WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government will stay open for now, but nearly half of the House Republican majority voted against a temporary spending bill including Second District Congressman Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.).
The stopgap measure, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden on Friday, extends agency funding through early March. Without the bill, a partial shutdown would have begun Saturday morning.
Mooney voted against the continuing resolution saying on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline” there needs to be a long-term solution.
“The answer is to pass the 12-month spending bill. We’ve done it in the House. The Senate has not passed it. I’m sure (Senator) Shelley Moore Capito supports that bill, so she should call upon her colleagues, Democrats in particular, to pass that bill to solve the problem,” Mooney said.
I voted against kicking the funding can down the road. Border Patrol encountered a stunning 3.2 million illegal aliens in 2023.
This is a crisis.
I will not vote for a government funding deal that does not secure our border. pic.twitter.com/ZNDlOqf0k2
— Rep. Alex Mooney (@RepAlexMooney) January 18, 2024
Capito (R-W.Va.) said on last week’s “Talkline” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats need to consider the appropriations bills under regular order.
“A government shutdown is a road to nowhere,” Capito said. “It’s been so frustrating. We ask to put these bills up to amend them and change them like you’re supposed to do and move them over to the House. We’ve only done that with 3 of the 12 bills.”
Let me be clear: A government shutdown is a road to nowhere.
We’re going to keep the continuation of the government for the next 7 weeks.
But, Sen. Schumer and the Democrats need to come to the realization that we MUST consider the appropriations bills under regular order. pic.twitter.com/wM0yw42P2K
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) January 20, 2024
The continuing resolution extends funding for some federal agencies through March 1 and others through March 8. The government has been operating under a short-term funding extension passed in November.
Mooney said this was the third stopgap measure Congress has passed since September and that it’s hurting the military in particular.
“Most of what we’re talking about here is military spending. This is the worst thing for the military. They need to buy different types of ships and different types of munition. These stop-gas continuing resolutions are horrible. They don’t give the military the flexibility they need,” he said.
Schumer (D-NY) has said his next goal is reaching an agreement on separate national security legislation. Mooney said protecting the U.S./Mexico border is just one of his top priorities.
“I want to fight for coal. I want to defund the EPA overreach. I want to do a lot more than secure the border. The one thing Republicans say they agree upon is we should pass no spending bills whatsoever until we secure that border. It is so outrageous at the border, yet we pass a continuing resolution anyway,” Mooney said.
Discussions for funding Ukraine and Israel are also underway with President Biden.