Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act.  Better known as the laddered continuing resolution, this legislation extends government funding through February 2, 2024, except for funding provided under the Agriculture, Energy & Water, Military Construction &VA, and Transportation and Housing & Urban Development appropriations bills. These four appropriations divisions would receive funding through January 19, 2024:

“Failing to include any spending cuts and continuing to fund the entire Biden-Pelosi woke agenda that is destroying our country, driving our nation’s debt dangerously closer to $34 trillion and crushing American families with historically high inflation is not something I could support.

Not included in the continuing resolution are any meaningful measures to secure the southern border to stop the surge of illegal aliens and deadly flow of fentanyl that are destroying communities in my district in the great state of Arizona.  Over 10 million illegal aliens and over 27,000 pounds of fentanyl have poured into our country since Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas took office in 2021.  Any continuing resolution proposal must include the border security measures included in H.R. 2, legislation that already passed the House of Representatives, and would reverse Biden’s reckless open border policies.

Lastly, rather than being considered separately as a stand-alone issue, as we agreed to earlier this year, the continuing resolution ill-advisedly reauthorizes the Farm Bill through September 2024 without discussion or debate.  This is irresponsible and prevents Congress from improving the bill.

The cycle of temporary funding deals that fail to rein in spending, reverse the Biden-Pelosi agenda or address the invasion along the southern border must end.  Rather than continuously kicking the can down the road, Congress must put the needs of Americans first,” concluded Congressman Gosar.