King Supports Government Funding Bill with Important Provisions for Maine

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voted for an omnibus appropriations bill that will fund the government through September 2016, extend tax policies that support American families and businesses, and contains a host of other provisions important to Maine. Though Senator King had concerns about how the costs of the tax deal will add to the national debt, he was not willing to vote to shut down the government or sacrifice the numerous provisions that will benefit the people of Maine.

"By passing this bill, we've avoided another government shutdown, managed to extend or enhance several tax provisions important to Maine families and businesses, and given our economy some semblance of calm and predictability for the coming fiscal year. But unfortunately, the tax provisions in this bill are a short-term solution to a long-term problem," said Senator King. "We cannot continue to mortgage our children's future with these massive, last minute agreements -- even though this negotiating process was more deliberate and inclusive than it has been in the past. I hope that in the coming years, we can find a way to pay for expiring tax provisions and return to a more thoughtful, regular appropriations process that allows us to responsibly invest in our future, grow the economy, and leave our kids and grandkids with an opportunity to succeed rather than a mountain of debt."

An omnibus appropriations bill is legislation that combines various smaller government funding bills into one large package that can be passed all together at once, usually to avoid a pending fiscal deadline. The omnibus legislation passed today was negotiated by Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration in order to avoid a government shutdown by funding federal departments, agencies, and programs over the next fiscal year. As part of the agreement reached by negotiators, a broad tax deal was attached to the omnibus that provides a longer-term extension of more than fifty tax provisions that support working families and businesses. Senator King and several of his colleagues raised concerns about the cost of the tax deal, and voted to separate that deal from the omnibus spending bill on the Senate floor, but that vote ultimately failed.

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