DALLAS — Instead of passing the dozen annual appropriations bills that are required to keep the federal government funded, Congress once again turned to a temporary continuing resolution (CR) to keep the lights on through Dec. 20.
Congressman Greg Casar, D-Austin, joined other Democrats and some Republicans in the U.S. House in passing the CR 341-82, with only Republicans voting no.
The Democrat says he hopes voters send a strong message to lawmakers on Nov. 5 that they want folks in office who will work together to build something, rather than try to take away services people have come to rely on.
“Something I’ve learned here in my first term in Congress is that so much of the right-wing Republican strategy is to break things and then campaign on them being broken. But an infant can break something. It takes adults and people committed to public service to build things,” Congressman Casar told us on Inside Texas Politics.
For the most part, the CR funds the government at current levels until just before Christmas, with lawmakers adding $231 Million for the Secret Service following two recent assassination attempts on Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The measure passed the Senate 78-18.
While it avoids a government shutdown, the CR simply means lawmakers will still face the tough decisions that need to be made concerning the budget after the November 5 election.
Congressman Casar also discussed a new resolution he introduced only hours before our conversation.
The Migration Stability Resolution calls for comprehensive legislation that would address the root causes of why people are fleeing Central and South America and the Caribbean.
It also asks for a true roadmap to citizenship for immigrants living in the United States.
“If we want to actually address the immigration issue, let’s address issues in Latin America. Let’s stop putting fuel on the fire of poverty and instability and let’s create more legal pathways for migration,” said Casar. “So, we put the ideas out there. We’re hearing and seeing much, much more support.”