Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Need To Quickly Pass Legislation To Fund The Government
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the need to quickly pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government, avoid a needless government shutdown, and allow appropriators more time to arrive at an omnibus funding agreement. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Soon our Republican colleagues must come to an agreement with Democrats for passing a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open until March 11th. This extension is necessary in order to give appropriators more time to arrive at an omnibus.
On the one hand, bipartisan negotiations on a yearlong spending bill continue to go well—a credit to everyone working on this issue from both sides of the aisle.
I thank Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Shelby, and my House colleagues.
On the other hand, right now the thing we must do – the responsible thing to do – is pass the CR before the deadline on Friday. Democrats are united in approving it, just as it was approved with great bipartisan support in the House.
Nobody here wants a Republican government shutdown. I daresay Republicans prefer not to have a Republican shutdown. But for that to happen, Republicans must keep working with us on an agreement to move quickly on a CR.
Democrats are working in good faith to reach a time agreement soon with our Republican colleagues. There is every reason in the world to arrive at an agreement quickly, so I urge my colleagues on the other side to keep working with us to get there.
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