Bowser Urges Trump to ‘Reach a Deal’
By • December 27, 2018 0 465
A partial federal government shutdown has the mayor of the city where it began asking the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW “to push Congress to reach a deal” to end the stalemate and “reopen the federal government.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Dec. 26, speaking for her constituents about the shutdown, which started on Dec. 22.
“On behalf of the more than 702,000 residents and many businesses in Washington, D.C., I urge you to work with Congress to bring an immediate end to the current partial federal government shutdown. Indeed, many D.C. residents, businesses, including restaurants and hotels, and federal contractors will suffer severe impacts if the shutdown continues indefinitely,” the mayor wrote.
“This is the federal government’s third shutdown in less than a year. During a shutdown, there are no winners and our nation’s federal workers, including the 170,000 federal employees who work in Washington, D.C., pay the highest price.”
Bowser stressed that the government of the District of Columbia remains open despite a shutdown — with the additional cost of $46,000 per week for trash collection at federally-owned parks and roads.
“While a federal government shutdown causes many disruptions for residents and visitors, our local government continues to work to ensure that the basic needs of our nation’s capital are still being met,” the mayor continued.
“We hope that this key message will resonate during this shutdown: the 702,000 residents of Washington, D.C., who pay the highest taxes per capita to the federal treasury, are stepping up to cover federal services during the shutdown, while we are the only citizens within the continental United States without a vote in Congress.”
Bowser ended her letter with: “I respectfully urge you to push Congress to reach a deal to reopen the federal government. However, if this shutdown continues, Washington, D.C., will remain open for business.”
