Schatz Statement on Voting to Avert Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement on voting to avert a government shutdown.

"My job is to protect people in Hawai‘i. Today's vote on the continuing resolution was a difficult and close call, but ultimately, I made the determination that a flawed bill was better than no bill at all. A shutdown would enable Donald Trump and Elon Musk to unilaterally determine that the vast majority of federal workers are not essential. And given the number of federal workers in Hawai‘i, mass furloughs would be deeply painful for people across the state.

"I understand people's frustration - I share it. But Trump and the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, presented us with a bad choice and a worse choice. Both would produce terrible outcomes, but a shutdown would be more devastating for everyone.

"We're in a fight for democracy itself. We can't let disagreements about strategy and tactics divide us. We need to focus our energy on the real villain here: Donald Trump."

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