On Wednesday, Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded until the middle of December, avoiding a shutdown, as Florida Republicans divided on the matter.
The continuing resolution, which included funding of Planned Parenthood, passed the U.S. Senate on a 78-20 vote. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., voted to support the measure while U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., along with fellow 2016 Republican presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., missed the vote.
The vote proved closer in the U.S. House where 91 Republicans joined a united Democratic caucus in backing the resolution. When the smoke cleared, 277 representatives voted to back the continuing resolution while 151 members--all Republicans--voted against it.
In Florida, Republican U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, Ander Crenshaw, Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart, David Jolly and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen voted for the continuing resolution. Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Curt Clawson, Ron DeSantis, John Mica, Jeff Miller, Rich Nugent, Bill Posey, Tom Rooney, Dennis Ross, Dan Webster and Ted Yoho voted against it.
“I voted against the short-term CR budget today because Congress cannot continue governing from crisis-to-crisis,” Ross said after the vote on Wednesday. “We cannot count down every few weeks to our next budget cliff when we have ample time and means to pass conservative, long-term budgets. Threats of government shutdowns and last minute voting must stop, and regular order must be restored.
“This short-term budget will only last for 72 days, which is extremely disappointing,” Ross added. “My colleagues and I were sent to Washington to keep the federal government running in an efficient and fiscally responsible manner, and the American people are constantly let down with fickle short-term budgets. Such poor management causes the American people to lose faith and confidence in those who represent them.”
Ross also noted the continuing resolution continued funding Planned Parenthood. “This short-term budget also fails to prevent federal funds from being used by abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, that participate in the heinous sale of aborted children’s organs,” Ross said. “I could not in good and moral consciousness vote for a budget that does not further conservative pro-life principles and caters to cowardly threats from the president and the Senate.”
Yoho insisted Congress was failing to live up to its duties by passing continued resolutions and was only kicking the can down the road.
“Here we go again,” Yoho said. “Congress is voting on a bill that will temporarily fund the federal government until December. What this means is the appropriations process has been ignored and the leadership in both the House and Senate are scrambling around to avert a shutdown. This is no way to run the federal government.
“Hal Rogers - Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee – has repeatedly asked House leadership to meet to work on laying out a spending plan that will keep us from having to pass these ‘continuing resolutions’ or stop gap measures,” Yoho continued. “Tonight my no vote serves two purposes; one, it is a call to get our fiscal house in order and stop temporarily funding our government. Leadership of the House should have worked with the Senate to ensure we passed our appropriations and put them on the president’s desk long ago—not begin dealing with this issue days before the deadline. We must stop operating in a way that just kicks the can down the road so we can revisit it at a later date. Secondly, the bill we voted on tonight, does not address the defunding of Planned Parenthood. The Senate deliberately took the language out of this spending bill and failed to take a stand. Their action continues 'business as usual' politics and provides taxpayer funds to an organization that promotes abortion.
“I stood with 150 of my colleagues and voted on principle to stop ‘business as usual’ politics,” Yoho said in conclusion. “This perpetual cycle of short term funding must end. The American people deserve better.”
Curbelo noted that the continuing resolution wasn’t perfect but it was better than having a federal shutdown.
“I am pleased that both chambers of Congress were able to reach a short-term agreement to keep the government operating through December 11,” Curbelo said. “Though this does not fix the underlying problem of agreeing on a long-term funding solution, it does avoid an unnecessary and harmful government shutdown similar to that of 2013. This continuing resolution extends funding for crucial programs, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the VA, and the State Department’s assistance to Ukraine through December 11, 2015. Now, both the House and Senate will have more time to negotiate, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in both chambers to ensure a long-term appropriations bill, which funds the government through September 30, 2016, becomes law.”
Democrats from the Sunshine State stood behind the continuing resolution. Like Curbelo, U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., hoped the continuing resolution would give leaders time to negotiate a full budget.
“Budgeting month to month is no way to run the greatest country on earth,” Graham said. “The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power of the purse, and it’s time for Congress to take that responsibility seriously. With the shutdown deadline extended to December, I’m calling on leaders of both parties to roll up their sleeves and negotiate a budget that fully funds the military and our communities.”
Graham said she was working on a bill to avoid federal shutdowns in the future.
“It’s easy for members of Congress to shun their responsibilities and let the government shutdown. It’s harder to roll up our sleeves and negotiate a responsible bipartisan budget – but I believe we were sent here to do the hard work,” Graham said. “That’s why I’m drafting legislation that will prevent future shutdowns and force Congress to get back to work creating a budget.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
