The Only Proposal to Keep the Government Open

Statement

"As we meet here this morning, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to work toward an agreement that would keep the government running for the rest of the year.

"But the two positions that have emerged are clear.

"Throughout this debate, Republicans have consistently said that we prefer a bipartisan agreement that keeps the government running and provides critical funding and certainty for our troops.

"That is what we have been working toward all along, and that is exactly what the bill that House Republicans are expected to pass today will do.

"Importantly, this bill will also include a modest reduction in Washington spending -- a reduction well within the range that even Democrat leaders have described as reasonable.

"In fact, the bill that House Republicans will send over to the Senate today is nothing more than a smaller version of the larger bill that Democrats say that they want.

"To be specific:

* The Obama administration and the Secretary of Defense have said that they need an annual defense bill; the House bill we'll get today does that.
* Senate Democrats have said they want the government to keep running; the House bill we'll get today does that.
* Democrat leaders have identified a number of cuts that they believe are "reasonable'; the spending cuts in the House bill that we'll get today go no farther.
* Democrat leaders have said they wanted no controversial policy riders; the policy provisions in this bill are provisions that members of the Democrat leadership have already voted for, and that the President himself has previously signed into law.

"So here's the bottom line.

"This bill does everything Democrats have previously said they want. It cuts Washington spending by an amount that Democrat leaders believe is reasonable. The policy prescriptions it contains have been previously agreed to by Democrat leaders and signed by the President. And, most importantly, this is the only proposal out there that keeps the government open.

"In other words, if a shutdown does occur, our Democrat friends have no one to blame but themselves -- because they have done nothing whatsoever to prevent it.

"Since they have produced no alternative to the bill that the House is sending over today, this is the only proposal currently on the table that will keep the government open.

"So there are two options at this point:

"Democrats can either take up and pass this reasonable bill that falls well within the bounds of what their own leadership has defined as acceptable. Or shut down the government.

"That's it. That's the choice.

"So rather than talking about a shutdown, I hope our Democrat friends join us in actually preventing one. There is one way to do that -- by quickly passing the House bill and sending it to the President for his signature before tomorrow night."

Source