U.S. Sen. Katie Britt believes the Senate should be working hard to pass legislation to help avoid a possible government shutdown in November.
Congress passed a stop-gap bill this month that will fund the government through Nov. 17.
Britt (R-Montgomery) discussed the issues during a recent appearance on WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program.”
“Once again I am disappointed that Chuck Schumer has sent the Senate home,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said about the Majority Leader. “Look we need to be working … we have 47 days to get this right and the first thing that Chuck Schumer did was send us all home. We need to be there, we need to be working through these appropriations bills, we need to be working with our colleagues in the House, and we need to actually get something done.
“The American people deserve that and they’re depending on it.”
The senator believes Schumer just wants to put them in a situation where they have to pass another omnibus spending bill to fund the government.
“We are now on a short timeframe,” she said. “By the time Chuck Schumer lets us come back to work, days and days will have been worked off the clock, and you know that’s actually what he wants because if it ends up we’re not able to get these bills across then he has more power with an omnibus bill.”
Britt said she’s had enough of the government not being able to pass a real budget.
“I’ve said very clearly I will not be voting for another omnibus bill,” she said. “I am proud that for the first time in five years as Senate appropriators to have gotten out 12 out of 12 bills. We’ve marked them up individually. We have gotten those amended, that kind of thing. We’re ready to put those on the floor. I think we need to do our job. The American people depend on it and I’m sick and tired of Chuck Schumer sending us home.”
She also used this situation as an example of why they need to pass the Preventing Government Shutdowns Act, a bill she cosponsors.
“We need this,” she said, “because we should not hold the American people and so many people that our serving our government from our courageous Border Patrol agents, to our Capitol Police, to our military members-they should not have to worry about whether or not they’re getting a paycheck depending on whether we can get our act together and do our job.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
