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FOUR DAYS UNTIL NEXT REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

September 26, 2016

For Immediate Release Contact: Michael J. McQuerry

September 26, 2016 (202) 225-7080

PRESS STATEMENT

FOUR DAYS UNTIL NEXT REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, released the following statement regarding the pending Continuing Resolution before Congress:

“With only 4 days remaining before the next Republican Government Shutdown, the Republican Congress is wasting time on a dead-end Continuing Resolution more concerned with protecting the flow of secret money into our elections than helping the lead-poisoned children of Flint.

“Republicans have decided the thousands of innocent, lead-poisoned children in Flint are not worthy of help from the Congress. The 9,000 children under the age of six in Flint who were exposed to lead, through no fault of their own, get nothing in the CR. House Republicans will not even allow Democrats to include resources for Flint in the WRDA water infrastructure bill on the floor this week.

“The CR contains unacceptable pay-fors including a Republican plan to raid vital funding for the Affordable Care Act. It also includes special interest poison pills such as an outrageous Republican rider that would continue the flow of special interest money into our elections, by preventing the SEC from requiring big corporations to disclose their political spending.

“Republicans have decided to put their callous special interest agenda ahead of the needs of sick, desperate children. One year after the horror of the Flint Water Crisis was revealed, Republicans insist on abandoning the thousands of lead-poisoned children still waiting for help.

“With this toxic CR draft, Republicans are choosing a path that will only further delay the resources needed to fight Zika. President Obama submitted his urgent request for emergency resources to fight Zika seven months ago. While Republicans dawdled and obstructed, more than 23,000 Americans –including almost 2,100 pregnant women – have been infected with the Zika virus.”