U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, a member of the Appropriations Committee, joined the full Senate in voting today for a short-term agreement to keep the federal government running until Dec. 11.

The measure, which passed the Senate 78-20 and passed the U.S. House of Representatives 277-151, is now headed to the president to be signed into law. While Udall welcomed the short-term agreement called a “continuing resolution,” he urged Congress to agree to a long-term budget that also ends the devastating across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration.

Udall released the following statement:

“I’m extremely pleased that Congress has come to an agreement that prevents a government shutdown. I hope this is a turning point, which will allow us to work together on a responsible long-term budget that gives federal employees and contractors certainty — one that funds crucial priorities such as national security, education, energy and our environment and enables families and seniors to thrive.

“The people of New Mexico want us to stop governing from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis and start working for them. That means no more threatened shutdowns and an end to sequestration budget cuts. New Mexicans work hard, and many are still struggling to recover from the recession. They are eager for solutions, and they are tired of these political games that threaten jobs and weaken our economy. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will keep working to get us back to bipartisan budget agreements that make smart investments and meet the real needs of American families.”