Responding to your message

[William D Kelly]

The Florida American Legion Family 

Detachment of Florida  Legislative Commission  Reminds you to contact your Congressman and Senators.  We will be representing you at Washington Conference and it is important that you let your Congressman and Senators know That you are members of the Florida American Legion Family and you support Veterans Legislation. It makes the job easier when we visit them. legion.org/legislative for Congressional contact information. Thank you. 

Sons of The American Legion 

Detachment of Florida Legislative Commission Chairmen. 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Office of U.S. Senator Ashley Moody <donot...@moody.senate.gov>
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2026, 9:04 AM
Subject: Responding to your message
To: <kelly...@gmail.com>

 

January 5, 2026 Dear Mr. Kelly:      Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts regarding the Federal government’s lapse in appropriations, otherwise known as the “government shutdown.” Understanding your perspective helps me to better represent Florida in the United States Senate, and I appreciate being given this opportunity to respond.       Our country just experienced the longest Federal shutdown in history—starting October 1, 2025—during which a 43-day funding lapse deprived Americans of vital government services. This occurred because Congress failed to pass annual appropriations bills that would have funded government departments, agencies, and their operations. This avoidable circumstance caused major disruptions at our nation’s airports, delayed the administration of veterans’ services, lead to hundreds of thousands of Federal workers being furloughed or working without an income, and threatened the pay of Federal law enforcement officers and service members. Throughout the shutdown, I consistently voted to reopen the government by backing a temporary budget extension that would have prevented our nation from suffering the effects of partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. As one of the newest members in the U.S. Senate, I will continue to bring sanity and solutions back to our nation’s capital, even as my Democrat colleagues prioritize obstruction and political games over problem solving and the well-being of Americans.       In addition to voting to reopen the government over a dozen times, I also supported legislation to reduce the future chance of harm should Democrats move to shut down the government again. First, I cosponsored and voted in favor of the Pay Our Military Act of 2025 (S. 3030). If enacted, the Pay Our Military Act would ensure pay for all members of our Armed Forces in the event of a government shutdown. Second, I cosponsored the Eliminate Shutdowns Act of 2025 (S. 2806) which, if passed, would automatically extend the previous congressionally-approved- budget and prevent Democrats from holding critical government services hostage going forward.       Finally, I firmly believe that no member of Congress should take a paycheck while our brave service members and Federal law enforcement experience financial uncertainty. For each day that the government remained closed, I proudly donated my salary to a local nonprofit organization.       Thank you again for taking the time to contact me regarding this issue. I am honored to serve as a United States Senator representing the great state of Florida, and grateful that you shared your thoughts on this issue with my office.  If you would like to stay updated on the work I am doing on behalf of Floridians in the U.S. Senate, I invite you to visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and YouTube, and follow me on X, Instagram, and Facebook.      Sincerely,   Ashley Moody   United States Senator