Government to reopen after Trump signs bill
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President Donald Trump late Monday signed H.R. 95, a continuing resolution to fund the government through February 8 and effectively end a three-day shutdown of most government offices. The Senate passed the bill earlier in the day, voting 80 to 18, with 33 Democrats joining 47 Republicans in voting for the measure. The House followed the Senate in passing the bill, with a 265 to 150 vote. There were 45 House Democrats joining 221 Republicans in voting for the bill. Only six House Republicans joined 144 Democrats in opposing it. The 45 Democrats who voted for it included House Agriculture ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., other Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee, and other rural Democrats. |
But House Ag member Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., did not vote for it. In a news release, Panetta explained, "Funding our government on a month-to-month basis is detrimental to our national security and domestic programs and agencies." "Short-term spending bills weaken our military readiness by halting long-term planning, cancelling training exercises, and delaying necessary maintenance and upkeep," Panetta said. "Such stop-gap federal funding measures undermine investments in our rural communities by delaying loans and grants to farmers and small business owners. That is why I voted against today's continuing resolution." Panetta added, "Although this short-term bill opened the federal government, it failed to address critical funding measures that require Congress's immediate attention. The continuing resolution did not provide funding for community health centers, combatting the opioid crisis, and disaster aid for Californians recovering from wildfires and mudslides. "Moreover, Congress failed to come up with a solution to protect our Dreamers, many who are losing their status on a daily basis. Now, Congress has only two and half weeks to reach an agreement on all of these pressing issues before the February 8 deadline of the short-term spending bill." Panetta's views reflected the battles that are expected to come in the next few weeks. |
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On the Senate side, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., was the only Democrat from a state that voted for Hillary Clinton to oppose the CR. In a statement, Tester said, "Montanans deserve better. A short-term, 17-day budget is no way to run a household or business, and it certainly isn't an acceptable way to run a government." "We are once again seeing a failure of leadership in Washington and I will keep fighting tooth and nail for a long-term budget that funds Montana's rural health clinics, strengthens border security, and provides our military with the certainty they need to keep our nation safe," Tester said. "While many people wanted to make this about immigration, this was always about Montana for me and I just won't allow Washington to keep failing our state." |
Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said, "I'm relieved there is an end in sight to this ‘Trump Shutdown.' But Republican leaders and President Trump have left too much undone — from a bipartisan budget deal, to disaster relief, to community health centers, to the opioid crisis, to protections for Dreamers." "There are many pressing and unfinished priorities," Leahy said, "and I cannot give my support to yet another short-term, stopgap measure that, yet again, keeps budget priorities on autopilot, without the ability to adjust for changing priorities since these budget levels were frozen a year ago. "We now are 114 days since the beginning of the fiscal year, when these appropriations bills should have been finished," Leahy said. "The American people, our communities, our men and women serving in the military, our veterans, and all Americans need and deserve a long-term deal, and we need one now." |
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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said, "I voted ‘no' on the bill today for one reason: It didn't include the Dream Act, as has been repeatedly promised. I'm frustrated and angry that once again we were prevented from voting on that bill." "We've debated the Dream Act for 17 years, and for 17 years Republicans have blocked the bill. Now, with the fate of hundreds of thousands of Dreamers in the balance, Republican leadership again refused to allow a vote," Feinstein said. "We have an obligation to these young people. We need to act. It's the right thing to do." ▪ Vote Result for H.R. 195 – Continuing Resolution |