Van Hollen, Lowey, DeLauro, Lee Introduce the Prevent a Government Shutdown Act of 2015

Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, joined Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee to introduce the Prevent a Government Shutdown Act of 2015 to end the sequester and prevent a government shutdown.

The legislation calls for bipartisan, bicameral negotiations to raise the Budget Control Act caps and establish appropriate offsets. If the negotiations do not succeed by October 1, the caps are automatically raised to the level in the President’s 2016 budget, eliminating the sequester for non-defense discretionary programs and providing the same amount of sequester relief for defense programs. Under either condition, appropriations action will be able to proceed, avoiding a government shutdown.

“Two years ago, Republicans forced a shameful and damaging government shutdown. Today, we face another self-inflicted wound to our economy because the GOP refuses to come to the table and negotiate,” said Van Hollen, Ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. “Americans expect Congress to govern responsibly, and this legislation will allow us to avoid a shutdown and make critical investments in our country that support families, strengthen our national security, and boost our economy.”

“At a time when the need for aggressive investments in America’s future could not be greater, Republicans’ austerity is shortchanging hard-working American families while serving special interests,” said Lowey, Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “We can and must do better. In order to pass responsible spending bills that meet our responsibilities at home and abroad, insufficient, austerity-level budget caps must be raised. I call on Republican leadership to engage immediately with Democrats so we can chart a course away from the politics of crisis and back toward responsible budgeting.”

“Budgeting is not just numbers on a spreadsheet. It is an expression of our values as a nation,” said DeLauro, senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. “We have a moral responsibility to raise the caps and ensure workers, students, medical researchers, first responders, veterans, families, and millions of others do not suffer because of congressional inaction. This legislation would do just that and I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing it today.”

“For too long, Republican obstructionism and manufactured crises have prevented Congress from responsibly governing. It's past time to end these dangerous partisan tactics and get back to investing in American families,” said Lee, member of the House Budget and Appropriations Committees. “I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Prevent a Government Shutdown Act, which would avert another disastrous government shutdown while raising the budget caps and working to end the job-killing sequester.”

To read a fact sheet, click here.


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