Congressman LaMalfa: Update on The Federal Government Shutdown

With the ongoing Federal government shutdown, I want to provide you with an update on what’s going on in Congress and assure you that my team and I are here to help you during this uncertain time.

At midnight on October 1st, most of the Federal government shut down after the Senate failed to pass a funding bill by the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. My House Republican colleagues and I do not support this shutdown, which is why on September 19th we voted in favor of H.R. 5371, which would keep the Federal government funded and open through November 21st to allow time for broader negotiations on a full budget. The bill maintained previously agreed upon funding levels that many Democrats supported earlier this year and contained no controversial provisions and was a simple seven-week extension. Unfortunately, H.R. 5371 needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, and nearly all Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, voted against approving this bill more than ten times.

This failure to act is unacceptable.

While this shutdown will not affect Social Security payments, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, Veterans benefits, most disaster assistance, or U.S. mail delivery, other federal programs and services are being disrupted. Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and members of the Armed Services are all required to work without pay until the government is funded and reopened at which time they will receive backpay.

I call on my Senate colleagues to vote in favor of this clean extension. For more information on Senate votes regarding this legislation, click here.

In addition, for specific information on how the shutdown is affecting individual Federal departments and programs, below are some key links you may wish to review:

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Small Business Administration
• Social Security Administration
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Navigating the Federal government’s bureaucracy during normal times is hard enough, and a shutdown only makes it tougher. My team and I are here to help. My offices remain open, and my staff is working. If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency, department, or program during the shutdown—or any other time—please contact my Chico office at (530-343-1000), Redding office at (530-223-5898), or Yuba City office at (530-645-6225) for assistance. My team and I are honored to serve you.

This government shutdown has gone on long enough. It’s time for the Left to drop their demands—including expanding Medicaid to illegal aliens and insisting on $1.5 trillion in new spending—reopen the government and get back to work for the American people.

Sincerely,
Doug LaMalfa
Member of Congress