{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sykes.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-sykes-opposes-government-funding-bill-that-fails-ohio-families", "Rep. Sykes Opposes Government Funding Bill That Fails Ohio Families", "2025-11-12", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Emilia Strong Sykes", "S001223", "sykes.house.gov", "sykes", "https://sykes.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Shutdown ends, but Ohio families still face higher costs and lost access to affordable health care\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted \u2018No\u2019 on the government funding bill, citing the deal\u2019s failure to lower costs or protect Americans\u2019 access to affordable health care.\n\n\u201cI was clear: any deal that would earn my support needs to lower costs and keep healthcare accessible and affordable,\u201d said Rep. Sykes. \u201cOur local economy relies on healthcare not only for our well-being, but also for jobs and economic growth. This deal does not get us there and leaves thousands of my constituents without healthcare and spending more money to live than they ever have. I will continue to fight to deliver the relief that families in Ohio\u2019s 13th District and across the country deserve.\u201d\n\nRep. Sykes has consistently recognized the toll the shutdown has taken on Ohioans and families nationwide.\n\n\u201cEvery day, I hear from Ohioans who are struggling to make ends meet, who are worried about losing their health care, or who are unsure when their next paycheck will come,\u201d Rep. Sykes said. \u201cI share their frustration and pain \u2014 and I am fighting to make sure they are not forgotten in Washington. While this so-called deal ends the shutdown, it fails to address the challenges that matter most to families in Ohio and across the country. My focus remains on solutions that put people first \u2014 lowering health care costs, improving affordability, and creating good-paying jobs.\u201d\n\nStanding Up for Ohio Families During the Shutdown\n\nRep. Sykes never stopped working for the people of Ohio\u2019s 13th District during the government shutdown. She continued delivering for her constituents, providing direct assistance, and communicating openly with Ohioans about the situation in Washington.\n\nShe held Telephone Town Halls, both individually and with fellow Ohio House Democrats, to answer questions and share updates. She hosted press conferences in the district, participated in press events in Washington, and completed dozens of interviews to keep the public informed about the shutdown\u2019s impact and the path forward.\n\nHer district and Washington, D.C. staff continued serving constituents without interruption, answering phone calls, meeting with residents, providing guidance on benefits and services, and supporting her legislative and communications priorities throughout the shutdown.\n\nRep. Sykes visited TSA workers and air traffic controllers at Akron-Canton Airport, joined volunteers with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to distribute food to federal workers, and attended three Veterans Day events to honor those who served. She also met with the National Military Families Association to understand firsthand how the shutdown affected service members and their families.\n\nDelivering Results Through Legislative Action\n\nRep. Sykes worked throughout the shutdown to protect Ohioans from harmful effects and maintain critical services:\n\nIntroduced the bipartisan Pay Our Military Act to ensure service members continued to receive pay during a shutdown. House Democrats attempted to pass this legislation by unanimous consent, but Republicans refused to allow a vote.\n\nIntroduced the Feed Our Families Act to establish a three-month reserve of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, funding to prevent families from going hungry during funding lapses.\n\nIntroduced the bipartisan Guaranteed Uninterrupted Access to Retiree Disbursements (GUARD) Act to keep the Social Security Administration fully operational during shutdowns.\n\nCosponsored the Federal Firefighter Paycheck Protect Act to ensure all federal wildland firefighters and firefighters on federal properties continued to receive pay and were protected from workforce reductions.\n\nCosponsored the Resolution to Keep Americans Fed During Government Shutdown that called on the Trump Administration to fully fund SNAP benefits by using the program\u2019s contingency funds and interchange authority.\n\nRep. Sykes also led and cosigned several letters advocating for benefits and services for Ohio families:\n\nShe led a letter to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost urging protection of SNAP benefits.\n\nShe cosigned a letter to Governor Mike DeWine regarding continuity of WIC services.\n\nShe cosigned a letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging back pay for furloughed federal employees.\n\nShe joined the Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on the health care crisis and shutdown impacts.\n\nShe cosigned a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins advocating for protections for the SNAP contingency fund.\n\nRep. Sykes will continue working in Washington to deliver results and solutions that matter to families in Ohio\u2019s 13th Congressional District.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sykes.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-sykes-opposes-government-funding-bill-that-fails-ohio-families"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1190480329096317, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}