AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Pelosi-Schumer Plan to End the Trump Shutdown

WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the proposal by Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to reopen the government and end the Trump shutdown:

“While President Trump continues to hold the government shutdown and public service workers as pawns for his ‘wall,’ Democrats’ first act of the new year, and their new House majority, is a much-needed solution to reopen our government. 

“The American people need a fully functioning, fully operational government, and the Pelosi-Schumer proposal does just that—ensuring that families and communities can get the services they rely on, and that workers can get the paychecks they’ve earned. It is based in part on what Senate Republicans and Democrats already have passed and gives time for both parties to wrestle through issues of border security, immigration and fairness for people in the DACA and TPS programs. 

“The Trump shutdown has plunged thousands of Americans into economic uncertainty and put critical services at risk—from corrections workers to food safety inspectors to those living on tribal lands. People who live paycheck to paycheck do not know when or if they will be able to afford their rent, food and medicine. It’s time to end the Trump shutdown and the pain it is inflicting on our families. It’s time for Trump to start acting like a president and stop trying to simply appease his base with his divisiveness, fearmongering and relentless Twitter rants. 

“The American people voted for a Democratic majority to put a check on Trump’s recklessness and to solve problems, and that’s exactly what Pelosi and Schumer are doing.”