WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement following the passage of H.J.Res. 44 to continue appropriations for the federal government through March 18, 2011:
“The spending cuts we came together to pass today are an encouraging step as we look for responsible, bipartisan solutions for reducing our deficit. But this country and this government are facing real financial problems and we’re not going to solve them by negotiating two weeks at a time with the threat of a government shutdown constantly looming overhead. We need a serious commitment to passing not only a long-term resolution for this year, but a responsible budget for next year that makes serious long-term progress in reducing our deficit.
“I welcome the President’s announcement that the White House will be more engaged in Congressional negotiations on more substantial deficit reduction strategies over the coming weeks.”
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