Spanberger Votes To End Partial Government Shutdown, Restore Pay For Federal Employees

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today voted with a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation that would end the ongoing partial government shutdown, provide funding to stabilize critical departments and agencies, and give much-needed certainty to federal employees and their families.

Since December 22, 2018, funding for nine federal departments has been on hold, affecting approximately one-third of the federal workforce. The funding package passed today by the U.S. House would address this lapse in funding by providing critical resources for national security, agriculture, economic and rural development, and affordable housing programs and their employees. Additionally, the package includes bipartisan legislation Spanberger helped introduce to retroactively restore pay that federal employees have been denied during the partial shutdown.

“Over the past two weeks, the government shutdown has recklessly harmed our economy, threatened our national security, and kept vital federal workers at home or working without pay,” said Spanberger. “Today, I joined my colleagues in passing legislation that addresses our country’s immediate budgetary needs and funds agencies vital to our security such as the FBI, TSA, and CBP. While this legislation is a necessary first step towards fully reopening our government, it is only a temporary fix and we—both Congress and the American people—cannot continue to view short-term funding bills and shutdowns as acceptable methods of managing our nation’s finances. It is inefficient, chaotic, and damaging. In the future, Congress must do its job and pass real budgets, plan for our nation’s financial future, and never use the federal workforce or the proper functioning of government services as a bargaining chip.”

Today, Spanberger was sworn into the 116th U.S. Congress, where she represents Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Earlier this week, then-Rep.-Elect Spanberger sent a letter requesting that her Congressional salary be withheld until the government fully reopens and all federal employee pay is restored. Click here to read her full letter.

The funding legislation passed by the U.S. House today would fully fund most of the federal government through September 30, 2019. The bill maintains current funding levels for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through February 8, 2019.

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