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TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO IMMEDIATELY RESOLVE THE CURRENT BUDGET IMPASSE REGARDING THE FUNDING OF CERTAIN FEDERAL AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO REOPEN ALL ASPECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO FURTHER ENSURE THAT ANY FEDERAL EMPLOYEE ADVERSELY AFFECTED FINANCIALLY BY THIS SHUTDOWN WILL RECEIVE FULL BACK PAY AND BENEFITS.
Whereas, the federal fiscal year began on October 1, 2018, and Congress has passed just five out of twelve appropriations bills setting discretionary spending levels. Lawmakers had until midnight on December 21, 2018, to enact legislation to fund the programs covered by the remaining seven appropriations bills, but they allowed that funding to lapse. The federal government has now partially shut down because of this failure; and
Whereas, as a result of this impasse, several federal agencies shut down at midnight on December 21, 2018, and have discontinued all nonessential discretionary functions until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law. Essential services continue to function, as do mandatory spending programs; and
Whereas, affected agencies and programs include the following:
(1) Social Security and Medicare;
(2) environmental and food inspection;
(3) national parks;
(4) Health and Human Services;
(5) Internal Revenue Service;
(6) Homeland Security; and
Whereas, the unfunded departments employ some eight hundred fifty thousand people. About forty percent are subject to being furloughed, based on the agencies' shutdown plans. The rest have been asked to work without pay, though those who already have scheduled time off will be temporarily furloughed during those days; and
Whereas, President Donald Trump has said he won't sign any spending legislation that does not include funding for the border wall he wants to build between the United States and Mexico. Congressional Democratic leaders indicate they are in favor of upgrading border security, but without a wall. This appears to be the major barrier to reaching a budget compromise so that all agencies of the federal government can be reopened; and
Whereas, all parties involved in the budget negotiations should end the shutdown and the Congress should pass and the President should sign legislation appropriating the necessary funds to reopen these agencies and put back to work the more than eight hundred thousand employees who have been adversely impacted by the shutdown; and
Whereas, the art of governing includes the ability to compromise and the members of the General Assembly believe that our elected officials in the Executive Branch and in the Congressional Branch should come together as reasonable people to find a solution to this problem because shutting down a portion of the federal government over a budget impasse is not in the best interest of our federal employees and the citizens of the United States; and
Whereas, the legislation resolving this budget impasse must include a provision providing full back pay and benefits to any federal employee affected by the shutdown. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina hereby memorialize the President of the United States and congressional leaders to immediately resolve the current budget impasse regarding the funding of certain federal agencies and programs in order to reopen all aspects of the federal government and further ensure that any federal employee adversely affected financially by this shutdown will receive full back pay and benefits.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, United States Senate and House of Representatives, and each member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives from South Carolina.
This web page was last updated on January 15, 2019 at 2:56 PM