While hundreds of thousands of federal employees did not go to work today and face uncertainty on how they will pay their bills, Members of Congress are playing the blame game of who is at fault.

"As government officials, it is our responsibility to keep the government running, not hold it and the American people hostage when we disagree.

This is a selfish tactic that does no good; not for Members of either party and certainly not for the country.

Health Insurance Exchanges opened today, providing millions of people access to the affordable health care they need.

Though the government has shut down, the Affordable Care Act will continue.

No one disagrees that this system will require improvement, but holding American jobs and the essential services our government provides as ransom for halting its progress is not the way to make the changes it may need.

President Obama, House and Senate Democrats, have agreed to continue funding the government at sequestration levels if we have a “clean” continuing resolution to consider.

This is a compromise that would allow the government to be operational and put Americans back to work, while providing the opportunity to negotiate on other important, yet unrelated issues such as the health care law. This is a reasonable path forward that does not allow the American people to suffer as we discuss our differences.

As Members of Congress we are not sent to Washington to serve our own interests; we are here to work on behalf of the American people. We are public servants first, not partisans. It’s time to get this right.