As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I've worked tirelessly with my Democratic colleagues to offer President Trump three options to keep the government open, but he and House Republicans have instead decided to unnecessarily prevent nearly 400,000 federal employees from receiving paychecks this holiday season. This pointless, destructive Trump shutdown will also halt loans to small businesses in need of support, end consumer protection and services for identity theft victims and curtail food inspections as families gather around the dinner table this week. The President said he would be 'proud' to shut down the government over his ineffective border wall, but unfortunately American families will have to pay a steep price for Trump's tantrum.

Donald Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government if he doesn't get billions of dollars from American taxpayers to fund the wasteful, irrational wall he promised Mexico would pay for. That is unnacceptable.