OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 24, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Government Operations

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Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I join with my colleagues here in saying how disappointed I was that today's vote to reopen the government immediately while we keep negotiating to address border security was defeated, but I am encouraged by the bipartisan group on the Senate floor with me this afternoon to send one clear message: Let's pass a clean, 3-week continuing resolution to reopen the government immediately, and each of us is committed to work to pass a strong, bipartisan border security bill during that 3-week period.

Like many of my colleagues, I have gone down to the border. I have talked to our frontline personnel on the border. There is a lot of common ground about what we need to strengthen our border security. I join my colleagues here and thank Senators Cardin and Murkowski for organizing us in saying that we can get to a solution on border security, but we need to open the government right away.

There is no reason to keep the government closed while negotiations on strengthening border security continue. In fact, there is concern that negotiations forced by shutdowns set a dangerous precedent.

So I strongly urge my colleagues from both parties to support this bipartisan approach. I also thank Senators Graham and Cardin for their leadership in this effort, and I am committed to working with them and the rest of this bipartisan group to find a way forward.

Every day that this senseless shutdown continues, it is hurting people in New Hampshire and across the country. We have all been sharing stories. We have heard these stories. We have talked to the hard-working men and women who serve the people of this country and who are doing their work without pay or who are furloughed and who really don't know how they are going to make their next mortgage payment and their next utility payment or put food on the table and get their medication--all of the things they need a good day's wages to do. So we need to end this now.

I join with my colleagues in being here this afternoon to simply say that we need to open the government and that I am committed, as all of us are, to negotiate in good faith going forward to find a solution on border security.

Thank you.

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