WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after voting against legislation to temporarily fund government operations through December 11, 2015:
“As I have said consistently, continuing resolutions are a short-sighted and irresponsible way to fund government operations. Washington’s repeated reliance on these stopgap funding measures has prolonged a culture of crisis management, and I could not support this bill.
“My district is home to a large military population and many federal employees who are significantly impacted by both the persistent threats of government shutdowns and the lack of certainty created by continuing resolutions. I asked the Speaker to bring Congress back to Washington in August to prevent exactly the type of last-minute decision making that we have seen this week, and I wish he had listened. There is no excuse for letting such important issues wait until the eleventh hour. At the same time, today’s bill simply sets up another showdown in December and does nothing to resolve the devastating cuts to our national defense known as the sequester.
“One of my top priorities is to return Washington to a regular schedule of budgeting and appropriations. We must establish a strategic, long-term budget vision that provides certainty and strengthens our economy while also addressing our significant debt and deficit challenges.”
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 Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.
