Senators Push To Avoid Last-Minute Funding Battles

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and 15 Senators including David Perdue (R-GA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Dean Heller (R-NV), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are asking Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to expedite floor consideration on funding bills and President Trump’s nominees, even if the Senate must work nights, weekends, and through the August state work period to make substantial progress before the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2018.

“We stand ready to break through the confirmation backlog and get the government funded before we break in August, well before the September 30 deadline,” said the Senators. “We stand ready to work Mondays and Fridays, nights as well as weekends, to ensure the funding process is not used to jam the President with a bad spending deal. We, and the American people, expect Congress to work tirelessly to restore American greatness. The President has outlined an agenda that will unleash economic growth, strengthen our military, and rebuild our infrastructure. We play a critical role in advancing this agenda, so together let’s make Congress work again.”

The Senators outlined their request in a letter sent to Leader McConnell on Thursday, May 10, 2018. View the full text of the letter here. 

Lankford has also advocated for a series of Senate rule changes to streamline the executive confirmation process. Last year, Lankford introduced a gridlock reform resolution (S. Res. 355) to permanently speed up Senate debate time on most executive and judicial nominees. The resolution, which is identical to a temporary rule that was in place for the 113^th Congress, passed out of committee last month and the next step would be for a vote in the full Senate. 

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