Senate Passes Bipartisan Funding Package in 82-15 Vote

Press Release

"The three bills we just passed are the first and only serious, bipartisan appropriations bills to clear either chamber of Congress.

These bipartisan bills deliver crucial resources to keep our sacred promise to veterans, help Americans keep a roof over their head and get to where they need to be safely and efficiently, support farmers and ranchers, keep families healthy, invest in our service members, and keep our nation safe.

Let's be clear: we have a lot more work to do. While we may need another CR before our work is done, we absolutely have to remember long-term CRs are no way to govern, and they are certainly no way to lead. We all know our competitors across the world are not putting their budgets on autopilot. We need to pass full-year funding, with the investments we need to keep our country strong, safe, and competitive--especially in a moment that truly calls for American leadership.

Today, we've also shown there is a clear roadmap for how we can best get our work done. I am talking with Vice Chair Collins about the next set of bills we'll work to move in the Senate and continuing work to move a comprehensive, bipartisan supplemental funding package--and we need to start conferencing our appropriations bills with the House. This will require House Republicans to get serious about governing, stick to the spending agreement they themselves negotiated, and work with us to finalize bipartisan bills that meet this moment and address the needs of our families--so let's get to it and let's be quick about it.

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It is a top priority of mine to ensure we make good on our promise to veterans. This package fully funds VA and veterans' medical care and benefits with important new resources to support the men and women who have served our country. It will increase funding for mental health and suicide prevention programs for veterans, get women veterans the medical care they need, support the expansion of the caregivers program, and so much more. It will also help construct everything from housing to child care centers for our servicemembers and military families, make critical upgrades to installations, and strengthen our presence in key regions around the world."

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