Congressman Steil Blasts Democrats' Government Shutdown Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In one of his first public statements since assuming the oath of office, Wisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil (R-Janesville) says Thursday's action by the Democratic-held house will not end the government shutdown.

“Like every American, I am frustrated with the current situation and the continuous cycle of shutting down the government over political fights. We need to reopen the government,“ said Congressman Steil. "The legislation voted on the floor last night was not a serious attempt to end the shutdown. Rather than grandstanding, I urge leadership to bring a bill to the floor that can pass through the Senate and can be signed by the President. I’m committed to finding common ground, ending the shutdown, and providing necessary funding for enhanced border security.”

On Thursday night, house Democrats passed a plan to re-open the federal government minus funding for President Donald Trump's signature promise: a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump has gone on record saying he'd refuse to sign a bill that didn't include border wall funding. Meanwhile, Democrats say they're not passing a funding bill that supports the construction of the wall.

"There is no amount of persuasion he can use [to get Democrats to fund the wall]," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in an interview that aired Thursday on NBC's "Today." She added: "We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?"

Patch File Photo by Scott Anderson