many young, undocumented children were brought here, through no fault of their own. Congress has been and must continue to work together to
identify and pursue a measured approach that addresses DACA recipients’ unique situation, and also respects the importance of our immigration laws, keeps our borders secure, and discourages future illegal immigration. There is still time to achieve a solution, but holding the government hostage and stalling important discussions on DACA is nonsensical.”

“Additionally, despite their rhetoric otherwise, Senate Democrats are turning their back on our men and women in uniform by putting our military’s resources and readiness in jeopardy. It is inexcusable.”

Ernst concludes by saying, “It’s my hope that Senate Democrats will put their reckless games aside and start working with us on a path forward to fund the government, ensure low-income children have access to health care, provide the
resources our military needs, and find a solution for DACA recipients.”