WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin announced Friday that he will not vote to shutdown the federal government.
Manchin released the following statement:
“I have never and will never vote to shutdown the government. Today, I will vote to keep the government open for a fourth time for FY2018 through a continuing resolution. Just because I will vote to pass this doesn’t mean I like it. We are already more than 3 months in to FY 2018 and we still don’t have a plan to fund our government. Every time we pass short-term funding, we put our national security at risk, we stall critical projects and throw our economy and our citizens into limbo. We have important work to do including ensuring our military is equipped to protect our country, fighting the opioid epidemic, keeping our promise to coal miners so they don’t lose their hard-earned pensions, fully funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Community Health Centers, expanding broadband access and passing a comprehensive infrastructure package. Funding the government is one of our most basic constitutional obligations. We cannot keep kicking the can down the road just to face the same problems a month later. Governing this way is dangerous to our national security and embarrassing for both political parties. I urge my colleagues to come together, do our job, and find a solution that keeps our government running. And I’m prepared to stay here as long as it takes to get that done.”
The U.S. House approved the continuing resolution in a Thursday night vote. West Virginia representatives David McKinley and Evan Jenkins voted in favor of the measure. Second District Congressman Alex Mooney was one of 11 Republicans to vote against it.