DNC women’s media director Elizabeth Renda released the following statement on Sen. McConnell’s decision to file cloture on anti-abortion bill S. 109 yesterday during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history:

“The misplaced priorities of Sen. McConnell and the rest of Trump’s Republican cronies in Congress have never been more clear, and they are dangerously out of step with the interests of the American people. Last night, on the 26th day of the longest government shutdown in our country’s history, the Republican Senate Majority Leader chose to file cloture on anti-abortion bill S. 109. According to the National Abortion Federation, S. 109 would make it functionally impossible for millions of women to obtain private insurance coverage for abortion care. This dangerous bill could effectively push insurers to drop abortion coverage and penalize women who choose comprehensive health insurance that includes abortion coverage.

“Millions of federal workers, small businesses, and communities across the country are suffering immeasurably due to the Trump shutdown, but McConnell would rather work on restricting women’s access to reproductive health care than join Democrats working to find a solution that would end the shutdown. Trump has repeatedly refused to accept a bipartisan deal to reopen the government, and McConnell refuses to bring legislation to the floor to reopen the government despite the support of a majority of senators. The American people are watching, and they won’t forget Trump or McConnell’s shamefully out-of-touch priorities.”