Statement of Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett on Republicans’ Charlotte Field Hearing Hours Before Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett issued the following statement regarding House Republicans’ decision to hold a field hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, with less than 36 hours left to prevent a federal government shutdown:

“Republicans are once again exploiting tragedy for political theater while refusing to do the real work the American people sent us here to do. In less than 36 hours, the government will shut down—yet instead of traveling to Washington to fund the government, they used tax payer dollars to flee their districts and flood North Carolina with inflammatory political rhetoric. This moment requires real work not gamesmanship.

“What makes this even more insulting to the people of North Carolina is the fact that many of them are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. Families are struggling to rebuild, communities are waiting on disaster relief, and federal recovery dollars are desperately needed on the ground. Rather than securing those resources, Republicans are wasting taxpayer money on partisan stunts.

“This shutdown isn’t a game. It means federal workers will go without pay, disaster relief will be stalled, and veterans will face delays in care. It means families and communities will face uncertainty in making ends meet. 

“While Republicans claim to “back the blue,” their budget slashes hundreds of millions of dollars from Department of Justice programs that support local law enforcement, violence prevention, and crime victim services. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration stripped nearly $1 billion from community policing programs.

“Republicans know all of this, yet they chose to travel to North Carolina instead of to Washington. That tells you everything about their priorities. If Republicans truly cared about public safety—or the people of North Carolina—they’d be in Washington right now, working with Democrats to keep the government open and fund the very programs our communities depend on.”