Senator Hassan Statement on Passage of Government Funding Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statement on the government funding bill that the Senate passed today. The bill continues government funding for two months and includes critical disaster relief funding and provisions to assist Afghan refugees. 

“Passing this funding bill averted a harmful government shutdown, and I’m pleased that we also came together on a bipartisan basis to provide disaster relief and assistance to Afghan refugees. But we never should have come to the brink – that’s why I have joined with my Republican colleague Senator Lankford to make sure that government shutdowns never happen by introducing the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act. Shutdowns are costly, avoidable, and cause real harm to the American people, including by risking our national security and threatening livelihoods. I continue to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and find agreement to fund the government and address other critical priorities for the American people.”

The Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2021, introduced by Senators Hassan and James Lankford (R-OK), would take government shutdowns off the table by setting up an automatic continuing resolution (CR) if government funding has not been enacted by the start of the next fiscal year, and requiring Congress to stay in town until the job is done. Earlier this week, the Washington Post praised the bill in a column, As another shutdown looms, a bipartisan bill would force legislators stay in D.C. to pass a budget.

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