Washington, D.C. –Today, Congressman Rick Berg voted to prevent a government shutdown and ensure that the Department of Defense remains funded through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011.

H.R. 1363, the Department of Defense and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, was passed today to ensure that American armed forces remain funded if Senate Democrats continue to refuse to pass a long-term budget measure and shut down government.

“It’s been forty-seven days since the House passed a long-term budget measure to cut spending and get our country back on track, yet the Senate has repeatedly refused to provide Americans with the certainty they need,” Congressman Berg stated.  “It is unacceptable for Senate Democrats to use our families—and now our military—as political chips to advance their partisan, business-as-usual agenda.  North Dakotans have made it clear that maintaining the failed status quo is no longer an option and it astonishes me that Harry Reid would ask our military families to bear the price of Senate Democrat’s choice to put politics before the needs of our nation.  A government shutdown accomplishes nothing and it is my hope that Senate leaders will come together and join the House in offering a long-term solution for the American people and ensuring that those who serve our nation have the support they need and deserve.”

H.R. 1363 provides appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year, ending September 30, 2011. The legislation also provides for a one week (through April 15, 2011) extension of the existing CR to provide President Obama, Senate Leader Reid and House Speaker Boehner with time to finish ongoing budget negotiations.  H.R. 1363 also provides $12 billion in cuts from current levels.

Last year, the Democrat-controlled Congress failed to enact a final spending plan for FY 2011, and in fact, failed to enact into law any of the twelve FY 2011 appropriations bills. Forty-seven days ago, House Republicans passed a long-term budget measure to reduce current spending levels by more than $60 billion—a $100 billion reduction from President Obama’s proposed budget.  After stalling for three weeks, the Senate rejected both the House’s budget measure that would cut current spending levels by $60 billion over seven-months and Senate Democrats’ own measure that would cut current spending levels by just $4.7 billion over seven-months. The Senate has yet to pass any legislation wrapping up the FY 2011 process.

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