Press Release

Today the U.S. House of Representatives failed to vote on a real solution to keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) open and instead brought up a stop-gap, temporary measure that failed 224-203. Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. made the following statement:

"Terrorists don't operate on a three-week timeline. The American people deserve so much better than this. Congress needs to do its job and pass a long-term budget for the agency tasked with keeping the American people safe. We cannot keep governing from crisis to crisis. We must stop the finger pointing, put politics aside, and make Washington work for the people again."

Earlier this week, Bera introduced a bill that will withhold the pay of members of Congress if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shuts down. Should it shut down, Bera will donate any Congressional pay earned during that time to charity.

Bera is a co-sponsor of a clean bill to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year.

Bera has represented Sacramento County in Congress since 2013. Born and raised in California, he is a physician and the only Indian American currently serving in Congress. He's fighting to rebuild an economy that works for middle class families and to reduce our country's debt in a responsible way. One of Bera's first acts in Congress was to help lead the effort to pass the No Budget No Pay Act, which says if members of Congress don't pass a budget, they don't get paid. As a leader of the No Labels' Problem Solvers, he's working with people from both parties to find bipartisan solutions to our nation's challenges. He and his wife Janine live in Elk Grove with their daughter Sydra. For more updates on Rep. Bera follow @RepBera on Twitter, like Congressman Bera on Facebook, or visit https://www.bera.house.gov.