President Trump’s threat to shut down the federal government rather than sign a spending bill that did not include full funding of his ill-conceived border wall puts federal workers and their families at economic risk during the holidays, and deprives all Americans of the services and protection afforded by the federal government. Federal employees play a vital role in the preservation of wildlife and their habitat, among many other things.
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“President Trump is playing politics with the lives of millions of government employees and with the health and welfare of all Americans. It is reprehensible that he would force a government shutdown over his insistence on building an expensive, destructive and needless border wall.
“As a former federal employee and director of a federal agency, I know firsthand the important role that federal workers play in our daily lives. To treat them with such disregard speaks volumes about President Trump and his administration.”
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating 75 years of protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders.
