Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today issued the following statement after Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Dec. 9:

“Today, Congress passed another temporary funding bill. And while I’m thankful we avoided another costly and unnecessary government shutdown, Congress has yet again kicked the can down the road, setting up another potential crisis come December.

“As a former businesswoman, I understand that no business would budget just two months in advance. You plan for years at a time, and work to minimize every uncertainty. It is long past time for Congress to put an end to this inefficient cycle of budgeting and get back to passing bipartisan appropriations bills.

“The American people expect Congress to work together to craft a budget that make investments in our country’s future. Thankfully, the continuing resolution (CR) included emergency funding to help prevent the spread of Zika, which has infected almost 21,000 Americans, nearly 1,900 of which are pregnant women. But CRs only maintain current spending levels in most cases, meaning programs aren’t evaluated and adjusted based on their successes or failures.

“We need to come up with smart, bipartisan solutions that will encourage innovation and expand economic opportunity, while responsibly reducing our deficit. I will continue pushing for a long-term vision that gives us a great return on our investments and helps build an economy that works for everyone.”

Congress needed to act before Oct. 1 – the beginning of the new fiscal year – to continue to fund the government. The continuing resolution passed this week will avoid a government shutdown until Dec. 9. Congress will need to act yet again by that date or risk another damaging shutdown.

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