Majority Leader Schumer Statement On Congress Reaching A Bipartisan Agreement On The First Six Appropriations Bills To Keep The Government Funded

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today released the following statement on Congress reaching a bipartisan agreement on the first six funding bills to ensure the government remains open:

It’s good news that Congress has finally reached a bipartisan agreement on the first six government funding bills that will keep the government open. We are proud to be keeping the government open without cuts or poison pill riders. 

After a lot of negotiations and hard work with the Congressional leaders, the Appropriations Committee, and all our Senators, this first bipartisan spending package maintains the aggressive investments Democrats secured for American families, American workers, and America’s national defense. Among the good things Democrats helped secure in this package I am particularly proud that it fully funds the vital WIC program, makes critical investments in our infrastructure, and strengthens programs that benefit services for our veterans.

Throughout the negotiations, Democrats fought hard to protect against cuts to housing and nutrition programs, and keep out harmful provisions that would further restrict access to women’s health, or roll back the progress we’ve made to fight climate change.

The clock is now ticking until government funding runs out this Friday. Between now and the end of the week, the House must quickly pass and send the Senate this bipartisan package. Once we receive the bill, the Senate will once again need bipartisan cooperation to pass it before Friday’s deadline and avoid a shutdown.

I thank Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader McConnell, Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray and Vice Chair Susan Collins, and all the staff that have dedicated so much work to get us to this point. This agreement gives us much needed momentum to finish the next package of spending bills by the March 22 deadline.  Once again, it will only be bipartisanship that will get us across the finish line. We will keep working until we finish the job.

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