Take Action:
Join us in calling Pennsylvania Senator Fetterman and Senator McCormick to demand that action is taken to challenge the continuing misuse of executive power – and protections are put in place to keep critical programs like SNAP fully funded. Read more below.
Click to view Pennsylvania Policy Center’s call to action & full statement
What You Need to Know:
Earlier this week, the House passed a Continuing Resolution that is to be voted on by the Senate as early as today. Adjourning Tuesday after their vote, the House has left the Senate with only two options: pass the CR, or face a government shutdown as federal funding is set to lapse on March 15th.
The CR includes $13 billion cuts to domestic spending while increasing defense spending by $6 billion. It also fails to provide any recourse for families whose SNAP benefits are stolen. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York has proposed a month-long extension to allow time for bipartisan compromise on the legislation. What we don’t know is whether this would ultimately lead to the Senate passing the current CR. What we do know, is that the House CR critically fails to include funding to replace stolen SNAP benefits, and does nothing to protect SNAP, Medicaid, School Meals and other critical human needs from devastating cuts.
A vote against this CR is a vote against the unconstitutional measures Trump and Musk have taken –and will continue to take – in firing federal workers and closing government agencies. While a government shutdown poses real short-term threats to normal government operations, the spending bill passed by the House allows Trump to continue to unilaterally shut down those parts of the government he opposes. The House CR bill is a severe disruption to the checks and balances that should define how the federal government functions.
With fierce continued commitment, more than 150 groups sent a letter to Senate Democratic leaders urging them to stand against the illegal actions taken by Trump and Musk to dismantle federal programs and fire employees. While the majority of Senate Democrats are claiming to oppose this spending bill, Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania stated he would vote in favor of the CR in order to avoid a government shutdown. Because of Senate filibuster rules, the House CR bill cannot pass without several Democratic votes.
Sources
The New York Times, Senate Democrats Balk at Funding Extension, Raising the Risk of a Shutdown
Pennsylvania Policy Center, STATEMENT: PA Senators Should Vote ‘NO’ on the Continuing Resolution
No comments yet.