Durbin Statement on the Government Shutdown
Washington, D.C. – Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after the House failed to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government.
“Early this morning, the federal government shut down because the House of Representatives was unwilling to pass a short-term government funding measure,” Durbin said. “So today, nearly a million federal workers were sent home without pay and government offices around the country were shuttered. This is no way to run a country or manage our economic recovery. Moderate Republican members have started to speak out in the House and the Senate and are rejecting the Tea Party approach to dealing with our budgets. It should have never come to this. The House needs to set aside the political brinksmanship, stop manufacturing one crisis after the next and pass a short-term funding bill so the government can get back to work.”
Beginning today and continuing until government funding is restored, Senator Durbin’s offices in Washington, DC, Chicago, Springfield, Rock Island and Carbondale will be closed and 80 percent of his staff will be furloughed. The offices will not process constituent case work and will be closed for meetings and all other routine business.
While the government is shut down, most federal offices, department and agencies will be closed.
Senator Durbin will remain in Washington, D.C. while the Senate continues to work towards a resolution of the government shutdown.