Davids Calls for Bipartisan Funding Agreement to Avert Government Shutdown

As the federal government is set to run out of funding on October 1, Representative Sharice Davids urged U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to advance a bipartisan funding agreement and avert a government shutdown, which would have drastic consequences for hardworking Kansans. She urged the Speaker to recommit to the fiscally responsible, bipartisan funding agreement that Congress and the administration negotiated this past May.

“There are only nine days until a government shutdown, but Congress has adjourned for the week without reaching a bipartisan deal to keep our federal government open or reauthorize important programs like the FAA and Farm Bill,” said Davids. “I’m committed to working together with Republicans and Democrats to advance the bipartisan legislation required to prevent a costly, harmful, and avoidable government shutdown. I continue to urge the Speaker to abide by his promise to pass bipartisan legislation that protects Kansans’ jobs, health, and financial security.”

In the letter, Davids and 97 of her New Democrat Coalition colleagues urged the Speaker to take up bipartisan legislation similar to those advanced by the Senate. That includes provisions to secure the southern border, stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into our communities, and provide support for Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom. The letter reads in part:

“We urge you to reject the hyperpartisan approach and focus on passing government funding legislation that can actually become law. In the absence of viable appropriations bills from the House Appropriations Committee, we urge you to, at the very least, bring bills similar to the bipartisan bills that have already passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee for a vote on the House Floor.

“Congress must pass extensions of critical federal programs set to expire, including Farm Bill programs, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Flood Insurance Program.

“As Members of Congress, our most basic duty is to keep the government running. Once again, as we face the looming deadline of September 30, we stand ready to work on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to uphold our responsibilities as lawmakers and ensure our government works on behalf of our constituents.”

Davids continues to push for a bipartisan agreement to keep the government open. A shutdown would have serious impacts on Kansas families and the overall U.S. economy. Americans would face disruptions to important benefits, service members would not be compensated, many small businesses would have to alter their operations, and federal workers would be furloughed and go unpaid. Specifically:

• It’s estimated the five-week partial government shutdown in 2018-2019 reduced economic output by $11 billion in the following two quarters and the 2013 full government shutdown reduced GDP growth by $20 billion.
• Kansans receiving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits would experience significant service delays, including severe disruptions to verifying benefits and the issuance of new cards.
• There are currently 19,977 federal workers in Kansas who may be furloughed. A bipartisan report found that the last three government shutdowns led to the equivalent of 56,940 years in lost productivity from federal workers.
• The distribution of important food assistance programs, including SNAP, could be disrupted, increasing hunger for low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, young children, and families.
• Small businesses would encounter delays in receiving loans from the federal government. Moody’s Analytics estimated that the 2018-2019 shutdown delayed more than $2 billion in loans to small businesses.
• Travelers could face longer lines at airport security checkpoints and flight delays during a shutdown, which would also delay passport processing times even further.

Davids serves on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Agriculture Committee, which are responsible for overseeing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Farm Bill reauthorizations, respectively. Both reauthorizations are set to expire after September 30 alongside general federal government funding. Without further action from Congress, these expirations would negatively impact Kansans’ ability to support their families and run their businesses.

You can read the full letter to Speaker McCarthy here.