KTUU: Alaska's Senators, Congressman weigh in on end of government shutdown
Alaska’s Congressional delegation members are weighing in on today’s announced deal to reopen the federal government for three weeks.
Alaska’s Senators, who agreed on one of the Senate’s failed Thursday proposals and split on the other, are glad to see the shutdown end, but say the hard work is not over. Rep. Don Young is also glad to see the "destructive" shutdown end, and looks forward to long-term solutions.
“While this was not the proposal I voted for yesterday, for the sake of our federal workers and their families, I welcome the news and support this bill,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R, said in a video statement.
“While I’m encouraged that a deal has been made to re-open the government, I remain committed to making sure that these families are not put back into this situation, ever again,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R, wrote.
The bill, a Continuing Resolution, will reopen the government through February 15 at Fiscal Year 2018 funding levels, and will allow Congress to negotiate a final Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, and the outstanding appropriations bills not yet passed for FY 2019. The Senate unanimously passed the agreement late Friday afternoon, and the House passed the bill unanimously too, later in the evening.
“I applaud President Trump and Congressional leadership for negotiating an agreement to end this destructive government shutdown,” Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, wrote on his Facebook page. “While I am a strong supporter of securing our border, government shutdowns do not move us closer to that goal. In fact, they make our borders less secure,” he continued.
All three of Alaska’s delegation members said they hoped to come to long-term solutions. “The debate we’re having over border security is far from over,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said Democratic leaders in the House and Senate need to now “come to the table in good faith to focus on border security and other immigration reform issues.”
Murkowski is a cosponsor of the “No More Government Shutdowns Act,” which would permanently prevent the government shutting down by creating an automatic Continuing Resolution for any regular appropriations bill or existing Continuing Resolution, if budget negotiations fail before key deadlines.
Young said hoped leaders on both sides of the aisle would negotiate “in good faith on a long-term plan that secures our border, funds our government, and prevents future shutdowns.”
By: Kortnie Horazdovsky
Source: KTUU
