MacArthur Urges Senators Menendez and Booker to Reopen the Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom MacArthur issued the following statement after joining a conference call hosted by Governor Phil Murphy and encouraging Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker to vote to reopen the federal government and to work on a bipartisan solution to DACA.

“I applaud Governor Murphy for bringing New Jersey’s federal officials together on a conference call and I hope we will continue to work together whenever possible for the benefit of our great state.  I believe we are all in agreement that the shutdown hurts New Jersey. I also believe we are all in agreement that we have a responsibility to deal with DACA humanely and with finality. That is why I called on Senators Menendez and Booker to join a bipartisan group of their colleagues to support the reopening of the government and deal with DACA immediately afterwards, long before the March deadline we are facing.”

“Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, flood insurance policy holders, seniors who are concerned about how this shutdown will affect them, community health centers, our military men and women, federal law enforcement officers, and government employees who do amazing work in our communities  – they are far too important to allow this political brinksmanship to continue. It is my hope that Senators Menendez and Booker will put politics aside and have a little faith that those of us on the other side of the aisle want to work with them in good faith on long term solutions to the problems facing our nation.  Shutting down the government is hurting New Jersey and the country today and isn’t the answer.”