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Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now before the month is out, both parties in both Chambers must unite on the most important goal of this work period: keeping the government open with a temporary extension of Federal funding. A continuing resolution, as we all know, is not a substitute for the appropriations process, but, rather, a tool to give us more time for the appropriators to do their work. And, fortunately-- in this body at least--Democratic and Republican appropriators have a very good track record of working together.

In divided government, the only way Congress has been able to pass CRs is through bipartisan cooperation. We have seen that again and again and again these last 2 years.

Unfortunately, House Republicans have regrettably forgotten that lesson. About a week ago, they introduced a 6-month CR that, from the first, proved to be unserious, partisan, and insufficient. And given what has happened in the House in the last few days, it is becoming clearer and clearer that only a bipartisan solution will work. We have been saying this all along, but the events of the past few days even further confirm just how much it is true.

A real proposal for avoiding a shutdown would be the one that both sides write together, but House Republicans wrote their CR behind closed doors, without any input from the Democratic leader in the House, the President, myself, or any of the Democratic appropriators. A real proposal for avoiding a shutdown would avoid poison pills, but House Republicans wrote their CR with poison pills front and center. They know perfectly well this approach doesn't work.

A real proposal for avoiding a shutdown is one that doesn't hamstring our national defense, doesn't weaken our border security, and doesn't hurt our veterans and farmers and so many others. And instead of a short-term extension of the deadline, the House Republicans released a bill that kicks the can down the road for half a year.

That is no way to govern; particularly on military affairs, it is no way to govern. You can't run a military with a 6-month funding patch like House Republicans' leader proposed. It would slow down everything: insufficient resources for recruitment and troop pay increases and research. This 6-month CR would hurt the awarding of new military contracts and cause immediate and immense uncertainty and cost increases for the old ones.

So I urge Speaker Johnson to set aside this CR proposal and try again. We have already lost 1 week in this 3-week work period. We all know what we need to do if we want to ensure the government does not shut down: We need a bipartisan bill, a temporary extension. The Democratic leader in the House and I are ready and willing to work with the Speaker, as we have done before.

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