Congressional Republicans Inching Toward Another #GOPShutdown

Speaker Boehner and Congressional Republicans continue to do nothing to address the harmful sequester but move forward with their partisan budget gimmicks in the Defense Appropriations process that Defense Secretary Ash Carter warned are "clearly a road to nowhere" and "unfairly dispiriting to our force" – threatening another#GOPshutdown.  That is why earlier today, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders sent Speaker Boehner a letter – urging him to address this dire situation and sit down with Democrats to work out a better budget for America's hard-working families:

For too long, the draconian cuts of the sequester have strangled our investments to keep America Number One in the global economy and to ensure our national security.  We must find a balanced and fiscally responsible way to lift the sequester and invest in a stronger defense, better infrastructure and bigger paychecks for America's hard-working families.

The September 30th deadline is quickly approaching, and Republicans' current appropriations strategy is only driving our nation toward another government shutdown.  We urge you to immediately schedule bipartisan budget negotiations so that we can work together to produce appropriations bills equal to the challenges and opportunities before our great country.

The destructive, automatic budget cuts that took effect in 2013 have harmed our country's progress.  The sequester has dealt a blow to our education.  Our crumbling roads and bridges still don't have a long-term solution.  And, America's hard-working families continue to feel the impact of the callous cuts.

The Republican Congress must address this matter now, rather than jeopardize another #GOPshutdown that Americans blamed them for and cost our economy $24 billion in 2013.