WEST MICHIGAN — Local lawmakers are taking to social media after the U.S. government shut down at midnight Friday.
This of course after Congress failed to overcome a partisan divide over immigration and spending.
The Michigan Democratic Party issued a statement from Party Chair Brandon Dillon:
“Michigan Republicans owe an apology to the millions of children and parents whose lives they treat as bargaining chips to get more handouts for people like Dick and Betsy DeVos. Jack Bergman, Mike Bishop, Bill Huizenga, Paul Mitchell, John Moolenaar, and Tim Walberg should stop making excuses for why Republicans can’t run the government they control and instead do the right thing for our state by urging their GOP colleagues in the Senate to work with Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Gary Peters toward a bipartisan deal.”
Michigan Republicans also responded to Friday’s shutdown saying in part the shutdown leaves over 82,000 Michigan children without healthcare.
The group went on to say Senator Debbie Stabenow refused to support a compromise spending bill which would have kept the federal government open until February 16.
Michigan Representatives Jack Bergman (MI-01), Mike Bishop (MI-08), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Paul Mitchell (MI-10), John Moolenaar (MI-04) and Tim Walberg (MI-07) tonight released the following statement in response to the Senate’s failure to fund the government:
“We call on Michigan’s Democrat Senators to be a part of the solution and fund the government, extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years and provide funding for our men and women in uniform. There’s absolutely nothing in this funding bill that Democrats oppose, and their failure to keep the government open only delays negotiations for a bipartisan DACA fix. We urge Senate Democrats to do their jobs, fund the government and provide certainty to the 100,000 children in Michigan who depend on CHIP.”
Sen. Stabenow has not yet responded. But Chairman Dillon did:
Other Michigan congressmen took to social media in response to the shutdown:
