Huffman Statement on Vote to Avert Extreme Republican Government Shutdown

September 30, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) released the following statement:

“At the 11th hour – after weeks of chaotic attempts to use the threat of a government shutdown to leverage their extreme MAGA agenda – I was glad to see House Republicans fold and agree to do what Democrats have been ready to do all along:  pass a “clean” short-term funding measure to keep the government running, and to include critical supplemental disaster relief.   I voted ‘yes’ because this CR responsibly funds the government, contains no policy concessions to MAGA extremists, and because I have every expectation that the overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House and Senate that supports supplemental funding for Ukraine will find a way to achieve that within the next 45 days.  

“While we have averted a MAGA government shutdown for now, this is not a “mission-accomplished” moment. Speaker McCarthy was forced to work with Democrats, who remained unified throughout this spectacle of GOP dysfunction, and who ended up providing most of the votes to pass this stop-gap measure.  Given the extreme MAGA faction that dominates the Republican Majority, this will probably cost McCarthy his speakership.

“Whether this teetering GOP ship is piloted by McCarthy, or someone else, I have no doubt Team Extreme will remain hell-bent on making draconian cuts that would devastate working families, repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and other clean energy investments Democrats passed in the last Congress, and passing radical culture war legislation. They will surely threaten another government shutdown 45 days from now to leverage that extreme agenda.  Today’s vote was a welcome reprieve from GOP dysfunction, but it would be naïve to think House Republicans have suddenly become capable of governing.

“Whether we are working with our Republican colleagues or against them in the coming weeks, you will see Democrats continue to stand strong in our commitment to passing a budget that lives up to our promise to put people over politics and provides for the health, safety, and economic well-being of our constituents.”

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