Pelosi Statement on GOP Starting Appropriations Markup Without Budget

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement as the House Republican Appropriations Committee begins to mark up the Military Construction / Veterans Affairs appropriations bill today, with no budget enacted and no agreed-upon spending levels:

"House Republicans have failed to pass a budget or establish any kind of overall agreed-upon spending levels. Instead of working constructively, Republicans' markup is just pushing us deeper into the destructive uncertainty and chaos over the budget. Marking up one discretionary bill without any sense of the whole is irresponsible and counterproductive.

"Republicans' negligence on the budget has become all too familiar. Republicans are clearly hoping to crowd out America's investments in good-paying jobs while hiding the extent of the damage they have planned for working people.

"The Republican Congress and Administration need to get serious about keeping government open and averting a catastrophic default. Democrats stand willing to work across the aisle on responsible spending legislation and protecting the full faith and credit of the United States. We will not help Republicans enact laws that shift more burdens onto seniors and hard-working families."

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