Kiggans Votes to Avoid Shutdown, Says Washington’s Games Must End

WASHINGTON, DC: Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 2872, the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act.

“Today, I voted for a temporary funding measure (continuing resolution) to prevent a government shutdown and ensure we have the time we need to secure a bipartisan agreement on a commonsense, responsible government funding bill. 

“My colleagues and I came to Congress to enact substantial changes and reverse the course of wasteful government spending, which has caused the cost of living to skyrocket. By continuing to kick the can down the road, we are only further delaying the fundamental policymaking decisions the American people are expecting us to make, including securing our southern border.

“Stopgap government funding measures like this are far from ideal, however the fact remains that our military, border patrol agents, and thousands of federal workers in Hampton Roads should not suffer because of Washington’s dysfunction.

“Like many people in Southeast Virginia, I am losing patience with the games Washington plays. It is long past time for Congress to face the reality of a divided government and put in the work necessary to come to an agreement on a fiscally responsible plan to fully fund the government…a plan that makes commonsense spending cuts while protecting our military, veterans’ benefits, and critical programs like Medicare and Social Security.”

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act is a two-step stopgap funding measure. It provides funding through March 1^st, 2024, for:

• Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies;
• Energy and Water Development;
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies, and;
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.

Funding is provided through March 8^th, 2024, for:

• Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies;
• Department of Defense;
• Financial Services and General Government;
• Homeland Security;
• Interior, Environment, and related agencies;
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies;
• Legislative Branch, and;
• State and Foreign Operations and related programs.

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