Katherine Clark denounces House Republicans for shutdown politics

MALDEN – Today Katherine Clark urged extremist Republicans to come to the table to avert a government shutdown.

“Extremist Republicans are holding our government hostage yet again so they can continue their goal of stopping 30 million Americans from obtaining health insurance,” Clark said.

Pushing to defund Obamacare is the latest move by Republicans in Congress to put their right-wing agenda ahead of making progress for our families and our communities.

“Republicans have already blocked pay equity, forced sequestration cuts, obstructed efforts to address climate change, and refused to take action on gun violence,” said Clark, a Democratic state senator from Melrose. “I'm going to Congress to stand up to the extremists putting politics ahead of progress.”

In Congress, Clark will continue her work for the issues families talk about around their kitchen tables: securing pay equity for women, investing in early childhood education, increasing the minimum wage, and reducing the epidemic of gun violence.

“As we approach this looming shutdown, we need to resolve this crisis but we cannot compromise our progressive values,” said Clark, who outlined her priorities for the Fifth Congressional District in her Pledge to Women and Families. “We need to focus on taking action to improve our communities.”

Defunding the Affordable Care Act means letting insurance companies discriminate against women, deny coverage for people with pre-existing illnesses, and obstruct 30 million people trying to get health insurance. The extremist Republican tactic of shutting down the government to achieve that goal will mean seniors could see a delay in receiving their Social Security checks, children could lose Head Start early childhood education, troops will fight without pay, and workers trying to find a job could miss their unemployment payments.

“It’s disappointing that in the same month Republicans voted to take food out of the mouths of hungry kids, they’re willing to fold up government operations so they can stop 30 million Americans from obtaining health insurance,” Clark said.

About State Senator Katherine Clark
Katherine was sworn in for her second term as a Massachusetts state senator representing Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield and Winchester on January 2, 2013. She was first elected in March 2008 to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Senator Clark serves as the Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. She also serves on the Joint Committees on Public Health and Public Safety and Homeland Security. Senator Clark is a member of the Advisory Council for the Department of Early Education and Care. In 2011, Senator Clark was appointed to the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy Advisory Board at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Katherine has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, the Women's Campaign Fund, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Melrose Mayor Robert Dolan, State Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, and State Rep. Paul Brodeur, D-Melrose. She also has the backing of the Melrose Democratic City Committee, the Winchester Democratic Town Committee, APWU Local 100, IBEW Local 2222, IBEW Local 2321, the United Steelworkers Union Local 12012, Ironworkers Local 7, NAGE/IBPO/SEIU Local 5000, Teamsters Local 25, and the IBEW Local 123.

Katherine and her husband Rodney are raising their three school-age boys in Melrose.