Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Urgent Need To Fund The Government and Protect Our National Security By Passing An Omnibus Bill

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the urgent need to pass an omnibus bill to fund the government and protect our national security. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

We don’t need to wait for the New Year to continue working together. In about 16 days or so, government funding is going to run out unless Congress acts to prevent a shutdown.

Yesterday, I sat down with the President, with Speaker Pelosi, with Leader McConnell, and with Leader McCarthy to discuss how we can ensure that a shutdown is avoided and the government is properly funded. For the most part I was heartened and encouraged by the conversation.

Speaking with Leader McConnell, we both believe that we must do everything possible to pass a yearlong funding package. And we both prefer an omnibus though we have different views on what should be in it, and we do need to come together on those. But both Leader McConnell and I have said that an omnibus is the best way for supporting our troops, supporting our allies in Ukraine, and keeping Americans safe at home and abroad.

A Continuing Resolution, meanwhile, is horrible news for our troops in uniform because it will throw their families into great uncertainty and severely hinder their ability to keep America safe. It will also allow some of the countries that are not our allies, but adversaries in many ways, to gain the leg up in so many different new technologies.

Do we really want to give the Chinese Communist Party the chance to outcompete and out maneuver us in the Indo-Pacific?

Do we want our troops to protect us with one hand tied behind their back, while our adversaries are operating at full capacity?

Of course not, but that’s the danger we face if we don’t pass an omnibus.

Everyone’s going to have to give something if we want to successfully fund the government for a full year. While I am encouraged by the goodwill so far, we have a lot of difficult work to do before both parties reach a final agreement.

So just as both parties cooperated to pass the Respect for Marriage Act yesterday here in the Senate, and just as we’ve cooperated on Chips, Gun Safety, Veterans benefits—and so much more over the last 6 months—let’s finish this session by passing an omnibus on a bipartisan basis.

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