U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, on Monday took to the Senate floor to urge his Democrat colleagues to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund federal government operations.
The spending package, introduced by Shelby and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) does not include Democrats’ ambitious spending proposals. It does, however, include resources for disaster aid and assistance for the United States’ Afghan allies as well as funding to support Israel’s Iron Dome defense capabilities.
“The Republican Leader has been very clear. We will not support any effort to increase the debt limit.… This is not complicated,” said Shelby. “There is a simple solution – take up and pass a bill that was negotiated on a bipartisan, bicameral basis which has support on both sides of the aisle. A bill that keeps the government open, provides much needed disaster assistance to storm-ravaged areas of our country, and delivers the aid necessary to address the Afghanistan withdrawal crisis. That bill is S.2789, the Shelby-McConnell bill.”
Shelby went on to state that if his Democrat colleagues fail to support the bipartisan funding measure, they will “owe the American people answers.”
He added, “Why did they choose to undermine a bipartisan effort to provide the American people with desperately-needed disaster relief? Why did they choose to ignore the immediate resource needs of Afghans who deserve our support? And why are they threatening to shut the government down when we have an alternative that would avoid that outcome?”
Shelby warned that if the Senate opts not to coordinate on a spending package that is supported by both parties, the consequences will be fiscally detrimental to the nation.
“Instead of accepting victory, my Democrat colleagues are embracing defeat and creating a new crisis. It is a perilous path they are putting the country on. But it is not too late. The majority can reverse course and put us back on track by immediately passing the Shelby-McConnell bill. It will keep the government open and provide much-needed emergency funding. That is the bill we should be considering. I urge the majority to do so,” he concluded.
The Senate GOP on Monday blocked a House-approved spending bill that includes progressive funding measures which the upper chamber had hoped to pass and send to President Joe Biden. If no resolution is agreed upon by Friday, the federal government will shut down. The Senate bill, if passed, would have also suspended the debt ceiling until December 2022.
According to CNBC, Democrats hold the ability to raise the debt ceiling on their own with no Republican support. The U.S. Treasury would reportedly hold insufficient funds to meet the nation’s financial obligations by mid-October, which if not resolved by Congress, would cause the United States to default on its debt.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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