Problem Solvers Caucus Demanding Full Year Bipartisan Spending Bill to Avoid Shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Thursday, November 21, 2019, the Problem Solvers Caucus formally supported the following position:

“Governing by continuing resolutions and government shutdowns are no way to run our country and hurts the people we were sent to Washington to represent. This is why the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus is calling on Democratic and Republican congressional leadership to put forward a bipartisan spending bill to fully fund our government through the end of this fiscal year.”

Several Problem Solvers Caucus members added the following comments:

“Keeping the federal government open shouldn’t be a partisan issue. We need to ensure vital government services like the VA are functioning and our military servicemen and women receive their paychecks. Our congressional leaders, both Democratic and Republican, have to be able to put politics aside and find solutions that put the nation first,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Josh Gottheimer. “It’s clear that our budget system is broken. That’s why the Problem Solvers Caucus, as a group of 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans, is demanding that we break through the gridlock to work to find a bipartisan budget solution to fund our government. No more short term fixes — the American people deserve certainty.”

“The American people want Congress to do their job, put politics aside, and pass a long term spending bill. Congress must stop putting politics first and focus on good policy because these two and three-week spending bills are no way to run a country and does nothing but deliver uncertainty for our hardworking federal workers, puts our national security at risk and makes long term strategic decisions extremely difficult for our essential government agencies,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Tom Reed.

“This Continuing Resolution keeps government running and provides some budget certainty to families, businesses and communities across the country,” said Congressman Jim Costa. “It extends funding for community health centers and diabetes programs, provides a pay raise to our armed forces and ensures states receive highway funding. But these temporary fixes need to stop. I’m hopeful, come December, Congress will stop kicking the can down the road and pass a funding bill.”

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler said, “As an appropriator, I’ve worked alongside my colleagues this year to put forth funding bills that are responsive to Southwest Washington priorities. Now we need to finalize these bills in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to fulfill our responsibility. Meeting our funding deadline will keep our federal government operating and serving the people we represent, as well as ensure federal employees from members of the Coast Guard to Air Traffic Controllers who work to keep us safe have the certainty they’ll be paid. I’m committed to doing whatever I can to avoid a harmful shutdown.”

“We are less than a year removed from the longest government shutdown in history and Washington seems to be headed into the same abyss,” said Congressman Dan Lipinski. “And just keeping the government funded with Continuing Resolutions is not enough because they cost taxpayers billions of dollars.  That’s why before the end of the year we must pass a funding bill for all of fiscal year 2020. The Problem Solvers Caucus stand ready to help make that happen.”

“This week, I joined the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in supporting a spending bill to avoid a costly government shutdown. While I am pleased this bipartisan government funding measure passed, I believe it is unstainable to continue governing from crisis to crisis. We must have the foresight to deliver a funding package that provides long-term certainty. Congress must now work across party lines and cut through partisan gridlock to achieve this goal,” said Congressman John Katko.

Congressman Fred Upton said, “The purpose of continuing resolutions is simply supposed to allow for additional time to put together a responsible budget for the fiscal year. Continuing resolutions are not supposed to be the solution. They should not be our goal. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have to put their heads together and come up with a bipartisan deal that funds the government for the full year – that’s the only way we will be able to effectively address our nation’s runaway spending.”

“It is vital to our national security that we break the gridlock that has led to not having a budget, and instead three more continuing resolutions. For the last two years we have made great strides to fix the military’s broken readiness and modernization issues, but current budget impasse and continuing resolutions are unraveling that progress,” said Congressman Don Bacon.

The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in Congress comprising of 48 members – equally divided between Democrats and Republicans – who are committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues. It is co-chaired by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY).

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