U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) spoke on the Senate floor criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Democrats for what she described as forcing a government shutdown to push through $1.5 trillion in new spending. Blackburn argued that Congress should be focused on passing appropriations bills through regular order, including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“Today, Congress should be hard at work for the American people. We should be working through the NDAA and passing our appropriations bills through regular order.
We can’t do any of this because our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided to force a government shutdown.
Last night, all but three voted against a stop-gap funding measure that would keep government open through November 21.
By keeping spending at current levels, this measure would have provided us the time we need to pass all of our appropriations bills.
Eight of the twelve have passed through committee with strong bipartisan support.
Three of them—agriculture, legislative branch, and military construction-veterans affairs—already passed on the floor with wide margins.
By passing these appropriation bills, we are ensuring that our government moves from a Biden budget to a Trump budget—which is exactly what the American people voted for.”
Blackburn claimed Democrats were “holding the government hostage to ram through $1.5 trillion in additional spending.” She cited concerns about national debt, stating: “$1.5 trillion. With our national debt at $37.5 trillion and climbing, this effort is grossly irresponsible.”
She called on Democrats to agree to a stop-gap funding measure: “It’s time for Democrats to come to the table and pass the stop-gap measure.”
Blackburn also pointed out that Democrats had previously supported similar funding measures: “Since last year, they have voted for current spending levels five times—most recently in March.
Under President Biden, they voted to pass clean CRs like this one 13 times.
Last year in this very chamber, the Senate Minority Leader put it perfectly: ‘This is what the American people want to see: both sides working together and governing responsibly…No chaos. No spectacle. No shutdown.’
I know that every Republican agrees. Let’s end the chaos. Let’s end the spectacle. Let’s end the shutdown.
Now is the time to get to work for the American people.”
