Barrasso, Lummis, Demand Schumer’s Plan to Fund the Government, Avoid Omnibus

U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis (both-R-WY) joined 18 of their colleagues in issuing a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Friday. The letter demands that Schumer present a plan to the Republican Conference for how the Senate will take up and pass the 12 appropriations bills already approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a manner that respects an open amendment process and avoids a December omnibus spending package.

The letter issued by the senators states that the core constitutional responsibility of the United States Congress is the power of the purse, to set and authorize appropriations which fund the operations of the United States Government. Since 1977, Congress has only successfully completed its appropriations work of taking up, debating, amending if necessary, and passing all appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year on September 30th four times. This is unacceptable. The American people deserve better. A full copy of the letter can be viewed here.