Elected government officials and their appointed aides should not be paid if they are not fulfilling their fundamental duty to guarantee the ongoing operation of government on the federal and/or state level.

The Constitution requires that EVERYONE who lives here be counted every 10 years, regardless of whether they are a citizen or not. But the Department of Commerce has announced a plan to add a question about citizenship status to the 2020 Census -- and experts say this would discourage many legitimate responses. This would dramatically skew the results of the Census -- and with them, the resources and political power our communities can access. Recently, a New York District Court found the addition of a citizenship question to the Census in violation of the law. But this decision will likely be appealed -- so it’s up to Congress to stop this partisan scheme for good. We must tell Congress to stop this effort to politicize this vital tool for democracy -- and instead push for a Census in which everyone counts. Add your name to STOP the Trump Administration from rigging the 2020 Census with an unnecessary citizenship question.

A government shut down is reckless and arbitrary. For national security we must have a fully functioning system within all aspects of government. We cannot pass the cost on to our government workers, contractors or parties reliant upon a stable economy.

The purpose of this petition is to show the GOP controlled Senate and Mitch McConnell that the citizens of this country would support their override of a Presidential veto. In life, no one "gets their way" 100% of the time. This shut down is affecting all of us.

The Senate is not using its Constitutional power to check and balance the Executive branch because of one submissive Senator who happens to be Majority Leader. This is exactly what our founding fathers feared. Now it’s hurting so many Americans as a result, and the Senate is pretending that it couldn’t do something about it.

I believe the President and Congress would use government shutdowns more responsibly if shutdowns affected them financially.

We know of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, because they are familiar, better legislated, and as always - excellently litigated than our right to, “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Federal workers, small businesses, park and border agents are not only feeling the pain of Trump’s shutdown - the longest federal shutdown in American history, our food and drug administration department can no longer inspect domestically produced meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables. And neither can the USDA and the department of health, ensure the safety of foods and drugs coming into American homes because of Trump’s refusal to end this shutdown. We’ve had stories of military families struggling with mortgage, and federal workers not getting paid for now and the nearest future. Now imagine what will happen when food stamps runs out for ordinary Americans. This federal government shutdown by Trump must be brought to an end before it get worse! And the best you can do as an American, at this stage, is to show up in person, or pick up your cell phone and call your congressional representatives. Tell them, “the Congress doesn't need Trump to bring this shutdown to an end.” Tell them, “they, as elected representatives in the house, have the power to override Trump’s presidential veto, open the government, and take control of government spending, budget, expenses and allocations for the military.” My name is Abbey Laurel-Smith, I am in the race for NYC Public Advocate, February 26th, 2019. I am campaigning as the voice and the ears of the people. As an underdog, my chances are slim. But you can help me reach the threshold required for this office by midnight this coming Monday, the 12th of January, and we could all have a good shot at winning. Click here https://rebuildnewyorkcity.com or https://abbeylaurel-smith.com or https://smithiegoeswest.com to support my campaign.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/424730-mcconnell-blocks-house-bills-to-reopen-government This government shutdown is entering its third week, and the employees who have been furloughed or working without pay since Christmas are suffering. Nevermind that this is about a nonessential “wall” or a “fence” or a “beaded curtain” that President Trump and the GOP claim will curtail illegal immigration (which it won’t, we live in the 21st century, a wall is not going to stop anyone that really wants to get through). Nevermind that this shutdown is affecting Homeland Security, including the TSA, which means our main points of entry are not properly secured and maintained (these entrypoints are where the majority of stops and arrests happen, because there are more modes of transportation than walking up to a border). Nevermind that this “wall of steel slats that is concrete but see-through” is now being described as a metaphor, and not some physical, actual, unnecessary wall (in which case, why do they need approx. 7 billion dollars?). This isn’t some “all or nothing” deal - the border security already in place is budgeted for; the democratic congressmen (and, hopefully, many republican congressmen as well) want to fund DHS and implement newer, more advanced security and have proposed funding for much-needed updates. This is not about border security or protecting the American citizens or some us-vs-them fight; this is about a supposed-leader who lets a few people on a “news” channel tell him what to do, and another man who is willing to sacrifice the stability of this country and the people within it in order to stay on the “good side” of the President. In summary, these men are weak and cowardly. Getting McConnell out of the way is the first step in getting this country back on track.

We need someone to speak for the people most affected by the Government shutdown. A shutdown should never be used by any politician to get their way. Make this a law !!!!!

This budget freeze would end if all of Government were shut down, including elected officials and the White House staff. They should feel the pain that the other Federal employees feel.

Parents take great pride in knowing that we are accepted into the gym atmosphere with our littles in tow. It shows that we are supported in the gym and military community. Many families do not have the means to pay for childcare, have childcare readily available to them, or the ability to purchase gym memberships. Having a free gym where all of our health and fitness needs can be met especially during stressful days that are often experienced in the military community due to family separations and frequent moves has created high resilience. Applied Functional Fitness Center has been a go-to source for families to find mental and physical wellbeing, creating great morale amongst one another and a close-knit community for us to rely on in those times of need.

As President Trump continues to hold federal government paychecks hostage over billions of dollars for a wasteful and unnecessary wall, federal workers and contractors from nine departments are out of work, leaving thousands of families to scrape by without a paycheck. There are 800,000 people in the federal workforce impacted by the shutdown, including low-wage workers. And that does not account for the contractors, including janitors, food service workers, and security guards who will not get back pay when the government reopens but still need to find ways to pay for childcare, housing, food, medicine, and support their families. Each day the shutdown continues, there are severe consequences for American families, small businesses and the economy. The economic ripple effects of the government shutdown cannot be underestimated. The 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days, cost our economy between 2 to 6 billion dollars in lost output. America’s families cannot afford this shut down and they cannot afford having our tax dollars, that should be used to improve our schools, childcare, and health care, being held hostage for a hateful and wasteful wall by the Trump administration. The wall is not just a hateful symbol of exclusion, it will kill wildlife by interfering with migration patterns and wildlife access to food and water. It will cause dangerous flooding, causing millions of dollars in damages to the environment and local businesses and endangering the lives of border residents. It will stomp on the rights of private landowners resulting in a large government land grab that strips private landowners of their lands. President Trump is manufacturing a crisis just to deliver on a hateful promise to his political base of support. The truth is that there is no security crisis at the border, and unauthorized border crossings are at historic lows, down over 75% since 2000. We need the U.S. Congress to stand strong against President Trump and show their leadership by putting an end to the government shutdown.