Congressman Conyers Argues to Extend, Not Cut, Nutrition Assistance Benefits

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) went to the House Floor to discuss his legislation H.R. 3108, the “Extend Not Cut SNAP Benefits Act.” This legislation comes on the heels of House Republicans voting to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program by $40 billion. He said:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“On November 1^st, households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see their monthly benefit sharply reduced.  The temporary benefit boost provided for in the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) is scheduled to expire next month, leaving many American’s unsure of how they will put food on the table.  The November 1^st cut will aggravate the problem of hunger in our nation, and make it that much harder for millions of Americans—fathers and mothers, children, veterans and active duty military to provide for their loved ones.

“The benefit increase passed in the depths of the Great Recession has provided Americans—both directly and indirectly—with substantial benefits.  Low-income families who face unemployment and underemployment are provided a critical way to bridge the financial barriers they face.  Americans who are employed in adequate paying jobs are able to remain so because of the boost to the economy; $9 are added to the GDP for every $5 in SNAP benefits that the program provides.

“These cuts will come at a moment when Americans are ill-prepared to afford them.  The loss of SNAP will not just mean empty tables for Thanksgiving for millions; it will mean a weaker economy, even as the effects of our prolonged shutdown and debt ceiling brinksmanship continues to erode economic progress.  This cut in benefits simply pushes the American economy into a vicious cycle which we cannot afford at this time.

“I am urging my colleagues to avoid exacerbating the effects of this government shutdown and the potential default of government debts—by calling on them to support H.R. 3108, the ‘Extend Not Cut SNAP Benefits Act.’  H.R. 3108 provides for a one year extension of the 13% benefits increase contained in ARRA through the 2014 Fiscal Year.

“In 2011, SNAP lifted 4.7 million Americans above the poverty line, including 2.1 million children.  Without an extension of the 2009 Recovery Act’s temporary boost to SNAP, our economy will be worse off and our children will face hunger they certainly do not deserve.”

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What Price Justice?

By John Conyers, Jr.

As the government budget gridlock grinds on, there has been considerable attention concerning its financial impact, with the sequester calculated as costing the economy more than 1.5 million jobs and the government shutdown estimated as costing the economy more than $150 million per day. However, few commentators have focused on the effect the sequester and the government shutdown are having on our constitutional obligation to do justice.

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

As the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, that was the question posed at a forum I convened this week with some of the nation's leading experts on law and justice -- including the president of the American Bar Association, a retired federal judge, former Congressional and Justice Department staff, and representatives of public and legal defenders and non-profits.

We learned that the cost of the sequester and shutdown on the Department of Justice and the federal courts is grave and growing each and every day. The Department of Justice's funding was reduced last year by more than $1.6 billion, which has hindered their efforts to combat violent crime, to fund critical grant programs like Community Oriented Policing Services and Violence Against Women, to pursue financial fraud, and to prevent terrorism. As Scott Lilly, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress told us, the sequester means it is a good time to be a terrorist, a foreign intelligence officer, or to engage in consumer fraud.

The FBI and Bureau of Prisons are being hit particularly hard. At the FBI, new agents are no longer being trained, many investigations are not being opened on a timely basis, and criminal cases are being closed prematurely. We've even been told that agents are not being reimbursed for putting gas in their cars. In the coming months, as the toll of sequester accumulates, critical functions at the Bureau of Prisons will be stretched well beyond their limits, with possible physical harm to guards and even prison riots on the horizon.

According to James Silkenat, the President of the American Bar Association, our independent court system is very close to collapse as a result of the cumulative impact of the sequester and shutdown. Because federal judicial salaries are exempt from reduction, the cut backs for the rest of the court system are even more onerous. Among other things, the federal judiciary has been forced to curtail critical programs that supervise individuals in the community awaiting trial and that monitor those who have served their time and subsequently are released from prison on parole, which potentially jeopardizes public safety.

Beyond the specific impacts on funding and caseload, the sequester and shutdown are having an even more insidious effect on some of our nation's most sacred legal obligations. It is a shocking irony that 50 years after the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright -- guaranteeing indigent criminal defendants the right to counsel -- we are shirking this core constitutional commitment.

Last fiscal year the public defenders program -- funded by the federal courts -- incurred a 10 percent cut in needed funding resulting in over 17,000 furlough days. This year will be even worse, with the likely result being more wrongful convictions. As A.J. Kramer, the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia reminded us, the sequester and shutdown will ultimately cost the federal government far more money in the long term as appeals and retrials are processed for these defendants.

At the same time, the needless shutdown is eviscerating our commitment to civil rights, with over 70 percent of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division staff currently furloughed. That means the laws that protect the right to vote, protect access to fair housing, and prevent discrimination against the disabled are being largely unenforced. The nation celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech this summer, but now we are ignoring Dr. King's basic teachings of fairness and equality by allowing the shutdown -- and its devastating consequences for civil rights enforcement -- to continue.

Our courts, as a co-equal branch of government and the crown jewel of our democracy, deserve better. Indigent defendants did nothing to create the sequester, yet they are at risk of having their constitutional rights violated each and every day that this manufactured political crisis is allowed to fester. The victims of rape and abuse may know little of the Tea Party and political ultimatums, but they are being victimized yet again by the mindless shutdown.

Sequestration, government shutdown, and default are not mere political games, but involve real people, with real costs -- both practical and constitutional.

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Conyers Urges Boehner to Call for Immediate Vote on Lifting the Debt Ceiling

New Analysis Shows Default’s Cost on Michigan Families

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) called for protecting American families from the cost of a dangerous Republican default by taking long-term action on the debt limit.  The need for action is highlighted by a new analysis by Ways and Means Committee Democrats that shows the consequences families in Michigan would face under a Republican default. Republican members of Congress have increasingly voiced skepticism that failing to raise the debt ceiling would be harmful for the American economy, despite warnings from economists and financial leaders throughout the world as the U.S. draws closer to the date a default might occur. The new analysis shows the damaging consequences of default on mortgage rates, retirement savings, Social Security, veterans’ disability and pensions, student loans and Medicare. A debt limit increase simply allows Treasury to pay the bills for spending Congress has already approved and does not add one cent to the debt. Republicans must stop holding hostage the full faith and credit of the United States.

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Defaulting would put an enormous financial strain on American families, from higher interest rates for mortgages and credit cards to lost retirement savings to delayed Social Security payments, particularly here in Michigan,” said Conyers.

“Economists of all political stripes are warning about the potential consequences of default. With just days left, I call on Republicans in the House and Senate to start taking that prospect seriously and stop playing political games with the full faith and credit of the United States and the livelihoods of American families.”

The new analysis shows that mortgage rates could rise dramatically during a default, pushing up overall home loan costs. Retirement savings are expected to fall significantly, potentially costing the average person in Michigan a drop of $15,000 in 401(k) assets and almost $23,000 in IRA assets just as they did in July and August 2011, when Republicans pushed the U.S. to the brink of default. 2,061,941 Social Security recipients here in Michigan may not get their monthly checks and 77,675 disabled veterans may not get their pensions as the Treasury Department is unable to borrow. Student loans will cost significantly more. And doctors and hospitals may not get paid for treating patients with Medicare.

Ways and Means Committee Democrats Analysis on Shutdown Costs to Michigan Families by Beverly Tran

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Conyers Signs Petition to Reopen the Government, Calls on Republicans to Sign On

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) announced that he signed on to a petition to reopen the government. This special congressional procedure, known as a discharge petition, allows a majority of members to bypass Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and force an up or down vote on a bill to reopen the government. The federal government has been closed since October 1, 2013, and Republican leaders have repeatedly refused requests from Democrats and some Republicans to pass a funding resolution without controversial items and reopen the federal government. After signing on to the discharge petition, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement: 

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“With no end in sight to this government shutdown that is harming citizens across the country, I joined with my colleagues to sign onto the discharge petition that will allow a vote on a bill to immediately reopen the government,” said Conyers.

“This shutdown is hurting my constituents in Michigan and threatening our economic recovery. I urge my Republican colleagues to come together in the spirit of bipartisanship to end this crisis by signing onto the discharge petition.”

The government shutdown has hurt the middle class and our economy, and will get worse as it continues.  Costing taxpayers up to $300 million a day, it has stopped critical loans to small businesses and slowed the processing of veterans disability claims. The shutdown has prevented NIH from taking new patients and halted life-saving medical research and stalled much-needed housing loans for American families.

The discharge petition for H. Res. 372 would allow an up or down vote on a clean continuing resolution, providing funding through November 15 at a compromise level requested by Speaker Boehner. This discharge petition only needs a majority of House members to sign on and does not require any action by the Republican leadership.

Discharge petitions have been proven successful in the past in bringing up legislation for consideration.  

·         According to a Congressional Research Service study, seven discharge petitions have received 218 signatures over the last 30 years. And in all seven cases, the majority party agreed to bring the measure to the House floor.

·         12 measures were allowed to be brought to the House floor even before the discharge petition reached the full 218 signatures. 

You can see which Members of Congress have signed onto the discharge petition in real time by visiting the House Clerk’s office here: http://clerk.house.gov/113/lrc/pd/petitions/DisPet0005.xml

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Conyers Asks Speaker to End the Government Shudtdown to Ensure the Provision of Justice to All Americans

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) sent the following letter to House Speaker John Boehner asking that he end the government shutdown in light of its devastating impacts on the ability of the federal court system and the U.S. Department of Justice to serve the American public:

Letter from Conyers Asks Speaker to End the Government Shudtdown to Ensure the Provision of Justice to All... by Beverly Tran

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Conyers Condemns Threats to Judiciary at Forum on the Government Shutdown and Sequestration

(WASHINGTON) – Yesterday, Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Democratic Members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a forum on the impact of the government shutdown and sequestration on the provision of justice in the United States. Participants in the forum were: James R. Silkenat, President of the American Bar Association; the Honorable W. Royal Furgeson, Jr., a retired Federal District Judge and Dean of UNT Dallas College of Law; A. J. Kramer, the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia; Robert Kengle, Co-Director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Don Saunders, the Vice President of Civil Legal Services with the National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Nan Aron, the President of the Alliance for Justice; Scott Lilly, a Senior Fellow with the Center for American Progress; and Diane Moyer, a Board Member of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Policy Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Following the forum, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

U.S Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“As we enter week two of the government shutdown, after more than six months of indiscriminate spending cuts imposed by sequestration, we find our Nation’s justice system to be in a perilous place. The financial impact of these events on the Department of Justice and the federal courts is grave and growing each day. The Justice Department’s budget was reduced by more than $1.6 billion in the last year alone, the FBI has not been able to train new agents, and funding for critical grant programs, such as those for Violence Against Women, has been curtailed. It is for these reasons that I convened a Judiciary Committee forum examining the impact of the twin crises of sequestration and the government shutdown on the provision of justice,” said Conyers.

“At the forum, we heard testimony from expert panelists that highlighted how damaging these fiscal cuts have been on the Judiciary. James Silkenat, the President of the American Bar Association, stated that our independent court system is close to collapse because of the cumulative impact of the sequester and the government shutdown. Among other concerns he cited, the federal judiciary has had to cutback essential programs that oversee individuals in the community awaiting trial and monitor those who already served their time and subsequently are released from prison on parole, potentially jeopardizing public safety.

               

“The Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia, A. J. Kramer, noted how ironic it was that on the 50^th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright - guaranteeing the right to counsel to indigent criminal defendants - we are not living up to this central constitutional commitment. The public defenders program has already suffered a 10% cut in critical funding, leading to 17,000 furlough days for counsels and a likely uptick in wrongful convictions. And, with 70% of their staff furloughed, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is unable to carry out its legal duties to combat discrimination, protect voting rights, and ensure fair housing access.

“Indigent defendants, federal judges, and the entirety of the federal judiciary did nothing to create this crisis, yet they must bear the brunt of the sequester and government shutdown on their budgets and constitutional obligations. Our courts, as a co-equal branch of government that is essential to our system of checks and balances, deserve better. After suffering through a manufactured crisis for far too long, we must act now to rescind the sequester and re-open the government.”

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Congressman Conyers Urges Up or Down Vote in House to End the Shutdown

(WASHINGTON) – Friday, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), joined by 199 Democrats, sent a letterto House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) demanding a vote on legislation that would end the shutdown, fund the government, and open the entire federal government immediately. Today, Congressman Conyers issued the following statement about the need for an immediate vote on the Senate-passed continuing resolution: 

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Today marks the seventh day of the government shutdown and yet House Republicans continue to take our nation on their dangerous, ideological path that’s threatening job growth, leaving families with less security and our country with less certainty and stability. Our message is clear: we demand a vote to end the shutdown and reopen our government so Americans can move on with their lives,” said Conyers.

Since the shutdown, House Democrats have tried seven times to bring up a vote on the Senate-passed continuing resolution, which would fund government at levels passed by both chambers of Congress and end the shutdown immediately. However, House Republicans blocked a vote on each of the Democrats’ measures.

“House Republicans continue to drag out this damaging shutdown by holding votes on a cynical, piecemeal approach to funding government,” said Conyers. “This is no way to govern and no way to run the largest economy in the world. Markets around the globe are reacting poorly to Congress’ inability to agree on this matter. It is time for House Republicans to drop the political games and join Democrats to bring a vote to the floor immediately to end the shutdown and get our government working again for the American people.”

This unnecessary shutdown is having a devastating impact on our economy, costing more than $300 million in taxpayer dollars a day, halting much-needed loans to small businesses, and forcing roughly 800,000 federal employees that work hard to make our nation a safer and better place to live to be furloughed.

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Conyers Announces New Participants in Forum Examining the Impact of the Government Shutdown & Sequestration on the Provision of Justice

(WASHINGTON) – Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Democratic Members of the House Judiciary Committee announced they will be holding a forum on the impact of the federal shutdown and sequestration on the provision of justice in the U.S. on Tuesday, October 8, at 2 pm.  Participants will include  some of the Nation’s leading experts on justice-related issues.  The Forum will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2237.

Further information about the event is detailed below:

What:	Forum Examining the Impact of the Government Shutdown and Sequestration on the Provision of Justice
Who:	Hosts: Ø  Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) – Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee Ø  Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Ø  Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Ø  Congressman Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Ø  Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ø  Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) Ø  Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Ø  Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.) Ø  Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-Calif.) Ø  Congressman Theodore E. “Ted” Deutch (D-Fla.) Ø  Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) Ø  Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) Ø  Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Participants: Ø  James R. Silkenat – President, American Bar Association Ø  The Honorable W. Royal Furgeson, Jr. – Retired Federal District Judge, Dean of UNT Dallas College of Law Ø  A. J. Kramer – Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia Ø  Robert Kengle – Co-Director, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Ø  Don Saunders – Vice President of Civil Legal Services, National Legal Aid & Defender Association Ø  Nan Aron – President, Alliance for Justice Ø  Scott Lilly – Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Ø  Diane Moyer – Board Member of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Policy Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
When:	Tuesday, October 8th, 2:00 p.m.
Where:	Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237

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Conyers & House Judiciary Committee Democrats Announce Forum Examining the Impact of the Government Shutdown & Sequestration on the Provision of Justice

(WASHINGTON) – Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Democratic Members of the House Judiciary Committee announced they will be holding a Forum on the impact of the federal shutdown and sequestration on the provision of Justice in the U.S. on Tuesday, October 8, at 2 pm.  Participants will include  some of the Nation’s leading experts on justice-related issues.  The Forum will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2237, at 2 pm.

Further information about the event is detailed below:

What:	Forum Examining the Impact of the Government Shutdown and Sequestration on the Provision of Justice
Who:	Hosts: Ø  Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) – Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee Ø  Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Ø  Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Ø  Congressman Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Ø  Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ø  Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) Ø  Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) – Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Ø  Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.) Ø  Congressman Theodore E. “Ted” Deutch (D-Fla.) Ø  Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Participants: Ø  John Silkenat – President, American Bar Association Ø  The Honorable W. Royal Furgeson – Retired Federal District Judge, Dean of UNT Dallas College of Law Ø  AJ Kramer – Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia Ø  Robert Kengle – Co-Director, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Ø  Don Saunders – Director of Civil Legal Services, National Legal Aid and Defenders Association Other participants to be announced.
When:	Tuesday, October 8th, 2:00 p.m.
Where:	Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237

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Conyers Joins Rally Opposing Chained CPI Social Security Benefit Cut; Urges Republicans Not to Oppose Raising the Debt Limit

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) rallied with Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and retiree advocates against the proposed Chained CPI Social Security benefit cut. Under the Chained CPI proposal, at age 75, a senior’s benefits would be cut by about $660 per year on average.  At age 85, those benefits would be cut by about $1,150 per year, and at age 95, by about $1,600 per year. Republicans in Congress have repeatedly demanded that any increase in the nation’s debt limit should be tied to cuts to social insurance programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.  Following the rally, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

“On several occasions over the past three years, Republicans in Congress have held the full faith and credit of the United States hostage when an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling is required. They plan to once more push through unpopular cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as a price for raising the debt limit. Republicans support a terrible proposal, known as Chained CPI.  Under this formula, the average Social Security retiree would see his or her benefits cut by $500 a year after 10 years. After 20 years, the average benefit would be cut by about $1,000 a year. Some have argued that the Chained CPI is a necessary compromise, so that we can address the debt and end the threat posed by the sequester. I would suggest that penalizing our most vulnerable by cutting a program that, by law, cannot add to the deficit, is not a compromise worth making,” said Conyers.

“What Congress must do with the sequester is repeal it. My legislation, the ‘Cancel the Sequester Act,’ would do just that.

“Instead of penalizing seniors, veterans, youth, and young people, Congress should be pursuing policies that create full employment and strengthen the health and retirement benefits of all Americans. Why cut Social Security benefits when we can eliminate the cap on the payroll tax contributions of our wealthiest Americans?

“I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised by the callous attitude exhibited by some Republicans when it comes to the well-being of working families and middle-class Americans.  In the current government shutdown fiasco, Republicans have directed their energy toward reopening our national parks, while at the same time turning an indifferent, cold shoulder to the youngsters shut out of the Headstart program and vulnerable women and children who will lose their nutritional assistance provided by the WIC program.    

“I join my colleagues and all who believe in fundamental fairness to oppose Chained CPI and the government shutdown because my conscience will not allow me to stay silent on an issue that has the potential to harm the lives of so many. What we should do is re-open the government immediately, raise the debt limit, put forth a clean continuing resolution, and let all the new healthcare beneficiaries enroll in the Affordable Care Act – because it is now the law of the land.”

Rep. Conyers, alongside progressive Congressmen and advocates, rallying against Chained CPI.

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Conyers Warns of Dire Prospects for Federal Government and the Nation in Face of Government Shutdown

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement concerning the shutdown of the federal government, including the federal Judiciary:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“Following the election of the Republican Majority to Congress in 2010, we have careened from one manufactured fiscal crisis to another. At midnight last night, House Republicans forced the government into shutdown that has already begun to harm federal workers and shutter essential government functions for families across the country all due to Republicans’ insistence on derailing the Affordable Care Act prior to its implementation. This ideological obstructionism is unprecedented and will have serious consequences for the entire Nation,” said Conyers.

“The Republican government shutdown will also have a devastating impact on federal Judiciary and law enforcement agencies. Specifically, over the last day I have learned that, amongst other things, a government shutdown will lead to the following:

Ø  In two weeks time the federal Judicial system will close down for all cases except those deemed most essential

Ø  Attorneys at the Justice Department may be prevented from protecting public health and safety, and to recoup billions from fraud and abuse of federal funds

Ø  FBI agents will be unable to receive critical training for recruits at Quantico, in addition to the FBI being unable to bring in new agents next year because of budgetary cuts

Ø  Over 404,000 enrolled employers and U.S. businesses will be hurt from being unable to have needed access to E-Verify, the Internet-based system that allows employers to voluntarily determine the eligibility of prospective employees to work in the United States.  Last year more than 21 million queries were sent through the E-Verify system

Ø  The Office of Foreign Labor Certification at the Department of Labor will close and neither accept nor process any Labor Condition Applications, Applications for Prevailing Wage Determination, Applications for Temporary Employment Certification, or Applications for Permanent Employment Certification.  This effectively prevents employers from seeking green cards for their essential employees, as well as from applying for high-skilled H-1B visas, agricultural H-2A visas, or non-agricultural H-2B visas. 

Ø  A government shutdown would result in the closure of most U.S. immigration courts, further adding to the backlog of immigration court dockets, which already suffer from years-long delays. 

“These dire effects of a government shutdown come in addition to the $85.4 billion in budgetary sequester cuts already in place for 2013. The federal Judiciary alone has already taken a $350 million budgetary hit, with a $52 million shortfall for federal public defenders providing legal representation to indigent offenders. In addition, funding has been severely curtailed for substance abuse and mental health treatment, as well as for probation and pretrial services officers.

“Holding the federal government hostage over ideological demands is a reckless way to govern, and I urge my Republican colleagues to abandon this divisive approach. Playing politics with the fiscal health of the United States, and the actual health of the American people over the Affordable Care Act, is irresponsible and must come to an end.”

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