WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate this morning passed a short-term spending bill that funds the government through December 11, 2015:

“While I am pleased the Senate finally came to its senses and passed a bill to avoid another disastrous government shutdown, it’s disappointing that we even had to confront the possibility to begin with,” Senator King said. “Pushing the country to the brink of another shutdown to pass a short-term fix at the eleventh hour is not governing. It’s irresponsible, and it hurts the American people, damages the economy, and further erodes the already little faith left in this institution. I urge the House to pass this bill so we can put this manufactured crisis behind us and then begin immediately working on a more balanced, long-term budget solution that invests in our future and puts America on a path to prosperity.”

The continuing resolution passed by the Senate today fully funds the government at its current levels through December 11, 2015. The legislation now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. The government is set to run out of money at the end of the day today, which concludes the end of the Fiscal Year.

In recent remarks on the Senate floor, Senator King denounced the Congressional inaction that led to the current situation and called on Congress to pass a spending bill. In August, he also called for bipartisan budget negotiations to help avoid a possible shutdown. Additionally, as a member of both the Senate Budget and Armed Services Committees, Senator King has repeatedly called for balanced sequester relief to help grow the economy.

###