WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released a statement on Thursday after voting against a short-term spending bill that will only keep the government open through January 19, 2018. The bill does not include a permanent fix to protect Dreamers, nor does it include long-term extensions of the Children’s Health Insurance Program – which provides health coverage to nine million low and moderate-income children, including more than 17,000 in Connecticut – or community health center funding.

“Republicans in Congress have known about this December funding deadline for months, but they were too busy passing their disastrous tax bill to be bothered with the basics of governing like funding the government. This tradition of regular, predictable shutdown panics is embarrassing. I voted against this bill because people in Connecticut want us to start acting like adults and stop just keeping the lights on two weeks at a time.

“I'm also furious that this continuing resolution does not protect the thousands of young people in Connecticut who President Trump is planning to deport next spring, nor does it provide permanent funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program that provides health care to 17,000 kids in our state. I have heard from thousands of Connecticut families who have so much at stake in these fights, which is why I will not vote for any long-term deal that betrays Connecticut’s values and ignores our priorities.”

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