Senators Carper’s Statement on Passage of the Continuing Resolution

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after the Senate voted 54-44 to fund the Government through Nov. 15. 

“Today, I joined a bipartisan majority of my Senate colleagues in doing our most basic job — ensuring that our government has the funds it needs to operate.  The fact that there is so much last-minute drama over this most basic responsibility is a sad commentary on Washington today. Once again, we are waiting until the last minute to address a problem and then kicking the can down the road, and not all that far, I might add.   And there’s no guarantee it will work.  Our Republican friends who control the House may not approve this basic funding resolution.  Why, you may ask?  Because they’d rather shut down our government and jeopardize our economic recovery to make a political point.  This is no way to lead a country.   We cannot limp along from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis and hope for better results.

“I often like to say that governance is a lot like a successful marriage. Both parties must come together and practice the two C’s, Communication and Compromise. Unfortunately, we have seen time and again over the last few years that good governance is impossible when one party refuses to compromise.   As we stand on the precipice of a government shutdown, it is wholly inappropriate for one faction of one party to hold our government and our economy hostage over an issue that was settled long ago, in this case, the Affordable Care Act.

“We here in Washington have to stop playing politics with the lives of millions of people and instead get back to doing what we were sent here to do: making America a better place.   No one party can ever expect to get everything that they want, but when we compromise, we build a stronger nation for everyone. After all, Congress has just one job right now, and that is to help continue our economic recovery.  I hope my colleagues in both the House and Senate will join me in saying that enough is enough, it’s time to come together, and do our jobs for the American people.”