“Funding the government is our most basic responsibility as members of Congress. And we owe it to the American people to get that job done – and done now.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, next week, our top priority will be funding the government until [after] the November election.
“The American people have faced two – two – record-breaking government shutdowns in the past 10 months.
“We need to ensure that they do not face a third.
“We owe the American people some certainty here.
“They should not have to be hoping and praying that, on September 30th, that the government will get funded and that government services will continue.
“I don’t think I need to tell anyone in this body that government shutdowns serve no one – not members of either party, and most of all not the American people.
“Shutdowns strain our national security agencies.
“They threaten military, law enforcement, and civilian pay.
“They endanger nutrition benefits.
“Farm programs.
“And a whole lot of other stuff.
“They’re bad for our economy.
“They snarl air travel.
“Mr. President, I could go on.
“Shutdowns hit our country – they hit the American people – hard.
“And we owe it to the American people to ensure that they do not face another shutdown this fall.
“That’s why Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Collins has been hard at work drafting a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the government through the November elections.
“I appreciate everything that she has done to make this happen – engaging with members of both parties, and working through the necessary anomalies from the Office of Management and Budget.
“And I intend to bring the CR to the floor for a vote next week.
“Again, I would emphasize that the appropriators are working in good faith to produce a clean, bipartisan product, free of poison pills.
“And I hope that that will ensure a robust bipartisan vote next week, so that the American people don’t have to spend the next two months wondering if the Senate is going to do its job.
“Because that’s what this is, Mr. President.
“Our job.
“Funding the government is our most basic responsibility as members of Congress.
“And we owe it to the American people to get that job done – and done now.
“I urge all of my colleagues to support the clean, bipartisan continuing resolution and to get our government funded.”