Suozzi Statement on Government Shutdown

“At midnight, a terrible shutdown begins. ‘My way or the highway’ is no way to run a government in a democracy. Negotiating is how you keep a government open, not stonewalling the other side.

Let’s sit down, Democrats and Republicans, and hammer out a deal to:

1) reopen the government as soon as possible.

2) extend expiring health care premium tax credits to stop double digit increases in health insurance premiums come November.

3) stop the unilateral cuts and chaotic threats from the White House to issue mass firings and budget slashings if the Democrats don’t cow-tow.

If the Republicans refuse to negotiate and the shutdown continues, the impact on my Long Island and Queens constituents will be real and painful: federal workers missing paychecks, small businesses waiting on federal contracts, and seniors facing uncertainty with access to services they count on.

Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats.”

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