Kamlager-Dove: Extremist Republicans Are Putting Their Own Agenda Ahead of Our People

WASHINGTON, DC – With just one day remaining until a potential government shutdown, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) joins in calling out House Republicans for jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of California residents – including those in the 37^th District. If the deadline to fund the government lapses this week because of Republican extremists, families across the state of California would feel the impact. For millions across the state, nutrition assistance programs, small business loans, and other critical services are all at risk of being cut.

“The Speaker’s egotistical shutdown showdown has only ever been about McCarthy working to protect himself – not the country,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “Every day I hear concerns from my constituents about how Republican cuts would be detrimental to their wellbeing and how a government shutdown would upend their everyday lives. Rather than come together with House Democrats or follow the bipartisan example set by the Senate, extremist Republicans are putting their own agenda ahead of people. We know what will happen if our government shuts down – California is home to the second largest population of federal employees. Many of those employees will be furloughed without pay, food assistance and routine inspections will be at risk of being halted or delayed, airport operations will be circumvented, travelers will face unnecessary challenges to get to where they need to be, and housing assistance will be severely compromised.”

“I hoped that we could come together on clean spending legislation consistent with what was agreed to during debt limit negotiations earlier this year. However, Speaker McCarthy has proved he can’t be trusted and pulled an about-face, reneging on his own deal. House Republicans are forcing us to choose between spending cuts to key programs that help people stay alive or a shutdown that will be costly and devastating to our people. I do not support House Republicans’ free-for-all spending cuts to public education, Medicare, childcare, nutrition assistance programs, and other critical services that working families depend on,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “We should be talking about investing in these programs, not eviscerating them. I ran for Congress to serve Angelenos, and that requires a government that is open and responsive to the needs of its people. House Republicans need to stop the theatrics and help us keep our government running for the people.”

Families in CA-37 can reach out to staff in my Los Angeles office at 323-965-1422 for assistance with Federal agencies but are advised that many of them will have scaled-down services and resources during a government shutdown. For more information on how a government shutdown would impact you and your families, please click here.

According to new data released by House Budget Committee Democrats, a Republican government shutdown would mean:

Impacts to California Families

• If the government shutdown is prolonged, 972,418 recipients of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) across California are in danger of going hungry.
• State governments would be forced to pay for federal services like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, potentially risking benefits for the 750,247 TANF beneficiaries in California.
• 5,215,990 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries in California would lose access to benefits if the shutdown is prolonged.
• 187,679 federal employees who live across the state of California will be forced to work without pay or may be furloughed. In addition, many employees with government contracts could be laid off, furloughed, or see their hours cut.
• 5,469 TSA officers and 1,418 air traffic controllers across California will be forced to work without pay, and failure to report to work could result in longer security lines and delayed flights for the 178,407 people flying through California airports every day.
• A government shutdown threatens the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), halting assistance for over 159,000 households across California who rely on the program to help pay their home energy bills to combat high energy costs while constituents face increasing incidents of extreme weather.
• 213,176 active duty and reserve personnel serving our nation's armed forces in California would be forced to go without pay.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) would stop processing small business loans, halting a program that provides $4,433,591,900 in funding to small businesses in California every year.
• A government shutdown risks interruptions and delays to the 2,172 food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other inspections conducted in California last year, endangering food safety for Californian families.
• The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing housing loans, which provide $410,540,063 in funding that helps 1,490 families in rural California communities buy homes every year.
• The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing farm loans, which provide $77,037,000 in funding for farmers in California every year.
• 38,237,347 people who visit national parks across California every year would be turned away or unable to fully access parks, monuments, and museums. 

For more information on how a government shutdown impacts Californians, click here.

To access more information and resources about the government shutdown, click here.

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