Press Releases

The House of Representatives today passed an omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2014 by a vote of 359-67. The bill meets the terms set by the Murray-Ryan budget agreement, providing $1.012 trillion for the operation of the federal government and avoiding a government shutdown. After her vote in support of the omnibus appropriations bill, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene issued the following statement:

“I have long said that Congress must come together with a bipartisan effort to find a long-term budget solution that reduces our deficit and grows our economy. Sequestration caused harmful cuts last year, despite broad agreement on both sides of the aisle that across-the-board cuts are not a good way to run a business, let alone a country.  

“I am pleased that today’s omnibus bill restores many critical investments that had been impacted by sequestration and provides needed visibility and certainty for our nation’s families and businesses.  In passing the omnibus appropriations bill, we will have taken a very important action to stop the constant lurching from one manufactured crisis to the next.  I hope that we can build on today’s progress to take further actions to strengthen our economy and create jobs.

“The bill is the result of compromise, and no one got everything they wanted. I’m disappointed that it does not adequately fund the National Institutes of Health’s life-saving and job creating medical research, or the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program that provides funding to vital county services in my district and in many other rural communities. However, the appropriations bill does represent a concrete action by both parties in Congress to come together and deliver results. Today’s vote demonstrates to the American public that when we focus on solutions, not rhetoric, we are capable of breaking the cycle of dysfunction that is hurting our economy. This bill makes strategic investments in our families, small businesses and our economy, by including funding for education, early learning, transportation infrastructure and agriculture that will benefit Washington state’s economy.

“Now we must move forward with other critical legislation that will help us build the foundation for long term economic growth such as extending emergency unemployment insurance for job-seekers, comprehensive immigration reform, and a Farm Bill, to just name a few of the urgent issues we must address.”