Barrasso: The American People Deserve to Know What Democrats Are Demanding

"Let's be honest. Democrats have a political problem. The far-left demands a shutdown. Their caucus is divided. The American people overwhelmingly want their government to remain open."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor to condemn Senate Minority Lead Schumer's reckless shutdown plan.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso's remarks.

Sen. Barrasso's remarks as prepared:

"The government is on the verge of a Democrat-caused shutdown - a shutdown of the government of the United States of America. Senator Schumer has sent us a ransom note. It's not about a negotiation. It's a shakedown. Schumer's ransom note is not about keeping the government open. It is about caving to the far-left wing of the Democrat party. It is pure politics. It's political theater. And every Democrat in this body knows it.

"This afternoon, my colleagues are meeting with President Trump. The American people deserve to know what Democrats are demanding. Democrats are demanding more than $1 trillion in new spending to keep the government open for just four weeks. They want permanent new spending to continue the Biden COVID bonus payments. They want sanctuary states to continue to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants. At the same time, they threaten to defund Border Patrol agents. They want to send billions of dollars to foreign countries, but slash billions of dollars to help rural hospitals in our country. They want to subsidize free healthcare for people who refuse to get jobs, yet threaten the paychecks of the people whose job it is to keep our country safe. They demand this far-left wish list - or else they will shut the government down at midnight tomorrow.

"The biggest scam in this ransom note is the COVID-era Biden Bonus Payments. Democrats are demanding $400 billion to continue these subsidies forever. Democrats created the Biden Bonus COVID Payments in 2021. It was part of their reckless tax and spending bill. They passed it when they controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House. At the time Biden started the payments, most people realized COVID was behind us. Democrats extended the payments in 2022. They set an expiration date: December 31, 2025. That is three months from now. Democrats promised the Biden Bonus COVID Payments would be temporary. Now, Democrats want them forever.

"I'm holding the House Report that came out on Democrats' 2021 reckless tax and spending bill. This is the official report of the Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives from February 24, 2021. Page 215 says these Biden Bonus COVID Payments applied 'during the public health emergency.' It says payments would go up 'temporarily. 'Those are their words, not mine. Well, COVID is over. Joe Biden lost. Democrats are in the minority. The Biden Bonus COVID Payments must not become another permanent government giveaway. Temporary means temporary. Yet that is what the Democrats are demanding to keep the government open for just the next month.

"Twelve years ago, in 2013, America faced another shutdown. At the time, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut sent out a press release. In his press release, Senator Murphy said, 'There is a time and place to debate health care… but not when the funding of the federal government - and all the lives that are impacted by it - hang in the balance.' Today, Democrats like Senator Murphy are doing the very thing they condemned.

"Stunningly, Democrats want to eliminate the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund. This is the fund Republicans created to keep community hospitals open. I'm a doctor. I practiced medicine in Wyoming for more than 20 years. I know what affordable, reliable, quality local care means for our communities. They are lifelines. Last week, I was home in Wyoming. I attended a ribbon cutting in Pinedale for a new hospital. This is the first hospital ever in Sublette County, Wyoming. The nearest hospital is 85 miles away. Another is 100 miles away. This is going to help the community of Pinedale in so many ways. It will save lives. Yet Senator Schumer's ransom note would shut down Sublette County Hospital and other rural hospitals like it.

"Let's be honest. Democrats have a political problem. The far-left demands a shutdown. Their caucus is divided. The American people overwhelmingly want their government to remain open. There is a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution. It has already passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote. It keeps the government open for the next seven weeks. It gives Republicans and Democrats on the Appropriations Committee time to finish their bipartisan work. President Trump is ready to sign it. It's time for the Senate to pass it.

"Senator Schumer has repeatedly bragged that Democrats never shut down the government when they were in the majority. I would remind the Minority Leader that 13 times under Joe Biden this Senate passed a clean continuing resolution to keep the government open. We should do the same right now. Senator Schumer ought to remember those 13 times. Today should be no different. If this government shuts down, and it should not, it will clearly be a Schumer Shutdown."

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