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Democrats Vote Down Coast Guard Pay

January 24, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement after the overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted down the Motion to Recommit H.J. Res 31., Making further continuing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019, which would allow all DHS employees, including the U.S. Coast Guard, to receive pay through January 24th, but would require further action to secure the border and reopen DHS:

“The Coast Guard operates on the front line of our nation’s homeland security, law enforcement, and drug interception missions. It is simply unacceptable that members of our Armed Forces are not being paid and that some families have been forced to rely upon food pantries and donations while Democrats continue to hold the government hostage over their unwillingness to negotiate with President Trump. Despite these hardships, the Coast Guard remains ready. Just last week the USCG carried out a lifesaving mission in southeast Louisiana after a boat capsized in the Mississippi.

"Today Republicans offered a solution to make sure our Coast Guard personnel and all other DHS employees keeping our nation safe get a paycheck while we continue negotiating to reopen our government and secure our border. It was a commonsense fix—and the right thing to do—and Democrats voted it down. The Democratic caucus owes Coast Guard personnel an answer as these families face a second missed paycheck of the year.”