WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) today released the following statement after voting to keep the government funded and replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund with $16 billion:

“Today I voted for a Continuing Resolution that keeps the government open, and—critically for Vermont—replenishes FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to help communities respond to, and recover from, disasters. This is great news for our state, and I’m grateful for our Delegation’s bipartisan, bicameral work to support Vermont rebuild and recover from this summer’s floods.

“As funding negotiations continue, I am going to keep working with my partners in the Vermont Congressional Delegation to fight for additional flood relief for our farmers, small businesses, and communities. I’m also disappointed Ukraine did not receive the funding it needs to push back against Putin’s unjust invasion and urge both chambers to work together on supplemental funding for Ukraine.

“For weeks, the Senate has worked in a bipartisan way to pass annual funding bills and keep the government open. It should have never required an 11th-hour vote to keep the government open. This unnecessary weeks-long uncertainty put the financial health and wellbeing of Vermonters, and the American economy, in harm’s way.

“The American people deserve a better-functioning Congress. Shutdown threats hurt the integrity of our democracy and the faith the American people have in this institution.”  

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