U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Pete Ricketts, Colleagues: Keep Senate in Session Until All Appropriations Bills Get Debated, Passed
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2023 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently joined Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.) and 15 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to keep the U.S. Senate in session until all 12 appropriations bills have been debated on the floor and passed.
The federal government averted a shutdown last weekend with a continuing resolution that runs through November 17. The letter comes as Senator Schumer has now scheduled the Senate to be in recess until October 16, after giving the Senate this past Monday off. The Senate was also not in session the entire month of August.
“We urge you to modify the Senate calendar so that we remain in session Monday through Friday every week until all 12 fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills are passed in the Senate and House and signed into law by President Biden,” the Senators wrote. “The House of Representatives has already taken the step to forgo their October recess and the Senate must follow suit. While valuable work is done while Senators are back in their home states, it is imperative that we remain in DC until our appropriations work can be completed. That is what the American people expect and deserve of us.”
“The continuing resolution extended government funding until November 17th,” the Senators continued. “That allows seven weeks for the Senate to consider the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills. The past nine weeks make it clear that we cannot afford to take a weekday off, much less a weeklong recess, with so much work to be completed in such a condensed time.”
“My colleagues and I have worked hard this year to advance all 12 individual appropriations bills out of committee through regular order. However, in order to enact judicious, strategic, transparent, and accountable spending measures that benefit the American people, it’s incumbent on Senator Schumer to utilize a novel concept – actually making the Senate work,” said Senator Britt. “Alabamians know this this is simply common sense, but that is unfortunately uncommon in Washington, D.C.”
Joining Senators Britt and Ricketts in sending the letter were Senators Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), John Thune (R-S.Dak.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Senator Schumer,
We urge you to modify the Senate calendar so that we remain in session Monday through Friday every week until all 12 fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills are passed in the Senate and House and signed into law by President Biden. The House of Representatives has already taken the step to forgo their October recess and the Senate must follow suit. While valuable work is done while Senators are back in their home states, it is imperative that we remain in DC until our appropriations work can be completed. That is what the American people expect and deserve of us.
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed all 12 appropriations bills through Committee in June and July. In August and September, the Senate could have debated them, amended them, and ultimately passed final versions before the September 30th deadline. While that alone wouldn’t have staved off a shutdown, it would have shown we are committed to working together to tackle this critical government funding issue. Instead, the Senate recessed for five of the nine weeks and failed to pass even a single appropriations bill out of the Senate. The continuing resolution extended government funding until November 17th. That allows seven weeks for the Senate to consider the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills. The past nine weeks make it clear that we cannot afford to take a weekday off, much less a weeklong recess, with so much work to be completed in such a condensed time.
This is too important of an issue to put off. We must get back to regular order, and that means passing all 12 appropriations bills. We the undersigned request that you update the Senate calendar so that we are in session every weekday until all 12 appropriations bills are passed.
Sincerely,
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