Rep. Panetta Statement on Continuing Resolution Vote

Washington, DC - United States Representative Jimmy Panetta released the following statement regarding his "No" vote on tonight's Continuing Resolution:

"In my limited time in Congress, there have been 29 continuing resolutions (CR) for the federal budget, all of which have been the result of direct negotiations, agreements, or deals by the Republican and Democratic leadership of the House and the Senate. During the recent government shutdown, the Republicans who are in charge of the House, Senate, and White House refused to negotiate with the Democrats. After the longest government shutdown in history, a few Democratic Senators decided to vote for and help Republicans pass the current CR to reopen the government. Even with some positive funding provisions and protections for federal workers in the bill, there were no negotiations, no agreements, and no deals with any members of the House of Representatives on this CR."

"Although the Senators who voted for the bill were assured of a subsequent vote around an extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, there were absolutely no promises made by Speaker Mike Johnson for the same vote on the same type of issue to occur in the House of Representatives. Moreover, there were no negotiations, no agreements, and no deals made about extending the premium tax credits for the ACA or protecting healthcare for working families. With this President's numerous attempts to abolish the ACA, his Administration's impoundments and rescissions of previously legislated and agreed upon federal funding, and the compliant Majority in the Congress and Senate that voted for the largest reduction of Medicaid in history and abdicated its Constitutional duties to be a check and balance on this executive branch, we cannot solely rely on the CR vote in the Senate without any negotiations, agreements, or deals in the House of Representatives."

"Additionally, the current CR also includes a provision that would allow Republican Senators to line their pockets with taxpayer funded dollars. A section was secretly tucked in to the CR late at night that would provide at least eight Republican Senators with the opportunity to sue and receive millions in taxpayer funded pay-outs over attempts to subpoena their phone records as a part of the government's investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol."

"Without any negotiations, agreements, or deals with the House of Representatives, with the provision for a select few Senators to line their own pockets with taxpayer funds over litigation on the investigations into the January 6 attack, and without any efforts to protect healthcare or reduce costs for working families, I oppose the CR. After this vote, Republicans and Democrats from the House and the Senate must get back to governing by reclaiming and reestablishing our Article One authority. Together, we can work to negotiate bipartisan solutions for a responsible federal budget, ensure affordable and accessible healthcare, stop the tariffs imposed by this Administration which are increasing inflation and hurting our economy, and increase affordable housing, so that Congress can reduce costs for working families in California's 19th Congressional District and across our country."

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