On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill to end the government shutdown that lasted 43 days.

The three Valley congress members shared statements with Channel 5 News on how they voted for the spending package:

Congressman Henry Cuellar

The government shutdown has made life harder for families across South Texas. At  a time when people need support, Washington’s inaction created unnecessary hardship for the communities I represent.

I’ve spoken with families across my district who are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Many faced real challenges during the shutdown — from interruptions to SNAP and WIC to delays in federal services that thousands of South Texans rely on.

Today, I voted to reopen the government so we can get critical programs back on track. This agreement restores funding for SNAP and other assistance programs, ensures that federal workers, law enforcement, and our air-traffic controllers are paid, and reverses the recent federal layoffs caused by the shutdown. This stability is especially important for our border communities, where so many families depend on federal agencies to keep trade, travel, and public safety moving.

The next step is clear: Congress must extend the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits. If we fail to act, health-care premiums will spike for families across the country — including right here in South Texas, where too many are already stretched thin. I am ready to work in a bipartisan manner to protect affordable health care and deliver meaningful relief to the American people. 

Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz

After 43 days of the shutdown, I voted to reopen the government, restore SNAP for millions of families, pay our federal workers, and invest over $6 million in our Texas communities. It's time to get back to our work on the priorities of the American people, including expanding affordable housing options and making life more affordable again.

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez

Republicans control the White House, Senate, and House, yet wasted weeks doing nothing to end a government shutdown which continues to hurt hundreds of thousands of South Texas families. I refuse to abandon the 60-year-old couple in my district who earns $82,800 a year and will see their health insurance premiums increase by $16,639, or 280 percent, if the ACA tax credits are allowed to expire. Any deal to reopen the government should have addressed the skyrocketing health care premiums for the nearly 130,000 people in the 34th Congressional District of Texas, who depend on this tax credit to afford the care they need. 

"Congress needs to do the work our constituents sent us to Washington to do; I’m ready to work in a bipartisan way to resolve the health care crisis, but not at the expense of South Texans. It’s past time Republicans get serious about putting ‘America First’ as they so eagerly claim. Without an honest negotiation with Democrats, Republicans are once again placing working Americans last.