Email from Rep. Nehls Rep. Troy E. Nehls Provides Update on Day 24 of the Democrat Government Shutdown   Greetings! I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap of what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives. Today marks Day 24 of the Democrat Government Shutdown. This is now the second-longest government shutdown in United States history. Senate Democrats have now voted twelve times to keep the government closed, blocking paychecks for our air traffic controllers, loan access for small business owners, and hardworking federal employees, all while boasting about how “beneficial” the shutdown is for their political leverage. Yesterday, the Radical Left Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would pay for federal workers who are on duty throughout the shutdown, including air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, park rangers, federal law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, and Border Patrol agents. It failed to pass by a vote of 54-45. It needed 60 votes to advance. Today, more than 500,000 civilian federal employees didn’t receive their full paycheck. Right now, 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay. These are the men and women keeping our skies safe, and Democrats have turned them into pawns in their political game. Many are working six days a week without a paycheck. Some have been forced to take second jobs, driving Uber or delivering DoorDash. Flight disruptions are surging. Before the shutdown, staffing issues accounted for 5% of delays nationwide. Now, it’s 53%. The stress is crushing morale. “I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time,” warned Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not going to be cancelled.” Even worse, the uncertainty is pushing away the next generation of air traffic controllers. Candidates at the FAA Academy are backing out, saying they don’t want to work in a system where they can’t count on being paid. Just this week, the Federal Aviation Administration had to issue ground stops at both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport. All of this, every delay, every missed paycheck, every canceled flight, is happening because the Democrats refuse to pass the clean funding bill they have voted for thirteen times before under the Biden Administration. The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), and the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots —the four major pilots’ associations —publicly urged Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to fund the government and reopen it. As Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I joined Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Sam Graves in applauding the four pilots’ unions and calling on the Democrats who are playing political games with the American people’s safety to put aside their egos and do the right thing by voting to pass the clean, continuing resolution the House passed on September 19th. You can read more about that here. The Small Business Administration (SBA) flagship loan programs that support small business expansion are currently halted. These crucial loan programs fund 320 small businesses every single day. Each day of the shutdown prevents approximately $170 million in funding from reaching entrepreneurs, impacting hundreds of businesses that could have expanded or hired new employees. In Texas, a month-long shutdown could delay around $307 million in funding for small businesses. Federal contracts will also be affected; while non-cost contracts will continue, funding for cost contracts will stop. This could lead to a $2 billion reduction in federal contract spending in Texas. Unpaid federal employees will contribute to an estimated $3.1 billion drop in consumer spending each month during the shutdown. Democrat leadership has openly admitted that the pain of this shutdown is intentional. Here are a few examples: House Majority Whip Katherine Clark: "I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have," Sen. Chuck Schumer: “Every day gets better for us.” Sen. Bernie Sanders: “[If] you reopen the government and we lose our leverage…” Sen. Martin Heinrich: “That just gives the President more leverage” if we vote to pay troops, TSA agents, or law enforcement. Unnamed Democrat Senator: “People are going to get hammered” if they vote for the House-passed bill to reopen the government. Unnamed Democrat Senator: “We would have enough votes if people were not terrified of getting the guillotine.” Senior Democrat Aide: “The party will not concede short of ‘planes falling out of the sky.’” Families suffering. Veterans unpaid. Air traffic controllers are working without pay to keep you safe. Small businesses are struggling, and Democrats call that “leverage.” They’re using your livelihood, your travel safety, and your paycheck as political weapons to demand: $193 billion in taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens. $1.1 billion for radical media programs. $5 billion for Woke Programs and climate Initiatives. Democrats can’t deny the facts: their proposal puts healthcare for illegal aliens ahead of American citizens. Over a month ago, my House Republican colleagues and I did our job. We passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open. We voted to pay our troops, air traffic controllers, and federal workers, and we continue to push for relief for small businesses and veterans across the country. But Democrats are standing in the way, holding the American people hostage for radical demands. Enough is enough. This Week in Texas' 22nd District Government Shutdown Resources Despite the Democrat Government Shutdown, my priority remains serving the residents of Texas's 22nd Congressional District. If you require assistance with a federal agency, please contact my District Office at (346) 762-6600 and fill out the Digital Privacy Release Form found on my website. For more resources, please see the Government Shutdown Resources page on my website. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Announces the 2025 Congressional App Challenge I am pleased to announce that my office is hosting a 2025 Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a competition designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students are encouraged to register online and submit their app by October 30, 2025. Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete against their peers by creating an application (also known as an “app”) for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices. We accept any programming language, such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code." The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science. The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. Students entering the competition must submit their app to CongressionalAppChallenge.us during the Competition Submission Period, which ends October 20, 2025, at 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time. The winner from the 22nd Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country. For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website at CongressionalAppChallenge.us, email [email protected], or email my office at [email protected]. Resources for Hurricane Season Being well-prepared for hurricanes and other natural disasters is crucial to protecting your family and minimizing disruption to daily life. Federal resources, such as those provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Ready.gov, offer valuable guidance, including emergency alerts, disaster planning tools, and response checklists tailored to individual and family needs. As hurricane season approaches, staying proactive can make a significant difference. Monitor trusted sources like the National Hurricane Center for real-time updates and establish a comprehensive emergency plan that covers evacuation routes, family communication, and essential supplies. It’s also wise to prepare your home by securing outdoor items, reinforcing windows and doors, and reviewing your insurance policies—especially for those in coastal or flood-prone areas. For further assistance, FEMA’s Resource Library for Individual Assistance provides clear information on disaster support services, how assistance works, and what steps to take after applying. If you’ve already submitted a claim, visit I Applied for Assistance. What's Next? on FEMA.gov for guidance on next steps. Be sure to check out my website for further local and state resources on how to prepare for a natural disaster. If you have any questions or need support, please contact Congressman Nehls’ Fulshear District Office at (346) 662-6600. Our office is here to assist you throughout this hurricane season. Do you support sending U.S. tax dollars to foreign countries for climate projects?  YES 12.9% NO 87.1% Follow Us We Want to Hear From You I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE. Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Do you support funding healthcare for illegal aliens, which costs nearly $200 BILLION in taxpayer dollars? Let me know below Yes No Sincerely, Troy E. Nehls Member of Congress By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls | 1104 Longworth House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice