Gov. Jay Inslee called the closing of the federal government “a reckless shutdown should have never happened” in a statement released Friday following the news of a temporary, three-week reopening of the government.

In the statement, Inslee said:

“This reckless shutdown should have never happened. It was irresponsible, damaging to our economy and needlessly harmful to working families in every corner of our country.

“We all know the shutdown was never about border security. There is simply no excuse for shutting down the government, inflicting pain on 800,000 public servants and threatening basic services for millions of Americans to fulfill a broken campaign promise.

“Reopening the government temporarily is an important first step, but we cannot allow this to happen again in three weeks. Coast Guard personnel, TSA agents, food inspectors, air traffic controllers and other federal workers need long-term security to do their jobs and keep the public safe. Shutdowns are not a negotiating — period. Federal workers and their families should never be held hostage to the president’s whims,” Inslee said.