Panetta statement on Trump deal to reopen government

Courtesy of Congressman Jimmy Panetta:

Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who represents San Benito County, released the following statement Friday after President Donald Trump announced a deal to reopen the government:

I am pleased that the President finally took the necessary step to reopen our government so that federal employees can return to work and get paid.  This could have been avoided in December, but this administration used the shutdown as a tool for a political agenda.  This shutdown had a negative impact not only on federal employees and their families but on our country’s economic and national security.  In order to ensure this never happens again, our leadership must put politics and emotion aside and focus on the policy and evidence of reasonable border security and necessary immigration reform. 

The House and Senate will vote on and pass the continuing resolution and the President will sign it tonight. Over the next three weeks, our leadership must put politics aside and have a serious discussion about the policy of border security and immigration reform so that we can keep our government open and provide security for our nation and a pathway for those who want and deserve to be part of it.