WASHINGTON - Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement after voting in favor of legislation to re-open the federal government and fund its operation through February 8, 2018.
“I do not advocate for last-minute deals, but today the choice was yes or no, and the right thing to do was to re-open our government and stand by our obligations. I am not willing to withhold paychecks from the two million men and women serving in the United States military and their families nor the two million federal employees. This bill ensures the government can pay the bills it owes; however, I strongly believe that Congress must not simply kick the can, but have a healthy debate and return to regular order, instead of governing by shutdown threats. This is no way to govern.
“As an original cosponsor of Federal Employees Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, I am pleased that this legislation to fund the government will also provide retroactive pay for our federal employees. It is absurd to think that they would be penalized for Congress’ inability to get its job done on time.
“This temporary lapse in appropriations shows that now, more than ever, it is absolutely critical that Congress get back to passing a budget and appropriations bills on time. We can’t continue to find ourselves in these completely avoidable, crisis situations. I remain committed to passing a permanent solution that will provide a path to fiscal certainty for both our armed services and our federal agencies. It’s imperative that Congress be held accountable; therefore, I had my pay withheld. I have chosen to donate it to the Semper Fi Fund and the Marine Raider Foundation, two charities that provide much needed resources to our Armed Forces and their families.”
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
