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Bipartisan Call in CNY to End Govt Shutdown, Pay TSA Workers

John Smith/WAER News

Before two Congressional representatives from Central New York Departed for Washington Tuesday, they wanted to reassure federal workers and constituents that they want an end to the partial government shutdown. 

Congress members Anthony Brindisiand John Katko are focusing on bills to pay TSA workers and to re-open the government. 

“I think we both agree, we want to get the government up and running.  We’ve heard many stories in our offices form TSA workers, Air Traffic Controllers, all kinds of federal employees who are going with pay right now and it’s very problematic,” said Brindisi.  “These people have car payments, they have loans to repay, they have o put food on their tables for their husbands, their wives, their children.”

Brindisi supports Katko’s bill that would give TSA workers and Air Traffic Controllers back pay and get them back on the payroll.  Katko says the controversy over the border wall is not the only area in which the nation’s security is at stake.

“Border Security also means having ports of entry secure.  It also means having enough agents on the border, having enough judges on the border, and having enough housing for people that come into the united states.”

Brindisi explains that dedicated physical barriers need to be defined for certain areas along the U-S Mexico Border, fencing installed and enhanced screening technology added.  Both representatives are in favor of those elements in the Senate’s plan.  Over the weekend, President Trump floated a plan to secure the border wall funding he seeks in exchange for a deal on  DACA.  Katko supports a compromise that would help the young undocumented immigrants. 

“There’s 1.8 million kids in this country that are DACA kids and they have not been able to get a good solution to it.  This is their opportunity.  They should not, as Anthony said, take an all-or-nothing approach.  They should take this opportunity, cut this deal.  And the President will know too, that he had to pay a deep price to get what he wanted and he will be less likely to do it again.”

Katko and Brindisi are encouraging members on both sides of the aisle to stop the infighting and reach a deal to get the government re-opened.  They also want to focus on other issues they were elected to office to address.    

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.