Agreement Reached to Reopen the Government, Pay Federal Workers, and Address Border Security
‘I remain committed to making sure these families are not put back into this situation, ever again’
Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) welcomed the agreement made between Congress and the administration to immediately reopen the government, through a short-term Continuing Resolution, which will allow the Congress to work to negotiate a final Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, and the remaining appropriations bills not yet enacted for Fiscal Year 2019. The Continuing Resolution will continue Fiscal Year 2018 funding levels through February 15. The Senate passed the agreement late Friday afternoon and it is expected to also pass the House today.
(Click image to view Senator Murkowski’s remarks on the floor today.)
“I’m glad that those good, dedicated, hardworking federal employees that have either been furloughed or who have been working without pay for now 35 days will be able to get back to work and that they will be able to receive the compensation they deserve,” said Senator Murkowski. “This has been a harsh and a difficult time, and it has been particularly painful coming from a state where we are feeling the direct impacts of this partial shutdown, perhaps more so than any other state out there. The stories of Coast Guard families, federal employees, and contractors in Alaska have been truly gut-wrenching. So 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. I have supported my colleague, Senator Portman from Ohio, with his legislation that would permanently end government shutdowns because we owe it to those who serve our country, and who serve all of us through the good work they do through the agencies. I look forward to working with my colleagues to finding a path towards fully funding the government.”
Yesterday, Senator Murkowski joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) in leading a bipartisan colloquy on the Senate floor, of seventeen Senators, to speak to their commitment to engage in good faith negotiations on border security enhancements and support for passage of a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government and end the shutdown.
Background: Senator Murkowski is a cosponsor of the End Government Shutdowns Act, which permanently prevents the federal government from shutting down, ensuring that essential government services aren’t disrupted and protecting taxpayers who must bear the resulting cost. The measure will create an automatic Continuing Resolution (CR) for any regular appropriations bill or existing CR, keeping the federal government open when budget negotiations falter before key spending deadlines.
