WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement in advance of this evening’s deadline to prevent a partial government shutdown:

“We shouldn’t be in this situation. For months, Congress has worked on a bipartisan basis to craft spending bills that would attract support from both parties – including substantial funds for border security. Instead, the President has forced a partial government shutdown unless his demands for a wall on the southern border are met. As a result of his decision to reject a bipartisan agreement, federal employees – like law enforcement officers, park rangers, and air traffic controllers – must spend their holidays worrying if their next paycheck will be affected by political games. Everyone in the Congress is in favor of enhanced border security; the issue is whether a wall is the best and most cost-effective method of achieving this.”

According to the agreement reached by party leadership in the Senate Friday afternoon, there will be no more votes on the budget bills until there is a final agreement between President Trump and House and Senate leadership. Senator King will return home to Maine tonight, and will return to Washington D.C. to vote as soon as an agreement is reached. After discussions with leaders of both parties, Senator King is hopeful that a reasonable resolution can be reached in short order.