Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) released a statement today following her vote against a Continuing Resolution, expressing her concerns over Congress’s handling of the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process. Senator Britt criticized Senate Democrats for failing to prioritize key appropriations bills and warned of a potential push for a large omnibus spending package just before Christmas.
“Democrats have once again abdicated their fundamental responsibility as members of the U.S. Senate by refusing to put a single Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill on the floor before September 30,” said Britt. She noted that 11 out of 12 funding bills had advanced with bipartisan support by August 1, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had focused on “partisan nominees and election year show votes.”
Britt also highlighted concerns over the limited number of remaining Senate sessions this year and the lack of a clear plan to bring appropriations bills to the floor. “This Senate Democrat Majority has also failed to outline any kind of plan to put Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills on the floor before the end of December, and the Senate is only scheduled to be in session a total of five more weeks before the New Year,” she said. Britt emphasized her opposition to passing a comprehensive omnibus spending package just before the holidays, advocating instead for a return to a more transparent appropriations process.
Last week, Britt, along with other Senate Republicans, called for the Senate to consider the Fiscal Year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and the FY25 Defense Appropriations Act. Despite being approved unanimously in committee by August 1, these bills had not yet been brought to the Senate floor.
Senator Britt is also a co-sponsor of the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2023, introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.). This bill has the stated aim to eliminate government shutdowns by implementing automatic Continuing Resolutions if appropriations are not passed on time, while restricting congressional travel and limiting legislative action to appropriations matters during such periods.
