WASHINGTON D.C. — Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are sharing their reactions after the Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end.
RELATED: Senate approves bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House
In a press release Senator Crapo, who is also Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote, "I voted again today to reopen and fund the federal government. The unserious political games by Senate Democrats placed an undue burden on our servicemembers, small businesses, federal employees and communities that rely on federal resources--all of which could have been avoided. The three appropriations bills we also advanced support our veterans, invest in rural communities, protect our national security and contain needed cost-savings measures. We must continue bipartisan work on the remaining appropriations bills before the January 2026 deadline. Insurance premiums are skyrocketing because our health care system is broken. Simply extending the temporary Biden COVID bonuses, which account for only four percentage points of the coming premium increases, is not a solution. I remain committed to tackling the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than masking them with more unsustainable spending.”
And in a statement on X, Senator Jim Risch shared, "“As I have long said, government shutdowns are a terrible waste of time and resources. Over the last 41 days, I’ve voted 16 times to reopen the government. I’m relieved that eight Democrats have finally decided to join with Senate Republicans to start us down that path. “We must ensure SNAP recipients and veterans can access assistance, and that our military, air traffic controllers, and so many other important government employees receive the pay that hasn’t come in weeks. To make sure this doesn’t happen again, we must pass the Eliminate Shutdowns Act immediately.”
The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation.
