The Alabama Legislature’s Republican leaders are pushing the U.S. Senate to avert a potentially “devastating” government shutdown, set to start Wednesday.
In a letter to Senate Republican and Democratic leadership, exclusively obtained by Alabama Daily News, GOP state lawmakers on Sept. 26 urgently called for the U.S. Senate to pass the GOP-led seven-week stopgap funding bill that keeps spending levels flat.
Subscribe to The Alabama Baptist today!
SIGN UP for our weekly Highlights emails.
“The bottom line is that Alabama — like every other state — relies heavily on federal funding to serve its citizens, and these are not chips Congress should be bargaining with,” the letter reads.
Signees include Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, and Sens. Greg Albritton, R-Range, and Arthur Orr, R-Decatur.
Government funding runs out at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday night.
Gov. Kay Ivey also joined other Republican governors in a letter to the Senate urging them to immediately pass the short-term continuing resolution.
But Republicans and Democrats are still far apart on reaching a government funding deal, even after leadership emerged from a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House Monday afternoon, a day before the shutdown deadline. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there are “very large differences” between the two sides on health care and rescissions after the White House meeting.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
Share with others: