Rep. Brat Statement on Government Shutdown

Statement

Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) issued the following statement regarding the lapse in federal government appropriations.

"Let me be clear: I want to find a long-term solution to spending issues and immigration reform, but first Democrats must vote to reopen the government.

"Three times in the last four months Democrats in the Senate have supported continuing resolutions to keep the doors of the federal government open and to pay our troops. For Democrats to suddenly oppose a non-controversial bill that is functionally identical to those previous three continuing resolutions is a political ploy to needlessly manufacture a crisis.

"This week, out of 241 Democrat members of congress in the House and Senate, only 11 voted to supported a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. That is 96 percent of my Democrat colleagues who support shutting down the government.

"Shutting down the federal government in order for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to jam a hastily negotiated DACA amnesty deal without a single meaningful reform to our broken immigration system is not the answer. Any deadline for a final DACA deal is not until March and to attach an unrelated policy issue to federal government funding is unnecessary.

"On Thursday I voted to ensure the federal government is funded, CHIP is extended for six years, and our troops are paid. Over 66,000 Virginia children rely on CHIP and while the House previously voted to fund this program, the House-passed continuing resolution includes a six year reauthorization to provide health care for these kids.

"To be sure, incremental continuing resolutions like the one the House passed on Thursday are no way to govern. For legislation to move forward in the Senate, however, 60 votes are needed, and with only 51 Republican senators, any funding legislation requires the support of at least 9 Democrat senators. At this time, the Senate refuses to consider the twelve individual appropriations bills the House passed last September for Fiscal Year 2018, leaving House Republicans with little choice but to fund the government for weeks at a time.

"I urge my Democrat colleagues in the Senate to reconsider their opposition and end the shutdown now."

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