WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement in advance of an expected vote in the Senate to reopen the federal government and temporarily increase the government’s statutory borrowing authority:

This is a massive relief for tens of thousands of families and businesses in Connecticut and millions more across the country. The bipartisan compromise reached in the Senate today will send federal employees back to work and restart the critical services that veterans, seniors, small business owners, and countless others rely on every day from the federal government.

But this deal should be no cause for celebration - keeping the door of government open and paying bills should be a basic expectation of Congress and my hope is that this is the last time Congress plays games with the American economy in such a reckless manner.  The one paper thin silver lining to this deal is that the Tea Party now knows that they cannot win political fights by threatening to shut down the government or default on American debt.  Hopefully, House Republicans have learned their lesson.

Members of Congress are elected to solve big problems in order to make our country stronger and more prosperous. It is time for Congress to break this cycle of totally avoidable, totally manufactured crises and get back to doing its job. I’ll do my part to ensure that happens for Connecticut and for the good of our country.