On the recordJanuary 22, 2018
Last week the House voted to keep the government open with legislation that, on any other day, every Member would have supported. It funded the government and it reauthorized CHIP for 6 years, a program that 24,000 Montana children depend on for their healthcare needs. On any other day, these proposals would pass with broad bipartisan support, but my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in this Chamber opposed it and 44 Senate Democrats opposed it. And for what? An unrelated immigration issue that can be addressed before March. What has been the result of these misplaced priorities? The government shutdown. More than 2 million servicemen and -women aren't being paid; 9 million American children, including 24,000 in Montana, are losing their healthcare insurance. My colleagues in the Senate will soon consider reopening the government. I urge them, particularly the 44 Senate Democrats who voted for the Schumer shutdown, to reopen the government, pay our troops, and restore health insurance to children. ____________________
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