Following Bipartisan Victories on Highway Bill, Export-Import Bank, It Is Time for Both Parties to Work Together to Avert a Government Shutdown
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the shooting in San Bernardino, as well as to their loved ones. It is all too often that our nation is confronted with the heartbreak caused by a mass shooting. As we continue to await new details about the attack, I will continue to urge my colleagues to have the courage to take meaningful action to address the scourge of gun violence in this nation.
I was pleased that the House took important bipartisan action this week on behalf of our economy and our nation’s workers. Through the passage of a bipartisan surface transportation bill, we are able to provide local government officials with the certainty they need to plan ahead and invest in infrastructure repairs needed to maintain our competitiveness. Additionally, these investments will repair and modernize our roads and bridges to increase safety and travel conditions for Americans across the country. The highway bill also included the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which provides financing assistance to U.S. businesses to increase exports and spur job creation here at home. The reopening of the Export-Import Bank serves as an example of what Congress can achieve when both parties come together on behalf of the American people. I am proud of the critical role House Democrats played in forcing a vote on the Floor.
Both parties also took bipartisan action on behalf of American students by passing the Every Student Succeeds Act to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I was pleased that the bill included funding for the Full-Service Community Schools program to coordinate education with social services, including health care, mentoring, and nutritional guidance, to ensure that these services are delivered more efficiently and effectively so that students have the tools they need to succeed in the classroom. As a champion of Full-Service Community Schools for many years, I am proud that the program will continue and have the opportunity to grow so that more children can gain access to the quality education and important resources that make the American Dream possible.
Now, Republicans have the opportunity to build on this week’s bipartisan success by working with Democrats to fund the government before the December 11 deadline. I continue to urge Republicans to bring to the Floor an omnibus bill that is free from partisan policy riders that put us at risk of another disastrous government shutdown. When Republicans shut down the government in 2013 for sixteen days it took $24 billion out of the economy. We cannot afford another Republican shutdown, and I will continue to urge my colleagues across the aisle to work with us by taking responsible action in the four legislative days we have remaining.
Sincerely yours,
Steny H. Hoyer
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DEMOCRATIC NEWS UPDATE
Hoyer Statement on Shooting in San Bernardino
Hoyer Statement on November Jobs Report
Hoyer Remarks on Every Student Succeeds Act and Full-Service Community Schools