Nebraska U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer, and Wyoming U.S. Senator John Barrasso, have joined 10 fellow Republican Senators urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to keep the U.S. Senate in session until all 12 appropriations bills have been debated and passed by the Senate.
The U.S. government averted a shutdown this past weekend and set a deadline for new spending agreement for November 17th. The letter comes as the Senate is expected to recess for a state work period this Thursday, October 5.
“We urge you to modify the Senate calendar so that we remain in session Monday through Friday every week until all 12 fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills are passed in the Senate and House and signed into law by President Biden,” the senators wrote. “The House of Representatives has already taken the step to forgo their October recess and the Senate must follow suit. While valuable work is done while Senators are back in their home states, it is imperative that we remain in DC until our appropriations work can be completed. That is what the American people expect and deserve of us.”
“The continuing resolution extended government funding until November 17th,” the senators continued. “That allows seven weeks for the Senate to consider the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills. The past nine weeks make it clear that we cannot afford to take a weekday off, much less a weeklong recess, with so much work to be completed in such a condensed time.”
The letter was also signed by Senators Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rick Scott (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), John Thune (R-SD), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
