WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after passage of a 45-day Continuing Resolution (CR) that will avoid a shutdown of the federal government.

“I am not a fan of Continuing Resolutions, but shutting down the federal government would have been dangerous, reckless and costly for the American people. At risk were families, seniors, small businesses, and especially our federal workers and contractors, military, air traffic controllers, and all those who would have been required to work without knowing when their next paycheck would arrive. This agreement is consistent with the bipartisan budget framework negotiated this summer. Thankfully, the CR we approved tonight includes an extension for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and replenishes urgent disaster-relief funds. The 45-day clock is now ticking and Congress must come together to finalize the FY24 appropriations and a supplemental funding package for Ukraine. America is committed to helping Ukraine defend democracy against Russia’s unprovoked and illegal war.  “I would urge my colleagues to embrace the bipartisanship that has gotten us through this deadline and postponed, for now, a potential shutdown. There is no such thing as a ‘good shutdown’ and we must work diligently to ensure we aren’t back at this cliff’s edge in November. The American people are depending on us to do the right thing.”