Murkowski Votes to Avert Government Shutdown
Continuing Resolution Funds Government Through November 17
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 5680, legislation that continues funding for the federal government for the next 47 days while renewing the expiring authorizations of key federal programs. This short-term continuing resolution (CR) passed the Senate by a vote of 88-9 and now goes to the President for signature with just hours left to prevent a federal shutdown.
“Today, sanity prevailed. At the last minute, Congress came together to avert an irresponsible shutdown that would have harmed thousands of Alaskans. Now, the federal government will remain open, giving us more time to work on Appropriations bills through the regular order process. Our military will continue to be paid, federal employees will continue to work, and no services will be interrupted during this period,” Murkowski said.
The CR funds the federal government through November 17, 2023. It also extends the expiring authorizations for critical agencies and programs, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Community Health Centers, and the National Flood Insurance Program. To address recent disasters, the CR provides an additional $16 billion to refill FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, along with authority to spend existing funds at an adequate rate to respond to ongoing needs.
While supporting the short-term CR, Murkowski expressed disappointment that it does not do more to provide military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine or address the growing crisis at the southern border.
“Our first priority is to keep our government open, because we can’t do much of anything or help anyone else if it is shut down. If you care about support for Ukraine as I do, or providing security at our southern border as I do, then we have to keep the government operating in order to do so,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski has repeatedly expressed her opposition to federal shutdowns, which harm our economy, waste taxpayer dollars, and undermine public and global confidence in U.S. governance.
The full text of the CR, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 335-91 earlier today, is available here.
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