WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation released the following statement today from Richard Stern, director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, condemning the government shutdown triggered by Democrats’ rejection of a Continuing Resolution (CR) to sustain federal funding: 

“Instead of working to keep our government running, Democrats in Congress are playing a dangerous game, putting politics over people and holding the government hostage to force through their $1.5 trillion woke wish list.  

 

“While Republicans have put a clean, commonsense bill on the table to keep the lights on, Democratic leadership and their radical allies would rather grind everything to a halt unless their extreme demands are met. It’s reckless, it’s partisan, and the American people deserve better.” 

Federal funding expired at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30, triggering a government shutdown. Earlier in September, the House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding bill—a Continuing Resolution (CR)—to keep the government running for seven more weeks. Democrats blocked the bill, insisting on $1.5 trillion in more spending, pushing to restore funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and demanding permanent expansions to Obamacare subsidies and welfare for illegal aliens.