Lawmakers should resolve the ongoing issues of government funding, rather than extending it, especially as the most recent argument over border security was "certainly within our reach," Rep. Steny Hoyer said Thursday.
"There are seven appropriations bills which are pending and have not been passed or signed by the president," the Maryland Democrat told CNN's "New Day."
"Six of those have bipartisan agreement and very frankly, the seventh, homeland security, has overwhelming agreement, save for the wall."
Democrats offered to pass the six bills, on which we have agreements, and fund those agencies throughout the fiscal year and then do a continuing resolution which gives authority to spend money for homeland security for the balance of the year, He added.
"Now we have until Feb. 8, a short time, and we're going to have possibly another crisis where we fight about the wall," said Hoyer.
"That simply doesn't make sense. It is not economically responsible. We ought to get on to our agenda, which deals with health care, which deals with education, which deals with wages and jobs and reforms. That's what we ought to be doing."
However, lawmakers have gotten used to "kicking the can down the road," said Hoyer, and the public deserves better.
"If we agree on 95 percent of a bill, we ought to pass it," said Hoyer.
But he said he does expect Trump will sign the funding legislation after it goes through the House.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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