Congressman Veasey's Statement on 4th Continuing Resolution Vote

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement after voting against the funding bill that leaves DREAMers in the shadows:

"Once again, Republicans are placing the livelihoods of American families at risk by threatening to furlough government employees who keep the engines running for crucial public services.

I vividly remember the 2013 Republican-led shutdown that put as many as 140,000 Texans out of work. In the DFW Metroplex alone, the shutdown furloughed over 3,000 Lockheed Martin employees. In addition, more than 600 federal employees in Dallas County alone filed for unemployment.

Republicans would rather create a series of manufactured crises instead of joining with Democrats to pass a bipartisan DREAM Act. The votes exist, but Republicans would rather continue using the lives of young aspiring Americans as bargaining chips to pass their barebones budget. In fact, in 2013, the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform package, but it was the Republican dominated House that refused to bring the legislation for a vote. We know how this story ends. Republicans will continue to claim they support DREAMers, but kick the can down the road.

Let me be clear. Democrats want to keep the government open. That is why 171 of my Democratic colleagues and I wrote a letter to President Trump highlighting several priorities that could easily be funded and supported by both sides of the aisle. Republicans need to stop playing unnecessary political games with the lives of DREAMers and bring a clean bill to the floor for a vote."

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