“Speaker Nancy Pelosi controls the House, and it’s her duty to show up and negotiate with the Republican-controlled Senate and President Trump. But Pelosi has refused to even consider a compromise to end the partial government shutdown, and Congresswoman Underwood, Congressman Casten, and other Illinois Democrats have enabled her with their silence. It’s time for Underwood, Casten, and others to stop playing political games and join their Democratic colleagues in standing up to Speaker Pelosi. If they do, this partial shutdown would be over, Dreamers would be protected, and we would have stronger border security.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot

A letter, sent yesterday by freshman Congresswoman Elaine Luria (D-Va.), encouraged Speaker Nancy Pelosi to compromise with President Trump, protect Dreamers, and initiate a process to enact increased border security measures. Thirty Congressional Democrats wrote, “We promised our constituents that we would seek bipartisan solutions, and we feel that this proposal would gain bipartisan support and allow a transparent process to evaluate the true needs of border security and provide much-needed reform to our immigration system.”

Illinois Congressmen Dan Lipinski and Brad Schneider even signed onto a similar letter urging Pelosi to make a deal. Neither freshman Congresswoman Lauren Underwood nor Congressman Sean Casten signed onto either letter.

Additionally, neither Underwood nor Casten joined some of their freshman Democratic colleagues in voting to immediately pay federal workers while a deal is negotiated. Instead, they voted against all three motions to pay federal workers while the government is shutdown. If eight of Illinois’ thirteen Democratic members supported the motion, the effort to pay federal workers potentially could’ve been enacted into law.

Voters in IL-14 and IL-06 deserve better than Pelosi pawns currently representing them in Congress.

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