Dear Neighbor,
As I have written you in recent weeks, government funding runs out in five days. Unfortunately, I have written to you too many times over the years about the possibility of a government shutdown. Most times, Congress has worked out a last-minute deal to avoid a shutdown. This time, however, it appears that Congress and the White House are preparing for a government shutdown and the opportunity to negotiate an agreement to avoid one is limited.
Last week, the House passed a short-term government funding resolution, H.R. 5371. That resolution failed to pass the Senate. So, there is no resolution to fund the government after Tuesday in place. Following the House vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled the call for House members to return to Washington next Monday and Tuesday, the last two calendar days of the fiscal year.
So, I am writing to share with you some resources and information in the event that the government shuts down next week, and to tell you what you can expect from me and our TX07 team. We are committed to assisting our neighbors affected by any interruptions in government assistance that may arise in the event of a government shutdown. In the event of a shutdown, our office will remain open to assist our constituents.
As we face the growing possibility of a shutdown, we have been working to put information on our webpage in response to Frequently Asked Questions. We will continue to update them as we learn more.
Typically, many questions are answered in detailed guidance from the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Contingency Plan for all federal agencies—including the Social Security Administration, the Small Business Administration, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and more. OMB has provided little guidance at this time. On Thursday, however, OMB threatened to initiate mass layoffs of federal workers in the event of a shutdown.
With Republicans in control of the House, the Senate, and White House, Democrats have repeatedly offered to meet with them to work out a plan that funds the government and addresses the growing health care crisis. As you may have seen, President Trump cancelled a planned meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries this week. To my knowledge, there are no other current negotiations in progress.
I will return to Washington with my colleagues in the House Democratic caucus, ready to do the work to keep the government funded and functioning. I will, of course, keep you posted on developments.
As always, I am proud to represent you and I am here to help you. Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
