Congress Averts Shutdown Threat With Bipartisan Funding Measures
A view of a working families poster as the U.S. Capitol is seen in the background, as the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown approaches at the end of the day on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Representative Kevin Kiley of California (R) stated Thursday that there is “absolutely no reason” for another government shutdown. He emphasized that Congress has already passed bipartisan funding bills, warning that a shutdown would unnecessarily harm federal workers and key security agencies.
Appearing on the platform, Kiley noted that the House has approved relevant appropriations measures with support from both parties, including the Homeland Security funding bill. “We actually passed these bills already in the House with bipartisan support,” he stated. “And the Homeland Security bill has bipartisan support as well.”
Senate Democrats are currently weighing changes to House-passed spending legislation, raising concerns among some lawmakers about the risk of a shutdown if the chambers fail to reach an agreement. Kiley criticized the idea of using a shutdown as leverage, saying it would cut funding for critical agencies and leave federal workers without paychecks.
“The idea that they’re going to try to leverage this shutdown, which would result in no funding for TSA, as well as the immigration agencies, FEMA, and a whole host of others, causing people to go without paychecks, I think that’s exactly the wrong thing to do,” he said.
Kiley pushed back against claims that the House bills fail to address accountability concerns, noting that the Homeland Security legislation already includes significant reforms. “It actually includes significant reforms when it comes to things like body cams, training for interactions with the public, and a lot of what they’re asking for right now,” he added.
The California Republican stressed that there is broad agreement in Congress on the need for further discussions but cautioned that those talks should not be tied to a shutdown threat. “I think that there’s a lot of agreement on both sides that this is a conversation we need to have,” Kiley said, pointing to an upcoming oversight hearing in the House Homeland Security Committee.
He concluded by reiterating his opposition to a shutdown, stating lawmakers should continue negotiations without disrupting government operations. “But there’s absolutely no reason to force us into another government shutdown,” he asserted.
