U.S.PIRG Statement on Government Shutdown

U.S.PIRG

Our elected congressional representatives are letting partisan politics get in the way of their job: to fund the government.

While gridlock engulfs Washington, our state and local governments have considerable authority to safeguard their residents’ health, safety and quality of life.

We’ve consistently worked with states to come up with innovative ideas to address those pressing needs — needs that are even more pressing when the federal government takes a pass.

We’re urging our state and local leaders to take action to get lead out of drinking water, offer consumers more control over their financial information, end farming practices that put our life-saving medicines at risk of losing their effectiveness, and much more.

We shouldn’t tolerate a federal government so dysfunctional that it can’t avoid shutting itself down. Nor should we use it as an excuse for inaction closer to home. We need our states and cities to step up and lead.