Vote Explanation

Floor Speech

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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, we will soon have a voice vote on a motion to adjourn the Senate until next week. Had there been a recorded rollcall vote on that motion, I would have been a resounding ``no,'' and I ask to be recorded as a ``no'' based on my strongest opposition to Members leaving town.

This is day 30 of the Federal Government shutdown. Agencies are shuttered. Important services are paused and unavailable. Countless Americans have missed paychecks because of our failure to do our job to keep the government open.

It only gets worse as this drags on.

On November 1, an estimated 42 million Americans will miss out on their monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which are essential for individuals and families across the country, including countless military families in Alaska.

We have seen delays at major airports. People are canceling appointments as they cut back on expenses. Businesses are losing business they count on to keep their doors open.

None of this should be acceptable to us.

At the start of this week, I came to the Floor and asserted that we need to stay here and stay in session until we have reached agreement to re-open the government. I remain convinced of that. Instead of adjourning, we need to lock ourselves in a room and figure this out-- because real people are being needlessly hurt as Members fly out for another long weekend.

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