A government shutdown was avoided on Friday after the House easily voted through a resolution in a 366-34 vote followed by the Senate approving the resolution in an 85-11 vote. Among the votes against were lawmakers from Utah. Following the vote, Senator Mike Lee shared on X, “ The Continuing Resolution that passed last night was better than the 1547-page disaster dumped in our laps just a few days ago. Unfortunately, it still contained $111 billion in deficit spending, with no corresponding cuts. I could not vote for it in good conscience. The American people just returned Donald Trump to the White House and gave the GOP control of both the House and Senate in large part because they were hurting from runaway inflation caused by Joe Biden’s reckless federal spending. They are counting on us to stop it.” Outgoing Utah Senator Mitt Romney also voted NO and made the following statement on X afterwards: “While I support keeping government open, I voted no on the CR—a simple protest of the absurd way this is to run government.” Following the vote, Utah Congressman and Senator-elect John Curtis also issued a statement: “I understand the importance of helping our farmers and those impacted by natural disasters. However, we cannot treat these manufactured shutdown-showdowns as a blank check for more spending,” shared Representative Curtis. “Congress should always find savings to offset new expenditures…In Utah, we teach our children the importance of living within their means and avoiding unnecessary debt. It’s a principle embedded in our state’s constitution, and it’s one we should hold ourselves to at the federal level. It’s time for a different kind of conversation on spending—one that leads to consensus and a more prosperous America.”
