Washington, DC—Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors President David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City, on the federal government shutdown.
“Federal government shutdowns should never be an option, and that is the view America’s mayors have consistently held. As a means of political leverage, a federal government shutdown simply shouldn’t be on the table for either side. We don’t shut down our local governments and nor should Washington. It is long past time to end the negative impact that this shutdown has had on American lives.
“America’s mayors support any bipartisan action that reopens the government. We are fully aware that there will be those who will encourage their representatives to prolong the shutdown in hopes of attaining a specific policy outcome. We encourage the Members of the House and Senate to respectfully decline that brinksmanship.
“Members of Congress should vigorously debate their policy disagreements in the weeks and months to come, but they should do so while the government is open. It is time to reopen the federal government, restore SNAP payments, renew federal worker pay, and resume the people’s business.”