Press Releases

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted to reopen the government on the 33rd day of the partial government shutdown. The first bill provides short-term funding for all shuttered agencies through February 28th. The second bill funds shuttered agencies through the fiscal year at spending levels negotiated by the House and Senate, but does not include funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The House expects to vote on another short-term spending bill for DHS tomorrow.

“When President Trump says Democrats are not interested in protecting the American people, he’s wrong. Today we funded agencies and programs critical to our national security and public safety: the FBI, the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, local police grants, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, and more. These agencies are unfunded because our president is ‘proud’ of a shutdown and refuses to accept our solutions to get the government working again—even ones that invest in security.

Federal workers are about to miss their second paycheck and the American people are not able to access federal programs and services they need. Hardworking Americans should not have to worry about feeding their families, finding housing, filing their taxes, or accessing the Internet. They should expect clean water, access to National Parks, fire management, and infrastructure investments from their government.

It’s time for the Senate and president to put the American people first—as they were elected to do—and end the shutdown,” said Rep. Peters.

Agencies and programs funded by the spending bills include:

  • SNAP program
  • Rural broadband expansion
  • Land and Water Conservation Fund
  • Water and waste disposal infrastructure
  • Food and Drug Administration food inspections
  • Flood insurance
  • Humanitarian and disaster assistance
  • Refugee assistance