WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the passage of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022 that funds the federal government through December 3.

 “Ending fiscal year after fiscal year with continuing resolutions, instead of doing our jobs and passing regular appropriations bills in a timely manner, is no way to run the country. It is important for Congress to make clear our intent in federal spending and fully exercise our constitutional power of the purse and oversight of federal agencies. I appreciate that Maryland federal employees and contractors can show up to work tomorrow and continue to provide essential services for Americans without the fear of a wasteful government shutdown during a deadly pandemic that interrupts their mission and the well-being of their families, as our students finally head back to reopened schools. Among other provisions, this agreement provides much needed assistance for the Small Business Administration to process loans for struggling small businesses, extends waivers to expand the National School Lunch Program for students, and delivers emergency disaster funding for states as well as humanitarian assistance for our Southern border and Afghan refugees.

“A continuing resolution is no substitute for regular appropriations and – due to Republican obstruction – we still must deal with the debt limit and avoid what would be a recession-causing event. I urge my colleagues to finally set aside the partisanship and keep our economy on track.”

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