WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following remarks after Senate passage of the latest Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2024, which began October 1, 2023.

“Advancing another Continuing Resolution at this time to fund the federal government operations nationwide is the right thing to do – it’s the responsible thing to do. A shutdown of the federal government, even a partial shutdown, would be irresponsible and wasteful. More time is needed to pass and enact funding bills for Fiscal Year 2024, which started nearly four months ago, so the House of Representatives must act swiftly and decisively to approve what the Senate has sent over. There must be bipartisan rejection of calls for a shutdown of the federal government.

“Generally, I am no fan of Continuing Resolutions. Lurching from CR to CR causes instability and wasteful spending. This late into the fiscal year, we should be providing certainty and predictability to the federal agencies that are carrying out vital programs and assistance for the American people in Maryland and all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. At this time, the federal government should be deep into carrying out policy and projects for the current fiscal year and planning ahead for the future. The economy under the Biden administration is producing real results for Americans: we are seeing growth in areas like manufacturing and construction, we are rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, and we are finally starting to take on the climate crisis in earnest.”