Partnership for Public Service statement on passage of the Department of Homeland Security funding bill ending the record-setting government shutdown 

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service today released the following statement from President and CEO Max Stier on the passage of a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security and end the longest shutdown in American history:

“Today’s vote to reopen most of DHS is a step in the right direction, but the dysfunction that produced this crisis remains entirely unaddressed.

“This shutdown was yet another exercise in government malpractice. FEMA staff, TSA agents, members of the Coast Guard, cybersecurity professionals, and many others in roles critical to our security apparatus faced an extended period without pay while continuing to work. No public servant should have to choose between their financial security and their commitment to the country.

“Partial fixes are not a governing strategy. We urge Congress to finish the job and pass lasting reform like the Shutdown Fairness Act to make these increasingly regular events a relic of the past. The American people and the federal employees who serve them deserve nothing less.”

The Partnership recently published results from the proprietary Public Service Viewpoint Survey to understand the state of federal employee engagement and its impact on effective service delivery at DHS and other federal agencies. Learn more here.

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. Over the past 25 years and across five presidential administrations, we have offered government agencies and leaders crucial training and insights to better serve the public, championed legislation for effective government and shined a spotlight on the achievements of the federal workforce.

Now, building on our decades of experience, we engage the public about the value of government and how its erosion harms us all and advance reforms that seek to make our federal institutions more effective, responsive and accountable to the American people. We also strengthen leadership in federal, state and local government, help federal workers navigate an increasingly complex federal environment and provide former public servants with opportunities to shape efforts to transform government.

Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.

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