FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 28, 2023

Contact: Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov | 330.212.2065

 In Sham Impeachment Hearing, Summer Lee Reveals How Many Workers in Each Oversight Republican’s District Will Lose Paychecks Due to GOP Shutdown 

(WASHINGTON, DC) — In today’s sham “impeachment” hearing on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Congresswoman Summer (D-PA-12) Lee shamed Republican members of the Oversight Committee for using taxpayer dollars to distract from the crushing impact their party’s shutdown will have on their own constituents. Lee pointed out the exact number of federal employees represented by each Republican on Oversight [table version] who will go without a paycheck, and made clear that the only constituency MAGA Republicans answer to is their cable-news culture-warriors and their billionaire friends. 

In Lee’s district alone, Republican’s shutdown will cost 8,642 workers in her district, with 10,330 in Allegheny County and 2,512 in Westmoreland County. 

Watch full remarks here.

Congresswoman Summer Lee’s Recent Remarks on the Shutdown:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let’s get to it.. if these people had a so-called “smoking gun” they would be talking about it non-stop. Instead we’re sitting here with no fact witnesses and no evidence in a sham “impeachment“ to distract from their inability to fulfill their basic duty to fund and run the government.

Republicans know the American people don’t want their shutdown. 

So instead, the Republicans on this committee are attempting to divert and distract the American people’s attention by spending taxpayer dollars on this sham “”impeachment”” hearing two days before they shut the government down in the hopes that the media – and I don’t just mean Fox news – will fall for their scheme and give more airtime to the lies told by Republicans on this committee today than the real-life impact their shutdown will have on even their own constituents lives. 

In Chairman Comer’s district, Republican’s shutdown will cost eight thousand nine-hundred and thirty-seven of his constituents their paychecks. 

In Jim Jordan’s district, Republican’s shutdown will cost three thousand nine hundred and thirty nine of his constituents their paychecks

In Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district, Republican’s shutdown will cost six thousand three hundred and six of her constituents their paychecks

In Lauren Boebert’s district, Republican’s shutdown will cost nine thousand and sixteen of her constituents their paychecks

In Paul Gosar’s Arizona district, Republican’s shutdown will cost twelve thousand three hundred and forty nine of his constituents their paychecks

In Byron Donald’s, three thousand two hundred and thirty five folks’ paychecks 

In Andy Bigg’s eight thousand four hundred and thirty three 

In Mike Turner’s, eighteen thousand nine hundred and seventy two 

In Virginia Fox’s North Carolina District, four thousand seven hundred and twelve 

In Glen Grothman’s four thousand two hundred and seventy six 

In Gary Palmer’s eight thousand nine hundred and sixty 

In Clay Higgins’ Louisiana District, four thousand five hundred and fifty-two 

In Pete Sessions’ nine thousand seventy-two 

In Nancy Mace’s thirteen thousand six hundred twenty workers will lose their paychecks 

In Jake Laturner’s twelve thousand two hundred and forty two 

In Pat Fallon’s seven thousand eight hundred and fifty 

In William Timmons’ five thousand one hundred and sixty-six 

In Tim Burchett’s cost thirteen thousand two-hundred and eighteen

In Russel Fry’s over seven thousand and two hundred 

In Anna Paulina Luna’s seven thousand forty one 

In Chuck Edward’ seven thousand nine hundred eighty workers will lose their paychecks 

In Nick Langworth’s seven thousand eight hundred fifty  

In Eric Burlison’s, six thousand one hundred ninety four 

In Lisa MCclain’s, seven thousand two hundred and eighty six 

In Scott Perry’s Pennsylvania district and the Capitol of my commonwealth, Republican’s shutdown will cost five thousand four hundred and forty five of his constituents will lose their paychecks 

When you add it all up, Republicans’ shut down will cost two hundred seventeen thousand five hundred eighty three of their constituents their paychecks, their income…. for who knows how long.  

Let that sink in for a second.  Those are our mothers, fathers, caretakers, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, friends, neighbors and beloved community members..who won’t know how their food or medicine will be paid for or where their rent money is coming from 

Many of them vote Republican, but I’d bet you not one of them cares more about Hunter’s laptop or helping Kevin McCarthy keep his gig as leader of his chaos caucus than they care about keeping their own jobs or making ends meet.

And so, the Republicans on this committee are betting that we’ll spend this hearing engaging in partisan bickering over their favorite buzzwords rather than talking about how the MAGA shutdown will crush all of our constituents – single moms, families and communities that have been systemically left behind like my own.

To be honest, I don’t care about private-citizen Hunter or cable-news culture war distractions. 

I care about the 7 million babies, children, and mothers across the country who after Sunday will lose access to food and formula —- over 10,000 in my district alone. 

I care about the 300,000 families – 20,000 veterans – who after Sunday, could face eviction from their homes.

..rare-disease and cancer patients whose experimental trials will be delayed months. 

And I care about our seniors unable to get help with Social Security and Medicare.

And make no mistake.  Their attacks are targeted – both in who’s behind them and who they hurt the most. The most marginalized folks bear the brunt of these MAGA Republican’s attacks. Black folks, brown folks, trans folks, poor folks, disabled folks.

Keeping that struggle in mind, we’ve had two hearings on the infant formula shortage on the subcommittee chaired by Congresswoman Mcclain.Yet with 320,000 babies, women and children in her  home state of Michigan about to go hungry due to her party’s shutdown, it seems like my Republican colleagues only care about an issue when they can point the finger in another direction… much like what’s going on in this embarrassment of a hearing today.

Mr. Gerhardt:

Mr. Gerhardt, in one of your recent op-eps, you mentioned that a good test for assessing the constitutionality of a governmental action is to switch the names and political parties of the actors involved. 

If the outcome is the same, it is a good sign of neutrality. If the outcome is not the same, then there is a good chance that partisanship is the driving force. 

If you apply that test to this inquiry, does it hold up as neutral or is it a partisan effort?

House Republicans know that they will still get paid while their constituents, my constituents, and people across the country go hungry.

That’s where we are, America. This sham hearing shows the real priority of the Republican party: pushing a lie for Donald Trump, as you go hungry and lose your homes. Shameful.

I yield back.