Washington, D.C. —Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E.  (R-WV) issued the following statement regarding the government funding bill that passed the House today:

“When the Republican House majority came to Washington four years ago we sought to increase transparency, implement a more open process, and end the closed door practices that marked the Nancy Pelosi era. Yet this week we were presented with a 1,600 page spending bill with 48 hours to review it before funding runs out. We were given no opportunities to change the bill.

“While I appreciate the work of the House Appropriations committee and recognize there are many good provisions included in this bill, it did not include protections for West Virginia’s coal miners, so I voted against the bill and the broken process that produced it.

“Next year, with new leadership in the Senate hopefully we can break the cycle of last minute deals formulated behind closed doors. Congress needs to return to an open process that allows members to provide input and make changes. With willing partners in the Senate we will be able to reduce spending and change damaging policies on everything from the EPA to health care to immigration.

“With this latest hurdle behind us I hope we can focus on working together in an open manner to address the challenges our country faces.”