Rep. Ilhan Omar's Statement on the Impending Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), released the following statement on the looming government shutdown

“This shutdown is not only tragic, but completely avoidable. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of lawmakers in the House support a clean bill to keep the government open. The Senate is prepared to pass it, the President is prepared to sign it. 

“But the most extreme faction of MAGA wing of the party—egged on by Donald Trump, who craves a distraction from his indictments and criminal charges—are demanding an endless list of cuts that has brought us to a government shutdown.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene specifically demanded an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden in order to keep the government open. Matt Gaetz and other far right members are demanding near-complete abandonment of Ukraine in a gift to Russia, along with draconian measures that will punish migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

“I serve in Democratic leadership on the House Budget Committee, where a faction of Republicans just introduced a radical budget resolution designed to appease their right wing. What does it do? It keeps in place every single dime of the Trump tax cuts for the rich, every single dime in funding for the Pentagon and military contracts, and makes some of the biggest cuts in history to programs that Minnesotans turn to: food stamps, Meals on Wheels, Medicaid, housing, veterans healthcare, and Medicare

“This shutdown will be tragic for Minnesotans. Hundreds of thousands of workers won’t get paid. Small business owners in Minnesota forced to wait for loans and certifications. Our constituents’ safety put at risk as FDA food inspections and EPA environmental inspections are suspended.

“But we have to remember how we got here. The government has shutdown four times in the past 30 years. Each time it happened, an extreme faction of Republicans were in charge of the House of Representatives.

“We need a clean bill to keep the government open, before this causes real harm. It’s time for Republicans to stop playing with people’s lives and do their jobs.”