E-Newsletter: Mark's Weekly Update October 20, 2013

Government Shutdown Ends

The federal government officially reopened on Thursday morning after a 16-day shutdown. On Wednesday evening, the House passed H.R. 2775, the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2014, to reopen the government and lift the debt ceiling.

Because it was inherently unfair to the American people and continued to give Congress a special deal on Obamacare, I could not support the final bill that passed the House. Furthermore, I believe it is important to give our business climate more certainty by providing long-term solutions to government appropriations and the debt ceiling. As this agreement has now been made, though, I anticipate ongoing budget negotiations to address our debt and deficit in a responsible way.

During this process, House Republicans were able to ensure the continuation of the reduced spending levels established in 2011. These levels, which reflected historic cuts in government spending, are crucial to addressing our nation's pressing fiscal concerns.

I made a commitment to my constituents to pursue every possible avenue to keep the government open while protecting hardworking families from the disastrous consequences of Obamacare. With the debt ceiling and continuing resolution off the table, I take President Obama at his word that he will now be willing to negotiate fixes to Obamacare to stop some of the harmful effects this law is already having on hardworking families.

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