Gov. Hogan Joins Regional Leaders In Call For End To Federal Government Shutdown
ANNAPOLIS, MD. (WJZ) — Gov. Larry Hogan joined with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to call to federal leaders to end the partial federal government shutdown, which is on its 14th day.
In a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the regional leaders wrote on the financial hardship this shutdown could cause.
The letter reads, in part:
"As our federal employees and contractors experience a sudden loss of income, this not only causes financial hardship for individuals and families, but also deals a significant blow to our region's economy. Hard-working federal employees and those who depend on them should not have to suffer because of this partisan standoff."
The regional leaders noted that their three jurisdictions are home to a large number of federal workers and contractors, they continued saying,
"A prolonged shutdown not only hurts our local economies and budgets, but also poses a threat to our natural resources, public health, and safety...The longer this shutdown lasts, impacts will be more compounded on state and local budgets, important government services, and the economy at large. Containing the damage starts with reopening the government as soon as possible."
The three conclude their letter referring the shutdown as a "failure of leadership" and call for bipartisanship and to seek "common sense" solutions.
"Imposing this unnecessary hardship on federal employees is unacceptable and represents a failure of leadership. We urge you to fully consider the impact that a shutdown has on the national capital region and the country. We ask that you reach across the aisle to find a path forward and end this stalemate today so the federal employees in our region and across the country can get back to work."
Gov. Hogan previously joined with Montana's Gov. Steve Bullock to call for an end to the shutdown on behalf of the National Governors Assocation.
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