Address Of Senate Appropriations Committee
Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
On The Second Week Of The Trump Shutdown
Senate Floor
January 3, 2019
We are in the thirteenth day of the Trump Shutdown. Thirteen days that nine of fifteen federal departments and dozens of agencies have shut their doors. Thirteen days in which hundreds of thousands of Americans have been furloughed or are working without pay, and thirteen days that Americans have been denied government services on which they rely on and pay their taxes for.
The President is holding federal government funding hostage in an attempt to force Congress to pay for an ineffective and expensive wall on the southern border, a wall he promised that Mexico would pay for. Unfortunately, the American people are paying for the price of the Trump Shutdown, and he seems not to care.
Since the shutdown began, our National Parks have been left largely unsupervised. The welcome centers are closed, park rangers have been furloughed, and there are few emergency or law enforcement personnel left to police the parks or rescue injured guests, affecting visitor safety, reducing public access and threatening natural and cultural resources at national parks across the country.
Updated Impacts Of The Trump Shutdown
Prepared By Vice Chairman Leahy’s Senate Appropriations Committee Staff
More Than 450,000 Are Working Without Pay, Many Of Whom Are Veterans, Including:
- More than 41,000 Federal Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers Including:
o 2,614 ATF agents;
o 16,742 Bureau of Prisons correctional officers;
o 13,709 FBI agents;
o 3,600 deputy U.S. Marshals; and
o 4,399 DEA agents.
- Up To 88 Percent Of Department of Homeland Security Employees, Including:
o 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and customs officers;
o 42,000 Coast Guard employees.
- 6,503 staff from the State Department are currently working without pay;
- 35,000 Internal Revenue Service staff are currently working without pay; and
- 52 percent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently working without pay.
More Than 380,000 Have Been Furloughed, Including:
- 60 Percent of Department of Commerce (Approximately 21,000 Staff);
- 96 Percent of NASA (Approximately 16,700 Staff);
- 10,261 Staff from the State Department are furloughed;
- More than 80 Percent of the National Park Service;
- At least 33 Percent of the Forest Service (Approximately 11,000 Staff);
- 19,869 Staff of the Department of Transportation are furloughed;
- 7,163 staff of Housing and Urban Development are furloughed; and
- Approximately 45,500 IRS Staff are furloughed.
Nine Out Of 15 Federal Departments And Dozens Of Agencies Are Closed
- The Trump Shutdown has shuttered the doors of nine federal departments and dozens of agencies for 13 days… so far… for a costly, ineffective wall the President continues to promise Mexico will pay for, grinding services to the American people to a halt through the holidays, and beyond.
The Trump Shutdown Is Bad For Business:
- Farmers. USDA has already shuttered local farm service agency county offices across the U.S. With the current challenges facing farmers due to the dramatic drop in commodity prices brought on by retaliatory tariffs, many farmers have had to rely on UDSA as their lender of last resort to help pay bills and stay afloat through this winter. Many farmers are already preparing for the spring planting and banks are not willing to lend to them, leaving USDA as their only hope. Additionally, with passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers will seek information on how the law will affect their operations heading into the planting year. This shutdown means Farm Service Agency staff are not able to answer those questions or assist in signing up producers for new Farm Bill programs. This is the worst time for a shutdown – when producers begin to make their plans for next year’s planting season.
- Assisting Rural America. At a time when the rural economy is slowing, this shutdown means struggling communities that rely on USDA loans and grants for affordable housing, utilities, and small business activities are virtually left in the dark.
- Small Businesses. More than 30 million U.S. small businesses employing 59 million employees no longer have access to federally-assisted loans and technical assistance, as Small Business Administration guarantees to back loans have frozen.
- Steel and Aluminum Industries. U.S. companies can petition to avoid tariffs if certain steel and aluminum products are not produced in sufficient quantities or of sufficient quality within the U.S. The shutdown has halted the already frightfully slow exemption process for these tariffs.
- Homeownership. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is seeing significant delays in loan processing and approvals. Thousands of people trying to buy a new home or refinance a FHA-insured mortgage are being put on standby.
- Community and Economic Development. Cities, counties, and states are not able move forward with new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects, preventing important local economic investment and job creation.
- Justice Delayed. Civil litigation, payments to victims, and training for state and local law enforcement stop during a shutdown. The 800,000 backlog in the immigration courts will continue to grow as the Executive Office for Immigration Review has stopped processing the non-detained docket. They have also stopped hiring new immigration judges.
- Taxes. With 50,000 IRS staff furloughed, a vital service to the American people is significantly weakened ahead of tax season, and no refunds can be issued until the Trump Shutdown ends.
- Contractors. Many federal contractors have discontinued their services with thousands of employees not being paid.
The Trump Shutdown Is Bad For Your Health And Safety:
- Hungry Kids and Families. With the trade mitigation, USDA plans to distribute $1.2 billion in commodities through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides supplemental food to soup kitchens, food banks, and pantries. Help is needed to mitigate this influx of commodities, and this shutdown does not help. With most of the Food and Nutrition Service employees currently furloughed, the agency is not able to provide the funding for transportation, distribution, or storage of these commodities. This is especially harmful to food banks that receive these commodities at a time when more families rely on their services – the winter months.
- Clean Drinking Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure. Small, remote rural communities are unable to obtain assistance to construct or expand clean water and sanitary waste disposal systems. Small rural communities often lack adequate clean drinking water, leading to health and safety issues for residents.
- Keeping Roofs over Families’ Heads. Payments to roughly 3,000 public housing agencies, which help manage the country’s HUD-assisted housing and supportive services programs for more than 3 million low-income households, are delayed, reducing critical operations, and delaying routine capital maintenance and emergency repairs. Failure to maintain this critical affordable housing stock could leave thousands of veterans, elderly, disabled, and working poor Section 8 and public housing residents vulnerable to harmful living conditions, including exposure to lead-based paint hazards and mold. This is slowing the selection of any new tenants from the thousands of low-income families and individuals currently on Section 8 and public housing waitlists nationwide, many of whom are currently living on the streets or in temporary shelters.
- TSA. Since the shutdown, hardworking TSA officers have been working without pay, screening over 2 million passengers and their baggage through the holidays to ensure air travel is safe and secure.
National Parks and Public Lands Threatened, National Museums Are Closing Doors:
- National Parks Left Unstaffed and Unsupervised. Visitor and welcome centers are closed, most park rangers are furloughed and few emergency or law enforcement personnel are left to police the parks or rescue injured guests affecting visitor safety, reducing public access and threatening natural and cultural resources at national parks across the country. Even where parks remain open, campgrounds and other sites are beginning to close because of health and safety reasons (e.g., overflowing trash and sanitation issues). It is also estimated that the National Park Service is losing approximately $400,000 per day in fee revenues by not having rangers at parks to staff entrances. These funds are normally used to address deferred maintenance and other critical operating needs.
o Local Business Impacts. Cooperating associations that are in National Park Service-owned buildings are closed and suffering financially. For example, the Big Bend Natural History Association (Big Bend NP, Texas) anticipate a loss of at least $35,000 a week. Some local businesses in national parks are also closed as a result of the shutdown, like Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports located at the top of Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park in Washington. The road up to the ridge is closed because no National Park Service personnel are around to snow plow the park.
o Local Community Impacts. Gateway communities near national parks and other affiliated areas are suffering losses to visitors and economic activity as a result of the shutdown. On an average day in January, it is estimated that 425,000 park visitors spend approximately $20 million in nearby communities. For example, Macon, Georgia, a community near the Ocmulgee National Monument, was forced to close the city’s visitors’ center at the park. Last year, Macon introduced its "Lights Extravaganza," which drew an estimated 100,000 visitors and their business to downtown Macon. Natchitoches, Louisiana, which is home to the Cane River National Heritage Area, is also feeling the effects of the shutdown. They have four attractions currently closed during their busiest month of the year. Communities like these, which rely on the business generated by national parks, have been cut off from access to tourists and their business.
o Public Safety and Natural Resource Impact Concerns. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado) has closed many of its roads due to snow and no National Park Service personnel around to plow it. Campgrounds are beginning to close because of health and safety reasons. In Big Bend National Park, the Chisos Basin, Rio Grande Village, and Cottonwood Campgrounds have closed due to sanitation and resource impact concerns. The Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead and Trail has also been closed due to trash and dangerous uncontrolled parking on the road shoulders in the area. Limited or no staff has risked the safety of visitors to these tourist destinations. In Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and Elkwallow areas are closed due to visitor impacts to resources and public safety concerns.
- Forest Access and Fire Prevention Disrupted. Thanks to the shutdown, the U.S. Forest Service has curtailed forest thinning and fire prevention projects, despite the U.S. dealing with a record setting fire season, as well as closed visitor centers and reduced services at campgrounds.
- Smithsonian Museums and National Gallery of Art. Effective January 2, the Smithsonian Museums closed their doors blocking the American people, including an estimated 110,000 visitors a day, from access to one of their national treasures. The National Gallery of Art will also close to the public effective January 3, which means that approximately 17,000 visitors a day will be unable to access the museum.
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We are already receiving reports of damage to sensitive lands and national treasures, campgrounds littered with trash, and overflowing toilets and locked restrooms. Even where parks remain open, campgrounds and other sites are beginning to close because of health and safety reasons. Businesses in gateway communities surrounding our parks are also paying the price in lost sales, rentals, and empty storefronts as families cancel their plans to visit as the shutdown drags on.
Thanks to the shutdown, the U.S. Forest Service has curtailed forest thinning and fire prevention projects – despite the Nation still reeling from and dealing with a record setting fire season – as well as closed visitor centers and reduced services at campgrounds.
Just of a few days ago, the Farm Service Agency, which supports farmers and rural communities across the country, also shut their doors. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and ranchers need information – right now, as a new growing season looms – on how the law will affect their operations heading into the planting year, but no one is in the office or staffing the phones to answer those questions or sign up producers for new programs.
Farmers will also not be able to apply for much-needed loans. Many farmers, like those in my home state of Vermont, face financial hardship due to the dramatic drop in commodity prices brought on by the President’s tariffs, and they need loans to help pay bills and stay afloat through this winter, as well as to prepare for the spring planting. With banks not willing to lend to them, many rely on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as their lender of last resort. But for the foreseeable future they will not be able to apply for these loans because the offices are closed.
And while the President loudly proclaimed he would provide assistance through the Market Facilitation Program to help farmers mitigate the financial losses caused by his tariffs, as of December 28th, there is no one left at USDA to process any new applications for these payments. The bottom line? Farmers have been left to fend for themselves while the President holds their safety nets hostage, to secure funding for his border wall.
In addition to government services that have ground to a halt, an estimated 450,000 employees are working without pay. This includes 41,000 federal law enforcement and correctional officers at the Department of Justice – ATF agents, FBI agents, U.S. Marshals, and DEA agents.
And more than 380,000 federal employees have been furloughed, with no guarantee they will receive back pay when they return to work. This includes 96 percent of employees at NASA, 80 percent of the National Park Service, 60 percent at the Department of Commerce, and 33 percent of the Forest Service. In addition, many federal contractors have discontinued their services leaving thousands of employees temporarily without work and without a paycheck.
Many of our dedicated federal employees live paycheck-to-paycheck. They are custodial workers, cafeteria workers, telephone operators, contract specialists, and customer service representatives. They are employees who have mortgages to pay and families to take care of. That this financial disruption comes on the heels of the holiday season when so many families’ budgets are tight is even harder to fathom, let alone to justify.
Most of these federal agencies or employees have nothing to do with border security. Yet they are the casualties of President Trump’s single-minded obsession with walling off our southern border.
The President has repeatedly said this is about border security. Really? His actions have caused the very Department charged with securing our border to be cut off from all funding. Eighty-eight percent of Department of Homeland Security employees are working without pay, including the 54,000 Customs and Border Patrol Agents who protect our northern and southern border, many of whom are veterans. As of January 1, roughly 42,000 hard-working and dedicated members of our Nation’s Coast Guard will be protecting our country without pay. TSA officers have screened over 2 million passengers and their baggage per day through the holidays, again, while not being paid.
Last week House Democrats put forward a commonsense path to end the Trump Shutdown. They introduced a minibus comprised of six bipartisan appropriations bills and a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security to keep it up and running through February 8. The House will vote on both of these bills this evening, and I expect them to pass.
I urge Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans to take up both of these bills expeditiously. The six bill minibus is not controversial. Each of these bills has received wide bipartisan support in this chamber. Four of the six bills passed the Senate 92 to 6, and the other two were reported out of the Appropriations Committee on nearly unanimous votes. They are the product of bipartisan compromise and provide billions of dollars in new resources to address critical needs of the American people and to protect U.S. national security.
It is irresponsible for the President to hold these six bills hostage in order to compel taxpayers to pay for his wall, and by passing this minibus and sending it to the President for his signature, we could get the vast majority of the federal government back open for the American people.
It also makes sense to pass a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security through February 8th, just as the Senate did by voice vote on December 19th. We should not shut down the very agency responsible for securing our borders over a fight about how best to secure our borders. Everyone agrees that we need to keep our border safe and secure; but it must be smart border security, border security that works – new technologies proven to work on the border and at our ports of entry, new air and marine assets, and additional personnel where needed. We do not need to build a 30-foot medieval wall.
Let’s recall that before the holidays, the President said he would sign a continuing resolution through February 8th. We had a path forward. But after 24 hours of Fox News and the right wing pundits criticizing him, the President’s ego was so bruised that he reversed course. And here we are – thirteen days into a Trump Shutdown. It has to end.
We have a clear, sensible and responsible path forward, and I strongly encourage Senate Republicans to support and pass this bipartisan compromise.