Pennsylvania lawmakers sound off on last-minute government funding bill
The American public can breathe a sigh of relief for the moment. Both houses of the federal government approved a temporary funding bill to keep federal agencies open for the next 45 days and avert a costly government shutdown. U.S. President Joe Biden put his signature on the deal late Saturday night.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the continuing funding measure, H.R. 5860, by a 335-91 vote, while the Senate passed it with a vote of 88-9.
Among Pennsylvania’s Congressmen, support for the measure was largely bipartisan. Of the 17 House members representing Pennsylvania, all but two voted yes, including Butler’s U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th.
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th, voted no; while U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-13th, abstained.
Both of Pennsylvania’s senators, John Fetterman and Bob Casey, voted yes.
“I'm encouraged to see Democrats join House Republicans to pass a clean, short-term spending bill to keep the government open and avoid a shutdown. To me, this is not a red issue or a blue issue. This is a red, white and blue issue,” Kelly said. “In negotiations like this, no deal is perfect. But shutting down the government should be a last resort. I'm grateful to colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me to get this bill over the finish line.”
The temporary bill will provide funding for the federal government only until Nov. 17. This was not lost on Fetterman, who voiced his frustration publicly.
“I voted yes tonight to keep the government open, but I’m done normalizing this dysfunction,” Fetterman said in an official statement. “This is not entertainment, it’s governance. We must not allow the Freedom Caucus to turn our government into The Steve Wilkos Show.”
In his own statement, Casey sharply criticized the Republican Party for its attempts to introduce steep spending cuts, and expressed dismay that the final package did not include additional military aid to Ukraine.
“I am relieved that House Republicans abandoned their draconian bill to cut law enforcement; Meals on Wheels; and nutrition programs for women, children, and infants; and more,” Casey said. “But make no mistake, this was a manufactured crisis that could have been avoided if House Republicans had acted like adults from the start.”
“Though House Republicans would not support additional funding for Ukraine in this deal, we must immediately work in a bipartisan manner to support the courageous Ukrainian soldiers and people. Members of Congress who vote against Ukraine funding are complicit in Putin’s brutal war,” Casey said.
