Mike Pence: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the Department of Defense and Further Continuing Appropriations…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the Department of Defense and Further Continuing Appropriations Act. This 1-week continuing resolution will fully fund the Department of Defense for the remainder of this fiscal year and reduce government spending by $12 billion, and it is worthy of the support of every Member of Congress. Look, no one wants a government shutdown. But if we don't take a stand for fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C., we're going to shut down the future for our children and grandchildren. To be honest with you, I'm frustrated that we're here again with another stopgap measure. I'm frustrated that liberals in the Senate continue to resist efforts to accept even modest budget cuts in this year's budget. We're talking about a 2 percent reduction in this year's budget. That's unacceptable to the liberals down the hallway. It seems like liberals in the Senate would rather shut the government down than accept a 2 percent cut in the Federal budget. It seems like liberals in the Senate would rather shut the government down so they can continue to borrow money from China to fund the largest abortion provider in America. But in this moment, I'm going to support this resolution because the troops come first. We cannot put fiscal battles ahead of support for those who are currently engaged in America's real battles. This CR reaffirms our commitment to our troops.…”