US Democrats introduce their own stopgap funding bill

WASHINGTON

US Congressional Democrats introduced a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown on Saturday.

Senator Patty Murray and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro released their own bill Monday in the Senate and House respectively to allow Congress to get back to negotiating and passing full-year funding bills for fiscal year 2025.

"There is a very clear alternative to House Republicans’ plan: immediately passing a short-term patch to prevent a senseless shutdown and finishing work on serious, bipartisan funding bills that invest in working Americans, keep our country safe, and ensure our constituents have a say in how federal funding is spent," the lawmakers said in a statement.

The statement came as House Republicans are expected to vote Tuesday on their six-month stopgap government funding plan, which was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

"Today, we are introducing a short-term continuing resolution to do just that. Congress should work together in a bipartisan way to prevent a shutdown and invest in working families and communities in every part of the country," the lawmakers said.

Their bill, which includes only a handful of necessary adjustments to prevent funding issues in the interim and to extend essential health authorizations, would keep the government funded through April 11.

Earlier, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Trump and House Republicans are "crashing" the economy and "hurting" hard-working American families.

The Republican bill "dramatically" cuts health care, nutritional assistance for children, and families and veterans benefits, he said.

"It is not something we could ever support. House Democrats will not be complicit in the Republican effort to hurt the American people," Jeffries stressed.