Rep. Sykes Joins All Democratic First-Term Members Demanding Speaker McCarthy Avoid Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) joined first-term House Democrats in sending a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy urging him to work towards a bipartisan solution to keep the government operational ahead of the looming fiscal year deadline.
“As Members of Congress, our most basic duty is to keep the federal government running and to work together to set funding priorities. While extremists refuse to work together to prevent a catastrophic government shutdown, I’m working to put people before politics and prevent cuts that hurt working people and families in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District,” said Rep. Sykes. “It’s time to stop the political games, honor the Bipartisan Budget Agreement Congress already passed back in June, and avoid a government shut down. The American people, especially constituents in my district, are counting on us to get this done. We can’t let them down.”
In the letter, Rep. Sykes and first-term House Democrats stressed their commitment to serving the American people and emphasized the need to prioritize functional governance over partisan politics. All first-term members asserted the threat of a government shutdown stands in direct contradiction to their duty as elected officials and would compromise essential services that millions of Americans depend on.
A Republican-led government shutdown would have serious implications on the U.S. economy and Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. A report by Joint Economic Committee Democrats emphasizes a government shutdown would:
- hurt the U.S. economy and create economic uncertainty;
- furlough federal workers and contractors who do vital work throughout the country;
- impact the operations of private businesses by delaying federal loans, decreasing mortgage applications, disrupting supply chains, and stall international trade;
- delay or reduce travelers at airports and visitors to national parks; and
- stall American families’ federal benefits, including those who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
The full letter can be found here.
Rep. Sykes also spoke on the House floor about the importance of avoiding a government shutdown.