Schumer Floor Remarks On The Bipartisan Agreement Reached To Avoid A Government Shutdown

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan agreement reached to avoid a government shutdown. Below are his remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Later today, we’ll vote on the agreement by the conference committee to keep the government open as well as provide additional border security.

Once again I want to applaud the members of the conference committee and their staffs, they were the nub here, and they did outstanding work, nights and weekends, to reach an agreement. We knew that if the conference committee was allowed to work, they could bring us together. The agreement is a validation of the idea that when you put members of both parties in a room to negotiate in good faith, when everyone is willing to give-and-take, progress is never out of reach. So again I thank the members of the committee.

The agreement is a reasonable compromise. It provides additional funding for smart, effective border security. It does not fund the president’s wall, but it does fund smart border security initiatives that both parties have always supported, including increased security at our ports of entry and humanitarian assistance at the border. Most importantly, it will keep our government open.

Everyone, I believe including the president, wants to avoid a repeat of what happened before Christmas. Everyone wants to avoid another senseless government shutdown. I expect the Congress will pass this sometime this afternoon and President Trump should sign it immediately.

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