Durbin: We're Five Days Away From A Government Shutdown, And House Republicans Still Haven't Taken Their Responsibility To The American Seriously

Floor Speech

"We have an impending government shutdown that's only five days away. The House Republicans on the other side of the Rotunda have not taken on their responsibility at this moment, and we are doing our best on a bipartisan basis to do the opposite. Extreme factions of the Republican Party continue to list their demands for reckless cuts and partisan proposals in exchange for keeping the government open. In doing so, their radical agenda is holding the livelihood of the American people and the proper functioning of this government hostage.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Here in the Senate, we've taken a bipartisan approach to the task of keeping our government funded... And now, we recognize more than ever before, the need to keep the lights on in Washington. This week is going to be our test. What must be top of mind in any compromise is keeping federal employees paid and their families fed, keeping the economy moving forward, and keeping our affairs in order so that our adversaries know that the United States of America can actually fund its own government. That's why, here in the Senate, we're going to consider a bipartisan continuing resolution to keep the government open, at current funding levels, while we work together on a longer-term answer. Instead of considering a similar, serious short-term proposal to prevent a shutdown, some House Republicans are now trying to consider 11 individual appropriations bills before Sunday.

I'm not sure what [Speaker McCarthy's] plan is, but in the Senate, ours is to prevent a government shutdown… We owe it to every household in the country to do our jobs and to do it in a timely, respectful manner. I urge my colleagues in the House to put the needs, well-being, and livelihood of Americans above any partisan loyalty."

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