Dear Representative:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I am writing to express our support for the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 (H.R. 648) and Continuing Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.J. Res 31), both of which are scheduled for floor consideration today.
The passage of these bills will be the first steps to reopening the federal government, which is now going into the thirty third day of a mindless shutdown. More than 380,000 federal employees and countless federal government contractors have been locked out of their jobs, and another 420,000 have been required to report to work—all of them denied a paycheck due to the shutdown. Furthermore, millions continue to lose the vital government services that we all deserve and pay for.
America’s working families are looking to our Congressional leaders to bring an end to this travesty. The AFL-CIO calls on the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 648 and H.J. Res 31, taking the initial steps needed to reopen the federal government.
Sincerely,
William Samuel, Director
Government Affairs Department