Democrats Continue to Urge Bipartisan Action to Fund the Government, Address Expired Tax Provisions
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Today, December 11, was the deadline to pass a spending bill to avert another costly government shutdown. Although House Republican leaders have had ample time to pass a measure to fund the government for next year, we had to pass a short-term measure to allow negotiations to continue into next week. It is disappointing that Republicans are holding government hostage to extreme policy demands, and I hope that they will work with us to bring an omnibus – free of controversial policy riders – to the Floor next week so we can perform our most basic responsibility of keeping government open and working on behalf of the American people.
Congress also has the responsibility to act on a number of tax provisions that expired at the end of last year. If we fail to act on a retroactive tax extenders bills, many of these provisions will be unavailable to taxpayers when they file their 2015 taxes. While I strongly oppose a permanent extenders package, which would add hundreds of billions to the deficit and undermine the possibility of comprehensive tax reform, we should work together on a bipartisan extenders package that can provide certainty to American families and businesses.
Finally, Democrats' number one priority continues to be keeping Americans safe. Following the tragic attacks in San Bernardino last week, I negotiated a measure to address long-standing shortcomings in the current visa waiver program. This bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to continuing to work on a bipartisan basis on reasonable, measured policies that will make our nation more safe and secure.
Sincerely yours,
Steny H. Hoyer
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