Congresswoman Pou Calls on Republicans to Reopen Congress to Avert Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ–09) joined 55 Democratic House members blasting House Republicans for cancelling votes next week and calling on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) to bring Congress back into session to prevent an approaching federal government shutdown.

“Instead of canceling votes and continuing to push partisan agendas, it is time for the Majority to reach across the aisle and be open to compromise. The September 30 midnight deadline is quickly approaching, but there is still time to craft a bipartisan bill that keeps the government open, prevents health care costs from skyrocketing for millions of Americans, and upholds our constitutional duty,” Congresswoman Pou and House Democrats write Speaker Johnson.

On Friday, September 19th, the House GOP Leadership announced that they had canceled scheduled voting days on September 29 and 30, leaving the House with zero remaining voting days prior to the government funding deadline. This announcement came moments after the House Republicans’ partisan funding package failed in the Senate.

A copy of the members’ letter to Speaker Johnson is here.

Speaker Johnson:

We write to raise serious concerns about the Majority’s decision to cancel votes with no plan to fund the government ahead of the shutdown deadline. This is irresponsible and sends a message to our constituents that Congress will not show up to work for them.

On Friday, it was announced that House GOP Leadership was canceling scheduled voting days on September 29 and 30, leaving the House with zero remaining voting days prior to the government funding deadline. This announcement came moments after the House Republicans’ partisan funding package failed in the Senate, putting the government funding debate back at square one. We urge you to work with us to keep the government open, ensuring that soldiers and employees get their paychecks, health care is protected, our public lands stay open, and families can feed their children.

Under our Constitution, one of Congress’s most important duties is to fund our government to support critical programs, like health care, public safety, and education. After months of short-term funding bills, kicking the can down the road, and partisan bickering, there remains no viable plan to pass a bipartisan government funding bill. Folks back home know this simple rule – you don't go home until the job is done. When the going gets tough, the tough get to work. Members of Congress need to do the same.

Instead of canceling votes and continuing to push partisan agendas, it is time for the Majority to reach across the aisle and be open to compromise. The September 30 midnight deadline is quickly approaching, but there is still time to craft a bipartisan bill that keeps the government open, prevents health care costs from skyrocketing for millions of Americans, and upholds our constitutional duty.

We stand ready to work with you, negotiate in good faith, and find a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown that will hurt all the communities we represent.

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