I rise today to bring to the floor H.J. Res. 124. It is the continuing funding resolution for fiscal year 2015. Let me explain where we are. We are in the closing hours before the Senate takes the recess before the fall elections. In the middle of all that, on October 1, our fiscal year begins. If we don't have a bridge between now and December 11 or around that, we could face a government shutdown. We do not want a government shutdown. We want to make sure we provide funding and make sure the government will not be shut down and that after the election we can return and do due diligence and pass this in a more comprehensive way. Our job as the Appropriations Committee in Congress is to put money in the Federal checkbook each year to keep the Federal Government functioning. The American people want their government to work as hard as they do. They want us to combat the threats against the United States of America. They want us to honor our commitments to our veterans. They want us to meet the compelling human needs of the American people, and they want us to have an opportunity ladder so the American people can have a fair shot. What we do is, we provide funding one year at a time. September 30 is our fiscal New Year's Eve. October 1 is the first day of the fiscal year. If Congress leaves before we pass the continuing resolution, the government could shut down. We don't want another government shutdown.…
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