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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, we are 1 week away from the deadline to fund the government.

It is an embarrassment that we return again and again to this precipice, realizing full well the disaster that shutting down the government creates for our Nation. Yet the House of Representatives goes through these contortions every time, ultimately, giving in to common sense and funding the government, at least temporarily.

I was relieved to hear last night that there is a bipartisan funding agreement reached finally after days of negotiations, one that maintains current funding through December 20 and avoids a government shutdown a month before the election.

Wouldn't it be great if the Senate and the House were to announce some dramatic, positive legislative measure on a bipartisan basis other than keeping the lights on in the Federal Government? That seems to be all they can achieve in the House of Representatives.

Thankfully, the agreement includes necessary provisions related to extending veterans' benefits, including one that enables the only joint DOD-VA facility in the country--one you know well--Lovell, located in North Chicago in our home State, to continue providing healthcare to servicemembers and veterans alike.

Imagine we were just hours away from the possibility of suspending basic lifesaving services at the Lovell institute for our veterans.

I am pleased this bipartisan negotiation led to an agreement free of poison pills and partisan cuts, but it should have been done a long time ago.

Unfortunately, many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle think funding the government is a partisan bargaining chip and not one of the most essential tasks in Congress.

Just last week, the House rejected Speaker Johnson's partisan government funding plan that would have pushed our job to fund the government until next March in 2025. A half-year delay was being proposed by the Republicans in the House.

It is no surprise that this unserious funding plan did not pass. Not only did the Democrats vote against it, but 14 Members of the Speakers's own party opposed it. He forced the vote anyway, wasting precious time on a proposal that even his own caucus question.

Now time is of the essence. If both sides and both Chambers continue to work in good faith, we can fund the government through December 20 with actions this week, before the September 30 deadline, but it will take cooperation from both Chambers. I hope we can find it.

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