The Senate passed funding bill extends federal funding through February 8, 2018.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D - CT)
With Senator Christopher Murphy (D - CT)
“This stop-gap three-week patch shortchanges Connecticut’s needs and priorities. Kicking the can down the road – for the fourth time in as many months – hurts Connecticut in unique ways. A commitment to have an immigration debate next month is welcome, but we could not in good conscience support a bill that fails to adequately support our national defense, opioid treatment, disaster relief, or community health centers while leaving Dreamers without any certainty about their future. We will continue to fight for Connecticut’s priorities as negotiations continue during this short-term stopgap spending measure, including real investments in our national security, adequate resources to fight the opioid crisis, support for community health centers, full funding for disaster relief and a solution that protects our Dreamers.”
Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
President Trump manufactured a crisis when he ended DACA, throwing the lives of hundreds of thousands of dreamers into chaos and uncertainty. In addition, 113 days have passed since the Children’s Health Insurance Program lapsed, and Senate Republicans have been using uninsured low-income kids as political pawns. President Trump and Republicans, who control the White House, the Senate, and the House, have a duty to govern responsibly.
Pitting the most vulnerable in our country against one another is no way to govern. Neither is passing another short-term funding bill, a practice the Pentagon called “wasteful and destructive” just days ago.
The way to end the Trump Shutdown and solve issues that Republican leaders have been ignoring for months was to take up a bipartisan proposal on the table that Democrats, Republicans, most Americans, and the large majority of Congress supports. That wasn’t the plan voted on today.
I made a commitment a long time ago that I wouldn’t vote for yet another CR that didn’t include a solution for dreamers. My position hasn’t changed.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D - OH)
“We cannot continue limping along from one budget to the next – that’s no way to run our government. Over the weekend I talked to Republicans and Democrats, and I’m confident we are very close to reaching a long-term compromise to provide the certainty Ohio families deserve. That’s why I’m voting today to reopen the government. I applaud the six-year extension of CHIP, and now we must move forward on achieving bipartisan solutions to important issues like protecting the retirement workers have earned, combating the opioid epidemic and protecting undocumented children who’ve known no other home than America.
“In my conversations over the weekend, it was clear that Senators on both sides of the aisle want to work together to end the constant uncertainty coming from Washington, and I'm hopeful this will be the beginning of more cooperation and bipartisanship in the months ahead.”
Brown will donate the pay he received during the government shutdown to an Ohio diaper bank that will support struggling families.
Sendator Benjamin L.Cardin - (D - MD)
“Four months into the fiscal year, Republicans, who control the White House and both houses of Congress, finally understand that we cannot govern from continuing resolution to continuing resolution. It took extreme measures to get us to this point. Leader McConnell will be held to his word that we will have a spending bill that addresses both defense and non-defense priorities, along with a fair opportunity to pass immigration reform.
“Democrats never wanted to see the federal government shut down, even for a few days, but we needed to take a stand to keep this budget can from being kicked down the road again and again and again. For Marylanders who work for or support the federal government, including our military personnel, the frustration and hurt of a shutdown has hit especially hard. There is no such thing as a ‘good shutdown,’ as the president characterized it. I’m proud of the military and civilian workers in Maryland who support our federal government, and will do all I can to ensure they are made whole after this experience. These public servants represent the best of America and they deserve our respect and gratitude.”
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
“The shutdown never made sense. I’m glad after two days enough Senate Democrats agreed to end it. I think they realized taking health insurance away from nine million kids nationwide—122,000 of whom live in Louisiana—depriving the military of their funding, just because they weren’t getting their way on DACA, was not defensible. The bill we passed today reopens the government through February the 8th, it maintains the National Flood Insurance Program, it funds the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years. So, now we focus on passing a long term budget, securing our border. If Democrats are willing to support a more merit-based immigration system and real, permanent border security, I think we can come to an agreement that’s good for the DACA kids and good for the American people.”
Senator Susan M. Collins - (R - ME)
“Today, we saw the power of the center in the U.S. Senate. Joe and I worked very hard in leading the effort of the Common Sense Coalition—a group of 25 Republicans, Democrats, and Independent Angus King—which proposed the compromise to end the government shutdown.
“I founded the Common Sense Coalition nearly five years ago to end the 2013 government shutdown. Just as we did in 2013, we showed that a determined group of Senators working across the aisle can produce positive action.
“Senators representing both parties first began meeting for hours in my office on Friday, and we continued to discuss these issues in meetings on Saturday, Sunday, and today, supplemented by numerous phone calls. What we shared in common was the determination to reopen government and convince our leaders that there is a path forward that will accommodate those of us who are concerned about the fate of the “Dreamers” who live in this country, many of whom have known no other country as their home. They will be at risk of deportation starting in March if legislation is not passed. Our commitment to accomplishing these goals, as well as the size and bipartisan nature of our group, helped to break the impasse.
“In addition to reopening government, I am particularly happy that the continuing resolution reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health care coverage to low-income children nationwide. I co-sponsored the legislation that created this program as a freshman Senator in 1997. The provision included in the stop-gap funding bill will extend CHIP for an additional six years, ensuring that the nine million children—including more than 22,000 in Maine—who rely on this program will continue to have access to health care.
“There are many other issues that we need to deal with, including budget caps and the urgent need for additional funding for national defense and the opioid crisis. The successful bipartisan effort that led to the reopening of the government today, however, is a significant and promising step forward.”
Senator John Cornyn- (R - TX)
“This was a strategy that lacked an endgame and was never going to work. The safety, health, and livelihoods of Americans across the country didn't deserve to be held hostage, and the American people have had enough of these kinds of games.”
“This calculated stunt that put funding for our government, military, and Children's Health Insurance Program at risk all because our colleagues wanted to accelerate consideration of the DACA issue, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was a mistake.”
“I'm glad our colleagues decided to take this step to reopen the government while we resume our work to find a solution on this immigration issue. But we have a lot of other important issues.”
“We also need to deal with disaster relief.”
“While the House of Representatives has voted on a $81 billion disaster relief package, because of the holdup here -- again, because our Democratic colleagues in the Senate think that this DACA issue is more important than those victims of natural disasters, not to mention the wildfires out West -- that's been put on ice as well.”
“I especially remain committed to the 124,000 DACA recipients in my home state of Texas.”
“I have a personal interest in making sure we come up with a bipartisan solution for these young adults who face such uncertainty.”
“These are our neighbors, and they work alongside us in our community. They deserve a thoughtful and compassionate solution that I hope we deliver.”
“I've had a chance, like all of the members of the Senate and the House, to meet many of these young people and many of them are extraordinarily impressive.”
“So it’s a precarious position, I'm sure, to live every day not quite sure of what the future will mean.”
“I think we need to correspondingly assure the American people that we're actually serious about border security and enforcing our laws.”
“Being able to put in place the right mix of infrastructure, personnel, and technology will enable us to begin to regain the public's confidence on this issue.”
“We are all working, and have been for months, on a path forward on DACA, and we'll continue to do so now that the government has reopened.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein - (D - CA)
“This week’s government shutdown is regrettable and frustrating, particularly since it was entirely avoidable.
“For four months Republicans have promised a vote on the Dream Act. And for four months, they’ve kicked the can down the road. They even spent weeks passing a tax cut bill for the rich instead of working on a bill to keep the government open and help DACA recipients.
“Even Republican members of Congress are fed up. Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican, was promised a DACA fix by the end of last year, but he’s still waiting. That’s why both Republicans and Democrats said no to Mitch McConnell’s latest broken promise.
“Closing the government isn’t something I take lightly. But we’ve been debating the Dream Act for almost 20 years now, with constant opposition from Republicans. The solution is simple: allow a vote on the Dream Act as an amendment to a must-pass vehicle or lock in an iron-clad agreement that the Democratic caucus agrees with that would pass in the shortest time possible. Debating and voting on bills is what we were sent here to do, so let’s do it.
“Once we reach an agreement on the Dream Act, we can then turn to other priorities like providing disaster relief for wildfires and hurricanes, extending the Children’s Health Insurance Program, keeping community health centers open and battling the opioid crisis.
“Let me be clear: this government closure doesn’t shut down the military. It doesn’t end Social Security or Medicare benefits. VA hospitals will remain open. But the pinch for many other federal workers is real, and we need to get past this impasse as quickly as possible.
“I’ll continue working hard to come up with a solution that funds the government, protects DACA recipients and includes all the other key priorities that we need to support.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R - SC)
“Ending the government shutdown stops the losing for the country. But it’s not winning. Winning is solving the nation’s problems.
“Winning is ensuring we have the funding needed for our military to meet the tremendous challenges they face. Nothing means more to me than making sure we take care of our military’s needs as they fight a war we can’t afford to lose. Today, we took a giant step forward in that direction.
“Winning is ensuring we have a process in place to deal with expiration of DACA, as these young people know no other home than the United States.
“I believe the process we have created will allow us to get a result on these and other important issues. I enjoyed working with my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – as we searched for breakthroughs that would not only keep the government running, but ultimately make it work for the American people.”
Senator Chuck Grassley (R - IA)
“It’s a shame it took three days and millions in wasted taxpayer dollars for common sense to prevail, but I’m glad it did. America’s men and women in uniform give so much in service to their country. They should never have to worry about their next paycheck. If it wasn’t political, it’s unclear why Democratic leaders voted against funding the government on Friday but voted for it on Monday. Thankfully, millions of families with kids who rely on the Children’s Health Insurance Program now know it will be extended for six years.
“There was no good reason to shut down the government for an unrelated issue everyone agrees will be addressed soon anyway. As was the case before the shutdown, I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on legislation to enact real border security, end chain migration and the diversity visa lottery program and provide DACA recipients with legal status.”
Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
With Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D - NH)
“We have worked with a group of more than twenty senators – both Republicans and Democrats – to reach a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government, continue the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and move forward on critical priorities including strengthening our military, stepping up efforts to combat the opioid crisis, providing funding for community health centers, and protecting Dreamers. Our negotiations, once again, affirmed that there is substantial common ground on every one of these issues, and while we still have more work to do, this agreement gives us time to hammer out the details. We are grateful to our Republican colleague Susan Collins of Maine for convening these bipartisan talks, and to all the members of this common sense caucus for working with us to find common ground.”
Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D - ND)
“The single most important thing the Senate can do is govern, and today, we reached an agreement to help make that possible,” said Heitkamp. “I’m proud to have been part of a bipartisan group of more than 20 senators who worked together during many meetings over the weekend to reach a deal to reopen the government. I wish everyone in the country could have been in those meetings. We talked to each other respectfully, had important debate and discussion, and were the deliberative body that the Senate is supposed to be.
“Our group first came together back in 2013 -- when the government shutdown for 16 days -- and created the Commonsense Coalition which negotiated a deal that paved the way to successfully reopen the government. Today, many of those same senators joined our meetings, as did many more. I’m hopeful this bipartisan progress foreshadows more work to come between Republicans and Democrats so the Senate can do its job for the American people.
“The Senate also voted to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years – an overdue long-term extension so that children and families across North Dakota can get the care they need. We need to keep pushing to permanently reauthorize this critical and lifesaving program that protects kids.
“As Congress works on a bipartisan agreement in the next few weeks, I’ll keep pushing to protect the pensions of thousands of retirees in the Central States Pension Fund and other pension funds, provide critical funds to help combat the opioid epidemic, and support community health centers across rural America. And we must hold Leader McConnell to his word that the Senate will vote in the next few weeks to strengthen border security while enabling young immigrants who came here as children to stay in the only country they know. We have the chance to reach an agreement on these issues that is truly bipartisan.”
Senator Dean Heller (R - NV)
“It’s about time that Democrats came to their senses and made the decision to end their political games that led to the Schumer Shutdown. Their filibuster of legislation that would open the government, pay our troops, and fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was reckless and an example of Washington dysfunction at its worst. Because of their political posturing, Democrats sacrificed our national security, paying our troops, and care for this country’s most vulnerable children. It was particularly disappointing that for days, Senate Democrats blocked a vote on a piece of legislation that not only would have avoided a government shutdown and pay our troops, but contained many priorities – like CHIP and delaying the Cadillac tax – that they actually support. In fact, the legislation passed today is the same bill that was initially proposed last week with the exception of moving up the next deadline by eight days.
The Democrats’ filibuster of our appropriations bills is exactly what led us to the position we’re in today; and that’s why I introduced my No Budget No Pay Act to force Congress to do its job or face the consequences. Moving forward, I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle prioritize their constituents over their party leaders so that we can make progress and do the jobs the American people sent us here to do."
Senator Johnny Isakson (R - GA)
“I am relieved that Senate Democrats have allowed us to reopen the government. Shutting down the government was a terrible idea – it always is – and it is the wrong way to govern. I’m also pleased that we have finally passed a six-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Thankfully, we can now focus on the work that lies ahead.”
Senator Tim Kaine (D - VA)
With Senator Mark R.Warner (D - VA)
“We voted against the House Republican Continuing Resolution on Friday night because it left unaddressed too many priorities important to Virginians. We remain deeply disappointed that our Republican colleagues refused to keep the government open this weekend while we finalized a long-term deal on these issues. President Trump and Republican leadership have hurt Virginia and our military by governing from crisis-to-crisis and being unwilling to compromise.
“However, we are heartened by our work with more than 20 Senators from both sides of the aisle this weekend to create a bipartisan path forward to give Virginians long-term certainty and protect Dreamers.
“As a result of those discussions, we now have a path forward to resolve many of the challenges that Congress has punted on for months, including a long-term solution to sequestration and full-year funding for our government and the military. Today we are reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that tens of thousands of Virginians rely on – after months of Republican obstruction – and giving servicemembers and federal employees peace of mind that their paychecks will arrive on time. We also have the opportunity to finally make investments here at home to fight the opioid crisis, provide relief for communities hit by natural disasters, allow those who rely on community health centers to get care, reform pensions, and much more.
“For more than three years, the Republican majority has blocked any viable effort to fix our broken immigration system. As recently as Friday night, Leader McConnell refused to commit to taking up the DREAM Act with any urgency. Today, Republican leadership has finally agreed to bring bipartisan legislation to protect Dreamers to the floor in the next three weeks, and both parties – as well as the American public – will hold them to it.”
Senator Angus S. King Jr. (I - ME)
“After a weekend spent trying to bring together Senators from across the political spectrum and to create a meaningful dialogue, we have arrived at a viable compromise that can move us forward. A three-week continuing resolution is longer than I’d like, but it appears this weekend’s negotiations have created a path forward which will allow the Senate to function as it should. As I have said, and continue to believe, this government cannot simply function one month at a time – we need to pass a budget. At the same time, we need to stay open. I hope that Senate leadership has gotten the message that we can no longer govern from CR to CR, and that this agreement ends the logjam on DACA and paves the path towards regular order.”
Senator James Lankford (R-OK)
“I’m pleased that Senate Democrats relented and finally agreed to reopen the government. Today, they voted for the exact offer we extended on Friday night before the shutdown. This all could have been avoided. Now is the time for this Senate to take up hard issues and begin debating and voting again. This is a unique opportunity to finally address some of our numerous immigration problems, including border security. I look forward to getting this important work done in the days ahead.”
Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D - VT)
“I’m relieved there is an end in sight to this Trump Shutdown. But Republican leaders and President Trump have left too much undone – from a bipartisan budget deal, to disaster relief, to community health centers, to the opioid crisis, to DACA. There are many pressing and unfinished priorities, and I cannot give my support to yet another short-term, stopgap measure that, yet again, keeps budget priorities on autopilot, without the ability to adjust for changing priorities since these budget levels were frozen a year ago. We now are 114 days since the beginning of the fiscal year, when these appropriations bills should have been finished. The American people, our communities, our men and women serving in the military, our veterans, and all Americans need and deserve a long-term deal, and we need one now.”
Senator, Joe Manchin, III (D - WV)
“I worked all weekend and brought together more than 20 Republicans and Democrats to help both sides come to an agreement to end this government shutdown. While others were focused on placing political blame, I was focused on solving the problem, and I'm glad to say we got it done. I’m proud we were able to come together and pass our bipartisan compromise to reopen the government, pass long-term funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and give us 3 weeks to come up with a FY2018 budget that everyone can support.
“Now that the government will reopen, we have the next 3 weeks to ensure our military is equipped to protect our country, fight the opioid epidemic, keep our promise to coal miners so they don’t lose their hard-earned pensions, expand broadband access and pass a comprehensive infrastructure package.
“I never voted for or supported this shutdown. This was a result of the toxic dysfunction that this Congress is operating under. It was wrong to shut down the government and it was a waste of time that prevented us from working on issues that the American people and West Virginians care about. Now, we can get back to work.”
Senator Edward J.Markey (D - MA)
“I cannot support a budget deal that falls so far short of fulfilling our moral and Constitutional obligation to the American people, said Senator Markey. “Without guaranteed long-term funding for community health centers, the opioid crisis, disaster aid, and protections for our DREAMers, I cannot support this legislation.
“I remain deeply skeptical of any short-term budget agreement that relies on the good faith commitment of President Donald Trump. A budgetary vision without funding is a hallucination. The futures and families of DREAMers will not be assured by a promise from Republican leadership. We need a long-term budget proposal that includes real protections for our DREAMers and appropriately funds critical health priorities, not a short-term IOU.”
Senator Mitch McConnell (R - KY)
“After three days of an unnecessary lapse in funding, a bipartisan majority has brought the Democratic Leader’s extraordinary filibuster to an end and passed a bipartisan bill to reopen the federal government. As I’ve said repeatedly over the past week, shutting down the government is an irresponsible way to do business. It does not reflect the seriousness with which I know my colleagues on both sides would like to approach the people’s business here in the Senate.
“All our important work for the American people had to be put on hold while this manufactured crisis was dealt with. We made no substantive progress – not one inch – on the serious, bipartisan negotiations that it will take to resolve issues such as immigration and border security, health care, defense spending, and many other matters. So I am glad we can finally get back to work here.
“Amid the political gamesmanship, the past three days have highlighted many of my colleagues’ commitment to honest, bipartisan work. I would like to particularly thank Senator Graham, Senator Collins, Senator Flake, and several of our Democratic colleagues who worked tirelessly to bring this impasse to a conclusion. Soon, federal operations will be getting back to normal for the American people.
“We all know what comes next – challenging negotiations on a host of serious issues. The weeks ahead will require the best from all of us. I hope that we can remember some lessons from this regrettable incident. Brinksmanship and hostage taking do not work. They make bipartisan progress harder, not easier, to achieve. Senators must focus on the common good of the American people, not the warped priorities of extreme voices, no matter how loudly they shout at us to do otherwise.
“With the pointless, damaging, partisan theatrics of this government shutdown behind us, serious and bipartisan negotiations can resume. We have been talking for months about how to address military spending, disaster relief, healthcare, immigration and border security, and the rest of Congress’ unfinished business. Now those talks can get going again. Whether they bear fruit is up to all of us.”
Senator Robert Menendez (D - NJ)
“The Senate-passed Continuing Resolution is yet another short-term sham of a funding bill that abandons vital New Jersey priorities like funding for the opioid crisis, community health centers and critical reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program, all while short-changing our military, and ignoring the plight of millions of Americans in Puerto Rico, California, and other disaster-torn communities.
“Nothing in this legislation gives me any confidence that in three weeks Congress won’t end up exactly where we are today. Funding for the federal government lapsed back in September. The President announced the end of DACA back in September. Yet, instead of doing the hard work of governing, Republicans spent October, November and December asking for short-term extensions so they could binge on trillion-dollar tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest one percent.
“I would have much preferred a two-day, three-day or even week-long extension that forced Democrats and Republicans to stay in Washington and negotiate a long-term agreement that fully funds our military, invests in our domestic priorities, protects the 800,000 Dreamers from the imminent threat of deportation and provides them a path to citizenship.
“In three weeks, a dysfunctional White House and a dysfunctional Republican Congress will remain utterly incapable of passing a long-term budget unless and until they begin working with Democrats who know how to compromise, how to set priorities, and how to govern.”
Senator Jeff Merkley (D - OR)
“While spending the past year jamming through a legislative wish-list for the privileged and powerful, President Trump and his congressional allies have time and time again neglected the priorities of the American people. Funding for children’s health care and community health centers has lapsed; the opioid crisis has gone unaddressed; and hundreds of thousands of DREAMers have been left to live in limbo. This unwillingness to govern reached a peak on Friday, when Trump and Republicans brought us the Trump Shutdown rather than reach a deal on these critical, bipartisan priorities.
“I persistently argued that we should keep the government open while we negotiate, but that we need a shorter timeframe – one- to three-day increments – to hold Trump’s and McConnell’s feet to the fire. Unfortunately, the Senate Majority Leader struck down the continuing resolutions that would have accomplished this.
“My concern with the three-week extension adopted today is that the Republican leadership will fail to negotiate for 15 of the next 17 days. Furthermore, Leader McConnell’s track record of keeping his ‘commitments’ is thin at best. For that reason, I voted no today.
“I stand ready to work with all of my colleagues to make urgently-needed progress on these critical issues facing the American people. It’s past time that we governed ‘of, by and for the people,’ not just for the privileged and powerful.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R - AK)
“I have been actively working over the weekend, with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to help facilitate an agreement. I am pleased that we were able to put our differences aside to get the government back on track and do what’s right for our country. Together, we ended a government shutdown that has been disruptive to the thousands of Alaskans who are federal employees, contractors, and those who rely on the services provided by our federal agencies. This short-term solution allows time to finish our work on a full year funding bill and also address bigger picture issues.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us --- from securing full funding for our military to providing disaster relief to stabilizing the individual healthcare market. It is also crucial that we prioritize protections for DACA recipients and have the broader discussion on immigration. Now is the time to build on the bipartisan momentum we have built in the Senate, work together and resolve these issues for the American people.”
Senator Patty Murray (D - WA)
“I am very glad that President Trump and Republican leaders have stepped back from the precipice and have ended their government shutdown and committed to allowing Democrats and Republicans to work together on legislation to address the many challenges facing the families we represent. I know that there will be legitimate concerns and questions about the commitments that Republican leaders have made today. I share those concerns, and I am going to be watching Republican leaders’ actions over the coming weeks, not just their words—and I stand ready to hold this Republican Congress accountable for results.
I support this short-term agreement not because I blindly trust Republican leaders to deliver on their commitments, but because I believe this path offers us the best chance to reach a comprehensive deal to protect families and communities in this Republican Congress. Republican leaders clearly understand that a majority of Democrats and Republicans support bipartisan solutions to the challenges in front of us, and they now realize that they can’t keep the government shut down in an attempt to stop that work from being done. If Republican leaders renege on their commitment to work with us and to allow votes on the critical issues before us, they will shut down the government in just a few weeks and the pressure will be right back on them to work with us.
“Democrats and Republicans agree that we should increase investments in health care, education, veterans’ care, and other domestic and defense priorities—and now that Republicans have ended their shutdown, we need to work together to get that done.
“Democrats and Republicans agree that we should finally pass a long-term extension of the critical primary care programs that Republicans have allowed to expire months ago— and now that Republicans have ended their shutdown, we need to work together to get that done.
“Democrats and Republicans agree that since the Trump Administration abruptly ended the DACA program last fall, we should finally pass legislation to protect our DREAMers who have known no home but America and who live in constant fear for their futures— and now that Republicans have ended their shutdown, we need to work together to get that done. Republican leaders have made a commitment on this, and I am going to be holding their feet to the fire.
“There are bipartisan solutions to all of these challenges, and now that Republicans have stepped back from their completely unnecessary government shutdown and say they are ready to work with us on responsible solutions—we need to tackle them together, right now, without delay.”
Senator David Perdue (R-GA)
“It is ridiculous that we were ever in the Schumer Shutdown in the first place. I’m glad to see that Senate Democrats came to their senses and stopped this nonsense. It is frustrating that this is the same proposal that was offered to them days ago before they decided to shut down the government over immigration. Senate Democrats took their political stunt a step too far since a majority of Americans support funding the federal government over continuing the DACA program. Clearly, Congress’ budget process is a complete failure. It has only worked four times in the past 43 years, and given the current political dynamics it will never work. Tying important policy decisions to the funding process is the reason we end up in these damaging situations. It’s time Congress gets serious about reworking the way we fund the federal government. That way we can start tackling other big ticket items such as fixing our immigration system and beginning to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure.”
Senator Rob Portman (R - OH)
“I’m pleased that a sufficient number of my Democratic colleagues have joined Republicans to re-open the federal government. Shutdowns are unnecessary, counter-productive, and often end up costing more taxpayer dollars. The past three days are proof of that, and that’s why I introduced the End Government Shutdowns Act in 2012 to avoid these types of disruptions.
“One of the things the bill does is provide long-term funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). There are 219,000 children in Ohio and nine million children nationwide who receive health care through this program. This six-year CHIP extension is the longest since the program was enacted more than 20 years ago. I’ve fought to renew this important program for months, and I’m pleased we are on the verge of delivering the long-term stability and certainty the program needs.
“I’m glad we were finally able to come to an agreement that funds the government and provides quality health care for American children in need. We have more work ahead of us before the next deadline, on February 8, and I will continue working with my bipartisan colleagues on these issues. Government shutdowns ultimately hurt our economy, hurt families, and hurt our troops. I hope that in the future we can end shutdowns for good.”
Senator Bernard Sanders (I - VT)
"The reason I voted against today’s continuing resolution is simple: tens of millions of lives are at stake. We must act NOW, not kick the can down the road.
"We're talking about the fate of 800,000 Dreamers who have lived here almost all of their lives, but could soon be faced with deportation if we don't act now. We're talking about 27 million Americans who will find it harder and harder to get their health care through community health centers because that program has not yet been reauthorized. We 're talking about many thousands of people with disabilities who will die because they couldn't get their claims processed in a timely manner by an underfunded and understaffed Social Security Administration, and veterans who will not get the care they need at the VA because that agency now has 30,000 vacancies. We're talking about the need to provide adequate disaster relief for the people of Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico – an island where hundreds of thousands are still without electricity.
"Enough is enough. We cannot continue to run a $4 trillion government on a month to month basis. We need an annual budget. The Republican Party controls the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate and the White House. They are the governing party. They have got to govern, not ignore the major crises facing this country."
Senator Dan Sullivan (R - Ak)
“Today, an overwhelming majority in the Senate voted to end the government shutdown and to continue the broader negotiations on a long-term spending measure. This shutdown was entirely avoidable – something made clearer by the fact that what we passed today was basically the same agreement that had been proposed since Friday. Regardless, I’m pleased to see both sides of the aisle come together to reach an agreement to ensure our military and federal workers continue to get paid, critical functions of government continue, and thousands of children across Alaska and the country get the healthcare they need through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – which will be extended for six years.
“As we move forward, I will be closely working with my colleagues on issues related to immigration reform, including DACA and stronger border security. More broadly, I will continue to work with a bipartisan group to reform what for too long has been a broken budgetary process, which has consisted of short-term funding measures (continuing resolutions) and massive end of year omnibus packages. The American people deserve better.”
Senator Patrick J.Toomey (R - PA)
"I am encouraged that an interim, bipartisan agreement was reached to reopen our government, fund our military, and provide health care to nine million American children. We found ourselves in this dysfunctional mess because my colleagues across the aisle recklessly refused to govern and held the government hostage on a single issue impacting a select group of illegal immigrants. This is not how decisions about the government's budget should be made."
"It is well past time for the Senate to return to regular order. Instead of the obstruction of recent years, going forward, Democrats should allow the Senate to debate, amend and pass each of the 12 annual funding bills well before the end of the fiscal year. This would preclude the risk of distracting, disruptive manufactured crises such as the one our Democratic colleagues just caused."
Senator Tom Udall (D - NM)
“Today’s agreement between Senate Democratic and Republican leadership to re-open the government and fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program buys Congress 17 more days to try to reach a bipartisan compromise for DREAMers. While it definitely isn’t a perfect deal, we must work together to make progress. The American people don’t support President Trump’s platform of hate and division – and Democrats will not accept a ‘take it or leave it’ offer on immigration that will further tear this country apart.
“Additionally, while this agreement opens up a path forward for the DREAMers, I am still fighting to ensure we reach a responsible bipartisan budget agreement that funds our military and our domestic priorities for longer than a few weeks. As a Department of Defense spokeswoman stated last week, lurching from one short-term agreement to another is a disaster for the military. The 45,000 federal employees and contractors in New Mexico – who are working hard to keep our nation safe, be good stewards of our public land and water, and meet the needs of our citizens – deserve long-term certainty. Budgeting is Congress’ most basic job, and I will be working as hard as I can to get our government back on track.”
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D - RI)
“The shutdown has ended. In spite of a President sending confused and conflicting messages, Republican and Democratic Senators negotiated in good faith to arrive at an agreement to end the impasse. We will fund the children’s health insurance program and we will vote on a solution for the Dreamers. It will be the first Floor vote for Democrats since the election (outside the sham budget process), and we hope that is a breakthrough. We have accelerated the negotiations on a funding bill, and we still must vote on the debt limit. This is what progress looks like.”
Senator Todd Young (R - IN)
“I’m glad Democratic leadership decided to end this shutdown and vote for a bill that should have passed three days ago. This bill addresses some of the most pressing issues before us today, including extending the Children’s Health Insurance Program for more than 104,000 Hoosier children, funding our military, and lifting the burden of the job-killing medical device tax. Over the coming weeks, I will continue working toward a long-term solution to fund the government and address border security and the DACA immigration issue.”
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