Straight Talk with Sam: Working Toward a Solution

Statement

It's been a long couple weeks in Washington as Congress and the White House seek a solution that would fully end the government shutdown. In the meantime, the House of Representatives has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass legislation that would fund and reopen key priorities and agencies in the interim.

For instance, on October 2nd, we passed a resolution to fund cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. That same day, we moved forward on legislation to reopen our national parks and monuments, in light of action by the White House to keep World War II veterans from seeing their memorial.

The next day, the House passed a resolution that would honor our promise to give veterans the benefits that they so rightfully earned. And our work continued last week, as the House passed legislation to ensure air traffic safety and fund border security activities, among other measures.

Every one of these votes was bipartisan, with at least 20 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting each measure. Yet, remarkably, the Senate has failed to act on any of these bills. Rather than work with us to reopen these parts of the government right away, the Senate Majority Leader is content to insist on his way or the highway.

From the beginning of this process, House Republicans have worked in good faith to find a way to protect the American people from Obamacare and fully fund the federal government. It's time for the Senate to work with us.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves

Source