WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall voted with a majority of senators to move forward on a bipartisan agreement to fund the government through Feb. 8, effectively ending the government shutdown. He issued the following statement:
“Today’s agreement between Senate Democratic and Republican leadership to re-open the government and fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program buys Congress 17 more days to try to reach a bipartisan compromise for DREAMers. While it definitely isn’t a perfect deal, we must work together to make progress. The American people don’t support President Trump’s platform of hate and division – and Democrats will not accept a ‘take it or leave it’ offer on immigration that will further tear this country apart.
“Additionally, while this agreement opens up a path forward for the DREAMers, I am still fighting to ensure we reach a responsible bipartisan budget agreement that funds our military and our domestic priorities for longer than a few weeks. As a Department of Defense spokeswoman stated last week, lurching from one short-term agreement to another is a disaster for the military. The 45,000 federal employees and contractors in New Mexico – who are working hard to keep our nation safe, be good stewards of our public land and water, and meet the needs of our citizens – deserve long-term certainty. Budgeting is Congress’ most basic job, and I will be working as hard as I can to get our government back on track.”
