January 28, 2019

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Castro Statement on the Trump Shutdown’s Economic and Moral Costs

WASHINGTON—Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, released the following statement in response to the Congressional Budget Office’s Economic Impact Report on the Government Shutdown:

“Today’s report confirms what we already suspected: that the Trump Shutdown damaged our nation’s morale, economy and national security. In just five weeks, we lost over $11 billion in GDP. Not only did President Trump’s actions cause irreparable harm to businesses and inflict unnecessary pain on hundreds of thousands of families, but he also exposed our country to national security threats, all in pursuit of fulfilling a campaign promise to build a border wall.

“We saw the President weaponize public servants’ salaries and immigrant communities in an effort to pursue a political promise that no one wants. With three weeks to negotiate, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus remains firm in our position to oppose the President’s border wall, and will not support any compromise that hurts border communities, elevates deportation efforts, or bolsters Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention practices.

“Instead, the CHC supports smart, effective border security that makes our country safe while promoting trade, stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S. and building a 21st century border security program that protects people safely and humanely. We must work to expand economic opportunity for all Americans, rather than engage in tit-for-tat negotiations with the President that hold federal workers hostage and does not provide Americans an infrastructure to achieve their dreams.”

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.