Senator Murray on Release of CR Text

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on release of text of a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) that keeps the government funded through December 11.

"It's good that we were able to produce a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.

"This bill includes important extensions and language that House Republicans' CR did not, and it rejects Trump's frivolous war spending wish list. Importantly, we closed the loophole in House Republicans' CR that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding provided for other programs to Border Patrol, which desperately needs reform, not more money.

"Because of Democrats' unrelenting efforts, this bill blocks implementation of OMB's corrupt new grants rule for the duration of the CR. The proposed rule would systematically politicize federal funding and allow Trump officials to cancel grants at any time for any reason. Enabling this rule would only give Trump the greenlight to take even more federal funding hostage. While Republicans rejected killing the proposed rule outright, I'm going to keep fighting to put a stop to it once and for all, and I will keep pressing my Republican colleagues to do exactly that.

"I pushed hard to extend infrastructure funding set to run out on September 30, so that we can save jobs and keep fixing America's roads and bridges, and I also fought to protect Congress' power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from attempting another end-run around Congress with illegal 'pocket rescissions.' Ultimately, Republicans refused to work with us to get these common sense priorities enacted in law, but I hope everyone who shares my frustration that Republicans refuse to do more to stand up to this president will join us in speaking out and speaking up for change in every way possible."

The CR addresses key problems with House Republicans' CR:

• It closes the loophole that would have allowed the Trump administration to transfer funding for other programs to Border Patrol.
• It includes important anomalies that House Republicans neglected to include, including anomalies needed to allow housing programs to keep serving Americans, to ensure the Commodity Supplemental Food Program has the funds needed to continue serving low-income seniors, and more.
• It extends authorizations of important health, veterans, infrastructure, and other programs for the duration of the CR.

Senate Democrats also secured language to prevent the Trump administration from implementing the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) proposed grants rule through the duration of the CR. Earlier this summer, every Senate Democrat called on OMB to withdraw the rule, which would put Trump political appointees in charge of signing off on every last federal grant and empower them to terminate funding at any point for any reason. Vice Chair Murray will continue pushing to block the proposed rule once and for all.

The CR also rejects President Trump's request to include new funding and flexibilities for the Pentagon through anomalies, including his request for $1 billion to build "Trump-class" battleships.

Republicans rejected Democrats' efforts to, among other things:

• Extend advanced appropriations provided by Division J of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) beyond the law's expiration on October 1-in order to save good jobs and keep rebuilding America's infrastructure. Vice Chair Murray has been warning about the looming infrastructure cliff for months and has emphasized that as tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure funds expire this fall, it is all the more important that Congress secures a topline funding agreement with significantly more nondefense funding.
• Protect Congress' power of the purse and prevent Russ Vought from impounding funding and attempting another "pocket rescission."

Text of the continuing resolution is available HERE. Text of the authorizing divisions is available HERE.

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