AASA Issues Statement Calling on Congress to Avoid a Shutdown
September 22, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org
Alexandria, Va. – Sept. 22, 2023 – David R. Schuler, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement today urging policymakers to work toward preventing a federal government shutdown.
“AASA represents public school superintendents who, like Congress, have to pass a budget that is publicly funded. As we enter the final week of federal fiscal year 2024, it is imperative that Congress act expediently to adopt a policy that avoids a federal shutdown.
“Whether a short-term continuing resolution or an appropriations package, Congress has a responsibility to keep our government open and functioning because the work of our democracy is bigger than partisan politics. The task before Congress is neither new nor unique; nor, unfortunately, is the looming threat of fiscal shutdown. This type of political posturing and gamesmanship is a completely unacceptable way to run the biggest economy in the world.
“A shutdown is ineffective and costly, the consequences of which play out on Main Street, not Capitol Hill, as workers go without pay, families go without childcare, poor families lose support for housing and food, and schools feel the squeeze.
“Congress needs to act now to avoid a shutdown, to honor their responsibility to fund the government, and to actually serve the people they are elected to represent."
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For specific questions, please contact Noelle Ellerson Ng, AASA associate executive director, advocacy and governance, at nellerson@aasa.org.
About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
