Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Vice Chair of the Democracy Reform Task Force, offered the following response following President Trump’s Tuesday night address:
“What began as a campaign gimmick designed to fire up white nationalist crowds, has morphed into a giant poison pill that is impacting the lives of millions of Americans. More than 800,000 federal employees are working without pay. Funding for food stamps, and to enforce the Violence Against Women act, is running out. And, that is only the start.
“The President has not been telling the truth. Here are the facts: The wall will not stop illegal immigration. The wall will not cost $5.7 billion dollars but rather tens of billions. The wall will interfere with hundreds of miles of private property as well as environmentally sensitive areas. The wall is a fantasy built on bad intentions. My constituents and the vast majority of Americans reject this wall and so do I.
“I will not vote for President Trump’s misguided, racist, and wasteful wall. Open up the government now Mr. President, and work with Congress to find smart solutions for border security and immigration. Enough is enough.”