Dear john,Thanks to all who participated in my texting town hall yesterday!Below are some of the most popular questions and my responses:What are you doing to end the government shutdown? - JoseThanks for your message. My Democratic colleagues and I continue to call on Speaker Johnson to bring back the House. Republicans have now been gone for four week. I personally don't understand why Republican leaders won't lock themselves in a room with Democrats to negotiate a bipartisan compromise.Congresswoman Escobar, What is the cost of the shutdown to cities and cost to the states on average? How much will this shutdown cost the taxpayers to recover if possible? Is it being floated around not to pay employees for the job they're doing while the government is shutdowns? - AnonymousThere was a recent KFOX article in which the last Trump shutdown cost El Paso $65 million per week. While the Trump administration is saying they may not provide federal employees with backpay, I voted for the GEFTA law in 2019, which Trump himself signed into law during his first administration!What are you doing to get your democrat[ic] colleagues in the senate to vote to reopen the government - AnonymousIn addition to the healthcare tax credits Republicans are willing to let expire, we as Democrats need assurances that the Trump administration won't rescind out bipartisan funding agreements. Otherwise, as he's been doing, Trump can continue to go back on his word.Mrs Escobar, why do you want to give free healthcare to illegals with our hard earned tax dollars? - AnonymousThe idea that Democrats want to give undocumented immigrants free healthcare is a lie. We want to ensure that American families aren't kicked off their healthcare and that prices won't skyrocket.Is the government shutdown currently having a negative impact on the readiness of FEMA services nationwide? I'm concerned about recent heavy rains, winds, and flooding in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and the eastern shores. - ElsaWhile FEMA services are typically considered essential and services should continue, many of these federal employees will go unpaid for the duration of the shutdown. Thank you for your message!