Rep. Chu Votes Against Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, issued the following statement after voting against the continuing resolution:

Today, the House and Senate have agreed to another short-term spending package to reopen the government for another three weeks. With Congressional Republicans unable to pass a full budget for the year, this is the fourth short-term extension since the start of the 2018 fiscal year in September.

"I am glad the government shutdown has ended, but without any new agreement on a long-term budget, parity between defense and non-defense spending, disaster recovery assistance for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and victims of wildfires, or stopping President Trump's arbitrary Dreamer deportation deadline, this feels more like a pause. This is why I voted against the continuing resolution today.

"Nobody wanted a shutdown, yet Republicans were also unwilling to make a deal to avoid it. That seems to still be the case today. There is still no plan to overcome the Republican party's internal problems with funding the government just a few weeks at a time. And, although Sen. Mitch McConnell made a vague assurance to consider legislation to help Dreamers, the House is another story. In a September meeting, Speaker Ryan asked for my patience to allow the House time to find a legislative solution for DACA. But despite four continuing resolutions, they have made no progress towards a bipartisan deal. In fact, their rhetoric on immigrants grew more cruel, and their demands more unreasonable. This is the same Republican House that refused to allow a vote on the last bipartisan immigration reform bill to pass the Senate in 2013, so I remain skeptical of their motives.

"Running the House according to the whims of hard-liners is exactly what got us here. The fact that the government shut down under unified Republican control shows that Republicans cannot effectively govern on their own. Mitch McConnell has pledged a vote to help Dreamers. I believe, in the wake of his failure to keep government open, Paul Ryan should do the same. I urge House Republicans to prioritize governing over campaigning, and work with us to reach reasonable solutions for our country."