Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement after voting for the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government, which included funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) without cuts to other programs. 

“I am pleased to be able to provide funds for FEMA without tying the aid to politically-charged cuts.  Unfortunately, this CR only runs until November 18, setting the stage for yet another manufactured crisis just before the Thanksgiving holiday.  This is also only five days before the so-called ‘super committee’ is due to release its findings on debt reduction.  Why did we stop at November 18?  All this does is provide the Tea Party-led House majority another chance to irresponsibly lead our country to the brink of financial disaster and a shutdown of the government.  They have no interest in leading or governing.  They are fueled by a rigid ideology, and as a result important issues facing our nation are neglected. 

“The constant specter of shutdown and default has led the wavering of the stock market and uncertainty worldwide.  Meanwhile, the end of 2011 looms on the horizon, and there has not been a single jobs bill debated, much less passed by the House.  Important issues such as education and immigration reform remain stalled because this Congress has failed to accomplish anything beyond avoiding disasters of its own creation.  Real families in communities across several states – including my own constituents in the Bronx, Rockland and Westchester Counties – are suffering from damages caused by floods, hurricanes, tornados and other disasters.  These are families who have lost everything – their homes, their memories, and in some cases, their loved ones.  Instead of immediately scrambling to get the needed aid to them as quickly as possible, the Tea Party-led Majority played games with offsets and took political swipes at the President. 

“Before the House adjourned over a week ago, I knew that a CR with no offsets would get overwhelming bipartisan support.  Today proved my point.  It is a shame we had to wait this long to do it.  I call on the House majority to work with Democrats in the House and Senate, and President Obama, to either magically pass the 12 Appropriations bills, currently pending, to form a FY 2012 budget, or to pass a long-term CR in November that avoids another round of this shutdown roulette.”

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