Durbin, Duckworth Issue Statements On Passage Of Bill To Keep Government Funded

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), which will fund the federal government through November 17:

“Extreme MAGA House Republicans failed. The right-wing policies that they have been pushing for weeks were removed from the short-term government funding bill and hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans and service men and women will not be forced to work without pay come Monday.

“And while today’s particular bill did not include additional funding to Ukraine, I want the brave Ukrainians who continue to push back against Putin to know that the United States still stands, and will continue to stand with you—and we will find additional ways in the future to continue our commitment to you.

“Now, Congress must roll up its sleeves and complete the government funding process before November 17.”

The CR extends government funding at current levels through November 17 and includes the $16 billion in disaster supplemental funding requested by the Biden Administration. The legislation also:

• Extends the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through December 31;
• Extends community health centers and pandemic preparedness authorities until November 17;
• Extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through November 17;
• Delays scheduled cuts to Medicaid payments for disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) that serve large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients;
• Allows the increased base salary for federal wildland firefights authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and,
• Maintains participation for beneficiaries of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

  Duckworth Statement After Senate Votes to Avoid Government Shutdown

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a bipartisan funding deal that would keep the government open and spare working families from the pain of a shutdown:

  “I’m relieved that at the last second today, after weeks of refusing to negotiate a compromise that could keep our government open, House Republicans finally allowed a vote on a bipartisan proposal that is free of any extreme MAGA poison pills—which Congress has now passed—to avert a shutdown that would have hurt working families, while also preserving funding for border security and doubling critical disaster relief from $8 billion to $16 billion. While I’m disappointed that House Republicans retreated from efforts to lend aid to our partner in Ukraine in tonight’s funding deal, I’m glad Leader Schumer and Senator McConnell agreed the Senate will keep working to advance additional economic and security aid to Ukraine before the end of the year. This continued support will be critical to help Ukrainians as they fight for freedom, sovereignty and democratic values against Putin’s unjustified and unprovoked war of choice. Make no mistake: standing up to Russian aggression and upholding the rule of law are important for our national security, and I will do everything in my power to ensure uninterrupted aid to Ukraine so they can defeat Putin’s authoritarian regime and win this war.”

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