Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am pleased that Democrats have just reached an agreement with the Republicans to pass a temporary extension of government funding tonight. We will have up to five votes: four on amendments and then final passage. This agreement is an important step because we not only avoid a shutdown on Friday, we also clear the way for passing the first six appropriations bills next week.
We want to move quickly. So I ask Senators to stay in their seats or near the floor until we finish our work. We are going to try, starting on the second vote, to keep votes limited to 10 minutes. So please stay in your seats.
Now, Mr. President, this year, the good Lord gave us an extra day in February. So let's make sure we finish the job and don't drag this debate into March.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Excuse me. Just one more thing.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Has time expired for both sides?
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we are going to enforce the 10-minute rule. We announced it earlier. So please stay in your seats. Let's get the next amendments done with expedition. Vote on Motion to Commit
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, that one took 14 minutes. Let's beat it on this one. Please stay in your seats. Vote on Motion to Commit
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, that one was 11 minutes. Let us get to 10.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am happy to inform the American people there will be no government shutdown on Friday. When we pass this bill, we will have, thank God, avoided a shutdown, with all its harmful effects on the American people.
I thank my colleagues for working together. It is good we are not shutting down. Now let us finish the job of funding the government so we don't have to do this again.
As I have said repeatedly to the Speaker, the only way to get things done in divided government is bipartisanship. I am glad the Speaker heard our plea and worked with us to avoid a shutdown.
Next week, we hope to bring the first six funding bills to the floor and send them to the President's desk before March 8. The vote tonight is a strong indication that we can work in a bipartisan way to get those bills passed.
We hope to finish funding all of the government by March 22. That is the commitment the Speaker made to us yesterday, and we are counting on him to follow through.
What we have done today has overcome the opposition of the MAGA hard right and gives us a formula for completing the appropriations process in a way that does not shut down the government and capitulate to extremists.
I thank Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, and all the appropriators who helped reach this agreement. Vote on H.R. 7463
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