Press Releases

Today Congressman Beyer joined volunteers in the World Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., to serve food to federal employees impacted by the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown, now in its second month, is the longest in US history.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Rep. Beyer. “Having people who should be working in good jobs standing in a line in the freezing cold that wrapped around a building just to get hot meals is like something from the Great Depression, but the crisis inflicting this on them is entirely artificial. The government shutdown has people foregoing medical procedures and prescriptions; our region can’t take much more of this.

“I’m immensely thankful for all of the people banding together to help people affected by the shutdown. Today that included Chefs For Feds volunteers at the World Central Kitchen, led by Chef José Andrés, and D.C. Metropolitan Police officers serving meals during their lunch breaks. I’m appalled by the ongoing situation that created this need, but full of gratitude for everyone who is lending a hand to help our community make it through this catastrophe.”

Beyer represents nearly 87,000 federal employees, the largest number of any Member of the House of Representatives. He has voted repeatedly to pass bipartisan legislation to end the government shutdown, and the Senate companion version of his legislation to grant furloughed federal employees affected by the shutdown back pay was recently signed into law.