Politics & Government
BurlCo Freeholder: Tell D.C. to 'End the Shutdown'
Burlington County Freeholder Director Joe Donnelly says so far federally funded county services are safe, but if the shutdown persists it could 'spell disaster.'
Angry about the government shutdown—and Washington's failure to fix it—but not sure what you can do about it?
Burlington County Freeholder Director Joe Donnelly understands residents' frustrations, and is urging them to join him in signing a petition urging Congress and President Obama to “end the stalemate,” and pass a continuing resolution to restore government programs.
In a release put out Friday, Donnelly said the county has so far been unaffected by the shutdown, but expressed concerns that a continuation of the gridlock in D.C. could "spell disaster."
"Burlington County continues to deliver the federally funded services that the public depends on, but, so far, no one has been able to give us assurances that these services won’t be in jeopardy within the next couple of weeks," said Donnelly. "The unfortunate reality is that we are talking about programs and services that impact the most vulnerable among us."
County services supported by federal funding include programs administered under the Department of Human Services, such as veterans’ services, family assistance, Meals on Wheels, nutrition centers and housing programs. Programs related to public safety and security also receive federal support. And County Clerk Timothy Tyler said, while his office continues to accept passport applications, residents should expect delays at the federal level.
Hoping to send a message to the leaders in Washington, Donnelly has started a "Dear Washington: End the Shutdown" petition. Residents can sign the petition here or submit via the widget above.
A number of House Republicans—including local Congressman Jon Runyan—have declared they would support a clean, continuing resolution to fund the government, with no obstacles to Obamacare. Analysts says the House now has enough votes to pass such a funding bill, but a vote has so far not been put on the floor.
Do you think Congress should pass a funding bill to end the shutdown now? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
