Warnings About Looming Shutdown’s Impact on Law Enforcement
As we near the October 1, 2023, date for a tempirary government shutdown, Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), the co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus, is warning about the potential impact on homeland security.
At an event at the Bergen County September 11th Memorial in Leonia, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, Rep. Gottheimer warned of the consequences of a government shutdown.
“The bottom line is a government shutdown will put our national security and military readiness at risk,” said Rep. Gottheimer.
The congressman was surrounded by New Jersey law enforcement, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) President Larry Cosme, first responders and local leaders at the event, which was broadcast on Facebook Live.
Impact on Law Enforcement
Rep. Gottheimer noted that a shutdown will have a dramatic impact on the law enforcement community.
First, it would leave members of the U.S. military and federal law enforcement, among others, without paychecks until the shutdown is resolved, even as they continue to work in their essential jobs.
Beyond pocketbook issues, speakers at the said a shutdown could jeopardize major national and international operations including fighting drug traffickers, terrorists, and securing the borders, as well as jeopardizing undercover operations.
A shutdown could also impact federal grant money for local law enforcement and threaten countless defense projects.
“When federal law enforcement is not operating at the highest level necessary, that makes the job of our local law enforcement locally even tougher because the two work together so closely,” said Rep. Gottheimer.
Rep. Gottheimer blamed “right-wing extremists” for the looming shutdown and urged Congress to adopt a framework put together by the Problem Solvers Caucus. That framework calls for the passage of a Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 full-year appropriations package by January 11, 2024, that adheres to the parameters and funding levels agreed upon in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. It calls for the adoption of President Biden’s Ukraine funding request and a solution for border security solution through the 2024 calendar year.
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) President Larry Cosme attended the New Jersey event.
“When the government shuts down, the personnel deemed essential to the nation’s immediate security needs are required to continue doing work without pay to keep the nation safe. But for federal law enforcement, there is no clear line between essential and non-essential workers. Every member of the federal law enforcement team is critical to our homeland security mission,” stated President Cosme.