Washington, DC – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Earlier in the day, Bennet joined 68 Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to pass a bill to fund DHS for the remainder of the fiscal year. The House of Representatives failed to pass a clean three week extension and has not taken up a clean bill to extend funding through the end of the year.
“Today, the Senate passed a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year. Sixty-eight Republicans and Democrats – more than two thirds of the Senate – supported this bipartisan bill. The Senate was also prepared to pass a three-week extension had the House managed to pass one.
“This is no way to govern. We’re now hours away from a shutdown. No one would run a business, or state, or county this way. It’s time for the House to take up a clean bill to fund DHS for the remainder of the year. The time for political games is over.”
“Everyone agrees that we need to fix our broken immigration system. We should have that separate debate in a constructive way. Last Congress, the Senate worked together and passed a bipartisan immigration bill. The House should come up with its own bill, or debate the Senate bill, but it should not threaten another shutdown.”
# # #