Congresswoman Betty McCollum Statement on Ruling Pausing Trump's Government Shutdown Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a day of chaos unleashed by President Trump’s decision to shut down the federal government, Congresswoman Betty McCollum released the following statement on Tuesday:

“I commend Federal District Court Judge AliKhan for quickly pausing the irrational, incompetent, and illegal actions by President Trump today. Because of this judge’s intervention, our government will be able to continue delivering the services that Americans expect and deserve. 

“If it was the administration’s intention to sow panic and chaos, they achieved their goal. I know this for a fact, because of the flood of emails and phone calls into my congressional offices from seniors concerned about losing their heating assistance, community health centers preparing to lay off doctors and nurses, and families concerned about losing food assistance. This added to the grave concern from community leaders who learned this week that the President is threatening to withhold funding for their local infrastructure projects. 

“While President Trump is unrelenting in single-handedly ripping away the services that the American people rely on, I will work to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the land, which give Congress the lead role in directing federal investments.”