Rep. Horsford: No more shutdowns, wants spending deal signed | Congressman Steven Horsford
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Rep. Horsford: No more shutdowns, wants spending deal signed

February 13, 2019

535 people at the U.S. Capitol have to sign off on the spending deal that would head off another shutdown.

Las Vegas Democrat Steven Horsford is one of them.

"The legislation is not perfect, but it does what we need to do, which is to fund our government through the rest of the fiscal year," the Congressman said from Washington, part of News 3's regular update from our DC Delegation called "Connect to Congress."

Horsford represents North Las Vegas and a good chunk of rural Nevada.

He spent part of his day in Washington talking about a bill he's co-sponsoring, the "Pay Workers What They've Earned" Act, which helps federal workers who endured 35 days without pay.

"In addition, for those who have incurred fees and fines and interest on credit cards that they're able to get reimbursed for, those costs due to no fault of their own," he says.

The longest shutdown in American history ended Jan. 25 with a temporary deal that expires midnight Friday.

For federal workers, the paychecks have resumed, but that doesn't mean they've gotten all their money.

"I've gotten most of mine. I've heard from several officers that they haven't gotten their pay period one check yet," says Renee Hearnton, a 14-year TSA veteran who works at McCarran.

So Washington is racing to make sure Renee's money keeps coming.

The House and Senate are expected to vote in the next two days and get something to the President.

President Trump says he's unhappy the deal doesn't have all the money he wanted for a southern wall but says he has other ways to get it.

Horsford says the shutdown should teach Washington a lesson:

"Congress needs to do its job. Yes, we need to eliminate shutdowns and we need to eliminate the practice of these short term continuing resolutions that only fund the government three months at a time. It's no way to operate a government."

On that point, perhaps bipartisan agreement.

 

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