House Dems send McConnell shutdown stories, press for spending bill vote

Over 20 House Democrats on Tuesday sent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) dozens of stories from constituents detailing their struggles during the partial government shutdown, urging the Senate leader to take up House-passed legislation to reopen the government.

“We write concerning the ongoing Federal government shutdown and your failure so far to allow a vote to reopen the government,” the 25 lawmakers, led by freshman Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), wrote to McConnell. 

{mosads}“To remind you of the families and lives impacted by a prolonged government shutdown, we are enclosing copies of letters that our constituents have sent us over the past two weeks. We hope their stories will put a face to the shutdown and help you find the courage to allow a vote on good faith, compromise legislation to reopen the government.” 

The stories included constituents’ concerns about lacking money for food, house payments, college funds, health care costs, student loans and more.

One Virginia resident asked that the situation not be allowed to “get worse and make my family suffer further.” 

“Don’t get me wrong, as a federal employee it should be expected that there will be times like these; but they should not drag on to the point of making workers suffer. I have lived with honor and distinction in doing my duties (from work during the events of September 11th, and multiple moments of crisis for over 30 years) and I work hard at my job; so please, out of honor, don’t let the situation get worse and make my family suffer further,” the Manassas, Va., resident wrote. 

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) office has also been collecting constituents’ stories on the website Trump Shutdown Stories.

While the Democrat-controlled House has passed multiple spending bills to reopen the government, McConnell has said the Senate will not vote on anything that does not have the confirmed support of President Trump. The Kentucky Republican will head up a vote this week on a compromise proposal from the White House, though Democrats in both chambers of Congress have already dismissed the plan. 

The partial government shutdown entered its 32nd day Tuesday, extending its record as the longest in U.S. history. Roughly 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or required to work without pay since funding lapsed for about a quarter of the government on Dec. 22.