No One Benefits from a Government Shutdown

On September 30, the federal government’s funding will lapse, and a government shutdown will begin if Congress does not pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend current funding levels. Just last week, the House of Representatives passed a clean CR to keep the government open until November 21, which would prevent a shutdown and allow us to continue negotiating the Fiscal Year 2026 government funding legislation. Now, the responsibility falls on the Senate to follow suit, pass the House CR, and keep our government open.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 subcommittee bills, and three have been passed by the full House. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I know how difficult this is to achieve. Over the past several Congresses, the Committee has had issues advancing all the subcommittees’ bills, but after many long days and late nights this summer, we have gotten that job done.  

Additionally, for the first time in over six years, the House and Senate are set to formally conference the chambers’ respective spending legislation for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch. Our farmers and veterans deserve certainty from the federal government, and I was named to the Conference Committee to negotiate with the Senate on how to best serve these important constituencies.   

However, our immediate focus is ensuring the government stays open ahead of the September 30 funding deadline. Senate Democrats are refusing to accept the House’s clean CR over Obamacare tax credits that do not expire until the end of the calendar year. Instead, they are playing politics and threatening to pause pay for military service members, and federal programs Central Washingtonians rely on. In the event of a long-term shutdown, the operations of the Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford would be at risk of indefinite delay.

We owe it to taxpayers to keep the government open and continue providing the essential services that are at risk of being paused by a shutdown. Additionally, government shutdowns cost taxpayers billions of dollars outside of regular spending and contradicts our commitment to reduce spending and bring down the national debt. 

I supported the CR last week on the House Floor to keep our government open. Our Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, should do the same. If they fail to do so, it will have harmful, long-term effects on our constituents here in Central Washington.