Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today on the end of President Trump’s record-long shutdown of the federal government
“This reckless shutdown should have never happened. It was irresponsible, damaging to our economy and needlessly harmful to working families in every corner of our country.
“We all know the shutdown was never about border security. There is simply no excuse for shutting down the government, inflicting pain on 800,000 public servants and threatening basic services for millions of Americans to fulfill a broken campaign promise.
“Reopening the government temporarily is an important first step, but we cannot allow this to happen again in three weeks. Coast Guard personnel, TSA agents, food inspectors, air traffic controllers and other federal workers need long-term security to do their jobs and keep the public safe. Shutdowns are not a negotiating tactic — period. Federal workers and their families should never be held hostage to the president’s whims.“