Carper Votes Against A Continuing Resolution That Fails to Adequately Address Nation’s Priorities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement after voting against ending debate on a continuing resolution, a move to bring Congress and the Trump Administration together immediately to address urgent national priorities.

“Anyone who knows me knows I believe that, if we work hard enough, there is almost always a principled solution to be found for any problem. This bill, which fails to address longstanding bipartisan priorities, is not that solution. Congress and the Trump Administration have got to stop scrambling at the last minute and governing through continuing resolutions that are woefully inefficient, wasteful and demoralizing.

“In Matthew 25, the scripture asks, ‘when I was a stranger in your land, did you welcome me?’ The idea of sending nearly one million Dreamers away from the only home they’ve ever known is not only heartless, but it flies in the face of our nation’s economic self-interest. A key ingredient in continuing our economic expansion is ensuring we have a workforce that enables employers from coast to coast to fill the millions of jobs that are going unfilled today. At a time when employers across the country are struggling to find high-quality workers to fill millions of jobs, it’s insane that we would send packing nearly one million hardworking young men and women who are striving for the American dream. That sounds like economic malfeasance to me.

“The months have come and gone, and Dreamers are still living in uncertainty and fear of deportation. Meanwhile, millions of families have been desperately waiting on Congress to pass long-term funding for children’s health insurance and community health centers. Communities across the country are struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of disasters. Americans from all walks of life are suffering as our country grapples with a deadly opioid epidemic.

“We in Congress have run out of excuses to explain why we’ve put these and other urgent issues on the backburner, and relied on multiple stopgap spending bills to keep our government up and running on autopilot. It’s an irresponsible way to govern that enables Congress and the Trump Administration to continue lurching from one manufactured crisis to the next without addressing some of the greatest challenges facing our nation.

“During his meeting with our Democratic leader in the White House yesterday, President Trump was offered the one thing that he’s sought the most—authorization for building a wall along our nation’s southern border. Apparently, that’s not enough. Walking away from that offer has to make me think that the president really meant what he said when he said previously that our country ‘needs a good shutdown.’ In truth, there’s no such thing as a ‘good shutdown.’

“If President Trump and my Republican colleagues come to the table, willing to negotiate in good faith, they’ll find earnest partners in me and my fellow Democrats. It’s time we come together and strike a deal.”