WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) penned an op-ed for USA Today on the Trump government shutdown.

Brown has called on President Trump repeatedly to reopen the government. Yesterday, Brown took to the Senate floor to call on President Trump to end the government shutdown that is hurting American workers. Brown contrasted President Trump’s address on Tuesday night with the facts about how the President’s temper tantrum is bad for workers and their families.

Earlier this week, Brown met this week with workers who are being hurt by the ongoing government shutdown. Brown plans to introduce legislation to secure back pay for government contract employees who have gone without pay during the government shutdown. Brown is also joining Senate colleagues in a letter this week calling on the Administration to direct federal agencies to ensure government contractors receive the back pay they deserve.

Before the holidays, the Senate unanimously passed a clean funding measure, which Brown supported. The White House indicated it would support that short-term spending measure to fund the government before President Trump abruptly changed course and shut down the government. Last week, the House passed a similar measure to fund the government and reopen the government with bipartisan support.

USA TODAY: Trump's government shutdown betrays workers, especially the lowest paid: Sherrod Brown

Trump's government shutdown betrays workers, especially the lowest paid

By Sherrod Brown

As usual, President Donald Trump and far too many in Congress — self-professed Christians all — ignore the wisdom of Matthew 25: When did we ever see you hungry and not feed you? When did we ever see you sick and not help?

The Lord answered, whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me — you failed to do it for me.

This government shutdown is the latest example of how President Donald Trump has overlooked, ignored and betrayed American workers.

Nearly 800,000 federal employees are going without a paycheck. President Trump said his shutdown has a “higher purpose than next week's pay.” Tell that to the Transportation Security Administration agents I met in Cleveland, with children to feed and rent coming due.

But perhaps the greatest pain from the president’s temper tantrum will fall on the lowest-wage workers who are invisible to this president…

Read the complete op-ed HERE.

 

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