Press Releases

(Honolulu, HI) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1) today joined his U.S. House colleagues with yet another vote – the 9th since the new Congress convened earlier this month – to end the partial government shutdown.  

“We need to get our government reopened now so vital federal services and programs are no longer jeopardized by what has become the longest shutdown in our nation’s history,” said Case.  The measure today would, if it becomes law, immediately reopen those affected government agencies that have either furloughed workers or have employees on the job – without pay.

Last Friday, Case joined his colleagues with their vote on a measure (S.24 – the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act) to ensure the affected employees will be granted their back pay when the affected agencies reopen.  The President signed that bill into law yesterday. “This measure at least gives workers some assurance of eventual payment,” said Case. “Although it does nothing to relieve the cash flow hardships of so many.”

Case also this week joined his freshman House colleagues to call on the Republican-controlled Senate to end the shutdown.  “This is no way to govern,” said Case.  “We have many major disagreements on major issues like ensuring health care for all to work through, and if we set the precedent of shutting down the government over every dispute, then we would have a government that operates in erratic starts and stops.”  Case shared his remarks Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.

In Hawai‘i, the shutdown has severely disrupted vital federal services at key agencies including the Transportation Security Administration, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Justice Department, among others.  More than 2,700 federal employees are either on furlough or working without pay. Many of them today took part in a “silent march” at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to call for an end to the shutdown.

Finally, Case today joined the thousands of federal workers and their families forced to stay home or work without pay due to the partial government shutdown, with his commitment to also work without pay until the crisis is resolved.   “I will only get paid when other federal workers in Hawai‘i and across the country get paid,” said Case.