Alexander: "We Were Not Elected to Shut Down the Government"

Statement

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said "shutting down the government as a way of expressing opposition to Planned Parenthood or any other contentious issue is not the right thing to do." Alexander's full statement on the prospect of a federal government shutdown next week follows:

"I voted yesterday to take the federal dollars now spent at four Planned Parenthood centers in Tennessee and spend those dollars instead at 173 Tennessee community health centers that provide services for women's health. I will continue to vote that way. But shutting the government down as a way of expressing opposition to Planned Parenthood or any other contentious issue is not the right thing to do.

"The United States Congress is in the business of dealing with contentious issues. If we shut down the government every time a contentious issue came up, the government would never be open.

"We were not elected to shut down the government. We were elected to make the government work for the benefit of taxpayers who sent us here. Specifically, shutting down the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October at a time of peak visitation and revenue for surrounding communities is not my idea of making the government work for the benefit of taxpayers.

"That is why on Thursday I also voted to fund the government until Dec. 11 so that we can agree on a final appropriations bill by the end of the year. I urge the House of Representatives promptly to do the same."

Source