Doris Matsui: “it is disappointing we are adjourning after passing only 2 of the 13 appropriation bills that fund the Federal…”

“it is disappointing we are adjourning after passing only 2 of the 13 appropriation bills that fund the Federal Government. We should have done better, and clearly we could have done better. Instead, we are leaving this year's unfinished business to the next Congress. That is far from the ideal way of handling our constitutional responsibilities. Nonetheless, that is a reality, and we will deal with it as such when Congress returns next year under new leadership. But the American people should be assured that such a turn of events will not alter the focus of the next Congress. We will remain focused on the critical priorities of American families, priorities that were made clear in the recent election: a sensible energy policy, affordable health care for working families, reforming prescription drug benefits, honest wages for honest work, increasing homeland security, and responsible oversight of and a change in direction of our policy in Iraq. I hope those issues will be addressed next year in a bipartisan manner, with open debate and a focus on concrete results for the American people.”