Irresponsible Shutdown Puts Americans at Risk
WASHINGTON – Congress today failed to approve a basic measure funding the federal government in Fiscal Year 2018, forcing a far-reaching shutdown of essential services and operations nationwide for the first time since 2013.
The following is a statement from Scott Slesinger, legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Our government isn’t some Republican house of cards to be toyed with and toppled to score partisan points, while the fate of 800,00 DREAMers rests in the balance. Government is the embodiment of the people’s will, and it provides safeguards and services for our health, communities, and environment.
“A government shutdown has real consequences for millions of Americans - food safety inspections slowed; Superfund cleanups stalled; water quality testing at rivers and lakes stopped; national parks and refuges closed; and approvals ground to a halt for road, bridge and transit projects.
“President Trump and his allies in Congress are risking these dire consequences instead of voting on a bipartisan measure protecting the future of young Americans through the DREAM Act. They should just do their jobs, and immediately approve a reasonable long-term spending measure getting our government back in business.”
A blog on the impact of the last government shutdown, in 2013, by former NRDC President Frances Beinecke is here: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/frances-beinecke/many-ways-government-shutdown-hurt-public-health-and-environment
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.