WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after passage of the final six FY24 appropriations bills, which will keep the federal government from shutting down. The package inlcudes: (1)Department of Defense Appropriations; (2) Financial Services and General Government Appropriations; (3) Department of Homeland Security Appropriations; (4) Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations; (5) Legislative Branch Appropriations; (6) Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations,

“Congress has finally completed its work to fully fund the federal government for the current fiscal year, with the passage of the remaining six appropriations bills. This package of bills delivers Marylanders critical funding to defend our national security, support international diplomacy, and deliver key programs for our workers and our health care. I am especially proud that the bills include an additional $37.79 million in direct investment in projects in Maryland, through Congressionally Directed Spending, adding to the $202 million already provided in the previous package enacted earlier this month. With all of these pieces included in the legislation that is now on its way to the President’s desk, today’s accomplishment is a big win for delivering stability for the government and for our federal employees who provide vital services to Marylanders. While politics needlessly made this process take longer than it should have, we will finally close the book on Fiscal Year 2024 and move forward immediately with our work on federal funding for Fiscal Year 2025.”