Statement from YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Y. Castillo:
“Women, children and families shouldn’t be used as pawns in political games. People across the country are hurting right now, and the reverberations of this needless government shutdown will harm millions of people long after a resolution is made. And we know that women—especially women of color, Native women, low-income women, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault—and programs that serve women and families will bear the brunt of the shutdown.
“There are clear paths forward that will end this shutdown without gamesmanship over immigration or other policy issues. The impact this shutdown is having on families across the country is real and urgent. We call on Congress to immediately pass legislation that will reopen the government, and we urge the President to restore the functional government that our nation needs and deserves.