SC Alaska News

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) issued a statement on the recent government shutdown, attributing responsibility to Senate Democrats for the closure. According to Sullivan, he voted alongside both Republican and Democratic colleagues in favor of a short-term, nonpartisan continuing resolution intended to keep the federal government operating.

“Tonight, I voted with my Republican and Democrat colleagues for a short-term, nonpartisan continuing resolution (CR) to keep our government open, fund our essential services, support our military, and ensure federal workers are paid. Bipartisan members of the House and Senate are united. We want to pass a clean CR and then spend the next seven weeks negotiating on in good faith other items, like extending and reforming the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, which I support," Sullivan stated.

He further criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s actions during negotiations: “Senator Schumer, on the other hand, decided to shut the government down to appease the far-left wing of his party, putting his personal politics over the interests of veterans, our military, and other important federal workers. This Schumer shutdown was 100 percent avoidable.”

The statement comes after bipartisan efforts were made in both chambers of Congress to pass a temporary funding measure that would allow additional time for negotiations on issues such as healthcare tax credits.