Hoeven, Cramer, Armstrong react to passage of funding bill to avert a government shutdown

WASHINGTON (KFYR) - The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday, hours before a midnight deadline, as Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open and sent the measure to President Joe Biden to sign.

The package was approved by the House 335-91, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting. Senate passage came by an 88-9 vote. The bill funds the government until Nov. 17.

Here’s what North Dakota’s senators and representative had to say about the bill.

“This short-term continuing resolution will keep government open,” said Senator John Hoeven (R-ND). “At the same time, we’re working to get back to regular order, where we pass appropriations bills through the committee and debate them on the floor. We need to get back to regular order so we can fund the priorities of the American people, while also finding savings to get control of our debt and deficit.”

“While I am grateful the Senate swiftly voted to pass a clean government funding bill, our work is not over,” said Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). “We have 45 days to get our act together to avoid even more political games. The American people are rightly frustrated by unnecessary drama from the threat of a government shutdown. These lapses are dysfunction at its worst, and they have real impacts on thousands of North Dakotans, not to mention our troops and border agents. Moving bills through regular order where members can amend, reform, and cut wasteful programs is the way to responsibly do the job voters entrusted us to do; political brinksmanship is not.”

Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) released the following statement on the House passage of a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government:

“A CR was always going to be needed to avoid a government shutdown and allow House Republicans time to pass our conservative appropriations bills. I have been negotiating for three weeks to secure the most conservative CR that could pass. Yesterday, we put a bill on the floor that slashed spending, secured the border, paid our servicemembers, and funded the government for 30 days. Unfortunately, a small group of Republicans killed that conservative CR. Because of that, today’s CR was the only play to make sure that we did not get rolled by Chuck Schumer. We now have 45 days to pass our bills, demand action on the border, and address our fiscal crisis. A government shutdown would weaken our position, hurt our men and women in uniform, and destroy our chance at border security. We have to be serious about doing the work of the American people.”

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