The Government Shutdown

As I write, our government is mired in the midst of a shutdown for the first time since 1996. Congress' inability to reach an agreement to keep the government open is extremely unfortunate as it personally affects so many Americans.

Here in the House, we're working to find agreement to end this shutdown. As we continue to seek such an agreement, we've passed a series of bills designed to fund several key priorities, such as veterans benefits and cancer research, in the meantime. We also passed legislation that would provide pay for furloughed employees of the federal government, like those working for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Kansas City or the Department of Agriculture in New London, once the government is fully back up and running. All of these initiatives have been bipartisan.

Despite the government shutdown, I continue to work on your behalf. I was elected to serve the people of Missouri's Sixth District, and I am here to assist you in any way possible. Feel free to call any of my offices, or stop by one of my staff's Mobile Office Hours. You can find this information on my website, graves.house.gov.

Please know that regardless of whether the government is open or not, I will continue to work for all of North Missouri. Americans rightfully expect Congress to work together to solve problems and I remain committed to reaching an agreement that reopens the federal government.

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