More than 800,000 government workers were locked out or forced to work without pay for 35 days in the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States. This needless and manufactured crisis affected real families with real financial responsibilities and jeopardized the safety of our nation. This debacle could have--and should have--been avoided.

The lives and livelihoods of America's working families should not be chips in a political game. The resolution to reopen the government until Feb. 15, 2019, gives the president and congressional leaders three weeks to find a long-term solution to fully fund the government and give our patriotic public servants the stability and security to do their jobs effectively, and to give the public the vital services we deserve.