Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released the following statement on today’s Senate votes on competing government funding proposals, one to fund President Trump’s border wall and another based on a measure that cleared the Senate with bipartisan support before the shutdown began:
“Before the president caved to right-wing extremists, broke the bipartisan deal, and triggered this shutdown, most of my Republican Senate colleagues had voted in favor of the proposal we considered today. Now, at the president and Leader McConnell’s bidding, they’ve reversed themselves and voted to continue holding hostage hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and all the Americans who depend on their work. That is bitterly disappointing and frustrating, especially in light of the Rhode Islanders who tell me they can’t make ends meet during the Trump shutdown.
“Still, I’m encouraged that some Senate Republicans are beginning to join Democrats to back a sensible resolution to this mess. They understand that the number one priority is ending this hostage crisis. With the government open, we can consider responsible ways to boost border security. It’s time to end this nonsense now.”
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