WASHINGTON, D.C. – In remarks delivered on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) blasted Congressional leaders for wasting valuable time as the government heads towards another possible shutdown and as other important domestic priorities, like fixing the Highway Trust Fund and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, which, if not done, threatens the jobs of people in Bangor, Maine – continue to languish in Congress.

Senator King’s remarks come after the Senate has spent weeks discussing the Iran nuclear agreement, voted twice to reject the advancement of a resolution of disapproval, and is now poised to do so again tomorrow. The repeated votes – which will not change the outcome – consume time that could be dedicated towards other critical priorities. In his remarks, Senator King stressed that by taking a third vote on the Iran nuclear agreement tomorrow – which will not change the outcome – the Senate is wasting time that could be spent working to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month and protect the livelihoods of American workers. He called for Senate leaders to take swift action to avoid a government shutdown and focus on the many important domestic issues facing the country.

            “We’ve debated Iran. We’ve taken two identical votes – the outcomes are the same. I predict the outcome will continue to be the same,” Senator King said. “And yet, every minute we now spend on an issue that has been resolved is a minute that we don’t spend on issues that need resolution: the budget, the highway fund, the debt limit, the Export-Import Bank, the tax extenders. That’s governing, Mr. President, and that’s what this body should be doing. I hope my colleagues at some point in the very near future will decide that it’s time to attend to those issues. We need to move forward to attend to the very urgent needs for the people of this country.”

With the federal government set to run out of money at the end of the month, Congress is moving towards another predictable fiscal crisis. The sixteen day government shutdown in October 2013 is estimated to have significantly reduced economic growth in the final quarter of 2013, and Senator King has repeatedly urged his colleagues to avoid another shutdown. In August, he signed on to a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urging him to immediately schedule bipartisan budget negotiations.

Senator King’s remarks also came one day after General Electric announced that it would likely cut hundreds of jobs across the country – including up to 84 in Bangor, Maine – because Congress failed to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Senator King criticized opponents of the Ex-Im Bank for jeopardizing American jobs:

“A staff member for the committee in the other body that handles this [said], ‘Well, 500 jobs is a drop in the bucket for GE.’ Eighty-four jobs is not a drop in the bucket for Bangor, Maine! Those are families. Those are real people. It makes a difference in our community, and it’s ridiculous,” Senator King said.

Senator King has repeatedly called for the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and, in July, he supported an amendment to the highway funding bill that would have done so. The amendment passed by an overwhelming margin but the House of Representatives failed to take up the legislation.

In his remarks, Senator King also underscored the need for Congress to find a long-term solution to the Highway Trust Fund, which has now been patched with short-term extensions 34 times. Senator King has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a long-term funding solution that supports critical infrastructure projects around the country.

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