Heinrich on the Urgent Need to Avoid a Republican Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - With only three days until the current fiscal year ends, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is calling on House Republicans to stop the political gamesmanship, keep the government funded, and avert a shutdown that would have dire impacts on the economy and New Mexicans.
“We had a bipartisan budget deal this summer. Now MAGA Republicans are throwing that deal in the trash. They are playing political games with New Mexicans’ lives and it’s wholly unacceptable. A government shutdown would disrupt our economy, jeopardize nutritional assistance for thousands of women and children, and put our national security at risk. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I worked in good faith to help pass all 12 of our bipartisan Appropriations bills. I’ll continue fighting to move this legislation forward to fund our government. House Republicans need to stop wasting time on extreme proposals designed to create chaos. If they don’t, a shutdown will be squarely on them.”
A Republican-led government shutdown would have very serious impacts on New Mexicans, including:
- 36,719 women and children on Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) risk losing critical nutrition assistance.
- 13,400 servicemembers in New Mexico are at risk of not getting paid.
- Travelers could face significant airport delays.
- Food safety inspections could be delayed.
- Critical research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s would be stalled.
- Families in rural areas wouldn’t be able to apply for or receive USDA housing loans.
- Farmers and producers in the middle of harvest season wouldn’t be able to access new loans.
In September, Joint Economic Committee Chairman Heinrich published a report outlining the deep consequences of a Republican shutdown on the U.S. economy. Find that report here.
