National Governors Association: End the Shutdown

In a letter sent to House and Senate leadership, the National Governors Association called for an end to the government shutdown, which is now the longest shutdown ever.

“On behalf of the nation’s state, territory, county, and municipal governments, we respectfully urge you to act swiftly in the national interest to resolve the ongoing federal shutdown which is rapidly becoming a crisis for the millions of Americans we represent,” Bill McBride, executive director of the National Governors Association, wrote.

The letter was addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“Unlike the federal government, states and localities cannot shut down,” the letter read.  “We must continue providing essential services to our constituents – and we rely on long-standing partnerships to fulfill those responsibilities.”

“During a shutdown, federal responsibilities are shifted to state and local governments which is unsustainable, as state and local governments do not have the tools, resources or capacity to absorb those duties,” the letter continued.

Aside from the National Governors Association, the letter was signed by the National League of Cities, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties, the Council of State Governments, The United States Conference of Mayors, the International City/County Management Association, and the Government Finance Officers Association.

“Due to the shutdown impasse, we are at risk in areas including economic stability, national security, disaster preparedness, food insecurity, infrastructure maintenance, the federal court system, and more,” the letter added.

“The unpredictability of the shutdown makes it impossible for state and local officials to predict when specific harmful impacts will reach our communities, hindering our ability to plan and coordinate timely and effective responses.”

States and localities will feel the ripple effects of the shutdown for months, even after it ends, the National Governors Association warned.

“On behalf of the millions of Americans we serve, we urge Congress to quickly enter bipartisan negotiations and resolve this shutdown."

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