Pelosi Statement on House Passage of Government Funding Bill

Contact:Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, which funds certain government operations at last year's levels through March 6, 2009. The bill passed by a vote of 370 to 58:

"Today, the House passed legislation that will make investments in some key shared priorities to move our country forward, while ensuring that critical government services upon which the American people rely continue without interruption.

"The bill provides nearly $23 billion in necessary disaster assistance to those affected by recent hurricanes, Western wildfires, and flooding and tornadoes in the Midwest, and immediate assistance to millions of Americans who are facing skyrocketing heating bills this winter.

"The New Direction Congress also built upon last year's historic investment in veterans' health care with an additional $4.1 billion to care for our wounded warriors - doing in two years more than was done in the last 12 years for America's veterans.

"Unfortunately, the President's willingness to veto any sensible compromise on offshore oil drilling, which would have threatened to shut down the government and sent a dangerous signal during these hard economic times and a financial crisis on Wall Street, led to the expiration of the current moratorium.

"We look forward to addressing these and other pressing issues with new leadership in the White House next year so that we can continue to make progress for the American people."